January through April 2009 - Climbing Instructor class

Here is Climbing Instructor Class information for the Verdugo Hills and West Los Angeles Councils. This is open to all registered Scout adults in the Verdugo Hills and WLA area councils. I need 5-12 students to teach this class.

The cost is $60 which includes: books, materials, and belay training. It does NOT include 1 day Rock Training or 2 days Student led trip to Josh.

Classroom sessions 1 will be on Wed 1/21, class 2-5 will be on Thurs night 7pm - 10pm (maybe till 10:30), on: 1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 2/19, (3/5 is a backup date). The location is the LAAC Scout HQ off the 101 at Alvarado.

Session 6 Belay Class will be at the LA Rocks (indoor gym) in Hawthorne or REI Manhattan Beach on 2/26. (cost is included in my charge)

Session 7 Rock Training at Stoney Point will be 3/7 OR 3/8, it's up to the students.

Session 8 Student led trip to Joshua Tree Indian Cove with their Troop, 3/14-15 or 4/11-12 or 4/25-26, it's up to the students to plan and execute.

• Session 1: (3 hours)
  
  
  • Introduction
  • Chapter 1 - Standards and Inspections
  • Chapter 2 - Safety and Leadership
  • Chapter 3 - Equipment
  • Practical: Intro to Knots (figure 8), "climb on safely" certification
    

• Session 2: (3 hours)
  
  
  • Chapter 3 - Equipment (continued)
  • Chapter 4 - Rope and Rope Handling
  • Chapter 5 - Knots and Knot Tying
  • Chapter 6 - Anchor Points and Anchor Systems
  • Practical: Fig 8 follow thru, 8 on a bight, tubular webbing water knot
    

• Session 3: (3 hours)
  
  
  • Chapter 7 - Belaying and Belay Signals
  • Chapter 8 - Climbing and Bouldering
  • Practical: tied harness, anchors, commands
    

• Session 4: (3 hours)
  
  
  • Chapter 9 - Rappeling
  • Chapter 10 - Site Selection
  • Chapter 11 - Conducting a climbing / rappelling program
  • Practical: fishermans knot, rescue knots , anchors, commands
    

• Session 5: (3 hours)
  
  
  • Emergency Response, rescues, and first aid
  • Staffing and instructor training
  • Final exam
  • Practical: Z pulley system
    

• Session 6: (2-3 hours)
  
  
  • Belay Class at rock gym

• Session 7: (8 hours)
  
  
  • 1 day on the rock training

• Session 8:
  
  
  • Your troop weekend outing

Allan Slocum
(310) 384-7522

Philmont 2009 - Wilderness Aid required, HAT course available

National Council has implemented rules for its national High Adventure bases (including Philmont) which in 2009 required one member who has taken Wilderness First Aid Basic. The simple version:

1. Staff members working in High Adventure Camps who go on treks with units must be trained in Wilderness First Aid.
2. Any unit going on a trek from a High Adventure Camp must have one person trained in Wilderness First Aid. You need to schedule a course for a crew member ASAP to avoid the crisis that some crews faced when the courses were not available in summer.
   

Besides the Red Cross, the HAT teams for several councils have offered Wilderness First Aid Basic for many years.

Make sure the course you are taking is a sixteen-hour course. Be careful because there are other courses offered by the Red Cross and HAT teams with a similar name (Wilderness Aid versus Wilderness First Aid) which do not qualify and do not fulfill the requirement. When you speak to or e-mail the course director or the inspector, make sure that you are taking the 16-hour course.

Verdugo Hills HAT will offer the course on January 31 and February 7, 2009. Contact Marlene Lugg, (818) 413-1578 (pager), (818) 375-3078 or (818) 882-4526. (Note: As of this writing, the Verdugo Hills Council website still lists the 2008 course dates.)

The Wilderness Aid course offered by San Gabriel HAT in March does not qualify for Philmont.

When the WLACC HAT team learns about other HAT courses, we will get the word out.

Be Prepared!