Levels of Autonomy vs. Levels of Care

Canyoneering leading or guiding?

Originally published in Instructional Canyoneering Resource on 7/25/2024

TWO ENDS OF A SPECTRUM

On one end, professional guiding with a high level of care for clients. One the other end, a group of highly autonomous canyoneers, working as peers. And in the middle, a spectrum of recreational canyoneering where we are guessing or assuming level of autonomy on our partners: A can or worms

Here is a list of levels of autonomy skills, organized by how they may present themselves during a canyon day:

LOGISTICS LEVELS OF AUTONOMY. INDIVIDUAL SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

• Select appropriate canyon according to fitness level and canyon rating, matching physical and technical skills.

• Keep up hiking pace on approach and exit, so not to disrupt group cohesion.

• Fit enough to carry their own gear, and rope if needed.

• Select appropriate gear for a canyon according to beta and canyon rating.

• Carry appropriate food and water for the selected canyon.

NAVIGATION LEVELS OF AUTONOMY. INDIVIDUAL SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

• Locate and navigate to vehicle parking/camp, canyon entrance, canyon exit

• Navigate aided by GPS.

• Navigate aided by map and compass.

• Navigate aided by landmarks.

• Navigate aided by sun position.

RAPPELLING LEVELS OF AUTONOMY. INDIVIDUAL SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

• Rappel unassisted by belay: Stop at will, regulated speed and lock off.

• Regulate speed on rappels longer than 200'.

• Regulate speed and stop in guided rappels.

• Rappel and manage rope bag while on rope.

• Manage backpack during overhangs, waterfalls and swims.

• Be trusted to re-rig rappel station and ensure rope recovery

• Pass re-bleay stations and deviations

• Regulate speed and body position while in rappel in high flow waterfalls

IN CANYON LEVEL OF AUTONOMY. INDIVIDUAL SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

• Efficiently manage rope. Bag or coil rope fast, and keep rope clean

• Identify the next task, obstacle, or team assistance needed.

• Safely ascend rope to fix rope recovery blockage.

SELF RESCUE LEVELS OF AUTONOMY. INDIVIDUAL SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

• Lockoff on rope jammed by knot, or other blockage.

• Clear blockage by clipping-short (or other safe transfer of weight to temporary system)

• Convert rappel to ascend in case rope is short.

• Clear rapple blockage while in a guided rappel

• Clear rappel blockage while in middle of waterfall

SPECIAL CLASS C AUTONOMOUS SKILLS. INDIVIDUAL SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

• Read white water movement and id danger and safe zones

• Swim efficiently to move from safe zone to safe zone through danger zones.

• Carry and know how to use a throw bag, and a swiftwater knife.

SPECIAL AMERICAN SOUTHWEST AUTONOMOUS SKILLS. INDIVIDUAL SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

• Build deadman, cairn and hybrid anchors

• Sequence and backup marginal anchors

• Perform unassisted rappel softsarts

• Rappel starts with master point below ventral point

• Rig at least one variant of transient rigging

• Setup transient anchors: Sandtraps, watertraps, sandbags

• Throw sandbags as far as particular beta requires

• Ascend hand over hand on multiple ropes if keeper requires multiple sandbags

• Perform pack toss or pack drags to escape keepers or lapar drops

• Stem long sections of slot canyons and horizontal obstacles (silos, bombays) unprotected and usassited

Read these levels of autonomy, organized by a canyon outing.

Identify what are the line items where partners are not autonomous. These are the items that will determine the Level of Care that a guide or lead will need to step in and provide to fill those gaps.

PROFESSIONAL GUIDES

Professional guides address logistics items by establishing a system to book trips, and select routes according to client fitness and health status. Guide is in charge of schedule, gear selection, rigging selection, and any rescues if needed, direct or indirect. Guide can dial the level of adventure by selecting obstacles and rigging.

RECREATIONAL LEADER / FRIENDS

Recreational Leaders, or "groups of friends" are an entirely different can of worms

There is a good chance that you as a friend or a "leader" have no idea on the "levels of autonomy" of your companions. And there is also a good chance that you, as a friend, or a leader do not have training or know-how on how to fill those gaps.

Some of the most harrowing epics seem to be stories of finding those "autonomous gaps" right in the middle of a canyon day, during a recreational trip with a lead, or just friends.

Be prepared, be safe.