Tag Archives: Safety

Southern Sierras: Sierra Rescue Expands presence

Sierra Rescue now has a stronger presence in the Southern Sierras. Sierra Rescue’s Zach Byars recently moved from Northern California and now is based in Ventura, California. This move has opened the door for more rescue trainings on southern sierra rivers such as the Kern and the Kawhea. Combined with the fact that both of those drainages hold running water this year, the southern training grounds are prime.  Los angeles based Uber adventures has sent numerous participants to the Kern for whitewater rescue training this spring where participants hone techniques for descending Whitewater Class-C canyons. In addition to canyoneers and other outdoor enthusiasts, Southern California rescue agencies are sending personnel to the Kern for training that is a little closer to home.

The Kern provides an excellent and diverse training location with more than 60 miles of accessible terrain. Whitewater rapids ranging from class 2 through class 5+ affords the right challenge for any adventure seeker. The diverse nature of the river corridor is perfect for the wide ranges of classes that we teach. Between the upper Kern and Lower Kern is the town of Kernville, which serves a jumping off point, and base camp for all sorts of  outdoor recreation. We are pleased to maintain a more consistent presence  the southern sierras and strive to provide the best possible training courses for our students. Find a class and come train!

souther sierras swiftwater rescue- Kern River

Southern Sierras swiftwater rescue- Kern River

 

Winter Instructor Training?

One of the greatest things about being a co-owner of Sierra Rescue, are the incredible folks that we get to work with.  Although Abigail and I are the only employees of Sierra Rescue, we get to work with the absolutely most INCREDIBLE Independent Contractors, and have an amazing Sierra Rescue family that extends beyond National and International borders.  Our network of folks that we talk with, work with, and are friends with makes me one of the luckiest people in the world!

Here is a quick check in on where some of our amazing affiliates are, and what they are up to right now.

Zach Byars is on one of the most incredible journeys of ALL!  Lila Marie Byars was born a couple short weeks ago, and is already in training as the next generation!  Zach and Tessa have moved to VenturZach and Lilaa, and Tessa is now a very important part of Patagonia https://www.patagonia.com!  A Company we believe in and support 100%.  Although Zach is very happy to be at home now, he is getting out next week to teach an Awareness course sponsored by a UASI grant, http://www.sandiego.gov/fm/annual/pdf/fy14/vol2/v2ohs.pdf, to help keep the folks down in San Diego County more safe!  Congratulations Zach!

 

Don and Theresa exploring!

Don and Theresa exploring!

 Don Lester  After teaching a Wilderness Medicine https://sierrarescue.com/course-info/wilderness-first-aid-courses/ and Whitewater and River Rescue https://sierrarescue.com/course-info/swiftwater-rescue-courses/ Instructor course for our Malaysian affiliate, Nomad Adventures nomadadventure.com and Rescue 3 Asia http://rescue3asiapacific.com over near Kuala Lumpur, Don is currently exploring the islands off the coast of Indonesia, with his wife Theresa!  As I write, they are most likely Stand Up Paddleboarding  around the Island of Komodo checking out the Komodo Dragons.  Don will be back in February to start a full season of teaching!

Jessica Stoll is usually in Chile at this time of year working with the incredible Long Family! http://cascaderaft.com.  Tren, Chad and Kenneth, who are also Rescue 3 International and Sierra Rescue Instructors, are currently training for the OLYMPICS!  Yes, it is true!  OC1 and OC2

Jess!  Always smiling!

Jess! Always smiling!

Tren, Chad and Kenneth can be supported at their Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/longfamilyracing/

Jess is currently working at Sierra At Tahoe http://www.sierraattahoe.com as a ski patroller in preparation for Paramedic school this summer.  Today, she is in Angels Camp teaching a WFR recert to OARS www.oars.com Grand Canyon guides. As always, she is permanently smiling and loving life!

In other news!  Aaron Root is just back from a pack rafting expedition with the owner of Salt River Rafting http://www.raftingsaltriver.com,  James, and will be back with us this month, and out on the Salt River during the AWESOME season that is happening out there.

Abigail and I are headed to New Zealand to reunite with one of our favorite people in the WORLD! Rachael Moore!  Rachael works to keep New Zealand rivers safe, and keep the river guide requirements in New Zealand some of the best in the world!  Can’t wait to see you Rachael!

