Anchoring Rage and Education
Anchoring Rage and Education A Road Rage analogy From time to time anchoring arguments flare up across canyoneering communities. There are some arguments that have become staple stock to defend anchoring a certain way, and tearing down someone else’s anchors: Like Road Rage: The canyoneering convoluted anchoring and rigging disagreements can be better understood when […]
How to add HFB to your Classic Totem Block
How to add HFB to your Classic Totem Block Hands Free Backup is a concept that has different names in different rope work disciplines, but basically, it is a way to ensure that if you accidentally let go of the rope, a backup system kicks in, and prevents a runaway rope running through the system, […]
The science behind teaching & learning: Tying Knots
During the few years that I have spent as a canyoneering instructor, I have been able to gather some observations regarding teaching how to tie knots: These observations lead me to suspect that “spatial awareness” (our ability to place shapes and objects in a three dimensional space) may be the key to better understand how to teach knots and […]
Rigging Choices and Ropes
Canyoneering practices get shaped by the type of canyons we do, and the gear we use.If we frequent routes with nice bolt placements, we grow fond of adjustable safety tethers and SAS systems. If we frequent routes with bushes and cairns as anchors we get to love courtesy-rigging and retrievable-riggings.As time passes by, we tend […]