Sunday, August 5, 2018

SNCS L3/Multipitching All-Star Wishlist?

Over the last year and half I've been seeing via Facebook that an increasing number of friends have attended the SNCS L3 course with various course providers... and I have questions to be answered and wishlists to be fulfilled...

- Guide/Plaquette mode belaying becoming the new norm for multipitching
- lowering the follower while using Guide/Plaquette belay mode.
- clarification that the old practice of having multiple chained quickdraws is NOT the way to use as a backup personal tether
- more effort put into building anchors - especially Quad - although it is NOT infallible.
- clarifying how the counterbalance rappel can be done with a much heavier and/or unconscious casualty (since things tend to go wrong when outdoors, never during course-time)
- basics of hauling water and other gear up (this would probably take too much time and kill all surviving brain cells in the average candidate taking SNCS L3 though...)
- knowing that receiving that SNCS L3 card is only the START of endless learning... and forever striving to learn more


I've purchased/borrowed some of these books to learn more before I actually went outdoors...

- by John Long with Bob Gaines
- one of the earlier books to introduce the Quad anchor, as well as tests done with Sterling Rope's input/labs.

- by Molly Loomis and Andy Tyson
- filled to the brim with techniques to get out of hell... although some I don't think I'll ever use at all. Also has many scenarios to test our thinking/comprehension.

- by American Alpine Club
- learn about what screwed up in various scenarios involving different SAR teams "out there"

I must note that the last title, Accidents in North American Climbing, is a rarely a hot read for most climbers... is it due to the fact that no one ever believes "an accident could happen to me"? I do admit that I am learning more about what to do IF things go wrong, but don't believe it would happen to myself anytime soon. This awareness that it could happen to us is probably the most important attitude to have when running through the scenarios, although fun is just as important!




Great references to read through as well...

- by David Coley and Andy Kirkpatrick


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