More coming soon on other Sierra Rescue https://sierrarescue.com/about-us/our-instructors/ and Rescue 3 International http://rescue3.com Instructors!

 

New Instructors: The 2014 Rescue 3 Instructor Course

instructor course group

Group shot from the 2014 instructor course.

Recap of the 2014 Instructor Course

Another successful instructor course complete. This year’s course was located on the lower Stanislaus river in Knights Ferry, CA. Thanks to the fish, flows were bumped up to an impressive 1200 cfs. At that level the training site at Russian rapid really becomes ideal. It provides great locations for shallow water access and entrapments and lower down, facilities swimming and throwbagging.

The highlight is the 200′ tension diagonal through the middle of the rapid. The course involved 5 days of water-focused training to get these instructor candidates up to speed. This is what co-owner Julie Munger had to say about the 7 guys that just completed the instructor course:

2014 instructor course group photo. congrats!

2014 instructor course group photo. congrats!

“WOW! What GREAT Instructors! Dave and Jeff from Wet Planet, Bhupi from INDIA!, Chris and Justin from Brea and Fullerton Fire, James from Adventures Unlimited in Colorado, Jeremiah from ZODIAC, Britt from ROW in Northern Idaho. Don Lester and I had the pleasure of joining these amazing guys!”

instructor course boat on tether

Britt surfing the boat on tether.

These guys are to be commended; the instructor path is no easy task. The prerequisites are a hefty undertaking themselves and mastery of the skills taught in the SRT, SRT-A, WRT, RRC, and RRC-Pro is not light work. These guys proved their diligence and focus and combined to make an awesome course. Good luck out there gentlemen.

Grand Adventure: Riverboarding the Colorado

Riverboarding isn't all hard work...

Riverboarding isn’t all hard work…

Our riverboard trip this year was a combination of past participants, friends, and parts of one of the oldest river running families running in Grand Canyon, the Smiths’. Michael Bronstein Smith grew up as part of a river family, and swamped occasionally for his cousin, Latimer. Mike motivated the friends he played water polo with in College, a few of their friends, and his Mom and Dad to join the trip.

Group Shot of the Riverboarding Team

 

The fitness level of all the participants made it possible to have an active, fun, adventure filled trip. We did long hikes almost every day, and ran all the big lines that the Canyon has to offer. The incredible thing about riverboarding is the learning curve for folks that are fit, and comfortable in the water. Learning to read little features in the river, identify obstacles, and run really big waves comes quickly and easily to folks with a commitment. By the time we ran the gorge, making it to the “duck pond” at Hance, hitting the waves in Sockdolager, and choosing lines through Horn Creek and Crystal were done by individuals on their own. With the amazing professionalism of Harlan Taney as the safety kayaker, Abigail and I were able to keep folks on line and in the fun water. With a little direction, everyone was able to stay on line in Lava Falls, and have a great time.

Riverboarding down Havasu

The most amazing part about riverboarding is the ability to truly feel the river is such an intimate way. There is no rubber or plastic separating you from feeling the swirl of the eddies and the action of the waves. In my opinion, it not only creates a more intimate way to share the river, but also a deeper bond with the other folks in the water.

 

HavasuIt is still such a unique experience that so few people have had the opportunity to try. It has the aura of a “radical” or “extreme” sport; but it is truly most suited for big Class 3-4 rivers like the Colorado. As a Swiftwater Rescue Instructor for the past 25 years, I also truly believe that for a fit person, it is one of, if not the, safest ways to enjoy the river. The riverboards have 160 pounds of flotation, and there is no gear! Only you, your friends, and the river. With a full wetsuit, helmet and PFD, the protection is complete.

Riverboarding Lava Falls

Riverboarding Lava Falls

 

As with any Grand Canyon trip, the stories and friendships will last for a lifetime. Thank you fellow riverboarders for being adventurous enough to take the plunge in a unique and wonderful way!

Perfect Practice

As a child, I found myself surrounded by incredible whitewater paddlers and slalom athletes.  Richard Fox, 5 Time Slalom Kayak Champion, once told me that most people had it all wrong. *insert mild British accent here*

            “Its not practice that makes perfect, its perfect practice that makes perfect.”

