And, boy, am I ready for a full day at home in my PJs. Seven 10- to 12-hour days of rigging, rappelling, raising, and a lot of learning has left me tired, bruised, sore (from packing in and out heavy loads of gear and tweaking muscles in ways they aren't all that used to), punctured (with cactus spines), exhilarated, and much more educated about tech rescue than I was a week ago.
Being an instructor-level course, it was a real challenge for me, but I've brought home with me a significant amount of new tricks and skills and a much greater awareness of what's possible in the world of rigging and rope rescue.
In addition to all of the hands-on work, the class went into the physics behind anchors and pulley systems. I may not remember all of the details, but that information definitely gives me a better idea of why things work they way they do ... not to mention what doesn't work and why certain set-ups would be dangerous.
Needless to say, the class was amazing. And so were my fellow students and the assistant instructors, who were also there to learn. All were very supportive, patient, and helpful to me when I occasionally (okay, frequently) got frustrated. At the same time, they encouraged me to venture outside my comfort zone and push myself. I didn't go over the edge nearly as much as other participants, though, since I wanted to concentrate on rigging and belaying--skills I'll use with my own team more often than not at this stage.
If you'd like to see more (and larger) photos from the past week, see Ropes That Rescue Rigging Class Photos: Sedona, Arizona.
