The 20-hour companion cave rescue workshop, organized by Alberta/British Columbia Cave Rescue, is designed to give you skills for small group self-rescue in caving. The workshop is intended for anyone who takes people caving, either recreationally or as a paid guide, and for anyone who gets taken caving and who wants to contribute to their group’s safety. It is open to novices and experienced cavers alike. Topics covered in the workshop include:
| Evaluation of common cave hazards and risks | Trip planning and equipment considerations |
| Rigging for self-rescue, including anchors, pulley systems, and counterweight raises | Vertical pickoff techniques for unconscious casualties on rope |
| Improvised in-cave hypothermia shelters | Improvised casualty transport techniques |
The workshop is designed around small-group, hands-on practice of skills and scenario-based learning. Facilitators are experienced cave guides, cave rescue and/or technical SAR volunteers, or emergency medical practitioners. Certificates of completion are issued, but skill proficiency is not assessed; the workshop emphasizes effective learning over formal evaluation.
This workshop takes place at Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park near Parksville, Vancouver Island. The workshop fee is TBD for members of the BCSF or ASS, non-members can join a club and pay the associated membership fees upon registration; this includes camping at the adjacent regional park and is organized through the workshop. (This fee will be refunded for participants who live in the area!) Participants are responsible for their own meals. The workshop schedule allows ample time for cooking breakfast and dinner, but field lunches are required for Saturday and Sunday.
Registration is limited to 30 participants. Spaces in the workshop are not guaranteed until registration fees have been received; these fees are charged to cover organizational costs and equipment for cave rescue training and response in Western Canada. If you are new to caving or are not yet a member of a BCSF club or the ASS, we strongly encourage you to register early so as to join a club and go caving before the workshop. You can pay your club membership fee as part of your registration fees, and most clubs organize regular caving trips.
Proficiency in caving single rope techniques (SRT) is required for the workshop: Participants must be able to progress on rope in any direction, changeover in any direction mid-rope, and pass any mid-rope obstacle in any direction (knots, rebelays, traverses, deviations, etc.). A no-cost intensive one-day SRT clinic is being offered on-site on Friday, May 24th for participants who are not familiar with SRT.
Participants must have their own caving gear, or arrange to borrow/rent, as outlined on our Equipment page.
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