For some reason that piece of advice has always stayed with me 1013152_598825946846496_429320999_nespecially when it applies to rescue training, instruction, and practice.  It can be as simple as ALWAYS making sure a carabiner is up facing the next load, making sure you wrap your prussiks the same way every time, tying knots properly, pulling out enough tail in your throw bag for a margin of error, or putting yourself on the correct side of a bight for a belay.  The time it takes to deliberately follow good habits is the time it takes to ingrain those habits in your muscle memory so that when you need to use them you can expect your body to preform.  Even now while teaching I if I clip in a carabiner to a rope, I will take it off and change it to attach it properly not just for my student’s benefit of always seeing it done right, but also to continue to practice those perfect habits.

So the next time you have your Z-Drag practice in your backyard, during lunch, or waiting for the shuttle make sure you practice perfect!

Post by: Tren Long, Instructor

Mechanical Advantage Challenge

Time to put on those thinking caps. I’ve drawn up a few sketches of mechanical advantage systems to test your brains today. Perhaps you’ve been following our #weeklyMA on facebook and twitter. If so, you’ll have a head start. In the sketches below, the anchor and load sides have been identified, pulleys are represented by the color orange, the hauling line is blue, anchors are red and prusik attachments are pink. Give your best guess as to the mechanical advantage generated in each sketch.  Good luck. If you are stumped scroll down to the bottom for some hints followed by the answers.

#1 2-1

#1

#2 9-1

#2

#3 5-1

#3

#4 5-1 complex

#4

#5

#5

#6

#6

# 7 13-1 complex

#7

Hopefully you never have set up some of the above systems. Why not? Because MA is a dangerous tool. You can quickly exceed the safety margins of the equipment in the system if you don’t properly understand the system you created and the power it has. As a rule, never exceed a 12:1 MA ratio. That means no more than 12 people pulling on a fixed rope, no more than 6 people hauling a 2:1, 4 and a 3:1 and so on. Have a good understanding of the simple MA systems; 1:1, 2:1, 3:1 and 4:1 pig rig. Are there times when you intentionally set up larger more complex systems? Perhaps, but ask yourself why and make sure you aren’t exceeding your limits.

Dont forget about two mandatory safety steps in any system.

1) Add a final change of direction at the anchor so your direction of pull keeps you out of the ‘line of fire.’ If there is failure it will travel in line with the load toward the anchor. The final change of direction keeps you further from harms way.

2) When possible attach a damper on the haul line as close to the load as possible. Should failure occur, this weighted damper will change the trajectory of the flying equipment, ideally it will hit the ground or water before it hits you.

Mechanical Advantage in review:

By itself, a pulley does nothing more than change direction and reduce friction. When utilized against an anchor or in conjuction with other pulleys Remember when calculating MA, you are calculating the advantage created on the load against the anchor. Pulleys that don’t move, do not create mechanical advantage. You can assume that pulleys attached to the anchor aren’t moving and thus don’t contribute to the mechanical advantage created with respect to the load.

A quick review of the three types of mechanical advantage:

Simple Mechanical Advantage: one or more pulleys travelling at the same speed in the same direction

Compound Mechanical advantage: two or more pulleys travelling in the same direction at different rates

Complex Mechanical advantage: Two or more pulleys travelling in the opposite direction at potentially different rates

Here’s a link that might help further your understanding of mechanical advantage:

http://www.ropebook.com/information/pulley-systems

Ok here’s the answers: 
1) 2:1
2) 9:1
3) 5:1
4) complex 5:1
5) 3:1
6) compound 6:1
7) complex 13:1

Swimming in Whitewater: What Suzie the Swim Coach Forgot to Mention

As whitewater boaters, our goal should always be to stay on line, and keep ourselves, and everyone else IN their boat(s).  A swim can be much more strenuous and dangerous than we expect, and can not only lead to exhaustion and hypothermia, but also puts us right on top of all the hidden obstacles just under the water.  It should always be our priority to avoid unplanned swims.

Swimmer!

Unfortunately, we are not perfect, and often times the little bump on the rock, losing a paddle, or a big wave sends us on an unplanned swim into whitewater.  When this happens, our strategy, and that of our companions, becomes critical, and can mean the difference between a pleasant, or very unpleasant, rest of the day.  Having a strategy is critical.  Here are some tips to keep in mind when Swimming in Whitewater.

Know before you swim:  Have a picture in your mind of the rapid, and where things may go wrong so you will have a strategy.  Rafters are generally better off on top of, or in their boats. Have a plan. If you can’t swim out, don’t run the rapid unless you KNOW you will stay in the boat.

