Cosley Kathy - Alpine climbing: techniques to take you higher

Acknowledgments

We would like first and foremost to thank Peter Lewis, without whom this book would never have come to be. We also are deeply grateful for the wise counsel, criticism, and careful reading of a handful of generous friends: Christopher Kulp, Leigh McGuigan, and Margaret Willson. We owe a great debt as well to Erin Moore and Kris Fulsaas for their tremendous help and clear guidance.

Special thanks and credit (or blame) are due to Ira Kalet and Bruce Sherman, for providing our first introduction to mountaineering. Our many other teachers are too numerous to mention individually here, but we sincerely thank and acknowledge all the many friends and climbing partners who have taught us over the years how to climb and how to live.

Most of all we thank our parents, who set our feet upon the path and encouraged us every step of the way.

Appendix A. Guides Associations

The International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA, also known as UIAGM and IVBV) is an international organization containing the national guides associations of more than twenty countries worldwide. The IFMGA sets standards for the training and certification of mountain guides. Member countries' national training and certification programs must meet the international standard.

In many IFMGA member countries, only IFMGA certified guides may legally conduct professional mountain guiding. This is not the case in the United States. The American Mountain Guides Association is a member of the IFMGA and provides guides training and certification programs at the international standard. However, only a minority of American guides have participated in these programs as of the time of this writing. Most of these guides are certified in one or more disciplines: alpine mountaineering, rock climbing, or ski mountaineering. Certification in each discipline entails a series of courses followed by an in-the-field examination lasting several days. Only guides certified in all three disciplines are IFMGA certified. See the AMGA website listed below for an explanation of its training and certification programs and for a listing of American certified guides.

Listed below are the guides associations of the main Alpine countries (France, Italy, and Switzerland) and those of the English-speaking member nations (Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand, and the United States). Other member associations are Aosta, Austria, Germany, Japan, Norway, Peru, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Tyrol, Spain, and Sweden. For information about these countries, contact the IFMGA Secretary:

Armin Oehrli, Secretary

IFMGA/UIAGM/IVBV

Phone: +41-33-744-54-10

Email:

www.ivbv.info

NATIONAL GUIDES ASSOCIATIONS

CANADA

Association of Canadian Mountain Guides Box 9341

Canmore, Alberta T1W 2V1 Canada

Appendix A. Guides Associations

Phone: 403-678-2885, Fax 403-609-0070

Email:

www.acmg.ca

FRANCE

Syndicat National des Guides de Montagne

210, rue Franois Guise

F-73000 Chambry France

Phone: +33 (0) 4-79-68-51-05

Fax: +33 (0) 4-79-68-65-90

Email:

www.sngm.com

GREAT BRITAIN

British Association of Mountain Guides

Siabod Cottage, Capel Curig

Conway, North Wales LL24 0ET

United Kingdom

Phone: +44 (0) 1690-720-386

Fax: +44 (0) 1690-720-248

Email:

www.bmg.org.uk

ITALY

Collegio Nazionale Guide Alpine Italiane

Via Petrella 19

20124 Milano

Italy

NATIONAL GUIDES ASSOCIATIONS

Phone: +39-02-2941-4211

Fax: +39-02-2941-7650

Email:

www.guidealpine.it

NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand Mountain Guides

Association Inc.

Executive officer, P.O. Box 10

Aoraki, Mount Cook 8770

New Zealand

Phone and fax: +64-3-434-2355

Email:

www.nzmga.co.nz

SWITZERLAND

Schweizer Bergfhrerverband

Geschftsstelle Hadlaubstrasse 49

CH-8006 Zrich

Switzerland

Phone: +41-1-36053-66

Fax: +41-1-360-53-69

Email:

www.4000plus.ch

UNITED STATES

American Mountain Guides Association

PO Box 1739

Boulder, CO 80302

USA

Phone: 303-271-0984

Fax: 303-271-1377

Email:

www.amga.com

Appendix B. Rescue

We hope you will never need to rescue or be rescued. In our more than 25 years of climbing and almost as many years of guiding, we have had little need, thankfully, to execute or call for rescues, even for other parties. Still, it is important to be prepared and to have a clear idea of your prioritiesjust in case.

Most rescues are trivial affairs. Someone sprains an ankle and has to be carried out piggyback; someone strains his or her back and you have to carry his or her pack. In a rare instance, you may be called upon to take part in a more complex rescue scenario. Whether you must take charge or merely help out, the following should help you make the best use of available resources while avoiding added risk.

INITIAL STEPS

KEEP CALM

Whenever you approach an accident or injury, your first priority is to maintain a calm state of mind in which you can weigh options and risks while keeping the big picture in mind. Nothing is so urgent that you can't take a moment to breathe and collect yourself before acting.

SAFEGUARD YOUR PARTY

Your primary duty is to safeguard yourself and those not yet injured. The best of intentions don't justify risking other lives, including your own, for the sake of someone who is already hurt. Something bad has happened to that person; don't make it worse.

Look first for signs of ongoing hazards before you move in to check out the accident and injuries. If rockfall, avalanche, or other hazards threaten further injury to either the victim or rescuers, you may need to seriously consider the wisdom of attempting a rescue at all. If you do proceed, you may have no choice but to move the victim to a safer place, no matter what injuries he or she might have sustained, and to do so as quickly as possible. If the hazard no longer exists, take your time and do not move the victim unnecessarily.

Rescue situations are often inherently stressful and confusing for everyone involved. People tend to neglect their own safety as they focus on the injury or accident. Careless mistakes are more likely than usual. Protect yourself and others by expecting this and taking preventive measures. When on exposed terrain, even if it is easy ground or a large ledge, make sure that everyone is anchored in or otherwise secured.

DECIDE WHETHER TO SELF-RESCUE OR SUMMON OUTSIDE HELP

A helicopter rescue or competent evacuation by a search and rescue teamif readily available can save lives and improve outcomes. However, in many cases, such outside help will be slow to reach you or less competent than you are. Depending on the degree of the victim's injury, you may be able to evacuate the injured person more quickly or effectively without outside help.

In deciding whether or not to self-evacuate, compare the quality and timeliness of outside help with your own resources. Consider also the impact on the injury and the safety of the party.

SUMMONING OUTSIDE HELP

If you decide to seek outside help, there may be various ways to get it.

Send a Note Out

You can send one or two of your group out with a note and instructions for a rescue party (see Convey Crucial Information, below). Do not rush this effort: before the messengers leave, make sure they know exactly what they must accomplish and exactly how they will accomplish it. They may need to take the map; do you have another? If not, note down all necessary information about your location before you relinquish any maps.

Use a Phone or Radio