Rope Skills for High-Altitude Running

A very late post, just saw this from my hundreds of pending drafts waiting to be posted.

Part of the membership application process in Philippine Skyrunning Association (PhilSky), is the requirement to attend the yearly Sky Learning Series (SLS). These classes are not the usual academic nor running clinic classes, but are an utmost important set of skills that a Skyrunner, a Mountaineer, adventure Racer, or even a trail Runner may need for survival and/or rescue purposes.

Last year (September 1, 2013), the 2nd module of the SLS -- Rope Skills and Rescue training was held at Kampo Uno in UP Diliman. The class was spearheaded by Mr. Ramon "Mon" Marchan from Rope Access Services and Consulting Inc. (RASC).

Mr. Mon is one of the PhilSky Pioneer member and also the President of High Angle Rescue Team (HART). He was participated by other people from RASC Philippines who assisted us during the rappelling and rescue drills.

PhilSky's SLS2 Participants

Attended by both the PhilSky members and 2013 PhilSky applicants, the full lecture lasted for almost the whole day and tackled about three (3) major topics: rope rescue safety and equipments; knot-tying and rope harness; and rappelling -- the favorite of everyone which also includes the rope ascend and descend skills.

After these mind-opening skills topic, an actual demo of rope rescue was also shown at the rappelling wall of Kampo Uno to give us a clearer idea on how this kind of skill can save your and other people's lives.

Below are some of the nutshells of the training. Pardon me though as I wouldn't be able to describe in words how the different knot-tying are done, some of the knot-ties though have links to a step-by-step knot-tying animation.

The lecture began with safety rules and reminders that must be put into heart by anyone doing any rope-climbing activity. These safety rules are like mini-bible that will save your own life.

1. Margin of Safety (MOS)
2. Backup (BU)
3. Check-Double-Check (CDC)
4. Attention to Detail (ATD)
5. Know Your Way Out (WO)

In contrast to these safety rules, there are also, like in any life situation, adversaries that may hinder or might cause to break these safety rules, and these are called the enemies of safety.

1. Ignorance
2. Casualness
3. Memory decay (ugh!)
4. Overconfidence
5. Distraction
6. Stubbornness

Below are the photos of the different knot-ties under the figure-of-8 family, the highly-recommended type of knot-tying by RASC:

Simple - basic knot-tie of the figure 8, mostly used as a stopper.

Bend (Join) - provides a safe and simple way to join two ropes. The two ropes should not differ very much in size and for safety, the ends should be longer. After joining, each end of the rope should be tied around the other standing end (using double overhand stopper knot or a square knot).

Loop - allows a simple and reliable Figure-8 loop to be tied to an open-ended post or a bar.

Follow Through - just like the Loop but the process of tying starts with a Figure-8 knot from the attachment point, then the tail-end follows through the original Figure-8 knot in reverse. This knot allows a simple and reliable Figure 8 loop to be tied to a ring, a carabiner, or your own harness.

Double Loop (Bunny ears) - based on the simple Figure-8 knot but uses two double-loops. This knot can be used as an improvised seat (i.e. rope rescue), or to equalize loads. This knot is more stable because it is unlikely to slip so that one loop gets larger at the expense of the other loop.

Tensionless Hitch - does not belong to the Figure-8 family, but is an essential knot use to gain a secure control of heavy loads. Notice that a Figure-8 Loop is used on one end, a carabiner may also be attached on this end.

Prusik Knot - a piece of cord with joined ends using the Figure-8 bend loop. This is often used for climbing (ascender or descender) by sliding it through a static rope.

Rappelling down on an improvised rope harness called the diaper wrap

Front and view of the diaper wrap harness on Ms. Nina Dacanay while rappelling

Rope rescue demo. The guy on the blue shirt and bonnet is the one who is being rescued, while Sir Mon Marchan, the one on top is the rescuer.

*Knot-tying photos are owned by the author while the rappelling, rescue, and group photo is courtesy of Mr. Romano Cortes Jorge.

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A Trek to Mt. Pinatubo Crater

Elevation: 1,485m (1,745m before the 1991 eruption)
Ascent/Descent Dates: 04 June, 2011
Entry/Exit Point: Brgy. Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac
Climb Purpose: Blogger's Climb-for-a Cause for the benefit of Tahanang Walang Hagdanan
Organized By: Jonel Uy of Let's Go Sago in cooperation with Travel Factor and Sponsors

Satellite Map of Mt. Pinatubo

Full event in Photos:

Bloggers at the pre-event briefing in R.O.X
(photo courtesy of Alex De Vera)

The 4x4 jeeps transporting the hikers from Sta. Juliana, Capas to
Mt. Pinatubo's base

Body-wrecking 1-hour ride on lahar-muds going to the starting area of the hike

Lahar-hills formation found at the sides of the trail road, eroding as the hard wind blows through it or as the ravaging mud and water flows on it's base.

