Intermediate Skills Practice Session - Mountaineers Seattle Program Center

Location: Seattle Program Center, North wall/slabs if the weather is good.  If not, we can meet in Goodman C

Time: 6pm - 9pm

Summary

This practice session  is for Mountaineers canyoning program members who have taken the intermediate canyon skills course, OR have completed assistant leader equivalency.

Practice Session

Participants are free to practice whichever skills they like with the facilities we have available. We may have stations set up to practice specific skills, and occasionally  host a clinic for a specific skill from the intermediate course. If there is a particular skill you'd like to practice, please reach out to the practice session leader and we will do our best to accommodate.

What to Bring

Please bring your personal canyoning gear (harness, helmet, carabiners, lanyards, rappel device, ascending equipment, etc). No wetsuits or canyoning shoes are required.  Intermediate level equipment we will have available to loan for the practice session include the Petzl Micro Traxion and VT Prusik. Please bring layers appropriate for the weather, as we may be practicing outdoors. Snacks and water bottles are also encouraged.

List of Intermediate Skills

Here is a complete list of skills from the intermediate course to get ideas for practice:

Rigging & Anchor Management

• Rope Systems (Single/Double/Twin)
• Closing a releasable system under tension
• Rigging and Managing Rebelays
• Twin Static Rope Systems
• Twin Releasable Rope Systems
• Joining Ropes for Retrieval
• Isolating a Core Shot w/Safe Clip in Point
  • Speed Butterfly
  • Alpine Butterfly
• Stacked Overhand Bend (EDK)
• Bottom Anchors (Releasable from Below)
• Top Belays
• Guided Rappels (Italian 8, 3:1 Tensioning, "Conveyor Belt" Haul)
• Using Doubled Ended Rope Bags

Anchors

• Cairn Anchors

Personal Movement

• Double Rope: Ascending, Rappelling, Conversion, Passing Knots
• Ascending a Steep Traverse Line

General Rescue

• Concept: Canyon Rescue Hierarchy
• Concept: The Importance of Rescue Ropes

Self Rescue

• Rapid Conversion ("Bailout") Ascending System

Indirect Rescue

• Convert to a Lower: Static Block or Stuck Releasable System
• Convert to a Haul: Releasable and static rigging
• Lowering a Joined Ropes Past an Anchor
• Rope Cutting: Single Strand w/Rope Grab
• Rope Cutting: Double Strand w/VT Prusik

Direct Rescue

• Capable Subject: Simple assist w/rope grab & footloop
• Incapable Subject: Pickoff Strap
• Fixing Pickoff Strap Failure - Counterbalance Pickoff

Mechanical Advantage

• Fundamentals of Mechanical Advantage
  • Identifying mechanical advantage, practicing 2:1 / 3:1 / 4:1 / 5:1+