Safety Skills Courses
MITOC organizes various courses throughout the year. We recommend joining the mitoc-announce mailing list and the appropriate activity mailing list to stay informed. Some courses come with a subsidy if you have led a certain number of trips. Please refer to the specific course page for more details.
Wilderness First Aid
Wilderness Medicine differs significantly from standard first aid courses and other training that is oriented toward urban environments. This course teaches how to manage medical emergencies when hospitals and rescue services may not be available for an extensive time period. We prepare students for emergency situations that involve prolonged patient care, severe environments, and improvised equipment. Unlike some programs, this is not teaching urban first aid in the outdoors.
MITOC hosts an annual WFA course in the fall. Dates and signups will be announced on the mitoc-announce mailing list.
Self Rescue
If your partner was hit by rockfall and hanging unconscious on the rope below, would you know how to escape the belay and rappel down to them to administer first aid? Could you do it quickly? Every climber should know how to deal with an emergency in the vertical realm, but the truth is that most don’t. Do you?
When
1 whole weekend. Trip will be annonced on the climbers@mit.edu mailing. Interested trip leaders may take the course elsewhere and receive the same reimbursment. As there is quite a bit of interested in this course we will try to run one each spring and fall. If curious about the trip then please contact the climbing chair: climbing-chair@mit.edu.
Where
Class will be held at Cathedral or White Horse Ledge in North Conway, NH. We will stay at the Intervale cabin at night.
Who
Self rescue is strongly recommended for climbing leaders. Priority is given to prospective climbing leaders, remaining spots are open to other MITOC members first come first serve. This course is especially beneficial for those into or getting into multi-pitch climbing.
Costs
If you become a MITOC Climbing Leader, MITOC will subsidize your self rescue course. In order to obtain the subsidy, you MUST lead at least TWO trips. Last year, the costs were $100 (Subsidized $50). Expect that this year’s costs will be similar.
What
Techniques:* Friction hitches / load releasable knots
- Rescuing a fallen second
- Rescuing a fallen leader
- Escaping belay
- Load Transfers
- Rope Ascension
- Hauling systems (3-to-1 and 5-to-1)
Supplies
Gear - This will be the gear you have for multi-pitch climbing* Harness / Helmet / Climbing or approach shoes
- Cordelette (20 ft of 7mm cord)
- Double-length runner(s)
- Rope if you have one
- Trad gear if you have it
- Ti-bloc / several prussiks
- Gri-gri if you have one
- Locking carabiners (5-6)
Other - These will be things you need for the weekend but not for climbing* Camera / Pen + Paper: So you can remember some of the material.
- Food: Bring lunch for both days, it will not be provided (and they will be long days)
- Sleeping: Bring a sleeping bag / sleeping pad (or more if you plan to stay in the yurt
Payment
Please pay through the following link to confirm your spot:
Pay MITOC
Note you can also use the above form to pay for your cabin rentals as well.
Itinerary
- Fri-night meet at Intervale
- Sat-morning (8am) meet w/ Mark (location TBD, will send out later)
- Sat-day - Focus on techniques for rescuing a second (escaping belay, hauling, ascension)
- Sat-evening (5pm) finish up, head to IME for missing supplies (or go climbing if you want)
- Sat-evening - dinner (either at the cabin or at Moat Mountain / Flatbread Pizza)
- Sun-morning (8am) meet w/ Mark again
- Sun-day - Focus on techniques for rescuing a leader (escaping belay, ascension)
- Sun-evening (5pm) either head home or head to dinner on the way back
Note: Not much previous experience is required, however learning to tie a munter mule is definitely beneficial ahead of time. This course is highly recommended for anyone looking to join our climbing leaders program ( Become a Climbing Leader ). For participants in the course I will provide some materials to review before the course so we can focus on the higher level skills.
Avalanche Awareness
Avalanches range in size and magnitude but can happen in many backcountry mountain situations. Whether skiing, hiking or climbing you should be aware of potential avalanche risks and how to identify potential avalanche situations. In the event that an avalanche does occur, proper training is the best hope for a rescue.
Avalanches range in size and magnitude but can happen in many backcountry mountain situations. Whether skiing, hiking or climbing you should be aware of potential avalanche risks and how to identify potential avalanche situations. In the event that an avalanche does occur, proper training is the best hope for a rescue.
The club typically organizes an AIARE I style course after Winter School. This is a two-day course held in the Whites including both a class-room portion as well as some field work.
Topics Include {: #aire-topics }
- Planning / Team Management
- Identifying potential avalanche terrain
- Idendifying terrain and weather and it’s effects on avalanches
- Pit-work including compression tests
- Avalanche Resuce using beacons, probes and shovels (typically in the field on Mt. Washington).
- Many before / after pictures and videos
When {: #aire-when }
2 x 10-hr days (whole weekend). Trip will be annonced on the mitoc-announce@mit.edu mailing list. Typically in February, after Winter School.
Where {: #aire-where }
White Mountains (likely Pinkham Notch or Crawford Notch) evenings at the Intervale cabin.
Who {: #aire-who }
Skiiers, Snowboarders, Hikers, Mountaineers and Ice Climbers. Anyone who loves to play in deep powder (or happens to play near it).
Crevasse Rescue and Glacier Travel
Glaciers are a common medium necessary to climb some of the bigger peaks in the world. When crossing glaciers, however you will come across snow bridges and crevasses. Learning proper technique for crossing this terrain is covered in the course as well as rescuing someone from a crevasse.
The club typically organizes a Crevasse Rescue and Glacier Travel course in the spring in prepration for member’s summer expeditions. This is a two-day course held in the Whites focusing mostly on field work (see topics below).
Topics Include {: #glacier-topics }
- Crevasse and Snow Bridge terrain assessment
- Planning / Team Management
- Roped travel
- Ascending a rope
- Z-pulley for hauling a victim
When {: #glacier-topics }
1 Weekend in the spring.
Where {: #glacier-topics }
White Mountains (likely Pinkham Notch or Crawford Notch) evenings at the Intervale cabin. The course is likely to run on a small incline next to a ski resort for the first day. On the second day we will head up one of the ravines on Mt. Washington to try out our systems in a more live setting.
Who {: #glacier-who }
Mountaineers and Alpine Climbers
Mandatory Gear for the Course
Individual
- Helmet
- Harness
- ATC + Locking Carabiner
- Plastic or suitable boots
- Crampons / Microspikes depending on the weather
- Mountaineering Axe
- Prussiks (2)
- Cordelette
- Locking & Non-locking carabiners
- Winter clothes (suitable for Mt. Washington)
- Food (lunch)
Group
- Pulleys (1 per team, typically 3-4 people per roped team
- Snow Pickets / Deadmen
- Skinny ropes (9mm is usually more than enough)
Homework
These are things that the individual should look over and be familiar with BEFORE the course. Knowing these topics can greatly improve the speed of the class as well as allowing the participant to focus more on the higher level tasks rather than getting hung up on tieing a particular knot.
Knots
- Figure 8 (rewoven + on a bight)
- Alpine Butterfly
- Clove Hitch
- Munter Hitch
- Munter / Mule combination
- Prussik, Klemheist
- Girth hitch
- Flat overhand
Systems
- Belaying (lead)
- Rappelling
- Rope Coiling (mountaineering / kiwi coil)
- 3:1 haul, 6:1 haul, drop loop, “Armstrong method”