How many of you are ,or know of C3, C4 climbers, post here.

Just wondering what the talent pool is that Dave C. can draw from.

Do any of you have friends or family members that are that you could contact to see if they could help join the search?

Thanks

I saw a couple of you post on FB.

How advanced are C3-C5 climbers?

Would you mind educating the rest of us that would like to know?

Thanks:)

I'm a C5 climber as a hobby and am also trained in high angle rescue. I would be happy to help others learn some basic technique we would just have to discuss the details.

McClain

Thanks, perhaps we could get a group to train and work our way up over time.

Looking forward to that

Bouldering class at Yosemite years ago, current high angle training (Fire Department, USAR, I volunteer). High Angle uses much the same techniques and equipment as C5, but focus is on extrication, rescue, and includes structures. Also many many years with the Hash which provided much more practical experience than any training course. Most good Hash trails routinely include C1, C2, and C3. I have encountered many C4 stretches on rural Hash trails and even a few carefully controlled C5 events (zip line across a gully, short rappel, etc.).

To clarify for those interested (working from memory here):
C1: is similar to walking on a fire road. If you fall, you feel stupid, get up brush off and continue on trail
C2: is like a typical hiking trail, roots, rocks, streams, etc. If you fall you get dirty, perhaps scraped up, but probably continue on trail
C3: is scrambling, bush-wacking, animal trails, etc. If you fall you may get hurt, but probably not fatal, may continue or may have to turn back
C4: is bouldering, short climbs, etc. If you fall you will get hurt, might get dead, probably won't be able to continue on trail
C5: is technical climbing. If you fall you depend upon your equipment to save you. Without proper functioning equipment a fall is likely lethal

Bob_H3 [I am the Hasher from California who went out with the search party on 2/11.]

Thanks Bob, I never knew where I ranked or thought C3 and above required some sort of certification.
According to you rscale, I'm a C4.

www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=F7FXpwgrZKU

Seriously, I don't think you can handle C4 if you have never knew about it.

Thanks for the link to a great video. The folks in it appear to be sport hikers and climbers, having fun and adventure, perhaps taking a few calculated risks. I enjoyed the video and actually did some similar climbing today, risking harm to only myself.

Having said that, I would like to observe that in Search and Rescue operations as well as recovery operations, we tend to be much less accepting of risk to our team members. A slogan in the FD is to never take a victim to an incident. Safety equipment (ropes, harnesses, etc., collectively referred to as protection) is always available and generally used. No one in the videos appeared to be lugging a backboard, Stokes basket or advanced rescue and medical equipment or transporting a victim. SAR activities routinely uses safety gear and generally doesn't attempt recovery operations above level 4 due to the risk. (Rescue yes, recovery no.)

I know that there are some sport climbers who will do even C5 climbs without protection but they are either the best of the best, or dead (or perhaps both).

Let's be prepared and careful out there.

BobHHH