Search and Rescue Training at Old Palmer
Getting geared up in the zodiac parking lot at Palmer Station. Photo: George Ryan
Safety is king at Palmer Station. Virtually everything we do is managed with safety in mind. If anything serious happens to someone down here, at the edge of the earth, there isn’t much help beyond the resources of the doctor at Station. Fortunately, there are several folks on Station who enjoy thinking about this stuff in their free time. In addition to myself, Paul Queior and Brian Gaas have also spent a good chunk of time studying first aid and search and rescue techniques. Of the three of us, I am the least experienced with medicine and first response. However, I have taken Avalanche safety and crevasse travel/rescue courses in the past. Plus last season at Palmer I trained with the Glacier Search and Rescue (GSAR) team. For me, this season at Palmer meant I would get to continue my GSAR training, plus Brian has been heavily involved with SAR work in the NJ/NY area. Given that Brian and I had quite a bit of experience, we talked with Paul and decided to head out to Old Palmer in a small group so that Brian could share some of his temperate SAR skills with us. Namely hauling heavy things up steep terrain. Of course, Brian needed us to share our knowledge about building anchors in the ice and how to operate in such an extreme environment. As a team of three, plus a few folks wanting to get some exercise, a small group of us took a zodiac over to a a nearby island where the original Palmer Station was built in the 1960s. Appropriately enough, this island has been named, Old Palmer (or Old P to us locals) and contains a couple of retreating glaciers that have steep faces and small crevasses that are perfect for the GSAR skills we needed to work on. A large part of GSAR is being comfortable traveling in and using the tools necessary for rescue in glaciated terrain. In addition to practicing basic haul and anchor systems, we also worked with Brian (and refreshed our own knowledge) of moving confidently and safely in steep and icy terrain using ice tools and crampons. Overall, an excellent day to be out and a reminder of how much I love the brisk environment of Antarctica.
Paul, Brian and I walking along the glacier. Photo: George Ryan
Brian and I walking next to a filled in crevasse. Photo: PQ
Hanging off the rope looking at the path Paul had cleared a few minutes earlier. Photo: PQ
Getting up over the edge and onto the top of the glacier. Photo: PQ
The whole picture of the steep face we were using for our GSAR practice. Photo: George Ryan
Heading home from Old Palmer. Photo: George Ryan
