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BSAR Steep Snow and Ice training 29-30 July 2017

2017-BSAR-Alpine-Training
Steep Snow and Ice alpine training was held on 29-30 July 2017 at Mount Buller.
The training included travelling in alpine environments, snow and ice safety, rescue techniques, using crampons and ice axes, holding falls when roped and a demonstration of haulage equipment for steep terrain.
Our thanks to Mount Buller CFA for allowing us to use their facility and dodge the very strong winds that came in on Saturday Night.
Thanks also to the Mount Buller Ski Patrol for their support and hospitality.

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2015 BSAR Steep Snow and Ice training

2015 BSAR Alpine Training Mt Hotham

BSAR’s 2015 alpine training consisted of:

A Dryland Training Day on Sunday 19 July 2015 at Police SAR in Williamstown.  Topics covered included steep snow and ice terrain awareness, roping up, stretcher setup and hauling and avalanche transceiver theory and practice

A Steep Snow and Ice training weekend at JB Plain on 24 – 26 July 2015.  Exercises over the two days included self-arresting, setting up snow belays and a z-pulley haul using an MPD (which replaces a Jumar, pulley and abseil device used in the previous setup),  rescues using avalanche transceivers and probing followed by digging out a simulated buried patient. A simulated search was also conducted near JB Plain.  The simulated lost person was found and evacuated using a sked to haul them back to the camping site.

The weather was poor, snowing at times with occasional strong wind gusts.  

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BSAR Steep Snow and Ice training at The Razorback, September 2014

2014 BSAR Steep Snow and Ice training on the Razorback

We held our Steep Snow and Ice training this year amidst spectacular scenery on The Razorback on 5 to 7 September 2014.

The training covered roping up, travelling roped, using a z-pulley with the new MPD, avalanche rescue using transceivers, shovels and probes, climbing with ice axe and crampons, low angle haul of the sked and some skiing and snow shoeing.  Twenty 23 members attended.

We had a wonderful view of the sunset from our camp near Diamantina Hut.

We thank Victoria Police Search and Rescue and Transport Branch and Mount Hotham Resort Management for their support of this training event.

2014 BSAR Steep Snow and Ice training on the Razorback

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Steep snow and ice training 2011

Two separate training sessions for steep snow and ice rescue training were held this year – a dryland training day covering theory and some off-snow exercises, and a weekend at Mount Stirling where we focussed on steep snow and ice rescue skills in an alpine environment.

For the weekend at Mount Stirling, we departed from Green Street Northtcote on Friday night (8 July 2011) and camped at Mansfield overnight to get an early start on Saturday.  The Police bus dropped us at Telephone Box Junction on Mount Stirling, then we skied up to our campsite at Bluff Spur Hut.

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Steep snow and ice dryland training day, July 2010

Bush Search and Rescue members with steep snow and ice skills attended a “dryland” training day in Melbourne to learn some theory and practice steep snow and ice skills including using avalanche transceivers (in South Surrey Park), roping techniques, equipment review and stretcher rigging and hauling using a z-pulley system. Participants were also trained on our latest radio technology.

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2010 winter training including steep snow and ice

The BSAR Training Weekend is was held at Mt Hotham on 24-25 July. Melbourne members travelling to Bright on the Friday night, then met with members from Gippsland and the North East at JB Plain.

This year Steep Snow and Ice (SSI) training was concurrently with the Winter Search Training on the Saturday followed by combined training on the Sunday in the JB Plain area, which was also where we camped overnight.

The weekend was very successful with participants gaining new skills or reinforcing existing skills. At total of 51 participants attended, with 21 being new to BSAR.

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Steep snow and ice training Mount Hotham 2009

BSAR steep snow and ice training at Mount Hotham 2009

Bush Search and Rescue’s steep snow and ice training was conducted at Mount Hotham in good winter snow conditions on the 18-19 August 2009.  The focus this year was training with our new avalanche transceivers followed by recreational rescue techniques including z-pulleys and self arrest.  The weather was overcast and windy on both Saturday and Sunday.

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