Freeman

Slaphappy posed a very good question asking if any of us had any experience with either being located using a transceiver or "saving" someone else. As seems so typical of this forum, most of the responses were the childish smart-assed wise cracks that we have come to expect from many of the regular "contributors". However, here are some real experiences. A few years ago three of us were skiing the hill sides above town when one skier triggered a slide. We were all wearing beacons and carrying probes and shovels. Fortunately there were visual clues to the location of the victim and I was able to start digging within probably two minutes (time flies...). I uncovered his face - he had a weak pulse and I could detect a faint breath with my bare hand, his lips were blue and face was bluish grey. He was face down and took several (maybe 5?) more minutes to dig out to the point that I could have turned him over to do CPR had it been necessary. There was no trauma altho one leg was bent up over his back (the ski was still on). He was lucky that there were visual clues - had a beacon search been required it would have added two or three minutes to the rescue, but I am convinced that I still would have found him in time. Without beacons and with no visual clues it would have taken several hours for the two of us to probe for his body. The same year a patroller in bounds in our local area was buried and located with his beacon. He was dug out alive, but ironically was reburied and killed by a second slide. A few weeks ago we were standing at the base of a local ice climb that is a notorious avalache gulley and I asked a couple of newbies with their shiny new tools if they were wearing transceivers. One said, "no, why". I pointed out that he was standing on the top of the avalache cone and that I had been buried in that very spot some years ago. We belayed from the safety of an outcrop next to the cone. Each year I do a week long back country tour in B.C. with a guide who is one of the Rogers Pass avalanche control people (I would consider him one of the few avalanche "experts" in the Northwest). Do we wear beacons - absolutely; do we practice with beacons - of course; if your lady friend were skiing with us would she be wearing a beacon - damn right she would be. In fact, I would probably give her the digital beacon because she might be searching for ME. Slap, a final note - as one who occasionally gets to go out and rescue the injured and retrive those who don't make it - you and your friend would make our work much easier by wearing a transceiver if you do get snuffed - probing for a body is no fun at all.

I posted the following a couple of days ago in another forum but since there is a lot of interest in this climb it bears repeating (especially the warning about snow loading) - many years ago I was avalached on this climb and IMHO the conditions are getting getting ripe for it to go. Genepires' comments about the walk off are correct but the climb itself is also very avalanche prone. Anyway, here is my earlier post: We were the party on the main flow on new years day and compared to other years the ice is definitely not fat. We did the climb in two 60 meter pitches instead of the normal 3 as I simply couldn't find good enough ice for a belay at the usual spot. We used 3 pins on the first pitch and belayed from 3 more - screws were pretty short or tied off.The first half of each pitch was good ice (altho there was water running under it) - the second half was either very thin or snow over the rock. Friends did a smear to the left (and also used some rock pro) and said they enjoyed it: it looked like the far right was also thin but climbable. Avy conditions on tuesday were moderate (little spin drift things comming down most of the day) but I'm sure it really loaded up last night. Remember the orginal name of this climb is "the Funnel" and you belay from the top of the avalanche cone ...

We were probably the party on the main flow on new years day and compared to other years the ice is definitely not fat. We did the climb in two 60 meter pitches instead of the normal 3 as I simply couldn't find good enough ice for a belay at the usual spot. We used 3 pins on the first pitch and belayed from 3 more - screws were pretty short or tied off. The first half of each pitch was good ice (altho there was water running under it) - the second half was either very thin or snow over the rock. Friends did a smear to the left (and also used some rock pro) and said they enjoyed it: it looked like the far right was also thin but climbable. Avy conditions on tuesday were moderate (little spin drift things comming down most of the day) but I'm sure it really loaded up last night. Remember the orginal name of this climb is "the Funnel" and you belay from the top of the avalanche cone ...

Kyle, I did the climb many years ago (maybe 10) so my memory isn't too good but I remember it as very fun, not too difficult (I didn't think we climbed any 5.8). The cool part was that a couple of friends were doing Stuart Glacier Couloir at the same time and we met at the notch, completed the summit pitches together and descended Sherpa Glacier together. We must have done it in June or July because the Couloir was still in good shape. I recall it being very much like the North Ridge without all the people. Post a TR, maybe it will bring back some memories <g>

Straight up Hook Creek (5 or 6 hours as I recall). Toketie Creek is a mess after the fire, Rat Creek is ugly, everything else is long. We camped on the edge of the Mesa - wonderful spot and a great climb!

The Chelan County Mountain Rescue unit will be conducting a week long training session in the general Leavenworth area from Saturday 5/19 through Friday 5/25. Although sites for each day are not known at present, they will include Icicle Buttress, Castle Rock, and possibly several areas in the Peshastin Pinnacles. We will be training under the direction of Rigging for Rescue from Invermere, B.C. and will be conducting a variety of raising, lowering, and highline exercises. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope that climbers will understand that this training is what allows us to help you if you are injured in Chelan County. We encourage you to watch our practice from a safe distance, but ask that you not climb in the general area that we are using.