The next field session for the Basic Mountaineering Course (BMC) will be held on February 20 & 21, 2016. The location is Snow Valley Mountain Resort. Please view gpx and map at http://sartopo.com/m/0MH0. Park your car at the far west end of the parking lot against the northern boundary. This is just inside the main entry gate. Note that camp for Saturday night will be at the location marked “camp.” Hence it is a short, relatively easy travel from camp to car. All vehicles should carry tire chains. Four wheel drive preferred. Wise participants will arrive Friday night and sleep in the car or off into the bushes in order to acclimatize. We begin at 0700 sharp Saturday morning. Be ready to hike at that time with pack fully loaded. The course will end late Sunday afternoon. Cell coverage varies depending on cell provider. We will operate on SARTAC2, channel 12. It is mandatory to sign in and out. The keys to your car will be collected and held in a central location. You are able to access your car at any time during the field session via the guardian of the keys.

 

Please address the following gear related concerns. Be sensitive to the location we will be operating in. Bring your own WAG BAG for human waste disposal. Adopt a minimalist attitude when planning your equipment.  Pretend this is a SAR mission, not a camping trip. You can always leave extra gear, sleeping bag, etc., in your car, which will be only a few minutes from where you will be camping. You can also leave your sleeping bag next to your snow trench and use it if absolutely needed. Only bring steel ice axe with a tether and steel crampons. Have sufficient water; hydration is critical to help prevent frostbite. Change your socks throughout the day and when you go to bed. Bring extra gloves and mittens due to working in the snow. Bring slippery clothing to facilitate ice axe arrest. Package your gear prepared for rain.  All of the BMC files including the gear list can be found at:  http://tinyurl.com/zx6agmd.

 

For recert students; you are welcome to attend all sessions Saturday as a student. Testing only (no recert instruction) will be done on Sunday. If you are unsure of your skills for the test, come Saturday!

 

Only individuals who have pre-registered with Sonny Lawrence are allowed to attend. This is true for students and recerts. Sonny can be contacted for any questions at his sbsar.org address.