[FULL] [Intermediate] Afternoon Caving Vertical Rope Skills Workshop

Hey Folks! Zee and I will be running a Caving Ropes skills focused workshop this Sunday Afternoon (exact time TBD) in the Berowra National Parks area.

This workshop is aimed at folks who have some previous experience with abseiling & prusiking / ascending (even if its with figure 8s, microtraxions, prusiks!) and are looking to learn some more advanced SRT vertical rope skills, although anyone is welcome to sign up! These advanced SRT skills are commonly applied on more technical vertical caves, and will open a whole new range of possibilities! (Especially if you join a dedicated, ASF affiliated caving club like SUSS!)   They can also be handy vertical rope skills to have, even if you’re not a caver!

We’re hoping to cover the following topics, depending on how time goes:

• General / common caving SRT equipment setup
• Descending / Abseiling using Petzl Stops, & Rap Racks
• Ascending using mechanical ascenders
• Switching from Ascending to Descending and vice versa
• Passing Rebelays & Redirects (going up and down)
• Passing knots (going up and down)
• Horizontal Traverses
• Going up & down ladders (and belaying on ladders)
• Pendulums (This is probably a bit optimistic!)

You will need the following gear:

• 1 x Cows tails (or daisy chains / adjustable lanyards etc). Essentially, we’re looking to have 2 safeties that are of an adjustable length. Alternatively, you can also bring a length of DYNAMIC rope (something that you’d still take a whip on!) and we can make the cowstail.
• 1 x Hand Ascender
• 1 x Chest Ascender
• 1 x Chest Harness (Length of Webbing or accessory cord is OK as well. Not safety gear)
• 1 x Cave Harness (Alternative: Canyon harness, ideally WITHOUT the butt protector)
• 1 x Helmet
• 1 x Petzl Stop Descender (or other caving descender)
• 1 x Foot loop (A length of accessory cord, sling, static rope is OK as well. Not safety gear).
• At least 6 locking biners
• Please bring other gear that you might normally carry around (eg microtraxions, tiblocs, prussiks)

Other items:

• Hat
• Lunch
• Water
• Hiking boots / sneakers etc
• Backpack that can fit everything
• Weather appropriate clothes
• Notebook & Notepad
• Flashlight / Headlight – Daylight savings is over!
• Sunscreen / Insect repellent?

Items in BLUE can be borrowed from the gear cupboard. 

Please let me know in the comments:

• What gear do you already have, and what gear do you need
• Previous experience / rope skills (none is okay as well)
• What you’re hoping to learn from this workshop
• Do you have a car & how many spaces? If you need a lift, from which area?

We’ll hash out exact Crag and Meetup time during the week!