Deep inside a glacier's crevasse Date: 08/12/2008 PMR members train for rescues deep inside a glacier crevasse.

Photo © PMR
Lowering a litter into a crevasse Date: 08/12/2008 Portland Mountain Rescue regularly trains on the large glaciers of Mount Hood. In this photo, a PMR member is lowered with a rescue litter into a deep glacier crevasse.

Photo © Portland Mountain Rescue
Removing a patient from the glacier Date: 08/12/2008
Placing a picket anchor in the snow Date: 08/12/2008 Portland Mountain Rescue members actively train for rescue litter evacuation near the White River Glacier area on Mount Hood. A rescue litter is used to immobilize the injured person for safe removal from the mountain.

Photo © Portland Mountain Rescue
The standard mainline rigging Date: 08/12/2008 Rigging

A look at the mainline rigging just above White River Glacier, near 8,600 feet on Mount Hood.

Four pickets act as anchors and equalize the load on the mainline rope. A brake bar helps to lower the litter attendant and a "Z" pulley system performs the raise.

Photo © Matthew Weaver (PMR)
Litter attendant & edge person Date: 08/12/2008 Edge of the Crevasse

The litter attendant (left) and the edge person (right) reach the lip of the crevasse in White River Glacier on Mount Hood.

The edge person's job is to relay the attendant's instructions to the rope team and ensure that there are few problems with the rope.

Photo © Matthew Weaver (PMR)
Attendant enters the crevasse Date: 08/12/2008 Entering the Crevasse

The litter attendant leans back from the edge and walks himself into the 20-foot deep crevasse.

Photo © Matthew Weaver (PMR)
Edge person and litter attendant Date: 08/12/2008 Inside the Crevasse

As the litter attendant is lowered into the crevasse, the edge person keeps a close watch for problems.

The edge person plays a key role in the crevasse rescue process, as verbal communication can be quicker than radio communication in case of an emergency.

Photo © Matthew Weaver (PMR)
Attendant inside Date: 08/12/2008 The litter attendant nearly reaches the bottom of the crevasse deep inside the White River Glacier.

Photo © Matthew Weaver (PMR)
Changing from a lower to a raise Date: 08/12/2008 The rope team changes over the mainline from a lowering system to a raising system. The rope is locked off in the brake bar (left) and then prusiks and pulleys complete the raising setup. PMR can use 3-to-1, 4-to-1, 6-to-1 or 9-to-1 mechanical advantages in the raising process.

(L-R: Iain Morris, Maria Ochsner, Lancea LaPorte & Tracie Rosenberry)

Photo © Matthew Weaver (PMR)
Raising the litter attendant Date: 08/12/2008 The rope team hauls the litter attendant and mock victim out of the crevasse using a 3-to-1 advantage pulley system, while another team member manages the prusiks at the first pulley.

(L-R: Reuben Dohrendorf, Nick Pope, Tracie Rosenberry, Iain Morris and Doug Hormann. Foreground: Maria Ochsner.)

Photo © Matthew Weaver (PMR)
The attendant exits the crevasse Date: 08/12/2008 The rope team raises the litter attendant and the mock victim past the edge of the crevasse. On this day, a camera crew was on hand to film the training for a documentary.

Photo © Matthew Weaver (PMR)
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