It’s hard to know where to start with a complex skill like crevasse rescue. Rope handling? Reading a glacier? Mechanical advantage? In our Mountain Skills article “So You Want to Learn Crevasse Rescue?” from Issue 156, guide Niels Meyer highlights what’s critical. This page, in tandem with the article, offers supplemental resources to help you get started.
Watch a crevasse rescue:
Understanding mechanical advantage:
Read more:
Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, 9th Edition
Backcountry Skiing: Skills for Ski Touring and Mountaineering
Take a class:
Sawtooth Mountain Guides Ski Mountaineering Camp
Mountain Madness Ski Mountaineering Course
Gear Recommendations:
Petzl Micro Traxion: Compact and lightweight progress-capture pulley designed for crevasse rescue, hauling and self-rescue, and for use as an emergency ascender. The cam can be locked in the open position so the device can be used as a simple pulley. Sealed ball bearings provide excellent efficiency.
Tibloc: Ultralight and very compact ascender for rope ascents, hauling systems or friction knot replacement in self-rescue situations. TIBLOC has an automatic system that presses the carabiner against the rope to start the braking action on the rope.
Hollow Block: Friction hitch with hollow-braid construction, for use as a prusik or Klemheist knot on ropes 7 mm or larger.
To read the full article “So You Want to Learn Crevasse Rescue?” pick up a copy of Issue 156. Also, stay tuned for ski mountaineering reviews in Issue 157. Or, subscribe, to read stories from the untracked experience when they’re first published.
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