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Skills for the Hills

Skills for the Hills – Free Classes

Alpine Rescue Team’s 2024 Skills for the Hills Backcountry Safety Series

Join us at our HQ at El Rancho for this year’s series of free classes and programs (donations are appreciated). Seating is limited; register by clicking on the links below. 

Note: Even though tickets are free, please don’t register for a ticket unless you’re positive you can make it. Tickets are limited and we expected a full house and we’d like to avoid no-shows.  If you register and can’t make it, please cancel your registration.

Tips for Climbing 14ers and Other Backcountry Adventures: Learning From Mistakes of Others

Thursday, April 18 · 7 – 9pm MDT
Alpine Rescue Team Headquarters – 28802 Rainbow Hill Rd, Evergreen, CO
Tickets – Eventbrite

“Mountains are not fair or unfair – they are just dangerous”—Reinhold Messner. Join us to hear lessons learned by others who have found themselves in a backcountry emergency. Not an evening of “war stories,” but valuable information and testimonials so you can prepare for and prevent backcountry situations that get you you in trouble.for a fun and informative session. Learn from experienced climbers and outdoor enthusiasts as they share their stories and offer valuable advice on how to stay safe and prepared in the backcountry.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your outdoor skills and connect with like-minded adventurers. See you there!

Howard Paul is a decades-long veteran of Alpine Rescue Team. Now a “Reserve Rescue” member, he has 24 years of field active experience and works behind the scenes as a public information officer, preventive SAR educator and assistant to Alpine’s communications and vehicle directors. He has taught at more than 20 SAR conferences and has been published numerous times. He is a past president of the Colorado SAR Association.

Group Dynamics and Trip Planning

Thursday, May 2 · 6:30 – 9:30pm MDT
Alpine Rescue Team Headquarters – 28802 Rainbow Hill Rd, Evergreen, CO
Tickets – Eventbrite

Come join us for an exciting event at Alpine Rescue Team where we will delve into the world of group dynamics and trip planning. Whether you’re a seasoned outdoor enthusiast or a beginner looking to learn more, this event is perfect for you. Discover the importance of teamwork, communication, and decision-making in the great outdoors. Learn how to plan your next adventure effectively and safely. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your skills and meet like-minded individuals. See you there!

Many rescues performed by SAR teams seem, to those rescued and their companions, to be an isolated event—an “accident.” But with an experienced eye, we can see they actually are the result of a series of preventable series of events. In this special presentation, we will discuss:

  1. Group Dynamics
  2. Review of a real life case study where 7 experienced skiers suffered needless death due to failing to understand the Group Dynamics at play while on a guided multi-day ski tour in the Alps. Could this happen to you here?
  3. Discussion on pre-trip planning and trip tips.
  4. Q & A.

Due to the quantity of material presented, this class will start at 6:30 pm and run to 9:30 pm.

It will be a fast moving, but informative – if not an eye opening- discussion. Hope to see you there.

What the Goats Already Know: Recognizing Altitude Hazards of the Colorado Rockies

Thursday, May 23 · 7 – 9pm MDT
Alpine Rescue Team Headquarters – 28802 Rainbow Hill Rd, Evergreen, CO
Tickets – Eventbrite

Come join us at Alpine Rescue Team for an eye-opening event on recognizing altitude hazards in the stunning Colorado Rockies. Learn from experts in the field about how to stay safe while exploring the high country. Discover what the goats already know about surviving at high altitudes. Don’t miss out on this informative and potentially life-saving event!

Recognizing Altitude Hazards of the Colorado Rockies—Altitude Illnesses, Lightning Danger and Hypothermia. These common problems affect human veteran mountaineers and out-of-state visitors alike. Attend Alpine’s 2024 “Skills for the Hills” presentation to learn to recognize the factors and conditions that precipitate what can be serious situations, so you can avoid an emergency in the backcountry.

Howard Paul is a decades-long veteran of Alpine Rescue Team. Now a “Reserve Rescue” member, he has 24 years of field active experience and works behind the scenes as a public information officer, preventive SAR educator and assistant to Alpine’s communications and vehicle directors. He has taught at more than 20 SAR conferences and has been published numerous times. He is a past-president of the Colorado SAR Association.

Please park in RTD’s El Rancho Park n’ Ride across the street or the lower, dirt lot – DO NOT park on Alpine’s or Foothill Fire Department’s asphalt parking lots or driveways.  Thank you!

Alpine Rescue Team Headquarters – The Shack 

The training calendar below shows Wednesday trainings, which are open to the public, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Weekend events are for members only unless explicitly stated otherwise.

The PSAR & Events calendar shows our Preventive SAR education programs and events/meetings (public and private) at the “shack,” our HQ.

Toggle between the two with the tiny arrow at top right of calendar.

Skills for the Hills is Alpine Rescue Team’s public wilderness and backcountry education program. Our classes are free, however, we appreciate donations at the door. We never charge you, your family or the local authorities for search and rescue.

Support Alpine Rescue Team and all Colorado SAR teams by purchasing a Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue (CORSAR) Card. Buy a five-year ($12) or one-year ($3) card online. And support Colorado SAR teams and our state parks by purchasing your Keep Colorado Wild Pass when you register your motor vehicle.

“Skills for the Hills” is used with permission of Mountain Aid, Scotland.