Vertical Rope Experience - Free - March 23rd, 2013

[Curt Bowen]

Cave Alliance - click here to read more on the free vertical clinic


Join veteran cave explorers Walter Pickel and Curt Bowen of the ADM Exploration Foundation and the Cave Alliance for a fun filled, hands on, hanging on rope experience.

During this vertical experience you will learn about the basics of climbing and repelling equipment, techniques, and safety as well as practical exploration practices. After a brief field session, the fun begins as you get "On Rope" and drop into central Florida's labyrinth of caves passages.

Registration is required, space is limited

 

[Peter_C]

These training days are highly recommended for anyone with a sense of adventure. Even if you do not foresee yourself crawling around in caves, repelling down a rope and inch worming back out of a hole is fun! We routinely run practices on just a vertical rock wall and it is always a blast. Of course crawling around underground may well appeal to folks it is a whole other world.

Lately my frog system has been used more for arborist work trimming and removing trees. My "belayer" drops the cut branch sections slowly to the house/deck/ground.

 

[ucfdiver]

Thanks to everyone who helped put this on-- we had a great time.

 

[Curt Bowen]

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151477847664034.1073741825.742609033&type=1


Over 25 people attended the March Free Cave Alliance Vertical Rope Experience.

Thanks to Jon Bojar and James Garrett for the photos

Instructors: Walter Pickel, Jon Bojar, and Curt Bowen

 

[Peter_C]

I finished taking out a couple of more trees. One tree was at a 55 degree lean over the power lines, so climbing with spikes and a flip line was not feasible. Took me about an hour of trying to get the heavy die I use for a throw weight into the right spot, since the canopy was so dense. Then I pulled my rope into the tree. Threw all my climbing gear on, put on my chainsaw chaps (Decided to not use my chainsaw gloves this round as I wanted the stick and dexterity from the rubber gloves vs the safety of chainsaw gloves), clipped my chainsaw off, and began the climb. Got to the top and strapped in with my flip line as a backup in case I accidentally cut my rope, and began taking limbs off. Working around the tree I was able to drop the canopy safely on the ground. When the task was completed I inserted my mini rack inline, unhooked my croll, the hand ascender, along with the flip line, and dropped into a 7 foot pile of branches. It was easier to restart my chainsaw and cut my way out.

Now I wouldn't recommend this for everyone, as it is listed as one of the most dangerous jobs, but my caving skills have come to be very useful for home projects. Next up is crawling under the house to properly bolt the foundation down and add shear wall for earthquake retrofitting. The helmet and light are very nice to have.