Rehearsing of Flexing?

THE CASE FOR OVER-RIGGING VS. UNDER-RIGGING

Originally published in Instruccional Canyoneering Resource on 7/9/2022

In canyoneering professional guiding training and certification, there are different levels of certification. Usually, at the more limited level is the "Fixed Site Canyon Guide" and on the other level of the spectrum, some level number like Guide Level 3, or some indication of level like Master Guide.

Fixed Site Guiding means that you are trained and certified to guide a limited number of specific canyons that have been equipped and logistically resolved by someone else.

The more training and certification you receive, the more you are equipped to guide higher rated canyons, mitigate higher and more complex risks, and solve emergencies.

For recreational canyoneering, there is no equivalent for "Fixed Site" canyoneer. We may or may not have training or assessments, yet when we are traversing a canyon, we are usually

• Over-Rigging

• or

• Under-rigging

Meaning that we are rigging and progressing through the canyon with the minimal requirements to do so (Under-rigging), or we are treating the canyon with practices that maybe belong on higher rated routes (Over-rigging).

Canyoneering, especially A and B rated routes, are probably for the most part, Medium/Low Risk & High Consequences situations. Meaning that under competent leadership, the chances of something going wrong are low to medium, but if something goes wrong, the consequences are High/Dire.

Take the photo in this post.

Is it necessary to rig releasable for this small drop where you can see the bottom?

Probably not. This may be a case of Over-rigging. Yet, in the unlikely scenario that something goes wrong, chances are that the group that double ropes, or biner-blocks this little drop, will spend the next 15min "problem solving" something that is a simple 15 seconds release & lower.

If you practice Down-rigging all the time, will you be ready when more complex rigging is required? When you practice Over-rigging all the time, what initially appears more involved and complex, becomes second nature. When you practice Under-rigging all the time, you may not be ready for situations when more risk mitigation is required.

Under-rigging as the default practice is the background for some accidents. Accidents where the accident report includes something like: "....they were all experienced canyoneers"

When you read the details, it turns out they were constantly Under-rigging...until the risk catches up with them, and they were not ready.

(Guiding certification levels based on Canyon Guides International certifications)