The Spec Ops Blog: 12/28/13

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Friction considerations when lead climbing

Good info on friction considerations when lead climbing from the Rigging Lab experts at Rescue Response Gear.

View high-res image here.

How to safely belay and rappel

The British Mountaineering Council and Mountain Leader Training England have published an excellent 6-page leaflet on how to belay and rappel safely.

Entitled Belaying and Abseiling—Get It Right, it addresses some of the most common causes of injuries and fatalities suffered by climbers, hill walkers, and mountaineers, and offers clear, concise ways to avoid them.

PSA: This information would make an excellent public service announcement (PSA) or community outreach program for SAR teams dealing with these types of calls.

Download this informative leaflet here.

About the "Spec Ops Blog"

The Spec Ops Blog is an international search-and-rescue blog written for SAR operators. With readers in over 110 countries, users should read the "Important Notice & Disclaimer" below.

The Spec Ops Blog is edited by Michael Neiger, lead investigator with Michigan Backcountry Search and Rescue (MibSAR), a Long Range Special Operations Group (LRSOG) based in Marquette, Michigan, USA, that works select missing-person and felony cold cases in the bush of Northern Michigan (USA) and Northern Ontario (Canada).

Important Notice & Disclaimer

With search-and-rescue, law enforcement, fire service, medical, military, and wilderness-adventure readers in over 110 countries around the world, the Spec Ops Blog is written for an international audience, one representing widely-varying legal jurisdictions, diverse professional standards, and unique local protocols.
....The material presented is provided solely for information, illustration, and discussion purposes—it is not legal, medical, or other professional advice—and may not produce any particular result or be suitable for any particular situation, person, organization, jurisdiction, or other entity.
....The activities associated with the material presented are by their very nature inherently dangerous and the material cannot take the place of good personal judgment, sound decision-making, professional training, proper equipage, peak physical fitness, and expert guidance by trained, experienced, certified, licensed, practicing professionals.
....Spec Ops Blog readers should always follow local protocols and adhere to their profession’s best practices.
—Michael Neiger, editor of the Spec Ops Blog