Last weekend saw a highly successful joint field training exercise involving representatives of the MCSA CT and HH teams, which took place on TM. We were privileged to have as guest instructor Laurent Schneitter, a highly experienced rescue technician and IRATA Assessor. Although the weather was rather 'Scottish-winter', it was nevertheless realistic, and added a bit of edginess to the training, with visibility down to about 10m at times, and an incessant, howling south east wind.
Aside from the cold and the wet, the participants enjoyed a superb learning experience, gaining new perspectives on old scenarios and practicing alternative rigging methods on various cliffs. We had the opportunity to work on small-team rigging problems on a ledge/cliff, restricted to certain types of equipment, which definitely blew out any cobwebs. We also conducted a steep ground stretcher carry/lower over deceptively complex terrain.
Several people got the opportunity to be involved in leadership roles, and had to deal with a variety of curveballs. A lively 'classroom' session involved thorough debriefing, and a discussion of rigging systems and strategies as well as an examination of alternative stretcher rigging approaches. The training culminated in a spectacular horizontal reeved highline out of a steep gorge.
(words by Brent)