An introduction to Small Party Assisted Rescue (SPAR1)
Course Description:
Small party assisted rescues are performed by those with a person when they become injured in the back country, and are carried out with minimal equipment and personnel. The SPAR 1 class will teach attendees what SPAR is, when to perform a SPAR, and ways of performing technical rescues (lowers and raises) with minimal gear and people. Techniques taught will focus on methods that do not require advanced rope skills, so can be performed by those with little rope experience. The techniques presented are valuable for any high angle environment, so any rope user will find the material useful. The class will run from Friday evening to Sunday evening, so can be attended without missing much, if any, work.
Prerequisite Skills:
None. Attendees ideally should have a solid introduction to rope use or rope rescue, being able to tie basic knots, build anchors, and use common hardware (e.g., pulleys, carabiners, and rope grabs).
Equipment Needed:
Personal protective equipment (helmet, gloves, harness, ascending system, descending system) is mandatory. Attendees will probably also appreciate having knee pads as well. Each attendee should bring a little extra rigging gear, like two carabiners (or screw links), two rope grabs (e.g., prusiks, tiblocs, etc.), and small pulley like items (like personal pulleys, micro traxions, pulley carabiners, etc.). Large rescue pulleys and large steel carabiners are overkill for this class. If each person brings just a little extra gear we will have more than enough to run the class. Equipment can be provided to a limited number of people. Contact the instructor before the class if you need to borrow equipment.
Some Topics Covered:
What SPAR is
When to perform a SPAR
SPAR equipment
Horizontal patient movement
Basic anchor techniques
Simple belay techniques
Single rope technique
Weight transfers
Fixed brake lowers
Münter hitch usage
Münter hitch variations
Traveling brake lowers
Improvised haul systems
Lowering through hauls
Vector raises
Inline traveling hauls
Rappelling counterbalances
Convert to lowers
Contingency rigging
Releasable redirects
Improvised harnesses
Improvised climbing systems
Skate block rigging
Guided lowers and raises
Tentative Schedule (for a word copy of this schedule, click here)
Note: These times are estimates. Times are flexible, but are provided to give you a sense of how fast the course will be moving, and approximately when different material will be taught.
Friday (pm)
6-7 Course introduction, logistics, SPAR philosophy, and introductions
7-8 Rigging physics review and anchors practice
8-9 Münter hitch variations and locking hitches
9-10 Practice and personal equipment inspection (helmet, harness, gloves, etc.)
Saturday
8-8:15 Daily logistics, safety briefing, review of Friday’s material and questions
8:15-9 Assisted walking/hobbling, and assisted crawling
9-10 Improvised litters
10-10:30 Simple belays
10:30-11 Fixed brake lowers
11-12 Lowering through haul systems
12-1 Lunch
1-2 Improvised progress capture
2-3 Improvised haul systems (1:1, 2:1, 3:1 and variants)
3-4 Raise and lower practice
4-5 Inline traveling hauls
5-6 Dinner
6-7 Vector raises
7-8 Edge transition tactics
8-9 Lower and raise practice with focus on edge transitions
Sunday
8-8:15 Daily logistics, safety briefing, personnel check in (how is everyone doing?)
8:15-9 Review of Friday and Saturday’s material and questions
10-11:30 Convert to lower
11:30-12 Contingency rigging
12-1 Lunch
1-2 Releasable redirects
2-3 Guided lowers and raises
3-4 Skate block rigging
4-5 Weight transfers (passing knots through hauls as examples)
5-6 Cleanup, debriefing, course feedback
Small party assisted rescues are performed by those with a person when they become injured in the back country, and are carried out with minimal equipment and personnel. The SPAR 1 class will teach attendees what SPAR is, when to perform a SPAR, and ways of performing technical rescues (lowers and raises) with minimal gear and people. Techniques taught will focus on methods that do not require advanced rope skills, so can be performed by those with little rope experience. The techniques presented are valuable for any high angle environment, so any rope user will find the material useful. The class will run from Friday evening to Sunday evening, so can be attended without missing much, if any, work.
Prerequisite Skills:
None. Attendees ideally should have a solid introduction to rope use or rope rescue, being able to tie basic knots, build anchors, and use common hardware (e.g., pulleys, carabiners, and rope grabs).
Equipment Needed:
Personal protective equipment (helmet, gloves, harness, ascending system, descending system) is mandatory. Attendees will probably also appreciate having knee pads as well. Each attendee should bring a little extra rigging gear, like two carabiners (or screw links), two rope grabs (e.g., prusiks, tiblocs, etc.), and small pulley like items (like personal pulleys, micro traxions, pulley carabiners, etc.). Large rescue pulleys and large steel carabiners are overkill for this class. If each person brings just a little extra gear we will have more than enough to run the class. Equipment can be provided to a limited number of people. Contact the instructor before the class if you need to borrow equipment.
Some Topics Covered:
What SPAR is
When to perform a SPAR
SPAR equipment
Horizontal patient movement
Basic anchor techniques
Simple belay techniques
Single rope technique
Weight transfers
Fixed brake lowers
Münter hitch usage
Münter hitch variations
Traveling brake lowers
Improvised haul systems
Lowering through hauls
Vector raises
Inline traveling hauls
Rappelling counterbalances
Convert to lowers
Contingency rigging
Releasable redirects
Improvised harnesses
Improvised climbing systems
Skate block rigging
Guided lowers and raises
Tentative Schedule (for a word copy of this schedule, click here)
Note: These times are estimates. Times are flexible, but are provided to give you a sense of how fast the course will be moving, and approximately when different material will be taught.
Friday (pm)
6-7 Course introduction, logistics, SPAR philosophy, and introductions
7-8 Rigging physics review and anchors practice
8-9 Münter hitch variations and locking hitches
9-10 Practice and personal equipment inspection (helmet, harness, gloves, etc.)
Saturday
8-8:15 Daily logistics, safety briefing, review of Friday’s material and questions
8:15-9 Assisted walking/hobbling, and assisted crawling
9-10 Improvised litters
10-10:30 Simple belays
10:30-11 Fixed brake lowers
11-12 Lowering through haul systems
12-1 Lunch
1-2 Improvised progress capture
2-3 Improvised haul systems (1:1, 2:1, 3:1 and variants)
3-4 Raise and lower practice
4-5 Inline traveling hauls
5-6 Dinner
6-7 Vector raises
7-8 Edge transition tactics
8-9 Lower and raise practice with focus on edge transitions
Sunday
8-8:15 Daily logistics, safety briefing, personnel check in (how is everyone doing?)
8:15-9 Review of Friday and Saturday’s material and questions
10-11:30 Convert to lower
11:30-12 Contingency rigging
12-1 Lunch
1-2 Releasable redirects
2-3 Guided lowers and raises
3-4 Skate block rigging
4-5 Weight transfers (passing knots through hauls as examples)
5-6 Cleanup, debriefing, course feedback