My club has a new prospective member who needs more practice on SRT. Unfortunately he is profoundly deaf (wears hearing aids). So shouting instructions from the foot of a 30 metre pitch while he has problems on a re-belay is not ideal.

Any suggestions on a venue in the Peak for a bit of practice with at least one re-belay that is fairly easy to keep in contact visually and not too great a distance (so the Event Horizon in Titan is out!)?

I reckon you'd be better getting them up a tree than underground so he can see your lips easier, also you can do allsorts of stuff in trees without even having to get too far off the ground....

His names not phil heppenstall is it ?

suicide cave has been peppered with P bolts by DCA with the aim of attracting people away from P8 and giants as SRT training venues so that might be worth checking out.

A local tree is probably far and away the best option for training. Passing rebelays,deviations knots etc can easily be set up and you can have a second rope hanging near by so you can follow progress and be on hand for lip reading aid.

Then rowter as a really good rebelay. Isolated, so you'd have to do it on your own - but still in sight/sound and easily reached on another rope should you have trouble. Plus you can bridge out to get your weight off the rope if need be.

What about the DCA workshop - see thread

http://ukcaving.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=265&highlight=dca+advanced

See the DCA website for full details.

SamT said:

His names not phil heppenstall is it ?

suicide cave has been peppered with P bolts by DCA with the aim of attracting people away from P8 and giants as SRT training venues so that might be worth checking out.

What about the DCA workshop - see thread

http://ukcaving.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=265&highlight=dca+advanced

See the DCA website for full details.

Click to expand...

Yes it is Phil Heppenstall - do you know him?

I had considered Suicide Cave but thought there might be somewhere else as an alternative. I may follow your advice and head for there.

Yes - I know about the DCA workshop - I was going to suggest to Phil that he attend but in the meantime he has asked if anybody can give him a bit of practice this weekend.

Thanks.

paul said:

Yes it is Phil Heppenstall - do you know him?

Click to expand...

I've not met him but a few of the lads from the Eldon - underground and Bog, have taken him out a couple of times.

Sounds like a good laugh. Very keen.

They did the round trip in giants (on ladders), but he has a problem with the old hearing aids in that he doesnt want to get them wet. (they cost £750 each or something) so I heard that the windpipe was a bit of a giggle.

Apparently he's fine so long as he can point his lamp at your face and see your lips so he can lip read.

SamT said:

paul said:

Yes it is Phil Heppenstall - do you know him?

Click to expand...

I've not met him but a few of the lads from the Eldon - underground and Bog, have taken him out a couple of times.

They did the round trip in giants (on ladders), but he has a problem with the old hearing aids in that he doesnt want to get them wet. (they cost £750 each or something) so I heard that the windpipe was a bit of a giggle.

Click to expand...

Ha ha, the windpipe wasn't much of a giggle for Bog though, since he had the thing inside his helmet!

Very nice bloke is Phil....