[pct-l] Heights

[Ned Tibbits]

Thanks, Brick!

Tools, whether an ice axe, a Whippet, Kahtoola K-10 hiking crampons, or even 
a compass will do you zero good if you haven't a clue how to use them. That 
should be common sense, but countless people every year do exactly what you 
guys are talking about, saying "I'm going to learn along the way!"

Our students, when they first learn how to self-arrest, often declare, "I 
don't know how people can say that they learned how to do this from watching 
a YouTube video!"

As someone said, go up to your local ski area and ask the ski school or 
patrol if someone can go outside with you and show you how to self-arrest. 
Now, they might not know, either, but at least you tried. Otherwise, please 
take a skills course so you don't suddenly find yourself faced with 
Forester's ice chute unprepared with your life in your hands far from help!

For all of you going NoBo, we do provide snow skills instruction right on 
the trail for the 5 days between Cottonwood Pass and Kearsarge Pass.
http://mountaineducation.org/5-day-snow-advanced-course-pct-thru-hiker-cottonwood-to-kearsarge/

For all of you going SoBo, we are considering providing again this year the 
same type of snow skills instructional course between Harts Pass and M78 and 
back for 5 days. If you are interested in attending this advanced snow 
skills course taught right on the trail when you first start you hikes while 
running into steep snow in July, just let us know with an email response!

On that subject, this is becoming a "normal" winter or more in the North 
Cascades. That means do not consider starting SoBo until July 4th or so. If 
the winter continues to develop into a "heavy" winter, do not start until 
August 1st.


Ned Tibbits, Director
Mountain Education, Inc.
www.mountaineducation.org
ned at mountaineducation.org


Mission:
"To minimize wilderness accidents, injury, and illness in order to maximize 
wilderness enjoyment, safety, and personal growth, all through experiential 
education and risk awareness training."
-----Original Message----- 
From: Brick Robbins
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 3:29 PM
To: Pct-L ; Ned Tibbits
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Heights

2016-03-15 15:10 GMT-07:00 Adam Trimm <adam_trimm at hotmail.com>:
> Currently reside in Ottawa, Canada but heading out to Alberta to test my 
> YouTube self-arresting skills in the Rockies. I will try and find someone 
> to show me how to do it properly though, as your reply brought some 
> anxiety. Thanks for letting me know.

Be really, really careful.

You are going to go out an teach yourself how to use a pointy metal
object that you can stab yourself with. Remember that Trotsky was
killed with and Ice Axe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Trotsky

If you manage to practice falling and not stab yourself, but you don't
use the axe correctly and have picked a practice slope with obstacles
below, you could die from the impact.

It is a really, really good idea to get some instruction from someone
who knows what they are doing.

Ned?