2016 Tacoma Mountaineers Intermediate Climbing Manual
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
TACOMA MOUNTAINEERS Intermediate Climbing Manual 2016 Table of Contents Welcome to the Tacoma Mountaineers _______________________________________________________________________ 3 Course Information _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 5 Course Description _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5 2016 Intermediate Course Roster _______________________________________________________________________________ 7 Course Policies and Requirements _____________________________________________________________________________ 11 General Notes __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11 Late for Lecture / Absenteeism Policy _______________________________________________________________________________________ 11 Conservation Requirement ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11 Winter Overnight Requirement ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 11 Basic Climbing Field Trip Teaching Requirement __________________________________________________________________________ 12 Mentor Program ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 13 Rope Leader, Climb Leader, & Graduation Policies __________________________________________________________ 15 Rope Lead Process ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 15 Climb Leader Criteria _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 16 Typical Path to Attain Climb Leader Status _________________________________________________________________________________ 17 Graduation Requirements ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 18 Climb Leader & Graduation Applications ____________________________________________________________________________________ 19 Intermediate Climbs ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 21 Equipment List for the Intermediate Course _________________________________________________________________ 25 Learning to be Weight-Smart _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 27 Sample Pack - Summer Overnight Rock Trip ________________________________________________________________________________ 29 Course Preparation Module ___________________________________________________________________________________ 31 Intermediate Qualifier Refresher ______________________________________________________________________________ 33 Intermediate Qualifier Practical Exam ________________________________________________________________________ 35 Intermediate Qualifier Score Sheet __________________________________________________________________________________________ 36 Intermediate Qualifier Conditioner ____________________________________________________________________________ 37 Climb Preparation Module ____________________________________________________________________________________ 39 Intermediate Lecture – Winter Mountaineering; Climbing Health ________________________________________ 41 Intermediate Lecture – Winter Overnight, Snow Travel, Student Instruction ___________________________ 45 Intermediate Field Trip – Winter Overnight __________________________________________________________________ 47 Intermediate Lecture – Expedition Planning and Climbing Logistics _____________________________________ 57 Intermediate Lecture—Climbing Leadership and Response to Emergency _____________________________ 63 Rock & Ice Lead Climbing Module ____________________________________________________________________________ 65 Intermediate Lecture – Leading on Rock ______________________________________________________________________ 67 Intermediate Field Trip - Rock Climbing 1 ____________________________________________________________________ 75 Intermediate Lecture - Advanced Leading on Rock __________________________________________________________ 77 Multi-Pitch Belaying Techniques _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 78 Belaying from the Anchor / Direct Belay ____________________________________________________________________________________ 79 Intermediate Lecture – Emergency Self Help _________________________________________________________________ 81 Intermediate Field Trip - Rock Climbing II ____________________________________________________________________ 85 Intermediate Field Trip – Emergency Self-Help ______________________________________________________________ 87 Intermediate Lecture - Hard Snow / Introduction to Ice Climbing 1 ______________________________________ 89 The Kiwi Coil __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 90 Two Person Crevasse Rescue Method _______________________________________________________________________________________ 93 Intermediate Field Trip – Hard Snow / Ice Climbing 1 ______________________________________________________ 95 Intermediate Lecture – Ice Climbing 2 _________________________________________________________________________ 97 Intermediate Field Trip - Ice Climbing 2 _______________________________________________________________________ 99 Bibliography _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 101 Feedback _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 103 2 Welcome to the Tacoma Mountaineers The Tacoma Mountaineers Branch is the second oldest branch of The Mountaineers, and is a vibrant and active community. Intermediate Climbing is just one of the many courses and activities offered year round in Tacoma. Tacoma has an elected council made up of club members, which oversees the business of the branch. Outside of the council, the branch is organized into four divisions: Climbing, Admin, Outdoor, and Social, each of which has a chair. Each division is further divided into one or more activities, which have a chair and committee reporting up through the division chair. This information is provided for two reasons. First, to make you aware of all the excitement offered through Tacoma. You may just wish to explore one of the many activities offered outside of climbing! Secondly, the org chart is provided so that you’re aware of the structure of our community and the communication path to take should you have the need or desire. Your 2016 Intermediate Climbing course has a seven person committee, led by the chair. The chair reports to the Climbing Division chair, who in turn reports to the Branch Council chair. Branch Org Chart 3 4 Course Information Course Description The 2016 Intermediate Climbing course teaches skills for climbing at the intermediate level. This generally consists of climbing up to 5.6 rock, 55-degree snow and ice, and easier mixed climbs. Students will practice snow anchors, belays, emergency shelters; leading on rock, including how to place protection, build and equalize anchors, swing leads and perform self-rescues. The course teaches various snow and ice skills, including placing ice screws, other ice anchors, German and French techniques, and introduces steep (55 degrees) ice climbing. Lectures include expedition planning and high-altitude climbing (up to 20,000 ft.), such as for the Mexican volcanoes and Denali. The emphasis is on alpine climbing and all- around rock, ice, and snow technique rather than on developing a high level of technical skill. Additional course requirements include successful completion of Level 1 AIARE avalanche training and the Outdoor Leadership Seminar, both offered in Tacoma. Intermediate skills can be used on thousands of routes in the Cascades, Sierras, Tetons, Canadian Rockies and other ranges around the world. Skills taught in the course are required to lead technical basic climbs. The course also provides a good foundation for advanced skill development, such as 5.9+ rock, Class 4 ice, difficult mixed climbing and aid climbing. 5 6 2016 Intermediate Course Roster Intermediate Climbing Committee Name Email Position Troy Mason [email protected] Chair Joe Petersen [email protected] Co-Chair Logan Sailer [email protected] Critical Skills Nellie Suthers [email protected] Lectures Jim Gates [email protected] Field Trips Jeff Wirtz [email protected] Records Rick Yasger [email protected] Manuals Jim Paxinos [email protected] Branch Council Chair Jim Gawel [email protected] Climbing Division Chair Intermediate Climbing Students Name City Email Phone *The final roster will be updated and this page redistributed after completion of the conditioner test. 7 8 2016 Intermediate Course Schedule Type Date Event Location Info Night 1/4/2016 Course Introduction, Expectations, Tacoma Program Mentoring Center Lecture 1/14/2016 Intermediate Qualifier Refresher Tacoma Program Center Field Trip 1/23/2016 Qualifier - Skills Test Tacoma Program Center Field Trip 1/24/2016 Qualifier - Conditioner Mt. Si Lecture 1/28/2016 Winter Mountaineering, Conditioning, Tacoma Program and Injury Avoidance Center Lecture 2/11/2016 Winter Overnight, Snow