In a Nutshell
- One day per month
- Training topics based on real life scenarios
- Participation at your own risk & responsibility
- Bring your own personal equipment
- Language will be English
Important Things To Know
- ⚠️ Date Change! The dates for ice cave rescue and avalanche search have been swapped, to prioritize an ice cave rescue exercise before the ice cave season ramps up towards the winter.
- Open to outdoor professionals only. This is not a guided tour, but further training and practice for skilled guides.
- All participation is strictly at your own risk and responsibility. You must bring the skills, judgment, and personal equipment to ensure your own safety.
- Transportation options are limited. We can definitely drive to the glacier together from a suitable meeting location, but spaces will be limited. Let me know ahead of time if you need a ride.
- Topics may change. I want to cover all the listed items, but we may need to switch things around a bit to account for weather.
Schedule
May 25 - Ice Climbing & Rope Access
A skill refresher on ice climbing, anchor building, belay techniques, and the use of rope ascenders, prusik cords, etc.
Meeting Point
Þröng / East Breiðamerkurjökull at 13:00
For those without vehicles capable of driving into Þröng, prepare to be at the turnoff from the main road at 12:30.
Required Equipment
Standard equipment for ice climbing / glacier guiding (harness, helmet, eye protection, crampons, ice tools, anchor & belay equipment, etc.).
One rope per two participants (50m or longer).
Program
Some of the topics I would like to cover on this day:
- route selection
- anchor placement
- anchor material options
- reliable safety checks
- belay devices and techniques
- recovering from common mistakes
- ice climbing technique
- self belay
- rappeling and ascending
- considerations for fixed ropes & via ferratas
June 23 - Hard Ice Rescue Practice
Simple drop loop assists and more advanced rescue techniques for larger teams.
Meeting Point
Þröng / East Breiðamerkurjökull at 13:00
For those without vehicles capable of driving into Þröng, prepare to be at the turnoff from the main road at 12:30.
Required Equipment
Standard equipment for glacier guiding (harness, helmets, eye protection, crampons, ice axe, etc.).
One static rope per two participants (50m or longer)
Program
(details coming soon)
July 29 - Navigation Planning & Theory
GPS and non-GPS navigation, preparation and route planning. Geographic intersection and resection.
Meeting Point
TBD at 16:00
This will be an indoors event, possibly even online if that will work for everybody.
Required Equipment
Pencil, ruler, compass.
Maps will be provided (printed, or as PDF to print yourself).
Program
(details coming soon)
August 31 - non-GPS Navigation
Practicing non-GPS navigation and location fixing in the field.
Meeting Point
Turnoff to Heinaberg at 14:00
Required Equipment
Compass, ruler, marker pen. Maps of the area will be provided (printed, or as PDF to print yourself). The maps may be laminated to be waterproof and a bit more sturdy, so bring a sharpie or other permanent marker.
Please bring an actual compass. One of the differences we will be practicing is adjusting for true vs. magnetic north, and phone apps aren’t always clear on what they are showing.
Program
(details coming soon)
September 30 - Snow Crevasse Rescue
Crevasse rescue practice on snow covered glaciers.
Meeting Point
F985 / Jöklasel at 13:00
For those without vehicles capable of driving up to Jöklasel, prepare to be at the turnoff from the main road at 12:30.
Required Equipment
Standard equipment for traversing snow covered glaciers (harness, helmet, eye protection, crampons, ice axe, picket, shovel, carabiners, prusik cords, etc.).
One static rope per two participants (50m or longer)
Program
(details coming soon)
October 29 - Ice Cave Rescue
Low ceiling / confined space rescue scenarios inside ice caves.
Meeting Point
Þröng / East Breiðamerkurjökull at 14:00
For those without vehicles capable of driving into Þröng, prepare to be at the turnoff from the main road at 12:30.
Required Equipment
Your normal equipment for guiding ice cave tours.
Program
(details coming soon)
November 23 - Avalanche Search
Single and multiple person avalanche searches.
Meeting Point
Turnoff from road 1 onto F985 (to Jöklasel) at 14:00.
Required Equipment
Standard avalanche safety equipment (avalanche transceiver, probe, shovel). Microspikes.
Program
(details coming soon)
Questions & Answers
Is this open to the general public?
No. Due to the nature of these training days, all participants must be entirely self sufficient in terms of safety and equipment. The goal is to provide an environment where guides and other outdoor professionals can practice with and learn from each other.
It’s free, why should I register? Can’t I just show up?
I had originally planned to charge a small fee to account for the additional work of supplying materials and preparing each day, but after some thought decided to make these dates available free in this iteration. Please still register so that I know how many participants there will be, and if necessary can be in touch with everybody for any last minute changes.
Is there a maximum number of participants?
There is not a strict limit right now, but as I continue to prepare and fine tune the program there might be limitations (or indeed a minimum number of participants required for example to pull of a full-on rescue exercise including litter carry).
What equipment should I bring?
For best results, bring your normal guiding gear as you would do for the corresponding tour (check each of the days for details).
It is tempting to come a bit better prepared than what you would normally have with you, but if you’re unlikely to carry an item on a normal tour, it is best to also practice without it (unless you may end up convinced that it is something worth bringing after all).
If any more specialised equipment is needed – say, for practicing a litter rescue – I will organise it.
Are there any concerns for weather?
I will try very hard to keep the schedule, but we may choose to switch out topics.
I have some additional ideas!
I am of course very interested in your opinions and suggestions for which topics would be worth exploring in such a setting. So if you have any comments please let me know!
When and where do we meet?
This varies; please check each of the days for details.
