Stand by for rescue

Prior to the opening of the 2020/21 season, the Sierra Nevada Pistas department is trained for the eventual rescue of passengers in the ski lifts of the station

At the foot of the Virgen de las Nieves chairlift a group of Sierra Nevada tanks receives the latest theoretical instructions on the equipment needed to carry out an aerial rescue in a mechanical medium type of the station. What to do and how to act in case users of a ski lift that, for any reason, have stopped working must be desojared?

Before perching on pilona 22 of the station's northernmost ski lift, the pisteros already know the characteristics of the Virgin of the Snows through its evacuation protocol (all ski lifts have their own): how and where to access the ski lift, which slopes cross the line, the most significant geographical accidents of the terrain (slopes or ravines), if the ski lift is frequented by skiers with disabilities or which slopes are most recommended to take users out of affected by the evacuation.

The tanks become familiar with the rescue equipment (harness, evacuation pulley...) and access the pylon. Over the next two weeks you will learn about the general concepts of air rescue (free fall, hold-up), ascent to the pylon and anti-decated system, how to move at the top of the pylon, pulley placement, cable progression, arrival in the chair, evacuation of the evacuator and vertical evacuation of travelers.

These are the first hours of a 64 course distributed in two weeks following the theoretical and practical guidelines of the company GameSystem "Safety in Height", based in Grenoble (France), which offers approved air rescue courses in almost all Spanish resorts and some important ski resorts in the Alps.

Once the course is over, trainers in the Sierra Nevada Pistas department will ultimately define which team members will be responsible for evacuating by ski lift if necessary. Everybody expects it not to be.

The photos correspond to the practice developed on the Veleta chairlift (7/10/2020)