We finally got the entire team out for a weekend of training up in the Reed Lakes basin in the Talkeetna Mountains. We hauled just about all the gear we have accumulated thus far on our back and in our sleds. Saturday was a beautiful April morning, then the clouds rolled in for the afternoon. It got pretty chilly that evening, but nothing like we will see on the mountain. We woke to a couple inches of new snow on Sunday morning. Chris gave us some great avalanche tips, and Ivan enlighten everyone with stories from last years attempt on what and what not to do on the mountain.
We will have to be prepared for crevasses when we travel on the glaciers. Crevasses are large voids (cracks) in the ice and form where the glacier is turing or going over a hill. They can be very deep and have been known to swallow many unfortunate climbers. As a precaution, we will be roped together so that if someone falls into a crevasse, the other climbers can stop the fall and pull them out. This requires practicing crevasse rescue. The rescue techniques consist of setting snow or ice anchors and constructing a pulley system to gain a mechanical advantage to pull the fallen climber out. We practiced setting up these systems and pulling each other out of a ravine. We also practiced traveling on rope teams and the communication necessary for safe and efficient travel.
Most importantly, we bonded as a team and gained the confidence that we can survive in the cold Alaskan wilderness together.
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