Cal Region Re-Accreditation T-shirt Ordering Extended to 3/12/2022

 For those of you who missed the last go-around, we've added a new sale. Please use the link below,

T-Shirt Order Form

California Region of the MRA Re-Accreditation T-Shirt Ordering Available

 To order your 2022 technical rock re-accreditation T-shirt, please use the link below,

https://www.customink.com/fundraising/2022mra

Getting Stuck, and Un-Stuck

 We find ourselves driving in the hinterlands regularly. Driving safely, and effectively off-road takes practice, and familiarity with your tools. We spent the day practicing our off-road driving skills, and honing techniques for getting ourselves "un-stuck".

The remainder of the day was spent dusting off our ELT equipment, and making sure that we can still find an emergency locator transmitter in a timely fashion.

Creating Passage

In underground rescue it often becomes necessary to make space where there isn't enough. This is not a typical method for caves as they are not often modified by cave explorers, and it is not common for them to experience large shifts in rock or soil. Yes, there are exceptions to this, but for the most part, cave passageway is fairly static in the near term, and doesn't require modification. In addition, the team is loath to make any modifications to caves for conservation reasons. Mines are a different story.

When passageway modification becomes necessary there are two principal considerations. The safety of the patient, and the overall stability of the passage. Modification must not compromise either of these. For this reason, the "blasting" technique employed is not something that would make interesting television or movie scenes. We focus on minimal pressures designed to crack rock, and not displace it. We can then use wedges to propagate the crack, and partition the rock. In some cases we can forego any blasting, and use the wedges, alone, to crack the rock.

Rope Rescue Operator and Support Check Off's

Each year team members are required to recertify their Rope Rescue Operator and Support skills. These involve ascending a rope past a knot and reblay, changing over (while hanging), and descending the same rope. We also perform a single rope "pick-off" of a stranded climber, and show proficiency in a number of knots. For Rope Rescue Operator, we need to construct various anchor systems, mechanical advantage systems, and a litter tie-in.

A Narrow Weather Window to Train in the Snow

Just enough snow to test our systems. Hopefully we will get more next month. If not, we may have to travel to find it.

Bats of the Southwest

The team has been attending the Southwestern Bat Class in an effort to become better informed of  the fauna in our response area. This was a fantastic class.