Rope Rescue & Rigging Field Guide for Canyon, Cave, Alpine and Rock (3rd edition) provides practical and easy to reference information covering essential field techniques for people responding to rope rescue incidents.
Written and illustrated by Grant Prattley, a professional instructor from New Zealand who specialises in vertical rescue in caves and canyons, the guide focuses on rope rescue techniques utilised in remote, backcountry areas. (Grant is also the author of the Canyoning Technical Manual, which is an essential guide for canyoners looking to expand their ropework skills.)
The 204 page, full colour book includes more than 250 diagrams along with information on personal skills, knot craft, communication, roles, anchors, lowering, pulleys, changing systems, directionals, load (e.g. stretchers), analysis and forces.
The compact A6 size (105 x 148mm) and use of waterproof paper allow the book to be carried into the field for training exercises or during actual rope rescue operations.
While this field guide was written specifically for those engaging in rope rescue, it is a useful tool for advanced canyoners or cavers who wish to expand their vertical skills.
Published in 2020, the 3rd edition has not only updated and improved most diagrams, it includes 70 additional pages covering:
- Personal skills – harness setup for canyon and alpine/rock, edge kit
- Knotcraft – doubled overhand bend, double sheet bend, 6on1 Schwabisch (asymmetric)
- Communication – counterbalance voice commands, knot ID for rope ends
- Anchors – Natural anchors, rock protection, human anchors
- Lowering – two rope systems, figure-8 device, Scarab, belay device
- Pulleys – two rope systems, counterbalance, pulley system – more complex progressions
- Changing systems – new section – changeovers, passing bends, swapping systems, passing directionals
- Load – canyon rescue stretcher
- Aide memoir – as we use the book for training, at the back is a summarised comms section is in an easy to find location.
- What’s been taken out: A new focus for the field guide. It’s for backcountry rescue where you expect to carry the gear some distance. So anything particularly heavy and things we don’t normally carry has been taken out. That means no 11mm ropes, SA frames, tripods, IDs and industrial harness setup.