Classroom Sessions Logistics

Location: Tacoma Clubhouse

No Gear needed for this lecture.

Reading Assignment:

Before the lecture starts it is recommended that you complete reading all information on this site prior to the classroom session.

Key Point:

• Risk Management

• Trip Planning - Safety plan, personal data, gear, route choice, navigation, weather, pre-climb briefing, on climb monitoring, post climb debrief

• Navigation - Caltopo, Gia GPS, time

• Snow Conditions

• Weather

• Accident Analysis 

  • • • Podcast:  Out Alive podcast - Disaster On Mount Rainier

        • Open to students to discuss 

          • What did they do well?

          • What could they have done better?

          • What else could have been done in their pre trip planning/pre trip conversations?

Leadership Framework

• 7 Leadership Skills

  • Tolerance for Adversity and Uncertainty

  • Expedition Behavior

  • Communication

  • Competence

  • Judgement and Decision making

  • Self-Awareness

  • Vision and Action

• 4 Leadership Roles

  • Designated - in charge of group process

  • Peer - equal responsibility for group tasks, functions, and goals

  • Active Followership - support leader by clarifying, giving input, respecting plan

  • Self-Leadership - leadership through character and judgement

Building Compatible Groups - Goals, Expectations, and Style

• Why? Common goals and creating culture (what you do and what you say)

• Goals: Measure of trip success, actions to accomplish, measurable outcomes

  • Dependent: depend on external conditions and other people

  • Independent: you have within yourself all resources to achieve these

  • Shift goal from outcome centric to process centric (e.g. “be safe: assess and manage risks together)

• Expectations: how we think things will/should be done

  • Actions to be done/avoided, not negotiable, of other people, require success/safety

• Skills: skills and fitness necessary for a trip (be specific and quantify if possible)

• Style: how you like to do things

  • Actions, held more loosely, negotiable, no necessary for success/safety

• Always asking, why am I making this important?

  • Example: Early start every day

Goal: If not getting early starts would be a failure

Expectation: If it is necessary given weather

Style: If it is because you are an early riser

Protection Continuum

• • 1. Solo Climbing

    2. Breaking out the rope

    3. Quick belays for followers

    4. Protected pitches for the team

    5. Belayed and protected pitches for the leader

Risk Management Strategies

• Glacier Route Assessment

  • Parts of a Glacier

  • If two options to avoid an obstacle/crevasse, favor the versatile route

  • View the glacier from a distance

  • Beta: verify and vet (date doesn’t matter, but snowpack and snow melting does)

  • Time = exposure

  • Some route problems have no solution, know when to bail and go home

• Hazard Assessments

  • Falling down the mountain: go direct line ascent up steep/icy sections either not roped up or with protection

  • Fall into the mountain: navigate around most crevassed sections

• Pre Trip Planning can help facilitate risk management

  • Planning

  • Leadership

  • Equipment

  • Training

  • Team Fitness

  • Communication

  • Conditions

  • Complexity

Classroom Session Resources

Accident Reports