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 required to work safely in a canyon environment.
Core Syllabus/Check List: The skills check list below covers the majority of what a Level 2 Guide is expected to know, you will not be assessed on all the individual things below but it is expected that all Level 2 candidates have evaluated their own skills using this check list prior to booking on an assessment.
| Personal skills | ✓ |
| Model good movement within the environment e.g. jumping and sliding | |
| Swim with gear (minimum 20 yards) | |
| Be confident on grade 3 scrambling and steep terrain | |
| Navigation skills e.g. grid reference, map orientation and able to identify features | |
| Identifying relative size of watershed using topographical map | |
| Ability to produce a weather forecast using synoptic charts | |
| Ability to identify changing weather patterns whilst in the canyon e.g. identifying clouds | |
| Have a small geological awareness e.g. rock types and common features | |
| Be able to demonstrate a knowledge of local Flora and Fauna | |
| Understand and be able to explain UKCG grading system to clients |
| Knots | ✓ | Knots | ✓ |
| Directional (aka in-line) figure eight | Clutch systems (e.g. Alpine Clutch) | ||
| Figure 8 on a bite | Alpine butterfly | ||
| Figure 8 double bite | No knot | ||
| Italian/friction hitch including tying off | Clove hitch | ||
| Tape/water knot | Larks foot | ||
| Tying two ropes together (e.g. overhand) | Prussic knots e.g. French and Valdotain |
| Personal on rope skills | ✓ |
| Demonstrate an understanding of canyon specific equipment e.g. piranha, totem and VT | |
| Climb a rope, single and double strand, using mechanical ascenders | |
| Climb a rope, single and double strand, using ascenders improvised from cord or webbing | |
| Climb a rope single strand using limited equipment e.g. Harness, 2 Cows tails and prussic | |
| Transition from abseiling to ascending | |
| Transition from ascending to abseiling | |
| Pass knot while abseiling | |
| Pass knot while ascending |
| Rigging | ✓ |
| Understand and be able to rig equalised and independent multiple anchors | |
| Rig and use multiple realisable abseil systems | |
| Set up multiple blocked rope abseil systems and be able to identify advantages between them (e.g. carabineer block, fig 8 block) | |
| Set up and use a safety rope on a person abseil | |
| Set up a system that extends the power point from the anchor, for a safety rope on person abseiling (e.g. Australian system with alpine butterfly) | |
| Protect a traverse and abseil with retrievable re-belay system | |
| Set up and manage a redirected abseil | |
| Demonstrate good practise with multi-pitch abseils; sequencing, security, rope management, position of most usefulness | |
| Demonstrate best practise when using a stacked abseil | |
| Set up and use combination abseil/lower to avoid multi-pitch abseil | |
| Counter-weight abseil; leader first and leader follows | |
| Rig and use multiple 2:1 lowering systems | |
| Rig multiple haul systems e.g. conventional Z-rig, 4:1 pig rig, 5:1 complex, 6:1 compound and assisted hoist | |
| Set up and use retrievable guided abseil system | |
| Tension guide rope at bottom anchor | |
| Tension guide rope at top anchor | |
| Rig system to isolate rope strands (e.g. stone knot, stone eight and joker) | |
| Rig and manage an in water guide line |
| Anchors | ✓ |
| Correct placement of wires | |
| Correct placement of pitons | |
| An understanding of checking and the correct placing of e.g. location and rock type | |
| Set up and use retrievable anchors e.g. retrievable webbing and macramé etc | |
| Demonstrate best practise for meat anchors | |
| Understand methods to minimize need for anchors (e.g. climbing skills, jumps, slides, longer ropes, reversals, re-descents) | |
| Set up and use 2:1 human anchor | |
| Evaluate and rig alternative anchors e.g. knot chocks, dead men, cairns, stakes and sandbags/cobble-bags etc |
| Guide skills | ✓ |
| Appropriate interpersonal skills | |
| Clear and precise safety/skill briefs | |
| Spotting and supporting from top/bottom | |
| Correct use of short roping skills | |
| Managing group in dangerous areas e.g. abseil stations, slide tops and jump zones | |
| Managing people on slides/jumps and be able to identify hazards | |
| Correct fitting and monitoring of equipment | |
| Awareness of personal safety | |
| Awareness of clients energy/comfort levels |
| Rescues & Emergency Knowledge | ✓ |
| Be able to construct improvised stretchers and carries | |
| Rescue person on none releasable abseil | |
| Rescue person on guided abseil | |
| Rescue person on a jammed lower | |
| Be able to change rope abrasion point on an abseil | |
| Be able to lower a person past a knot | |
| Rescue causality on traverse line | |
| Demonstrate good practise with unconscious causality | |
| Have an understanding of suspension trauma, secondary drowning and hypothermia | |
| Know who the relevant emergency services are and how to contact them | |
| Ability to identify the factors that contribute to a flash flood | |
| Describe flash flood warning signs | |
| Ability to identify the appropriate responses to an impending flash flood in the given environment | |
| Correct use of a throw bag (including throwing coils) | |
| Identify the need for an in water guide line |
| Logistics | ✓ |
| Possesses suitable personal gear for canyons rated up to 4C | |
| Possesses suitable emergency group equipment |
Pre-Requisites: |
✓ |
Advanced Canyoning or Fast-Track Canyoning |
|
Canyon Rescue Course |
|
25 personal canyons, 4 rated grade 4c |
|
40 guided Canyon days |
|
Hold a valid 16 hour or more First Aid certificate |
|
Hold a valid Rescue 3 WRT or higher certificate |