Vertical caving terminology and methods > Rigging methods and equipment
A variation of Alpine rigging, using thinner ropes, such as 8 mm or 7 mm diameter. Carabiners may be swapped for lightweight maillons, and hangers might be swapped for amarrage souples. This approach is regularly used during expeditions, but is often stated as being suitable for use by experts only. This can produce a 20-25% reduction in equipment weight, but requires rigging to be more careful, and some cavers can find the thinner rope more uncomfortable or intimidating. Many descenders will require a braking carabiner due to the thinner ropes being extremely fast.
Once Alpine rigging had started, by 1973, ultralight rigging happened by accident only because European ropes were sometimes much thinner than expected, since the diameters were not reliable at that time. The approach had the chance to develop intentionally during the 1980s, when European cavers started to use more reliable European ropes, and was more common in Alpine regions than elsewhere. In 1997, French cavers complained that the European rope standards did not initially allow it, so the standards were changed accordingly.
This history section only covers ultralight rigging. This article also has a detailed history of many of the other devices and techniques that are used for vertical caving.
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