This is not intended as a safety briefing, and should not be used for learning about safety. Training is essential. Take a dedicated course. Do not learn about how to use vertical caving techniques from some guy on the Internet. Do not use this page to learn how to use any of the techniques, it is not intended for training purposes. It is aimed only at the terminology and approaches used in Britain, and specifically in English. It is also intended to be used for historical research into how the various techniques developed, for historical education purposes (see the history section if that is what you are here for). While most of the information here is factual, there is intentionally some (hopefully obvious) humour in here. If you do not know how to detect humour, it is perhaps best to go looking for a more serious guide. I do not claim to be an expert, I am just a caver, documenting what I see.
And even more importantly, do not learn how to use vertical caving techniques from YouTube videos, where some non-expert repeats the bad advice they learned from someone else on YouTube, and makes it sound like they know what they are talking about. Even if someone is an expert, they may be an expert in a different country or a different discipline where the vertical caving practices are different, and incompatible with the approaches used in your own. Or they may have learned from someone else with those same limitations. Or their advice might have been correct at the time they learned it or produced it, but up to date advice might be different. You might never have the chance to realise what was wrong with their advice, before their mistake lands you in trouble. Take a dedicated course in your own country, from someone experienced with vertical caving. Your instructor might notice you making mistakes that books and videos never warned you about, and an instuctor can correct your mistakes before they become a problem. Most caving clubs can offer dedicated courses that are run by a training organisation, or they may have their own training programmes. Contact a local caving club. You can also use highly regarded books to assist in your education, as long as they cover the correct techniques for your local region, but these should be in addition to a practical course. Ask your instructor for book suggestions, and do not learn how to use vertical caving techniques from the Internet!
This page is aimed only at caving. While similar equipment is used in some aspects of rock climbing, rope access and arboriculture, each of these disciplines has its own terminology and ways to use the equipment. Those other disciplines are not covered here, apart from a very small section on the parts of rope access and arboriculture that are relevant to caving. This page does not cover any of the techniques or equipment used to rescue a casualty; attend a dedicated course for that.
If you are looking for a more complete guide, along with safety advice and improvised rescue techniques, I can thoroughly recommend the 2007 publication "Vertical" by Al Warild. It generally uses USA or Australian terminology, however, and mentions some techniques that are not compatible with British caving. Take. A. Dedicated. Course.
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