ICE CLIMBING INFORMATION ARTICLES

Ice Climbing - Safety Gear & Rescue Equipment

Ice Climbing can be a very exciting and challenging activity. However, it can expose you to extreme danger because the environment where you take climbs can be unpredictable. One of the dangers in this kind of activity is the avalanche. If an ice climber is unlucky enough to be buried alive in the snow, the chances of his or her survival depends on how much time it takes to get out of the snow or before he or she is rescued. The sooner the climber is rescued, the better.

Time is of the essence in any rescue operation. The use of several devices will help a lot in making the rescue process successful. In this section, let’s take a look at the different pieces of gear and equipment that will be useful in an avalanche situation:

Avalanche Probe
The avalanche probe is a rescue tool that resembles a tent pole. When there are no visible signs of the victim on the surface, the probe is used to poke or nudge the approximate location where somebody has been buried in the snow. This can only go so far, though, since this is an exercise of trial and error and can be time-consuming.

Avalanche Beacon
This rescue equipment transmits and receives signal through frequency emission. It makes it easier to determine the location of someone who is buried under the snow.

Shovels
A lot of people are familiar with the lowly shovel but do not realize its importance until somebody gets caught in an avalanche. Having a shovel handy will make it faster to dig somebody out of the snow.

First Aid Kit
Any extreme sport and outdoor activity should not be done if you do not have a first aid kit. Make sure that your kit has enough supplies and items that will enable you to give temporary relief to a victim until professional help becomes available.

With these useful pieces of safety gear and rescue equipment, rescuing victims will be a lot easier and more effective. Do not forget to bring these items with you when you go Ice Climbing so you will be of help in a rescue operation.