Rock Rescue with Emilie Drinkwater
Rock rescue taught by Emilie Drinkwater, IFMGA Mountain Guide and AMGA instructor — covering prevention, self rescue, rope systems, anchors, hauling, and realistic multi-pitch scenarios.
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Course Overview
Meet Your Instructor
Course Description
Rock rescue is a skill every climber hopes to never need — but the ability to respond confidently when something goes wrong can mean the difference between a manageable situation and a life-threatening one. This course covers everything from proactive prevention and emergency decision-making to rope management, anchor systems, belay escapes, lowering, hauling, and realistic multi-pitch scenarios. Your instructor, Emilie Drinkwater, is an IFMGA Mountain Guide and instructor for the American Mountain Guides Association — among the highest credentials in the industry — bringing world-class expertise and a clear, methodical teaching style to every topic. Walk away more self-sufficient, more confident, and better prepared for whatever the mountain throws at you.
Course Modules
This module covers the defining factors of rock rescue and discusses the importance of preventative measures.
- Meet Your Instructor (2:00)
- Course Intro (1:55)
- The Importance of Rock Rescue Skills (0:55)
- Prevention Strategies (1:55)
- Stop - Think - Asses - Act (1:05)
- Calling For Help (1;45)
- Medical Kit Overview (0:35)
This module dives into required equipment for rock rescue alongside rope management as a preventative measure.
- What's On My Harness? (8:53)
- Rope Management (3:33)
- Isolating A Damaged Rope (1:08)
This module lays out the building blocks of rock rescue: knots and hitches. In it, we cover the basics and how they'll be used in rescue systems.
- Need To Know Knots (4:04)
- Need To Know Hitches (4:12)
- Need To Know Friction Hitches (2:41)
This module covers the foundational components of building rock anchors in both sport and traditional environments.
- Guest Instructor Intro + Overview (1:44)
- The Staples: Quad + Three Piece (15:15)
- Top Rope v. Single Pitch v. Multipitch (1:47)
This module covers the basics of belaying from above with different devices, escaping the belay, and load transfers. This all serves as the beginning of the rock rescue systems.
- Top Down Belaying With Plate, ABD, and Munter (3:45)
- Escaping The Belay (2:04)
- Load Transfer (4:57)
This module covers how and why you may need to lower your partner in a variety of different scenarios. Additionally we cover how to perform a knot pass with multiple belay devices.
- Expected vs. Unexpected Lowers (6:41)
- Passing A Knot (8:57)
This module covers a variety of ways to haul your partner over both short and long distances.
- Overview and Simple Systems (5:17)
- 3:1 to 6:1 Systems (4:48)
This module covers everything involving both descending and ascending a rope. From climbing single & double strands of rope to rappelling with your unconscious partner.
- The Basics (9:37)
- Rappelling Rescue (8:53)
- You Dropped Your Device... (2:52)
- Ascending A Line (9:18)
The final module brings together everything you've learned and puts those skills to the test. Included are seven different scenarios with increasing complexity. This will all include a set-up description, a quiz, and an rescue explanation.
Student Testimonials
Get Started with
Rock Rescue with Emilie Drinkwater
Frequently Asked Questions
You can find your login information within the email that you initially signed up with. Additionally, you can find the login link in both the resources tab of the main menu as well as at the bottom of the website.
If you purchase a course through the Mountain Training Center, you own it for life. This means that you will be able to go back and learn year after year.
You can use a desktop, laptop, tablet, and even a mobile device to watch your course. For mobile devices, simply download the app “Teachable” and use your login credentials.
You can simply leave a comment below the video within the course and the instructor will get back to you with a response. Your question and their answer will be available for all students to see in the future.
