Our self-rescue and problem-solving course has been put together to help experienced climbers build the necessary skills to deal with problems that could typically arise. This might simply be retrieving your quickdraws from a very steep climb or assisting a stuck climber. We also cover full rescue techniques with the aim of becoming more self-sufficient. In reality, many of these techniques are improvised given the huge variety of circumstances a climber could find themselves in. However, there are a variety of techniques that are as versatile as they are indispensable.
We always try to keep the techniques and scenarios on our self-rescue and problem-solving course as realistic as possible. For example, a climber abseiling into a sea cliff may need to escape by ascending back up the rope if the tide is coming in, or the climber has simply abseiled into the wrong area or zawn. This is not the time to be learning how to ascend back up a rope!
Other examples of useful everyday techniques may include the assisted hoist. If you find yourself in a situation where your climbing partner has fallen off and is suspended in space below a roof, setting up an assisted hoist could save lots of time and anxiety. There are of course a wide range of more serious scenarios that any climber could find themselves in.
If your partner or another climber in the vicinity has an accident, knowing how to get them off the crag or cliff safely and efficiently could save their life. Going down will nearly always be easier but may be impractical or impossible if climbing above the sea or very high up on a long multi-pitch climb. The techniques a climber may use in this kind of situation will be invaluable and may include lowering a climber past a knot, escaping the system, setting up an unassisted hoist, as well as other rescue techniques.
On this course, we will cover as much as possible starting with some of the basic techniques and building up to the more complex ropework and maneuvers. We will choose a suitable venue which may include using an indoor climbing wall.
This course works well on a 1:1 or 1:2 basis (instructor to participant) and can be booked for one or two days in duration.
Our pricing structure is based on a sliding scale with a reduced daily fee for every additional day booked. If you would like to reserve a contingency day around your preferred date/s in order to pick the best weather and conditions for your course or activity we may be able to arrange this for an additional fee. For more details, please see our pricing structure.
We offer a range of scheduled activities that are open to the public and that can be booked online via the red ‘Book Now’ button. Anything else (including this course) can only be booked privately and enquiries can be made via the form on this page or via the contact form at the top of the page. We require a 30% deposit to secure private bookings and full payment prior to your course or activity commencing. If you would like any more information or have a specific question, please get in touch.
The following list covers all of the essential equipment that you will require for your course. If you have any questions about any of the items listed here or are missing something, please get in touch and we will be happy to assist you further.
* As this is a more advanced course for experienced climbers you may already have your own harness, helmet, and hardware. We will be happy for you to use it so long as it’s suitable. You may also want to include a couple of prusiks and a few extra screw gate carabiners. Other devices such as a pulley and rope ascenders/descenders will be useful but not essential.
