Personal and Group skills are vitally important to ensure speed and safety in the canyon world. The principle of “continuous rope movement” is continually emphasized. During the cooler months there are skills sessions where keen canyoners (and climbers) get together, share knowledge and learn new techniques.

The types of skills covered in these sessions are:

beginners/intermediate

• the ABCDE checks- Anchor, Buckles, Carabiners, Decender, Every thing else
• how to bottom belay
• different decending devices
• abseiling - getting over the edge
• abseiling - getting unstuck (using prussik loops)
• knots - figure of 8 and prussik
• coiling ropes

intermediate/advanced

• setting up anchors
• means of getting extra friction for an abseil
• escaping the system
• prussiking up or down a rope
• prussiking past a knot
• knots - tape, double fishermans, klemheist and bachman, alpine butterfly, munter hitch.

advanced/leader

• setting the abseil with two independent strands or to allow easy lowering
• hauling systems
• assisted abseils
• getting out of trouble scenarios