On a redrock cliff overlooking Zion Canyon, two teams of search and rescue instructors pulled on brightly colored ropes in synchronized waves of motion.

After a few minutes, they lifted Sara Robinson safely onto the clifftop in a large metal basket.

“It was great,” the Yosemite National Park ranger said with a laugh. “Smooth ride all the way up.”

This was not a real emergency, but it’s meant to help prepare for one.

The exercise simulated how teams would save someone stranded over a ledge. And it gave 16 search and rescue coordinators from national parks across the West a rare chance to work together.

“We all have different backgrounds — from different parks and different life experiences — and everybody teaches slightly differently,” Robinson said. “So that’s the goal of this week, is to learn from each other.”

By working side-by-side on exercises, instructors will share best practices. Then they’ll pass on what they’ve learned to their home parks. The annual training is being held at Zion for the first time, with funding from the park’s philanthropic partner, Zion Forever Project.

Read the full story at KUER.org.

This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aim to inform readers across the state.