BMC Field Session(s) 2018

Those of you wishing to recertify for the Basic Mountaineering Course (BMC) please be aware of the following dates. Note: the course for first-time students is closed. This announcement concerns recertification participants only. The primary date is January 13, 14. If that is canceled, the backup is February 3, 4. If that too is canceled, the last-ditch effort is March 10, 11. The typical recertification participant would only show up on Sunday and be tested. There would be no instruction what-so-ever. However, you are all welcome to attend the entire course. In that case, you could receive instruction on Saturday. Only individuals who have pre-registered with Sonny Lawrence may attend. Please email slawrence AT sbsar DOT org.

2016-2017 BMC Lecture Date Update

The formula for determining the lecture date for the Basic Mountaineering Course has changed. In the past it was held on the weekend before Thanksgiving. The new formula is to hold it on the weekend directly following the second Friday of November. Hence this year it will be held November 12 and 13. Please spread the word and mark your calendars. More details concerning signups will be distributed via email and online out as we get closer.

BMC February Field Session

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.

BMC Update

Due to lack of snow, the Basic Mountaineering Course field date for January 9 and 10 has been changed to January 30 and 31. Please sign up for the event by emailing Sonny Lawrence at his sbsar account.

The field session for the Basic Mountaineering Course (BMC) will be held on January 30 and 31, 2016. The location is Snow Valley Mountain Resort. This is located 6 miles east of Running Springs on highway 18. GPS is WGS 84; 34.223375°,-117.037423°. All vehicles should carry tire chains. Four wheel drive preferred. Enter into the main parking lot. Explain to the attendant you are participating in the sheriff’s BMC. Proceed to the far west end of the parking lot, near the exit. 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. Please be sensitive to the location we will be operating in. Bring your own WAG BAG for human waste disposal. Only individuals who have pre-registered with Sonny Lawrence are allowed to attend.

December BMC Field Session Cancelled

The BMC field date scheduled for December has been cancelled due to lack of snow. Hence the first field date now will be January 9, 10. A second field date of February 20, 21 has been set. Please email Sonny Lawrence at his SBSAR address to reserve a spot on one of those dates.

BMC 2015

Basic Mountaineering Course Approaches

The Basic Mountaineering Course (BMC) schedule is below. The classroom will be held regardless of the weather. However, the field dates are snow dependent.  Students from the last two years are welcome to audit the classroom. Non-San Bernardino county SAR personnel are welcome to apply to be on a waiting list. Contact B.J. Whiteside at Volunteer Forces ((909) 387-0641).

November 21, 22:  Lecture

December 5, 6:  Field #1, preference to students who took BMC over past two years, waiting list for new students from this year

January 9, 10: Field #2 for everyone else 

2013-2014 BMC Field Weekend Cancelled

The lack of snow in the region has forced the cancellation of the 2013-2014 BMC field portion until next year. Let's hope for snow in 2015.

BMC Field Weekend POSTPONED

The Field portion of the Basic Mountaineering Course will be postponed. As of right now there is little to no chance of snow on the ground in a location appropriate for our course. We will push the field weekend back to the 22nd and 23rd of February, in hope of receiving some much needed cooler weather, and of course, that white fluffy stuff. Take a look at the extended forecast report I received from Chris Corbin earlier this week. Please mark February 22nd - 23rd on your calendar.

2013-2014 Basic Mountaineering Course Coming Up Soon

Our 2013-14 Basic Mountaineering Course (BMC) is just a few weeks away, and while it is just an introductory course, we are going to cover a lot of material in our four days together.  Approximately one-half of the course focuses on the subject of avalanches.  To help prepare you for this course and ensure that your learning experience is both efficient and effective, we ask that you complete an online Avalanche Awareness tutorial available through the Forest Service's National Avalanche Center prior to coming to the first day of class on November 23rd.  The online tutorial takes 15-20 minutes to complete.  To complete the online tutorial, please visit the Forest Service Avalanche Awareness website.

Finally, while it is not a required, we strongly encourage you to complete another tutorial available on the website entitled "THE SKILLS".  This tutorial can be accessed here.  In particular, we suggest that you complete the following topics:

1. Analyze Snow Stability
2. Identify Red Flags
3. Perform a Beacon Search
4. Conduct a Rescue
5. Probing and Digging
6. Tools

See you all at our upcoming class.