Wilderness Rope Rescue

5 – Days (Open Enrollment or Site-Specific Closed Enrollment) The rescue concept of REMS training has been heavily influenced by urban/city fire/rescue techniques.  These traditional fire department techniques are typically too overburdened with heavy equipment and antiquated rope rescue techniques.  In this training, We focus on lightweight rapid deployment, minimal manning, advanced rigging techniques that is more suited for the demands of the wilderness environment. KES can provide the expertise and unmatched instruction to meet the challenge of minimalist rope rescue in a wilderness setting.   KES will include specific curriculum design that specifically meets the client’s needs and approval prior to the start of the training. Prerequisites: Recommendation of the host employer, or approval of KES.

At the completion of this class, the participants should be able to: 

1. Describe the physical principles which underlie knots, anchors, and mechanical advantage. 
2. Construct natural anchors that can accept the expected loads and maintain safety ratios. 
3. Rig and operate natural and timber-artificial high directional anchor systems. 
4. Rig and operate appropriate backup rope systems (belay lines/fall protection systems). 
5. Safely descend, ascend, and perform a vertical rope transfer. 
6. Perform a vertical pickoff. 
7. Perform a four-man steep angle rescue. 
8. Perform a cliff-based sloping highline evacuation.

Principles of Minimalist Wilderness Rigging 

• Traveling Light 
• Rescue from a Backpack 

Applied Force Calculations 

• Vector Analysis 
• Safety Factors 
• Compression and Tension 

Knot Craft 

• Minimalist Rigging Through Advanced Knot Craft 
• Knots, Bends, Hitches 

Wilderness Anchor Rigging concepts 

• Anchor Theory, 
• Resultant Forces Anchor considerations for Wilderness Locations
• Using Artificial Anchors - Rock Pro, and Pickets
• Natural High Directional Anchors

Belay System Setup and Operation 

• Petzl ASAP Lock 
• Minimalist Belay Techniques (Focus on the Munter Hitch) 

Mainline Systems 

• Team-based Lowering 
• Pulley Systems 

Vertical Mobility in a Wilderness Setting 

• Descending/Ascending, 
• Re-belay 
• Rope to Rope Transfers 
• Solo Pickoffs 

Offset and Highline Systems 

• Major Taglines 
• Dynamic Directional Systems 
• Sloping Highlines