The start of the trek was introduced with light rain showers that gave us some spine-bending cold and the thought of lahar muds washing us out.

On my favorite Takbo.ph nightfest shirt and Royal Robbins
mountaineering pants (photo courtesy of Rodel "Argo" Cuaton)

Thankfully though, there was only a few centimeters rise of the waters that flowed through our direction.

Removed the leg pairs of my mountaineering pants converting it to trekking
shorts as it get soaked in water (photo courtesy of Rodel "Argo" Cuaton)

After the short rain, the sun peeked at us seemingly like it's verifying our existence, checking if we are still standing on the ground and continuing with our good cause.

After the stop-over at those green-roofed nipa huts, the second part of the
trek towards the jungles of Mt. Pinatubo begins with approximate time per
age group. (photo courtesy of Rodel "Argo" Cuaton)

From that point on towards the peak, we haven't really reached it in 15, or 18, or 20-minutes. Rather, the final trek upwards to the crater lake took us almost a good 25-minutes as we still took a good amount of time capturing the magnificent hues and sticking our gaze on the inviting nature-painted color of the natural environment from the rocks, pebbles, streams of water, and vegetations.

Then the prize of our trekking came into view as we reached the crater lake with its magnificently jade-colored lake water. The lakes' color was a surprise as I was hoping it would be a creepy-muddy brown-colored body of still and silent water with unknown creatures on its depth.

From here on, it was a fun-filled dipping and swimming with the bloggers and other hikers until our skin and flesh wrinkled from the cold water of the crater lake.

Argo on the loose while I watch how swimming should be done.
(photo shot by Maridol)

Other hikers camped for an overnight stay perhaps

As many would tend to shout due to the excitement and amazement
by the natural wonders of Mt. Pinatubo, this reminder serves as a
warning to help prevent soil erosion caused by noise vibrations.

The four runners at the time who joined the climb for-a-cause
(photo courtesy of Rodel "Argo" Cuaton)

With all the other bloggers and guest climbers
(photo courtesy of Alex De Vera)

On our way home, with still a few amount of time left, we managed to drop-by at Camp O'Donell where we also took some shots and read the astonishing sacrifices of the Filipino and American soldiers during the Bataan Death March in World War II where only about 45,692+ Filipinos and 9,300 Americans reached Capas, Tarlac on their gruelling march from Mariveles, Bataan.

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Fun Hike at Mt. Maculot

Elevation: 947m
Ascent/Descent Dates: 02-03 April, 2011
Entry/Exit Point: Brgy. Poblacion 7, Cuenca, Batangas
Other Names: Mt. Macolod, Mt. Makulot

Satellite Map:

In Photos:

The first-time climbers

Two lovely welcome at Brgy. Poblacion Siete

The whole gang with our guides

Entrance to Mt. Maculot via Rocky Road

The lead group

The sweepers

First peak at Taal lake

How the trail path for the mountaineers was made possilble

One of our guide, sending SMS with the other group

The first ascent

Mountaineer's creed: "Basura ay linisin, para kalinisan ay purihin." - 440th AMG

Surprise! A buko-stop

Lian? Lianne? Lee Anne? (forgot her name)

Climbers refreshed at the third buko-checkpoint

Mountaineer's creed: "Ating kalikasan alagaan dahil ito ang karugtong ng ating buhay at linisin ang paligid para ito'y maging malinis." - 440th AMG

the Town at the mid-viewpoint from Mt. Maculot

Getting near the peak

Mountaineer's creed: "Ilayo ang daigdig sa global warming, magtanim ng mga puno at wag putulin." - 440th AMG

This tree is waiting for spring-time

A broader view of the houses and buildings below

The mountain to traverse towards grotto

Mountaineer's creed: "Linisin ang ating kapaligiran upang hindi magalit sa atin si inang kalikasan." - 440th AMG

Yet another surprise - a store at the summit

Setting up of tents at the summit's camp site

Planning their first round of Tanduay

Commemorative marker of PAF's adoption of Mt. Makulot

To the Rockies

A steep descend before climbing the rockies

The scenic Taal lake will put you in a daydream...

...and bring out your natural idiotic face

Other climbers now going down from the Rockies

Easy climb to the wall formations of the rockies

A more than 180-degrees view of Taal lake

Much greater view at the cliff side

The brave ones

The braver one

tapang-tapangan

Breathtaking sunset, the last time I saw a sunset from a mountain was
when I was still in 3rd year high school

Early sleeping time

While others found their fancy with some horror-story-telling time

couple it with drinking session while the cold wind blows

and of course, it's a good time to get emotional alone inside your tent :)

Glad our tents are still intact in the morning despite those heavy wind blows during the night

Preparing our morning boodle-fight

... and there was no photo, not one photo was captured during our dinner nor during the breakfast. Hungry mammals!

The whole gang minus one (the photographer)

Our TNL guides with their angry birds

*Some photos courtesy of Leo Manalaysay and Shai Palic-ad

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