Swift Water
Canyoning Course

Three Days Skills & Rescue
Course for Canyoners

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Increase your skills and knowledge, in moving water environment

PREREQUISITES

This course is aimed at people with previous canyoning experience. You should be comfortable ascending and descending a rope and have some knowledge of vertical rescue techniques. Ideally you will be familiar with establishing and using releasable systems.

You need to be a good swimmer and have very good fitness. We will be aiming to cover a lot each day.

Call us on 1300 032 384 or email anthony@cradlecanyons.com if you would like to discuss.

This three day course is aimed at people with canyoning experience looking to increase their skills and knowledge in a moving water environment.

The course is based at our staff house, near Cradle Mountain, and makes use of a number of locations ranging from 20 minutes to one hour drive from there.

You will learn how to progress through a moving water environment and identify hazards and techniques for rescue (both self and other people).

OVERVIEW

Cost: $950

Payment: Full payment required at the time of booking to secure your spot. 100% refund for COVID related cancellations (e.g. border closures), even if it is last minute. Scroll to the bottom of this page to book.

Length: Three days

Group size: Two instructors. Minimum 4 participants, max 8.

Accommodation: Basic accommodation at our staff house provided for up to four nights is included. You will be sharing a bunk bed with another participant. You may chose to bring a tent if you prefer your own space.

Transport: We will use our bus to get from the accommodation to the river each day. You need to get your own way there (details of location provided in confirmation email when you book).

Food: Bring your own food. There is a kitchen with gas stove and a bbq. The Cradle Forest Inn is 5km down the road and does good meals. The nearest supermarket is Sheffield, about 30 min drive.

A LITTLE TASTE OF DOVE CANYON IN HIGH WATER

The above video is a rough cut of a bit of footage from a high water training day in Dove Canyon. Hopefully we will have nice high water like this at the time of running the course. The guys in the video are practicing escaping from and rescuing others from a retentive eddy/boil line at the bottom of Tea Cup Falls. We’ll practice these techniques, probably on day two of the course.

COURSE SCHEDULE

We will tailor the course to river conditions, and the experience of the group. We encourage participants to let us know if there is something in particular they would like to cover. Subject to that, a working plan is as follows:

Day 1

Spent on a river in rafts practicing a number of swift water rescue techniques. This first day will feature a lot of the content covered in a more typical swift water rescue course including river crossing, swimming in moving water, hazard identification and rescues from entrapments. We will aim for an 8am kick off, but will be a bit flexible if we have people flying in that morning.

Day 2

We spend the day in Dove Canyon, doing multiple laps. We will focus on hazard identification and techniques to avoid or escape from hydraulics and other moving water hazards. We will practice swimming into retentive features in the river and perform self rescue from this situation and rescue of others.

Day 3

A day in Machinery Canyon or Phoenix Gorge focusing on vertical rescue. Content covered to include rope management in swift water, guided rappels as a means of avoiding hydraulics or other hazards, use of releasable systems and cut-away rescues as technique of last resort.

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EQUIPMENT

We recommend bringing your own gear. You can supplement it with ours if needed. Below is an example list of gear. People canyon with a range of kit and you are welcome to bring whatever works for you.

Climbing or whitewater helmet
Life jacket – whitewater style with releasable chest harness if possible. Most people don’t canyon in a life jacket, but it will be handy for a couple of things we will be doing. We have plenty, so there is no need to go out and buy one if you don’t have it.
Canyoning boots and neoprene socks.
5 mm (at least) wetsuit. It will definitely be cold. You can always throw one of our 5mm jackets over your suit if it isn’t thick enough.
Harness with PVC seat and cows tails.
Carabiners and belay device, plus an extra figure 8.
2-3 ascending/grabbing and progress capture options (shunt, t-block, mini or micro traxion etc)
VT prussic
Long prussic or webbing
Knife
Diving mask or goggles
Suitable 40-50 litre canyon pack with suitable flotation once your equipment is loaded into it
Rope - we have plenty so you don’t need to bring your own. You’re welcome to if you want to practice with your own kit though.