Many cave visitors express an interest in doing the Maze tour, but lack the required equipment and vertical skills. To circumvent these obstacles, an "Introduction to vertical caving" training course was conceived. The full-course (training & Maze tour) takes place over two half days. On day one, participants are given some basic vertical gear and instructed in its proper usage. Day two begins with a review, and more practice if necessary. The rest of the course is spent underground gaining practical experience on the Maze tour.
Training area inside the tower
TO COMPLETE THE MAZE TOUR YOU NEED TO LEARN THE FOLLOWING:
- how to tie a seat harness from a length of tubular webbing,
- how to make a pair of prussic foot loop ascenders from accessory cord,
- how to rappel (absail) on a single rope and a double rope,
- how to ascend a single rope using the prussic foot loops you just made, and
- how to switch from rappel to ascend while on rope.
**THIS TRAINING IS ONLY INTENDED TO PROVIDE ENOUGH BASIC SKILLS TO SAFELY COMPLETE THE MAZE TOUR!! IT IS IN NO WAY EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VERTICAL CAVING.**
TRAINEES ARE PROVIDED WITH THE FOLLOWING NEW VERTICAL GEAR*:
- 20 feet (or 6m) of 1 inch tubular webbing to tie a seat harness,
- 1 figure eight descender,
- 2 locking carabiners,
- 28 feet (or 8.5m) of 6mm accessory cord to tie prussic knot foot loops for ascending,
- 1 pair of leather gloves,
- 1 laminated instruction sheet, and
- 1 gear bag to hold your gear.
This is your own personal gear. At the end of the training session, you take this gear home with you.
TRAINEES MUST BRING:
- Long Pants and Sturdy Hiking Shoes or Boots,
- a head lamp with extra batteries.
You may also want to bring:
- knee pads,
- fore arm pads or a long sleeve shirt.
- a climbing helmet if you have one. Otherwise, you can use one of our modified construction helmets for the training.
* The provided (pictured) vertical gear was selected for maximum versitility while minimizing the cost of the training.
All participants must be at least 18 years of age, in good health* and:
- fit enough to climb three flights of steep stairs multiple times,
- flexibile enough to move from a hunched over sitting position to a hands and knees crawling position and back again within a confined space,
- be able to climb over an overhanging edge by supporting your weight on your hands or forearms, and
- be able to focus on the task at hand without getting distracted.
* If you have a medical condition that could be aggravated by strenuous activity, this training is not for you.
FOR RESERVATIONS CALL
(808) 967-7208
Monday - Saturday
8 am - 6 pm
(Hawaii Standard Time)
Closed Sundays