Advanced Small Party Assisted Rescue (SPAR 2)
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 2 class teaches advanced SPAR techniques that rely on more advanced on rope skills (e.g., counterbalances). Attendees should have mastered the material in SPAR 1 and have strong on rope skills before taking this course. This class will teach the skills for a single rescuer to perform a SPAR on their own in complex environments. The class will run from Friday evening to Sunday evening, so can be attended without missing much, if any, work.
Prerequisite Skills:
Attendees should be able to rappel, ascend, and perform changeovers effectively. In addition, students should know how to cross knots and/or rebelays effectively. In short, must have strong on rope skills and understand weight transfers. Those without these skills will find taking the class nearly impossible.
Equipment Needed:
Personal protective equipment (helmet, gloves, harness, ascending system, and 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, microtractions, 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 if you need to borrow equipment.
Some Topics Covered:
Knot passes
Counterbalance assisted hauls
Climbing counterbalances
Diminishing loop counterbalance
Human bipods and directional
Spanish pendulum
Multifunctional anchors
Moving patients through rebelays
Rappelling weighted ropes
Tensioned traverses
Modifications to personal systems
Pickoffs (an assortment)
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, anchors review, contingency rigging review, Münter review
8-10 Personal equipment inspection (helmet, harness, gloves, etc.), entrance skills test
Saturday
8-8:15 Daily logistics, safety briefing, review of Friday’s material and questions
8:15-9 Rescue spider construction and use in rescue rappels
9-10 Increasing loop rappels with a patient
10-11 Rappelling past knots with a patient
11-12 Rappelling past rebelays with a patient
12-1 Lunch
1-2 Counterbalance theory and edge transition tactics (second haul system)
2-3 Rappelling counterbalance
3-4 Climbing counterbalance
4-5 Diminishing loop counterbalance
5-6 Dinner
6-7 Modifying personal vertical systems
7-9 Improvised harnesses and climbing systems
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
9-10 Rappelling weighted ropes for patient access
10-11 Spanish pendulum
11-12 Human bipods and directionals
12-1 Lunch
1-2 Tensioned traverses and diagonals rescues
2-3 Alternative anchoring strategies (deadmen, pickets, stemples, knot chocks, etc.)
3-5 Pickoff demonstrations and practice
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 2 class teaches advanced SPAR techniques that rely on more advanced on rope skills (e.g., counterbalances). Attendees should have mastered the material in SPAR 1 and have strong on rope skills before taking this course. This class will teach the skills for a single rescuer to perform a SPAR on their own in complex environments. The class will run from Friday evening to Sunday evening, so can be attended without missing much, if any, work.
Prerequisite Skills:
Attendees should be able to rappel, ascend, and perform changeovers effectively. In addition, students should know how to cross knots and/or rebelays effectively. In short, must have strong on rope skills and understand weight transfers. Those without these skills will find taking the class nearly impossible.
Equipment Needed:
Personal protective equipment (helmet, gloves, harness, ascending system, and 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, microtractions, 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 if you need to borrow equipment.
Some Topics Covered:
Knot passes
Counterbalance assisted hauls
Climbing counterbalances
Diminishing loop counterbalance
Human bipods and directional
Spanish pendulum
Multifunctional anchors
Moving patients through rebelays
Rappelling weighted ropes
Tensioned traverses
Modifications to personal systems
Pickoffs (an assortment)
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, anchors review, contingency rigging review, Münter review
8-10 Personal equipment inspection (helmet, harness, gloves, etc.), entrance skills test
Saturday
8-8:15 Daily logistics, safety briefing, review of Friday’s material and questions
8:15-9 Rescue spider construction and use in rescue rappels
9-10 Increasing loop rappels with a patient
10-11 Rappelling past knots with a patient
11-12 Rappelling past rebelays with a patient
12-1 Lunch
1-2 Counterbalance theory and edge transition tactics (second haul system)
2-3 Rappelling counterbalance
3-4 Climbing counterbalance
4-5 Diminishing loop counterbalance
5-6 Dinner
6-7 Modifying personal vertical systems
7-9 Improvised harnesses and climbing systems
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
9-10 Rappelling weighted ropes for patient access
10-11 Spanish pendulum
11-12 Human bipods and directionals
12-1 Lunch
1-2 Tensioned traverses and diagonals rescues
2-3 Alternative anchoring strategies (deadmen, pickets, stemples, knot chocks, etc.)
3-5 Pickoff demonstrations and practice
5-6 Cleanup, debriefing, course feedback