Ball up: When you are falling from an IK, raft or Cat boat; or going over a drop, Keep your feet close into your body, so you will not be tempted to push off the bottom, and thus minimize the chance to entrap one of your limbs.

Get out of the water as fast as you can:  It is hard to see, and easier to get snagged on underwater obstacles.

When swimming: Conserve energy and use strategy, do not allow yourself to get more winded. Basic mind set: Swim smarter not harder.

-The leg muscles use lots of oxygen!  Consider only using your arms for movement.

-Look where you are going, and pay attention to your angle.

-At higher water flows, you will need to swim more aggressively to get across eddy lines.  This is where a technique like the “barrel roll” can keep you on the surface and keep your momentum going.

Rescue:

Be prepared – For self rescue, but this is the time where everyone needs to be ready to react. Being in the right place with the right skills may be the only thing that assists someone out of the water.

Choose Wisely – Boat with folks that will know you are in the water, and are doing everything they can to safely assist you, and others, in getting out of the water.

River Safety Essentials from Tren Long

One of the most common questions I get, as a rescue instructor is: “What should I take with me on the water?”

This can be a very difficult question to answer on paper because I like my students to learn through the course of our weekend exactly what they need, but there are some fundamentals that should be covered.

Throw Bag – a good rule of thumb is one throw bag per boat.  The type of boat you paddle often dictates what size rope you use in your throw bag; rafts carrying the larger diameter rope in longer lengths and kayakers carrying shorter thinner line to save space.  What is important to note about your throw bag is if you plan to use it as a haul line for mechanical advantage your brake prussic must be 2/3 or less the diameter of your haul line.

Haul line – If a boat gets wrapped you need a line to encourage the movement needed to get it off the rock.  This becomes very boat specific as kayaks can often use much smaller diameter rope as there is less water pressure on the smaller rigid hull.  Rafts have been pulled off rocks using throw bags but I recommend especially for multiday trips having 150-200 feet of 3/8-inch static line.954835_543961018999656_896179722_n

Carabiners – These tools make rope attachment a breeze, how many do you need?  For kayakers 2 per person is great, for rafters 3-4 per boat.  They must be locking carabiners, as unintentional clip-ins can be a very bad thing.

Prusik – To setup an efficient MA system you will need at least 2 prussic.  You can loop 2 short prussic and wear them around your waist or easily fit them in your lifejacket. 1-2 sets of prussic per group should be the norm.  Most important is that your prussic line is 2/3rd or less the diameter of your haul line!

Pulleys – Again following in the goal of efficient work the minimum of 1 prussic minding pulleys will make your life and rescue easier.  One per person in Kayaks is great and 2 per raft are ideal.

Knife – A good sharp river knife is important not only to cut tomatoes at lunch but could potentially save your life if you are bound in a rope in the water.  We do not use our knives to cut people out of pinned kayaks!  We do use them as a last resort to cut a rope if absolutely needed.

Webbing – Lastly and most often overlooked is webbing.  Depending on your river corridor anchors may be bountiful or hard to find but having enough webbing can overcome many obstacles.  I recommend 30ft per person kayakers and 80 feet per raft.  You can cut it how you like; I shoot for 15-20 feet per sling.

Is this a lot of gear? It depends on if you need it or not.  I can fit an entire wrap kit with a haul line in a container the same size as a 12 pack of beer, so what is more important on that 5 day trip, beers or being able to get your raft off that rock?

This is by no means an exhaustive list of what you need on the water, each group, each river, and each skill set dictates different equipment this is just some general guidelines I have found helpful for rafters and kayakers.

Post by: Tren Long, Instructor

Train Hard. Stay Safe. Kayak Specific River Rescue

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAClearly we are proponents of swiftwater rescue, not only because it is our livelihood, but because we believe that a well-trained boaters correspond to safer boaters, and safer boaters are less likely to need rescue. See the cycle? We are avid proponents of prevention. The best rescue is the one that never has to happen. Stay on top of your swiftwater skills, and better than than that,  train with the people you paddle with.

