About the Course
So what is Small Party Assisted Rescue? Well, it’s essentially a 2-4 “person” (cavers, climbers, mountain SAR, etc.) assisting an injured member of their team or party without the reliance or assistance from outside resources or teams.
Caving, by comparison, mostly remains as remote as it gets. No cell phones, no GPS, no SPOT or radio… Nothing works underground. Contrary to popular belief, it is not just ill-prepared caver that gets into trouble. Experienced cavers, often during the course of well-planned expeditions, have also sustained injuries. The difference for many is that well prepared and experienced cavers often have the skills to effect their own rescue and never have to tap; into outside resources for help.
The Cave Rescue (Small Party Assisted) Single Rope Pickoffs course is likely the first of a number of Cave Rescue (Small Party Assisted) courses. This course, designed primarily around pickoffs (counterweight, diminishing loop, and direct haul) was chosen due to its focused end goal: to get the patient to safety. Most often, small teams need to retrace their steps and bring the patient along with them.
We hope you enjoy this first ever, very unique look at “the caver”. Also, don’t lose sight that everything in this course has elements that apply to you; fire service, SAR, climbing, mountain rescue and even canyoneering.
What You'll Learn
We'll cover a variety of topics inside the Cave Rescue (Small Party Assisted) Single Rope Pickoffs course including:
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Diminishing Loop Raise and Pickoff
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Direct Haul Pickoff
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Counterweight Pickoff
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And more!
Learn from One of the Best in the Industry
Learn more about our expert instructor
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Rigging Lab Academy Instructor | Co-Founder of Glacier Cave Explorers | TED Speaker
Eddy Cartaya
A ranger at Deschutes National Forest in Oregon, Eddy Cartaya not only solves cave crimes — he also explores the ever-changing system of caves within Mount Hood's Sandy Glacier. He is an experienced caver and mountaineer who has a passion for exploration and discovery.Much of Eddy's life takes place in caves. A ranger at Deschutes National Forest in Oregon, in charge of law enforcement and investigations, he solves crimes that happen in caves. This can range from investigating the theft of lava formations that date back 6,000 years to tracking down a group of people who covered over ancient cave art with spray paint. Cartaya and his climbing partner, Brent McGregor, also explore the frozen, icy caves created in the Sandy Glacier as it slowly slides down Oregon's Mount Hood. In 2011, the pair identified and explored three caves which they named Snow Dragon, Pure Imagination and Frozen Minotaur. Together, the caves create 7,000 feet of passageway through the glacier. Experts think this may be the longest glacial cave system in the United States outside of Alaska.Eddy founded Glacier Cave Explorers with the help of his friend Brent McGregor. Glacier Cave Explorers is part of the Oregon High Desert Grotto (OHDG), a non-profit chapter of the National Speleological Society (NSS). The NSS is an organization dedicated to advancing the study, conservation, exploration, and knowledge of caves.
Course Curriculum
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1
Unit 1: Welcome
- 1.1 Welcome
- 1.2 Course Material
- 1.3 Diminishing Loop Counterbalance PDF
- 1.4 Diagram #1 - Climbing Counterweight
- 1.5 Diagram #2 - Diminishing Loop
- 1.6 Diagram #3 - Rappelling Counterweight
- 1.7 Diagram #4 - Basics of Counterweighted Systems
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2
Unit 2: Pickoffs: What Are They?
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3
Unit 3: Cave Rescue Diminishing Loop Counterweight Haul System Overview Connection
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4
Unit 4: Cave Rescue Diminishing Loop Active Haul to Changeover
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5
Unit 5: Cave Rescue Direct Haul Pickoff Variation 1 (Quick Attachment Safety)
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6
Unit 6: Cave Rescue Direct Haul Pickoff Variation 2 (Frog System)
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7
Unit 7: Cave Rescue Counterweight Pickoff
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8
Unit 8: Summary
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9
Unit 9: Wrap Up