7 June 2010 

 

“.. Alpine Passes With Flying Colors ..”

 

 

Photo by Dan Lack, Rocky Mountain Rescue Group 

 

It was a busy weekend for the volunteers of Evergreen-based Alpine Rescue Team, as they

spent Saturday and Sunday rescuing injured hikers, stranded climbers and avalanche-swallowed

skiers in a series of drills meant to test the skills they rely-on in real-life emergency situations. In

doing so, the Team successfully completed its rigorous Mountain Rescue Association field

accreditation.

 

Thirty-nine specially trained evaluators from throughout the MRA's Rocky Mountain region

approved the Team's re-accreditation in each of five areas in the dangerous and technical

disciplines of backcountry rescue. "Preparing for and participating in these exercises improves

our skills”, said Alpine’s Field Director Roy Wyatt. “Lessons are learned by everyone, including

the other MRA teams who observe and evaluate the events. All of the teams benefit. We’re all

better prepared to help someone who is having a really bad day in the mountains."

 

The Rocky Mountain region is unique among national Mountain Rescue groups for imposing on

itself a rigorous set of evaluations meant to test a variety of situations rescuers might face in

extreme alpine environments that include high-angle technical rope rescue, evacuations over

boulder fields, avalanche rescue, winter/snow evacuations and ground searches for lost

individuals.

 

Accreditation at the national level, for the Mountain Rescue Association, ensures a high level of

training skills. Alpine is one of only a dozen such agencies in the Rocky Mountain region. All

accredited teams must pass a full practical field-examination every five years. Since 1959,

Alpine Rescue Team has remained an active MRA team, operating entirely as a non-profit

agency, with some fifty dedicated men and women.

 

Alpine Rescue Team never charges for search and rescue operations. For more information on

how you can support the efforts of these volunteer rescue-mountaineers, call 303-526-2417, or,

go to www.AlpineRescueTeam.org.

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