Update on the Holiday Valley Advanced Patroller School –   September 29, 2017

The Advanced Patroller School held at Holiday Valley in late September this year was successful, fun and a great learning experience.  All four of our Genesee Valley Region Certified Patrollers were in attendance and helped coordinate the event.  Everyone is considered an instructor at these events and it is amazing what great information is shared from all levels of membership from Basic Candidates to Certified Patrollers.  The schools are usually held twice each year.  One is run up in Maine and another in the Western reaches of our Division.  It is a terrific way to generate pre-season enthusiasm, meet new and interesting Patrollers from other areas and Regions and train in new and challenging techniques.

Holiday Valley was an excellent host area for this year’s event.  The 50 or so participants gathered on Friday afternoon.  Folks came from Vermont, NY, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.  We were well fed the entire 3 days by Holiday Mountain and the local patrol and had we access to the aid room, meeting room, lifts and various slopes for the training.  Some camped.  Others slept in the aid room.  Others took motel rooms.  Everyone was comfortable.

Friday and Saturday training topics covered Low Angle Rope Rescue, Avalanche, High Angle rescue (lift evac), OEC with emphasis on Assessment and Problem Management and Risk Management.  Sunday morning was consumed by a Mass Causality Lift event which put all the topics we covered to good use for resolution.  Closure included a relaxing lunch and discussion related to the MCI results.   We finished about 1pm on Sunday and everyone headed home exhausted, happy with the experience and the new friends they had made.

Ascension using a Petzl ID

Not everyone survived!  (That’s actually Peewee Helms from Vermont on the left- she’s crazy)