crevasse practice

[johnnyt]

Where is a good place with some open crevasses, maybe near seattle, that doesn't require hours of hiking, where one could dispose of a body, or, practice something or another?

[genepires]

wait till august, everything is buried.

[max]

Back in the day I used to find a deep/steep roadcut with a good snow bank and throw myself off that and see if my sweetheart could arrest and pull me out... obviously look for one that has a moderate runout and a fair amount of snow along the side. I've been able to find one towards the upper lot at baker 2 for 2 and I'm sure there'd be something near snoqualmie pass. Just stay away from the freeway (or you'll look like a real tool...)

 

Good idea for a spring brushup. I think there are a fair number of people out there who think they know what they're doing because they did this excersise ten years ago but never since.

[ivan]

wait till august, everything is buried.

nah, you can practice crevasse rescue in deep ass cracks on the nisqually in early summer - i remember training to ascend past sleds on a may trip there back in '03. a short approach from paradise parking lot too.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Where is a good place with some open crevasses, maybe near seattle, that doesn't require hours of hiking, where one could dispose of a body, or, practice something or another?

 

The Easton glacier has a few gapers around the 6500 foot level by mid-May. However, it does involve a 2.5-3 hour hike.

 

[mountainsloth]

there is always that small park-type place in west seattle. I cannot remember the name of it, but they have a concrete crevasse with anchors to practice... I just don't recommend practicing self-arresting there.... for obvious reasons.

[bstach]

Years ago, and on several occasions, I practised in the Paradise parking lot (Mt. Ranier) on the big, steep snow banks around the parking lot. Since then, I have heard they don't allow this anymore as folks would inevitably lose biners in the snow which would then wreck the blades on their snow machines. Can any one confirm/deny if this is still allowed? Maybe worth a call to the ranger station.

[mankato]

No crevasses right near Seattle, but if you go up into the backcountry off the Alpental parking lot, there are ravines that you can use for crevasse rescue practice, or yes, throw a body or two into.

[mike_m]

I was just up at Paradise last weekend with a small group for CR practice, there's a great vertical snow wall (15-20') right at the East end of the upper lot where the road continues towards Mazama Ridge. Worked out great.

[mankato]

Ditto that for the paradise lot at Rainier. We were down there last weekend and were joking about how it would make a good crevasse rescue area. Looks like someone went ahead and did it! Plus you can get some great skiing or snowboarding in at the same time.

[LostCamKenny]

You don't need a crevasse to practice the CR techniques, just someplace that you can set up an anchor and haul from. Though it wasn't effective for learning to build a deadman anchor my first CR course was taught on a gymnasium floor. This was great to learn the load-releasing hitches and pulley systems and how prusiks work in the whole system. Building a deadman is pretty basic and - do I dare say it? - simple, but the process of constructing and using the actual rescue system is what needs to be practiced. Before I even took a class I was tying a rope off to a tree and practicing in the backyard - though my backyard at the time was very conducive to this sort of thing. Of course, there's many ways to learn these techniques.

Edited May 21, 2009 by LostCamKenny