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Roundtable discussion - selecting terrain, assessing risks, managing people etc. Experienced folks welcome to chime in! 6pm, · Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016

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Organized by: Nicole Ong.

Start: Wednesday, Mar. 2nd, 6:00 pm
End: Wednesday, Mar. 2nd, 7:30 pm
Pre-trip meeting location: SCRF (Scarfe) 209 MAP

Description:

This is supposed to be the pre-trip meeting for participants of the intermediate-friendly trip (with a focus on trip organization, Mar 5-6.

Although I didn't manage to recruit as many experienced folks as I would prefer for the weekend trip, I think it would be useful for more experienced voices to be present at our pre-trip meeting/discussion!

If anyone has something to share with newer members who have expressed they want to learn more about leading (ski) trips, please feel free to chime in.

If you're not coming on the trip and not feeling quite experienced enough to chime in, you're still more than welcome to join the discussion.

Note: I'm just a regular backcountry recreationist like anyone else in the club, so I don't have professional teaching notes. This is all going to be somewhat informal. That said, it will be semi-structured, as I don't think you/I should be wasting our time just chatting randomly.

At the moment, I think the first hour of pre-trip (6.00-7.00pm) will be a discussion on some of the following points and the final half hour (7.00-7.30pm) will be finalization of trip logistics.

1) How to begin planning a trip - selecting area/objective by interest, conditions/forecasts, terrain research/recent reports, estimation of length/duration, how committing is the route (planning for turnaround), plan B, plan C, etc.

2) Recruiting participants - Advertise trip, provide sufficient details about route and difficulty, what to expect, appropriate caveats, group max for trip appropriate for technicality of trip (class 4/5 scrambling? alpine/ice climbing? avalanche terrain? glacier travel?), select participants with appropriate experience/fitness for trip, etc.

3) Logistics - obtaining background information (medical), packing necessary and appropriate gear, assigning drivers/passengers, departure times, pick up times, driving directions, meeting point, gas/wear/tear and punctuality, etc.

4) Group management - communicate route and risks, communicate attitude/mindset for trip as envisioned by trip organizer, assign head/sweep and other roles (route finding, track setting, first aid, emergency communication), group count, buddy system, rules about leaving group, not keeping up/not feeling well, rest/gathering points, pacing, etc.

5) Awareness and decision making - planning for a safe ascent/descent,  when to cut it short (other options), when to turnaround, everyone to be part of discussion, terrain/slope evaluation, good travel habits, blue-sky syndrome, peer-pressure, goal-seeking, overconfidence in numbers, overconfidence in knowledge, etc.  

6) Emphasize safety!

Posted: 2016-02-28 14:58:09
Last modified: 2016-02-29 15:59:54