About the Course

Horizontal Rigging has been expanded to accommodate a wider range of thoughts. This course is a multi-part series that unpacks NFPA's Awareness, Operations, and Technician platforms for elevated horizontal rigging systems and their relationships within the spectrums of two industries: the industrial work environment and rope rescue. A vision of the future is found within this volume of work as this course is a combination of five top-rated courses from Rigging Lab Academy:

  • Highline Sections with Tom Wood & Vertical Rescue Solutions
  • Smooth & Simple Rigging: Twin Highline
  • Horizontal Rigging 1
  • Horizontal Rigging 2
  • Horizontal Rigging 3


Horizontal Rigging: Highlines, Taglines & Offsets - Rigging Lab Academy


Let's face it, building highlines is as much an art as it is a science and inside this course, you'll get a look at how to navigate the maze of pre-planning a rescue. And while highlines are rarely needed for any given high angle rescue, they are systems that must be understood from top to bottom. Inside this course, we share valuable information on what a highline should be used for and the considerations for anchors including the forces generated at these anchors and how to plan around it. 

What You'll Learn

  • From Highline Sections you'll look at how to navigate the maze of pre-planning a rescue at a very busy climbing area.

  • From Smooth & Simple Rigging: Twin Highline you’ll gain an overview of tandem tension systems, working platforms for ascent and descent, tensionless anchors, twin highlines and tracklines using manned belays, and twin highlines using a self-belay.

  • From Horizontal Rigging 1: Single Trackline Highlines you’ll learn about single tracklines from the control side anchors, single tracklines through the elevated high points (floating A Frame and gin pole), single tracklines to the terminate side anchors, the carriage system, and control lines.

  • From Horizontal Rigging 2: Twin Bundle / Dual Trackline Highlines you’ll learn the essentials of anchors, mainline and belay line systems, elevated anchor systems, and dynamic directionals within a 2 rope or dual track highline.

  • From Horizontal Rigging 3: Major Taglines / 2 Rope Offsets you’ll dive full steam into major taglines, 2 rope offsets, rigging the yoke, mainline side, gin poles, control side, and dynamic directionals.

What Students Are Saying

  • Fantastic

    Dalan Zartman

    Outstanding content. This course was focused, practical, and sound in theory and application.

    Outstanding content. This course was focused, practical, and sound in theory and application.

    Read Less
  • Excellent, logical walkthrough

    Craig Waterson

    A very well put together series of tutorials which explains all the key components and principles in a detailed, logical manner. Nice work!

    A very well put together series of tutorials which explains all the key components and principles in a detailed, logical manner. Nice work!

    Read Less
  • Horizontal Rigging 1: Single Trackline Highlines

    Neal Hosaka

    I know very little about highlines and I found this course to be very informative.

    I know very little about highlines and I found this course to be very informative.

    Read Less
  • A great refresher

    Dan Boudreau

    Great course very good coverage, was a great refresher for me being a rope technician.

    Great course very good coverage, was a great refresher for me being a rope technician.

    Read Less
  • Great intro to Single Trackline Highlines

    Craig Waterson

    The video tutorials presented here are a comprehensive walkthrough of the single trackline highline, giving a clear outline of the major system components in...

    Read More

    The video tutorials presented here are a comprehensive walkthrough of the single trackline highline, giving a clear outline of the major system components including the use of artificial high directionals. Overall a great course that's clear and concise.

    Read Less
  • Horizontal Rigging 2

    Mark Mihaljevich Mark Mihaljevich

    Very good. It covered all the basics well and all the details that make a great Rigging system.

    Very good. It covered all the basics well and all the details that make a great Rigging system.

    Read Less

Course Curriculum

  • 1
    Unit 1: Welcome
    • 1.1 Introduction to Horizontal Rigging: Highlines, Taglines & Offsets
    • 1.2 Horizontal Systems Introduction
    • 1.3 Tag Line Systems
    • 1.4 Guiding Line Systems
    • 1.5 Track-Line Systems Part 1 - What is a Track Line?
    • 1.6 Track-Line Systems Part 2 - Track Line Skate Block Hybrid
    • 1.7 Another Look At Skate Blocks With A Carry Up
    • 1.8 Deflection - Dynamic Directional Systems
    • 1.9 High Directional Systems
    • 1.10 Forces in a Highline System
  • 2
    Unit 2: Pre Planning Your Highline Sections
    • 2.1 Highline Overview: A Case Study
    • Highline Overview
    • 2.7 Highline Fixed Side Anchor System
    • Highline Tension Side Anchor Systems
    • 2.5 Highline Tensioning Systems
  • 3
    Unit 3: Twin Highlines In A Work and Rescue Environment
    • 3.1 An Introduction to Twin Highline Systems In The Work Access Environment
    • 3.2 Video Tutorial: An Introduction to Twin Highline Systems
    • 3.3 Tandem Tension System
    • 3.4 Video Tutorial: Tandem Tension System
    • 3.5 Working Platform for Ascent & Descent
    • 3.6 Video Tutorial: Working Platform for Ascent & Descent
    • 3.7 Tensionless Anchor
    • 3.8 Video Tutorial: Tensionless Anchor
    • 3.9 Twin Highline & Trackline Using Manned Belay Pt. 1
    • 3.10 Video Tutorial: Twin Highline & Trackline Using Manned Belay Pt. 1
    • 3.11 Twin Highline & Trackline Using Manned Belay Pt. 2
    • 3.12 Video Tutorial: Twin Highline & Trackline Using a Self Belay Pt. 1
    • 3.13 Video Tutorial: Twin Highline & Trackline Using a Self Belay Pt. 2
  • 4
    Unit 4: Single Trackline Highlines
    • 4.1 Video Tutorial: Basic Highlines / Single Trackline
  • 5
    Unit 5: Twin Bundle & Dual Trackline Highlines
    • 5.1 Video Tutorial: Tensioning Side / Twin Bundle
    • 5.2 Video Tutorial: A Frame / Twin Bundle
    • 5.53 Video Tutorial: Carriage System / Twin Bundle
    • 5.4 Video Tutorial: Gin Pole / Twin Bundle
    • 5.5 Video Tutorial: Termination Side / Twin Bundle
    • 5.6 Video Tutorial: The Norwegian Reeve
    • 5.7 Video Tutorial: The English Reeve
  • 6
    Unit 6: Major Taglines & 2 Rope Offsets
    • 6.1 Video Tutorial: Rigging the Yoke / Major Tagline Part 1
    • 6.2 Video Tutorial: Mainline Side / Major Tagline Part 2
    • 6.3 Video Gin Pole / Major Tagline Part 3
    • 6.4 Video Tutorial: Control Side / Major Tagline Part 4
    • 6.5 Bonus Feature: Two Tension Two Rope Offset
  • 7
    Unit 7: Guiding Lines
    • 7.1 Setting Up A Guiding Line System
    • 7.2 Operating The Guiding Line
    • 7.3 Skate Block System

Added Perks

Additional features Rigging Lab Academy Members are enjoying

  • Certificate of Completion

    Download your personalized Certificate of Completion after completing the course.

  • 100% Self-Paced

    Go through the course material as fast or as slow as you'd like.

  • Engaging Media

    Absorb each lesson through a mix of exclusive video tutorials and written course material.