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<title>CUCC Expedition Rigging Handbook: Introduction</title>
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<h2 id="tophead">CUCC Expo Rigging Handbook</h2>
<h1>Introductory chat about expo rigging</h1>

<h3>Prerequisites:</h3>

<p>This section of the Expo handbook assumes that you are familiar with all
the usual manoeuvres, such as passing knots, rebelays and deviations,
changing from abseil to prusik and vice versa. "Familiar" means you can do it
in the dark with cold hands, with complete confidence in your safety and with
reasonable efficiency. Choice of ropes is not covered, as by the time you are
on the expedition it will be too late ! Neither is this guide concerned with
personal SRT equipment except where the demands of caving in Austria require
gear in addition to that you would normally use on a typical Yorkshire
weekend.</p>

<p>Self-rescue may also be important in Austria - this should be covered in
the rescue guide (but isn't - yet). It is recommended that you should
practice all these techniques somewhere safe and warm - preferably in the UK
before departure rather than up a tree behind the potato hut in a
thunderstorm!</p>

<h3>Differences from Yorkshire.</h3>

<p>This is new exploration, so you cannot rely on belays to have been tested
by previous generations of cavers. Similarly, loose rocks will not have been
cleared or dislodged by earlier parties. Natural belays may not be available,
so you will have to place bolts, rather than look for the shiny P-hangers
placed by CNCC parties. You won't know in advance how long pitches are going
to be, so the ropes you have with you may need to be cut or knotted. Party
size is usually small - everyone needs to be able to make a contribution to
safe rigging. The first one down may be rigging a new rope to replace a
damaged one, or one of less than ideal length. The second may have to remove
the old rope on his descent.</p>

<p>Conversely, the caves are deeper, longer and colder than Yorkshire, so
parties need to move safely and efficiently to avoid exhaustion and exposure.
Flooding on pitches can be sudden and severe, water very cold, and the
location of flood inlets not always obvious - rigging for security in flood
is often critical. Ropes remain in place over several trips, and rock may be
very sharp - every party must be alert to the danger of abrasion and be
prepared to rerig if necessary. Finally, rigging points placed on exploration
may need to be used on expeditions for years to come, so maintenance of bolts
on the final derigging trips is important.</p>



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See the <a href="drillbolts.html">Bolting </a> - Hang Fix anchoring<br />

See the <a href="/expofiles/documents/anchors/hangfixtraining.pdf">instructions and training</a> 
- for expo bolting<br />

See the <a href="rigit.html">Rigging and Bolting</a> -  handbook 
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