ACA Canyoning Workshop

Hey everyone,

The Australian Canyoning Association (ACA) will be running a canyoning workshop for UNSWOC this Sunday the 15th. Alex from the ACA will be running the workshop and he has generously agreed to share his wealth of knowledge on current canyon techniques.

This trip will be targeted at intermediate to advanced canyoners. Ideally, those who have led or are currently leading club canyoning trips will be prioritised.

The theory covered will depend on the skill level of those who sign up. As a baseline, we expect that all participants will have good knowledge and experience using single rope releasable systems (e.g. MMO, EMO, 8 block etc.). With this as assumed knowledge, we can hopefully all aim to learn a bunch of new skills and practices to bring back into the club! In the comments let me know your experience level, if you’re keen to lead club trips and why you’d wanna come along.

The plan is to meet at the Cathedral of Ferns campground at 9 am and run through some canyoning theory. Then we will head down into Serendipity to put some fresh theory into practice. Also as we’re meeting at a free campsite, feel free to camp the night before so you can ensure you won’t be late to meet us!

What to Bring?

Mandatory Gear

(What you need to bring – either personal or you collect from gear cupboard)

• Helmet (climbing)
• Harness
• Wetsuit
• Emergency Blanket
• Head-torch
• Personal Safety
• Prussik loops/ascending gear suitable for ascending
• Descender (Figure 8, canyoning device or ATC (bring both if you have))
• Sun protection, (Glasses, Hat, Suitable clothing, sunscreen)
• Clothing & footwear: (Suitable warm and wet weather gear to be outside for whole day)
• Food and water for whole day (Lunch, Snacks, hydration – perhaps even dinner)

Please bring if you have:

• A rope bag or canyoning bag.
• Gloves
• Ascending devices (Canyoning specific)
• Progress capture (Microtrax, Grigri or extra prussik, any pulleys)
• VT Prussiks/autoblock prussiks Canyon’s and Crags: VT is a great and useful tool
• Carabiners/cordalette/tape
• The gear you usually have when climbing/canyoning (Carabiners)
• Whistle

Pre-reading:

If you need a refresher in any skills: this session will focus on implementing techniques/ skills you are already familiar with. Feel free to refresh on useful online materials. Particularly the Petzl technical documents, Rick Carlson’s Canyons and Crags and also Rope Test Lab have excellent materials.

• Basic knots and anchors: Figure 8, alpine butterfly, prussik techniques, Y-hang anchor, ‘wrap 3-pull 2’ tape anchor. and  Canyon’s and Crags Tape anchors and Canyon’s and Crags: VT is a great and useful tool
•  Rope mobility (Ascending up a rope, locking off a descending device mid rope, knot passes)  Petzl’s guide to locking off
• Lowering a stuck climber/canyon-er (Releasable ropes figure 8 block or MMO) Canyon’s and Crags MMO
• Hauling a stuck climber/canyon-er (Basic 3 to 1, basic 5 to 1, how to use progress capture devices Canyon’s and Crags Hauling also Petzl guide to hauling with progress capture
• Other equipment that is useful: See Canyon’s and Crags Useful Cordeltte

See ya there

Mali 🙂