Overview
Crevasse rescue has a few different contexts to be familiar with. While traveling on glaciers, you should be able to perform any of the following:
1Roped Travel
The team is travelling roped together on the glacier when a fall occurs:
- •How to ascend out of the crevasse from dangling on a rope
- •How to raise someone out of a crevasse after catching their fall
2Unroped Travel
A crevasse fall happens while the team is travelling unroped:
- •How to ascend out when a rope has been sent down to you (same as the scenario above)
- •How to get the rope to someone in the crevasse (either rappel to them or throw the rope to them)
Petzl's Instructions for Crevasse Rescue
Petzl's step-by-step guides walk through the full crevasse rescue sequence with detailed diagrams:
AMGA Crevasse Rescue Videos
These videos cover rescue techniques for foot travel rather than skiing, though most of the content applies to both. Without the floatation that skis provide, there may be a greater chance of breaking through a snow bridge. When on skis, you also have the option of using them as snow anchors instead of pickets or ice screws.
1. Building a snow anchor
2. Transfer load to snow anchor
3. Prepare the crevasse lip
4. Rappel in and ascend out of crevasse
5. Hauling out of crevasse
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