September 2010

Canyoning Canyoning What is?

The or canyoning canyoning is an adventure sport that is practiced in the canyons and ravines of the river, which may present a very varied, we can find sections with little flow or even dry, deep pools and points to other sections with waterfalls, also finding vegetated land or desert.

Canyoning is trying to overcome these changes in travel, walking, swimming, or climbing down climbing, if necessary.

For a drop is assessed as suitable for canyoning must combine at least two of these three characteristics: flow embedded vertical and character.

For added security is commonly practiced in groups and should be minimum experience and proper equipment for their development.

split We recommend starting the guide figure specialist to guide them and guide for your journey through this mode is the most secure.

The personal and collective equipment varies greatly in the characteristics of each descent, but within the team should be considered essential for a backpack with water drainage, specific footwear canyoning or treking, wet suit of at least 3mm helmet, harness, descender and rope.

Enjoy inaccessible areas by technical fall in ravines ALPINE GROUP CANARIO, that is NOT the same down a rope (Rapel) in dry be done where water flows, where there are other kind of objective dangers, they do not stop being a mere anecdote and fun for our dedicated staff and graduates who have extensive experience in each of the gullies that we offer.

work several levels of difficulty (baptism, guided and courses) depending on the profile of our customers, providing safer and techniques appropriate to the circumstances of the land and flow of the ravine.

You just have to go with our experience and training, ensuring the highest degree of personal satisfaction when you have finished the activity.

also offer courses at different levels (Introduction, Basic and Improvement) for you to delve into this world with autonomy and security.

Through our continuing education courses and anger gradually gaining practice, independence and security to go canyoning been practicing.

"ADVISE" that when they hire these services to ensure that those who hire them, have the appropriate insurance policy RECREATION AND LEISURE Liability and Casualty, apart from the corresponding Instructor Certification by the activity.

CAUTION: It seems that "the crisis" does not understand SECURITY PERSONNEL and people hire these services to unqualified or title, just by its lower cost and save a few euros. ----------------------------------------------

---------------- SAFETY CANYONING

The causes of low security

might ask why such failures occur when we all know that we practice a risky sport, where you can lose your life, in fact, unfortunately, has already Too many people died in accidents that could have been avoided. We will analyze the causes, in our view, that produce them.

a) The structure of personality.

There is a high number of canyoning, and people who practice extreme sports, they have what is called a narcissistic personality.

This personality type is characterized by low self-esteem so they need to prove yourself and others so that they are valuable, "The machine."

This leads to show omnipotently, denying the risk, "nothing happens" and what is worse, not aware of the need to be trained in technical, they do not need it, you know everything.

These people are pleased to achieve a goal reached overrides the very principle of conservation (survival instinct), need to achieve certain goals for your self-esteem does not sink

With this type of personality risk in a ravine is inevitable, deny the danger and are more valuable the more risk they assume in these sports and being nothing better to do with taking unnecessary risks

Afortunadamente no todos los barranquistas funcionan así, lo peligrosos es que los que lo hacen suelen ser más valorados y reconocidos, por lo que suelen acabar liderando los grupos

b) Inadecuada formación técnica

Todos sabemos que la mayoría de los que hacen barrancos han aprendido enseñados por un amigo, que fue a su vez enseñado por otro.

Esto no sería ningún problema si la formación fuese la adecuada, pero, normalmente lo que se ha aprendido se sabe por los barrancos que se han hecho, por la sola experiencia, forgetting theory as if it was better for the number of guns lowered.

This leads to mistakes of sheer ignorance, do zip lines canyoning rope, inadequate use Downhill systems, inadequate and non-approved cords, etc.

The most common security flaws

Security errors we've seen most often are:

a) Do not use the helmet

With the excuse that gives heat, which is uncomfortable, annoyed in the jumps, etc. There are many athletes who do not use it, thinking that it is not so necessary.

In a ravine, on its own terrain is very easy to become detached stone from a height, impacting with the force of a projectile, the impact of my own helmet can attest to that.

is also easy to bump your head on a slide, a rappelling, jumping, etc, and do not forget that we are in an aquatic environment, loss of consciousness equivalent to drown

b) Strings inadequate

Many people the main criterion used when acquiring a string is the weight, as the cliffs are long, despite the less rope better.

That leads them to use small diameter ropes (9 or 9.5), the performances are not suitable for canyoning and, moreover, are not approved for use in rappelling.

