Rescue

It has been a challenging trip and your now on the home straight. Your body aches and that last snack seems along time ago. The mind wanders to that nice warm drink and hot meal once back on the surface.

Taking time out at the top of penultimate pitch for a rest you start to wonder why you cannot see your partners light down below. Another 15 minuets go and still no sign. Getting anxious you go back down your last pitch and back along the passage to the top of the next pitch.

Looking down you see you partner slumped on the rope, you shout down and thier response is, I am to tied, I have run out of energy and I have caught by hair in my croll

So the question is would you know what to do ?

Its times like this, which we hope are few and between that you really do need skills and ability to deal with incidents underground. Given pepole get tired, hungry, weak and cold, its paramount you can responses efficiently and effectively, your actions are key to wellbeing and potentially surveil. Hyporhermia is a real concern for the injured / stuck caver

In my mind prevention is the best strategy and this means a variety of things.

• Can you ascend ropes efficiently and exit pitch heads easy
• Is your SRT rig set up well
• Can you hoist a person from a pitch head
• Have you the ability to descend a rope
• When was the last time you practiced change overs mid rope
• How are you rigging skills and have you rigged efficiently and safely.
• The list goes on

To start with, best not to get to focused and spare rope and cut ropes rescues to start with. Fundamentals done well are key to cave rescue techniques and cutting ropes in draughty, wet caves when your tired needs careful consideration, thats not to say its not an option.

• 

• 

However, there could well be time when advanced skills are required such as : Often a recap of the fundamentals are followed by a selection of

• Spare rope rescue from above and hoists
• Lowers
• Cut and lower
• Descend to casulty and administrator first aid
• Un con caver
• Traverse rescues
• Use of ladders and rescues

Previous experience and age limits : Depending on your requirements, so please do get in touch so we can discuss. Over 18’s only.

Costs & Ratios per person, per day

• 1.1 £ 200
• 1.2 £ 110
• 1.3 £ 80.00
• 1.4 £ 65.00
• Over 4 – I employ another instructor, use ratios as above but deduct 10%

• 

• 

For most, Indoor venues are ideal to practice a range of skills in quick succession. Once skills are mastered then they can then be practiced underground.