Jsut wondering if anyone has info of SRT courses in the near future and would like to get myself on one. Close to home preferably because of work and work patterns it may be difficult but a couple of months notice should be fine.

Cheers

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I think Crewe Caving Club might be the closest outfit to you that might do something like this?

http://www.ccpc.org.uk/ 

UCET might be another.

www.UCET.org.uk

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I think Crewe Caving Club might be the closest outfit to you that might do something like this?

http://www.ccpc.org.uk/ 

Crewe, Anglesey, Close??? - - -

Didn't CCC run one in North Wales recently?

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Although there's no reason not to have it if you want it, don't let anybody convince you that you need formal training. Going out regularly and either teaching yourself or following the lead of those you're with will gain you far more.

I suspect that if you did a survey of competent exploratory SRTers you find that very few of them have some any formal training notwithstanding any badges they might've had to get for professional purposes.

Mine SRT is generally easy from a technical point of view with any difficulties arising from the mine environment itself. Hanging from a girder in a leisure centre will likely teach you little about them.

Some of the biggest liabilities I've met have been caving club trained in a neutral environment. A rebelay indoors in your shorts n trainers is F all like one in the dark with water and loose stuff all around.

Anyway just my rambling thoughts, there are no doubt plenty around who will tell you that you will die instantly in a bloody heap without training... :angel:

Ok nice one thanks for the info and that!

Its like with everything i do im best going into it at the deep end and learning that way. The "theory" and "classroom" side of things has never been my way of learning, to an extent it was.

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I was trained proper caving SRT in my local caving club. I hang out with guys who do proper rescue and use "proper" rope technique (multiple ropes, industrial equipment, etc) and I have developed my own style based on my inate desire to keep things simple and as easy and mindless to operate as possible (thus keeping my wits about me).

I recommend getting 2 books, which contrast each other in many ways but both contain good gems of info.

1. On Rope (Padgett, etc) American rope technique - very interesting and full of ropewalking and mega drop stuff

2. Alpine Caving Techniques (Marbach, etc) Light rigging, single rope, etc, etc.

Personally, I'd only consider industrial techniques if I was painting a bridge.

The best recommendation is to go caving with people who are experts and drag you along with them.

When we teach new members SRT they get to have a look at a training video (cavesafe III) which explains the basics including adjusting the kit to fit you and basic up/down and changeovers.

We then take them to a bridge with a 70' drop, rig a rope with a locked off italian hitch at the top and sufficient spare rope at the top to deal with hangups. We take them to the bottom and get them to prussik up about 10', then changeover to abseil using a stop. That way they get comfortable with up/down prussiking, changeover from up to down with a stop and vice versa without getting too far off the ground. If they get stuck we can lower them down from the top!

Once they are confident they can prussik up the bridge parapet and then are allowed to abseil back with a safety line. After a few goes they do it without one. They are then ready for an easy underground trip where they are shown the correct use of cowtails and general pitch head safety.

We do surface re-belay and knot pass practice after they have had about 5 trips underground.

It is possible to teach yourself, but you may end up with bad technique (which is tiring on big pitches) or poor pitch head safety (which may hurt you or others). If you do opt to try yourself (say with a rope in a tree) make sure you have someone with you to help you get down. Suspension trauma can kill you quite easily 😮

Dave

I first climbed a rope using srt four hours from daylight in Magnetometer Pot up in the Dales. Climb that or don't get out was a fairly good incentive! I picked up my srt piecemeal; watching other people, asking questions when I wasn't sure and reading everything I could on the subject. That said I would have learnt a damn sight quicker if I had been formally taught.

It does help to have someone competent looking over your shoulder on your first few vertical trips. If you can find someone to take you under their wing you are on to a winner.

Learn frog first for the simple reason that it is almost universally used by British cavers and mine explorers. Learn to do it safely, understand your kit and understand why you are doing things. Once you have mastered that you might like to consider more exotic techniques.

Learn in the way that suits you best. Just bear in mind that if you f*** up in the vertical environment it could be the last thing you f*** up.

Mine SRT is generally easy from a technical point of view with any difficulties arising from the mine environment itself. :

Good point. The real problem with srt in mines (as opposed to caves) is the dodgy ground you will inevitably encounter: loose shaft collars, rotting timbers and hung up deads. Tread lightly is the watch word.

Another aspect of mine SRT compared to caving is that many pitches in vein cavities will be extremely narrow, often only a foot wide, and can also hade drastically, reducing the ability to 'frog' - in some cases, it's impossible as there's just no room to bring the knees up. That's how I gradually learnt to rope-walk with a Pantin, which is remarkably easy against a wall - once your thighs and knees are strong enough.

Adopting the 'Superman' posture of jammer-arm high up, and taking small 'nibbling' steps with the legs, even incredibly tight pitches become much easier. Although it's a cave, 'The Narrows' in Nettle Pot is a good example of how a technique-change at points like this is essential, as frogging just cannot be done.

Jsut wondering if anyone has info of SRT courses in the near future and would like to get myself on one. Close to home preferably because of work and work patterns it may be difficult but a couple of months notice should be fine.

Cheers

Check this Link , there are many courses offered here hope you find your need..

http://www.mining-technology.com/contractors/training/ 

🙂