Canyoning in the Alps. Simon Flower
and clothing’, below). The chances of hypothermia are increased if exhausted, so physical fitness, food and fluids are important; it is easy to forget to drink when constantly immersed in water.
Absence or failure of in-situ equipment
The quality and positioning of in situ equipment varies greatly from canyon to canyon and from one pitch to the next. Even good quality rigging may be damaged by floods or rockfall. The quality, state and position of all equipment needs to be scrutinised before deciding whether or not you want to risk your life on it. Where possible avoid single-point anchors. Back up hand-lines with a belay or rig your own. In less frequented canyons, or those that are badly flood prone, be prepared to replace damaged anchors or slings.
Rope loss or damage
Losing a rope is a nightmare situation. At best it is an expensive mistake. At worst it prevents further descent and escape. A rope may get stuck when pulling through, or entangled in flood debris at the foot of a waterfall. Good rope management is key in preventing this (see ‘Canyoning rope techniques’, below). Ensure that all tackle-sacs have a flotation device (an empty bottle or waterproof drum) and take extra care in high water not to allow them to get swept downstream (do not throw them down pitches unattended!). Ropes also get damaged, for example when abseiling over sharp edges (a rope severs with surprising ease when under load). There are several methods to avoid this (also discussed below). Best practice is to carry a spare rope, so the canyon can be completed safely if a rope is lost.
Canyoning rope techniques
It is assumed that the reader is able to abseil proficiently and has a thorough practical knowledge of basic rope techniques. Therefore they are not described in detail here. Alpine canyons are not the places to learn these skills.
Below is a basic summary of the techniques appropriate to canyoning. Further information can be found in the resources listed in Appendix B.
Single-rope technique
When abseiling, climbers typically use the whole rope, doubled over and thrown down the pitch (the double-rope technique). This technique is both time-consuming (as all the rope has to be paid out, then packed away again) and potentially dangerous in wet canyons, where
turbulent plunge-pools will cause any excess rope to tangle, making the rope difficult to release from a descender
the excess rope may get trapped around submerged branches and boulders
the two strands of rope may twist around each other into a friction knot, making the rope difficult to pull down.
Using single-rope technique in Pontirone Inferiore (Route 29 in the Ticino region)
Using a guide-line to steer clear of the current during a ‘wet run’ in Cormor (Route 49 in the Lake Como region)
Although double-rope technique has its place, single-rope technique is infinitely more suited to canyoning. The main advantage is that the rope length can be ‘set’ to the length of the pitch. Where pitch length is uncertain, the first person can be put on belay using one of the releasable rigs described below. They can then be lowered if the rope turns out to be too short (communicating this need may have to be through pre-agreed shouts, whistle blasts or hand gestures). The remainder of the rope, still in the bag, can either be brought down by the next person, zip-lined down the abseil rope or (if sensible to do so) thrown down to waiting team mates. The two ends of the rope can now be kept well clear of each other, ensuring a trouble-free pull-through.
Another advantage of single-rope technique is that it is easier to steer the course of an otherwise aquatic abseil by means of deviations (where the abseil rope is clipped into intermediate anchors) and guided abseils (a taut line secured between the top and base of a pitch, into which abseiling canyoners can clip their cow’s tails).
The main disadvantage of single-rope technique is the risk of rope damage. Single ropes stretch and bounce more than double ropes, increasing the sawing action over sharp edges. If sharp edges are anticipated, the options are to:
run the rope over a tackle-sac secured to the rigging above (a method which is effective only if the rub-point is near the pitch-head)
pay out/take in rope between abseils to vary the position of the rub-point
use double-rope technique.
Releasable rigs
Although they are more time-consuming to rig, releasable systems should be used when possible in technical canyons. If a team mate gets strung up mid-rope (for example if hair, a glove or wetsuit gets caught in the descender), they can be quickly lowered out of danger.
Methods include
an indirect belay (very quick and simple)
a direct belay (an Italian hitch is often used)
the figure-of-8 block.
The figure-of-8 block works well (see photos 1 to 6 for how to tie one) and is the technique most commonly used on the continent. With the other two methods, the last person down needs to convert the belay to a non-releasable system.
The figure-of-8 block
1 Thread the figure-of-8.
2 Cross the rope (important: not doing so may result in the device being difficult to undo when loaded).
3 Pass a bight of rope up through the large ring
4 Pull the loop down and 5 pass it over the small ring.
6 Pull everything tight. To prevent people abseiling on the wrong end, a quick-draw could be clipped between the small ring of the figure-of-8 and the anchor (do not use an ordinary karabiner for this purpose – it will be difficult to undo under load).
A clove hitch and locking karabiner (top) and a stopper-knot crabbed to the live rope (bottom)
Non-releasable rigs
a clove hitch and locking karabiner (see photo) (important: ensure that the knot lies away from the gate and that the gate is locked – a twist-lock karabiner is recommended here), and
a stopper-knot crabbed to the live rope (see photo). This may be safer in the absence of a twist-lock karabiner, but the knot can be difficult to undo. Also, the rope can be more difficult to pull through from an oblique angle.
All these systems are fairly bulky and have the potential to jam when pulling through. If this is anticipated the last person down can remove the knot or figure-of-8 device, then either use double-rope technique or have the live rope counterweighted by team mates waiting below (the ‘fireman’s belay’).
Whichever method is used, the last person to descend should be confident that the rope will pull-through.
A FEW TIPS FOR ROPE MANAGEMENT
Pack the rope so that you can get easily at both ends in the tackle-sac. This will be useful when tying two ropes together or rigging traverses.
Flake the rope into the tackle-sac rather than coiling it. A three-person approach will speed things up – one to pull down, one to hold the bag open, one to pack.
While a number of knots are suitable for joining ropes together, a double overhand knot (see photo) is quick, simple,