mirror of
https://expo.survex.com/repositories/expoweb/.git/
synced 2024-11-27 09:42:02 +00:00
105 lines
4.8 KiB
HTML
105 lines
4.8 KiB
HTML
|
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
|
||
|
|
<html>
|
||
|
|
<head>
|
||
|
|
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" />
|
||
|
|
<title>CUCC Expo Rigging Handbook: Expo-specific rigging tricks</title>
|
||
|
|
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../css/main2.css" />
|
||
|
|
</head>
|
||
|
|
<body>
|
||
|
|
<h2 id="tophead"> CUCC Expo Rigging Handbook</h2>
|
||
|
|
<h1>Exotic rigging tricks: pendules, tyroleans, ...</h1>
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<p>There are many obscure tricks of rigging that are specific to the case of
|
||
|
|
exploration, and are rarely used in UK-style SRT.</p>
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<h4>Pendules</h4>
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<p>A pendule is a technique for crossing a void more or less horizontally. It
|
||
|
|
can only be rigged if you can get to both ends. The essential idea is to
|
||
|
|
suspend a length of rope loosely across the pitch, anchored securely at both
|
||
|
|
ends. To pass it, rig your descender on the rope and descend, as you would a
|
||
|
|
normal pitch. Once the loop of rope below, going back up to the anchor at the
|
||
|
|
far end, starts to become tight, attach your jammers to it and pull rope
|
||
|
|
through until they take your weight; now prusik on this side, pausing to let
|
||
|
|
out the rope through your descender as needed.</p>
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<p>There are a number of pendules <a href="../../fixaid.htm">left rigged</a> in
|
||
|
|
CUCC's caves, to avoid having to repeat death-defying climbs and traverses that
|
||
|
|
were originally used to reach the far ends.</p>
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<p>Practice above ground suggests that pendules work very badly unless
|
||
|
|
the hole below is reasonably deep, probably at least half as deep as the length
|
||
|
|
of the pendule; otherwise you end up prusiking against the force of the tension
|
||
|
|
in the near-side rope to avoid hitting the deck, which is extremely hard
|
||
|
|
work.</p>
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<h4>Tyrolean traverses</h4>
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<!-- This needs work. I haven't actually ever done a tyrolean underground, and
|
||
|
|
I think it shows! -->
|
||
|
|
<p>A tyrolean is used in much the same places as a pendule - roughly horizontal
|
||
|
|
traverses across voids - but is much more difficult to rig, and dangerous if
|
||
|
|
not rigged right. The idea is to have a tensioned line across, which you can
|
||
|
|
then run a pulley along.</p>
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<p>The risk inherent in this is that of a <i>t-hang</i>, where the tension in
|
||
|
|
the rope for even relatively light loads becomes enormous. To rig a tyrolean
|
||
|
|
safely, really massive anchors are needed at each end - big naturals with
|
||
|
|
backups, or multiple spits - with a completely independent backup line rigged
|
||
|
|
parallel to the main line (but not under tension). A Z-rig or something similar
|
||
|
|
can be used to tension the rope.</p>
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<p>Tyroleans are also important in rescue rigs, where they can be the only safe
|
||
|
|
way to transport a stretcher across a traverse; this lies out of the scope of
|
||
|
|
this guide, and is well covered in <i>Life on a line</i> (available online
|
||
|
|
somewhere; on Exo there should be a copy in the tatty hut.)</p>
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<h4>Rope protectors</h4>
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<p>Rope protectors have now all but disappeared from sport caving in the UK,
|
||
|
|
and I think it is fair to consider them an Expo-specific trick; I have never
|
||
|
|
used a protector except in Austria.</p>
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<p>A protector is essentially a sleeve of tough material that wraps around the
|
||
|
|
rope with Velcro, and can then be clipped into place with a bulldog clip at the
|
||
|
|
rub point. They are more or less self-explanatory to use - just remove the
|
||
|
|
tector when you reach it and replace it once you've passed the rub point; I
|
||
|
|
include them here because it is easy to forget that they exist. As a general
|
||
|
|
principle, it's probably not a good idea to use them on trade routes, but they
|
||
|
|
are ideal for the situation where you just want to descend a pitch quickly to
|
||
|
|
find out if it goes or not (but don't forget to rerig later if it does go
|
||
|
|
somewhere significant!)</p>
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<p>If you don't have a tector handy, it's often possible to improvise using an
|
||
|
|
empty tackle sack or dangly bag - you may need to hold it in place until your
|
||
|
|
weight is across it on the rope, which should then keep it secure.</p>
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<hr />
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
<ul id="links">
|
||
|
|
<li><a href="../index.htm">Expedition Handbook</a> - Contents
|
||
|
|
<ul>
|
||
|
|
<li><a href="index.htm">Rigging Guide</a>
|
||
|
|
<ul>
|
||
|
|
<li><a href="intro.htm">Introduction</a></li>
|
||
|
|
<li><a href="boltplace.html">Choosing bolt locations</a></li>
|
||
|
|
<li><a href="boltin.htm">The mechanics of placing a bolt</a></li>
|
||
|
|
<li>Expo-specific rigging tricks</li>
|
||
|
|
</ul></li>
|
||
|
|
<li><a href="../look4.htm">Prospecting guide</a></li>
|
||
|
|
<li><a href="../survey/index.htm">Surveying guide</a></li>
|
||
|
|
<li><a href="../rescue.htm">Rescue guide</a></li>
|
||
|
|
<li><a href="../photo.htm">Photography guide</a></li>
|
||
|
|
</ul></li>
|
||
|
|
<li><a href="../../infodx.htm">Index to info/topics pages</a></li>
|
||
|
|
<li><a href="../../indxal.htm">Full Index to area 1623</a>
|
||
|
|
<ul>
|
||
|
|
<li><a href="../../areas.htm">Area/subarea descriptions</a></li>
|
||
|
|
</ul></li>
|
||
|
|
<li><a href="../../index.htm">Back to Expedition Intro page</a></li>
|
||
|
|
<li><a href="../../../index.htm">Back to CUCC Home page</a></li>
|
||
|
|
</ul>
|
||
|
|
</body>
|
||
|
|
</html>
|