At Sierra Rescue we offer custom courses just for you and your boating group. Our River Rescue Certification (RRC) has had great success in the last 5 years and we have taken it a step further to offer the RRC-K; River Rescue Certification – Kayak Specific. In the course we take the basic RRC format and put a kayaker’s spin on it. It involves the same hands on scenario-based training, but emphasizes boat-based rescue  and self rescue for a kayaker, advanced pins and entrapments, and rope techniques using the gear in a personal pin kit. Running scenarios with the people who have your back on the water not only helps prepareOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA the group for those “what ifs,” but lets you problem solve with one another and see each others rescue abilities.

 

Last year we taught numerous RRC-K with great response. Students really seemed to enjoy responding to scenarios from their boats, and and being able use the benefits of a kayak in a rescue. This article, written by CCK instructor Bryant Burkhadt, touches on the progression of swiftwater rescue training and the importance of continued training while discussing the benefits of a kayaker-specific course for boaters.

http://playak.com/news.php?idd=2337568845922

Thanks Bryant, see you on the water.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Post by: Zach Byars, Instructor

 

 

10 Tips for a Smooth Grand Canyon Trip

The mother of all multi-day river trips in the United States might be the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.  Nowhere else can you get huge rapids, beautiful scenery, 20+ days in a remote river environment and amazing side adventures the whole way.  It really is amazing, and one of my personal favorite places to be in the entire world!

The author rows a gear boat through massive waves at Hermit Rapids.  The waves here have been known to be big enough to flip boats that don’t hit the waves straight on.

The author rows a gear boat through massive waves at Hermit Rapids. The waves here have been known to be big enough to flip boats that don’t hit the waves straight on.

That being said, an adventure of this scale has many risks involved.  I was lucky to go on my first Colorado River adventure with very experienced guides and people who love and care about the river and having great experiences.  Our adventure wasn’t without injuries or difficulty.  Our group was separated in a side canyon by a flash flood, one person was injured and required evacuation out of Upper Elves Chasm, one got heat exhaustion while on a hike and we had a few other smaller injuries.

From all of this, I learned some valuable lessons that can be used anywhere in the world on any adventure, but are particularly relevant to rescue and safety in the Grand Canyon:

1)   Have a trip leader who has experience in the Grand Canyon.  This will make everyones’ trip safer and better all around from their experience and good judgment.

2)  If the group splits to do a hike or other activity, make sure each remaining group has a “leader” or a plan for contingencies.

3)  Make sure the boats are tied up high and far from the edge of the river, and with multiple points at camp so they cannot float away even if the river went up 10k CFS overnight!

4)  “Raft” the boats together at camp by using short straps to rig each one side by side.  This creates a solid platform to load/ unload and minimizes injuries at camp on rafts.

A flash flood splits a group that was hiking Shinamu Wash near Bass Camp.  You can see victims stranded on the river left wall, as well as rescuers on river right.

A flash flood splits a group that was hiking Shinamu Wash near Bass Camp. You can see victims stranded on the river left wall, as well as rescuers on river right.

5)  Always keep the rafts together when on the river.  Keep others close by through rapids incase there is a rescue needed.  Divide your boats and equipment so things are relatively even weighted through the larger rapids.

6)  Rig to flip every day!  Even the smaller rapids in the Colorado can pack a big punch with large waves and powerful hydraulics!

7)  If its raining, or even a little cloudy in the sky, stay out of the side canyons.  Even canyons that are not prone to flash flooding can go up in and instant.  On multiple occasions I have seen the devastation of flooding and know how dangerous it can be to be stuck in one.

Trip members work together to evacuate a victim out of Upper Elves Chasm.  The rescue took more than two hours and involved moving an incapacitated victim down steep, rocky terrain and under rocky shelves like the one in the photo.  A paco pad and rope were essential to this rescue.

Trip members work together to evacuate a victim out of Upper Elves Chasm. The rescue took more than two hours and involved moving an incapacitated victim down steep, rocky terrain and under rocky shelves like the one in the photo. A paco pad and rope were essential to this rescue.

8)  Bring extra supplies like rope, a climbing harness, and rigging gear.  This is very helpful for exploring side canyons, and can be invaluable in a rescue situation.

9)  Always take water if you’re going more than 100 feet from the river.  The canyon is hot and unforgiving, especially to those who are not well prepared!

10)  Small medical needs like cuts, scrapes, bruises and dry skin can become big medical needs if not addressed as soon as they arise.  Take time to take care of these things as you go, and have a great trip down the canyon!