If you've ever gone hiking on a mountain trail, you've probably looked over the edge and thought about how disastrous a single misstep could be. If someone in your group loses their footing and tumbles into a ravine, helping them may not be as simple as climbing down and manually dragging them back to safety. Calling for help may not always be an option, and approaching a rescue situation the wrong way can cause you to become just as stranded and helpless as the person you're aiding.

To better understand how to safely retrieve an injured friend, we recently attended a rope rescue class taught by Team Torn. This class covered the potential dangers of an off-grid rescue situation, and some of the techniques that can be used to improve the outcome. Since you probably won't have a truckload of advanced gear at your disposal in these scenarios, the Team Torn instructors used basic combinations of rope, carabiners, a few pulleys, and improvised anchors. Similar methods can be used to retrieve heavy gear and even vehicles.

The following video from RECOILtv provides a recap of our time at the rope rescue class:

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For more information on Team Torn rescue, self-defense, and off-road transportation classes, go to TeamTorn.com. If you're interested in learning more rescue techniques, check out our previous article on Rope Rescue 101 by urban search and rescue specialist Andy Schrader.

Written by Patrick McCarthy