The UKCG Pro Guide assessment is aimed at people wanting to guide any level of canyon both in the UK and overseas. It is also aimed at professionals wanting a qualification that will allow them to provide technical advice to outdoor centres in the Canyoning, Gill scrambling and gorge walking sector, and would compliment the MIA assessment or mountain guides scheme.
Overview:
Guide assessment is over 5 days including all of the Advanced personal skills, Rescue problems and guiding skills.
Core Syllabus:
Knots:
- Directional (aka in-line) figure eight
- Clutch systems (e.g. garda, lorenzi)
- Valdy (aka valdotain, valdostano)
Anchors:
- Evaluate and rig alternative anchors (e.g. knot chocks, deadmen, dowels, pickets, cairns, crossbeams, jib arms, bladders, sandbags)
- Sequence transient anchors (e.g. human anchors, hooks)
- Set up and use 2:1 human anchor
- Set up and use retrievable anchors (e.g. retrievable webbing, macrame, OmniSling, toggles)
- Describe methods to minimize need for anchors (e.g. climbing skills, jumps, slides, longer ropes, reversals, re-descents)
- Correct placement of fixed pitons
- Correct placement of wires
Rigging:
- Set up and use retrievable guided rappel system
- Tension guide rope at bottom anchor (e.g. 5:1 auto-lock system, auto-locking Z-rig system, conventional Z-rig with tension release)
- Tension guide rope at top anchor (e.g. counter-weight system)
- Set up and use guided rappel with human anchor
- Protect traverse and rappel with retrievable re-belay system
- Set up and use deviation (aka redirect)
- Multi-pitch rappel; sequencing, security, rope management
- Pre-rig team members for multi-pitch rappel
- Set up and use combination rappel/lower to avoid multi-pitch rappel
- Counter-weight rappel; leader first and leader follows
Ascending, Transitions, Knot Passing :
- Climb rope, single and double strand, using mechanical ascenders
- Climb rope, single and double strand, using ascenders improvised from cord or webbing
- Transition from rappelling to ascending
- Transition from ascending to rappelling
- Pass knot while rappelling
- Pass knot while ascending
Logistics:
- Possesses suitable gear for canyons rated up to 4C
Pre-Requisites:
Advanced Canyoning or Fast-Track Canyoning.
Canyon Rescue Course.
A Canyon log book with at least 25 personal canyons, 4 rated grade 4c, and 40 guide days.