Safety & Education

Altitude Illnesses, Lightning and Hypothermia. This 70-minute video is a presentation to the staff of Denver Botanic Gardens’ Mt. Goliath Garden and Dos Chappell Nature Center at 11,563′. Click here (pdf) for the tables shown in the video.

Nowcasting. Join Alpine member Dale Atkins, former mountain weather and avalanche forecaster, for this very detailed one hour discussion on the art of the art of being weather wise and weather alert in our Colorado mountains.

Weather Data Sites for Planning Backcountry Travels.

Lightning Awareness for Hikers and SAR Teams. Join Bruce Beckman, Alpine’s co-director of Preventive SAR (PSAR) education, for this 70 minute presentation discussing lightning. This extremely comprehensive presentation is derived from Bruce’s live “Skills for the Hills” presentation he has made several times at our HQ and was recently presented as part of Alpine’s in-house SAR training.

Emergency backcountry signaling devices — PLBs, “SENDs” (and ELTs and EPIRBs): What you need to know. – PDF

The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative has a superb series of videos about mountain safety.

Kelso Ridge is a frequent location for Alpine’s rescues. Watch this excellent video from CFI and lessen the need to call us.

Backcountry Lightening Risk Management from Colorado Search and Rescue Association

Winter 14ers for the Beginner. The beauty of the snow-capped mountains and reward of a successful winter summit are unbeatable but it requires the use of specific equipment, a keen sense of route finding and a whole lot of determination. – 14ers.com

FRS RADIO USE FOR BACKCOUNTRY SAR POSITION PAPER

June 9, 2023

By Bruce Beckmann, Colorado Search and Rescue Association state coordinator and Alpine Rescue Team member

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
If someone becomes lost or injured in the Colorado backcountry and is using family radio services or general mobile radio service radios (both types referred to herein as “FRS” radios), Colorado Search and Rescue Association (CSAR) designates FRS radio Channel 3.0 [462.61250 MHz] as the default during backcountry search and rescue (backcountry SAR) emergencies. If other methods of communication are not being used, backcountry SAR responders, if equipped, may default to Channel 3.0 to communicate with those involved. If possible, others are encouraged to monitor Channel 3.0 but not to use it for routine communications, so that in the event someone calls for assistance they can help get word to the local 911 dispatch center or assist directly. Backcountry SAR teams in Colorado do not actively monitor FRS/GMRS channels but most will be able to utilize FRS radios once they have been alerted by a 911 dispatch center and have arrived in the area of the incident.

Read the full paper here.