We can not fail to mention canyoning ropes, all the manuals that have recently warned of the risk of these strings, the little resistance they have, yet we still see a lot.

consider that risk in any sport that used strings, it is essential to know the benefits of these and the manufacturer's recommendations.

should also mention the state of the strings, it seems as if they were eternal and are strings that are clearly a danger, every rope has a life and must be discarded after a certain period of use.

c ) Do not use anchor Locks

is very rare to see baga canyoning with anchor, but many of the rappel headers are placed in dangerous places, in an environment where the water hits the ground hard and is slippery, it's easy to lose balance. Even knowing

few headers are secured in

d) Fair Go material

reason for the eternal weight reduces the material to minimum, ignoring the recommendations of the leading textbooks, are not blocking, or pulleys, rope or spare, no light, no nothing. If a problem arises there is no equipment to act.

As an example we could mention the accident at the Buitrera where a person died was built in sink, as it has no blockers could do a hoist until firefighters arrived.

The latest rescue in a ravine, which we hear, that of the Vall Figuera Gouges had to make because they got dark and nobody had illuminated

e) not use neoprene or not the proper

seems incredible, but rare is the time that we come across someone in a ravine that runs swimsuit with that in summer it is hot, avoid the use of neoprene, which is always a hassle.

is also common in summer, wearing only the bottom, so the convenience is ignored if it is windy heat loss can result in hypothermia, and one person died and the Buitrera, in midsummer, for this reason.

not taken into account in a ravine that problems may arise and take more hours than planned and make the night even in these circumstances with only the bottom neoprene can go bad and pose a risk.

should be noted that Neoprene is appropriate for banks to 5 mm because wetsuits are also more suitable for surfing than for the canyoning (short, 3 mm , etc)

f) Uncoordinated

usually occurs because of communication difficulties that produces a water, not knowing the language of gestures, not to carry whistle, etc., which are produced two simultaneous jumps or jumps when there is someone in the pot, block someone rappelling, etc

Nosotros consideramos que es imprescindible que en todo grupo que entre en un barranco haya un líder, claro e indiscutible, que sea el que organice y de instrucciones.

Está mas que demostrado que los grupos que carecen de líder son pocos operativos y lentos a la hora de tomar decisiones, y no olvidemos que el agua te puede ahogar en minutos

g) Imprudencias

Este capitulo es muy extenso, como comentamos al principio hay mucha gente a la que le gusta risk: jump without checking the kettle abseiling inadequate anchorage, without insurance, enter into a ravine with bad weather conditions, etc.

h) Drug and / or alcohol abuse

A priori it seems incredible that people who practice extreme sports be so foolish as to use drugs during the practice activity, the reality is that there is more often than some might think, in fact, I only met a sports group in which no member has smoked his "canutito" before or during the activity.

Certainly it is a minority group members, but that may endanger the whole group, unfortunately, we have had to live, when two people from another group that did a ravine , abused, before making the ravine, alcohol and hashish, was evidently the first time we went out with them, and the last.

In this issue we believe that the presidents of sports groups should be more strict and prohibit the consumption of these substances, at least before and during the activity as we do, and, if necessary, remove the person of group.

few accidents really happen to the little that takes into account safety factors, but we must not forget that every accident is preventable, provided are typically caused by errors, mistakes which have incurred over and over again, but one of them produces a fatal outcome.

Safety Tips

Finally, we want to finish this article without mentioning the safety standards used by our group, many are known, but stress the importance implies respect for that This sport is a sport for enjoyment and not for our families to have to regret it practicásemos.

to) Before going into the ravine

-check that all the team have full individual , consisting of:

- Wetsuit 5 mm, two pieces
- canyoning Backpack ready to evacuate water
- Throw tight, necessary to float the bag
- Razor, is fundamental if we have to make rope cutting
- Whistle, with water not hear
- Food and water.
- Baga anchor, with their muskets
- rappelling carabiner grand opening (pear type or HMS)
- Carabiner Brake (Steel)
- Casco
- Harness
-
front - Suitable thermal blanket (it usually takes in the same town)

- Confirm by phone or online weather forecasts

- Tell someone who will not make the ravine the estimated time of arrival and the time at which would give notice to the rescue.

It is unusual to have someone in the group that is not on that trip or a family member, who is advised by telephone when it is over the cliff.

- Assign the order they will go down the ravine

b) progression in the ravine

- must always be organized, each person is assigned a place that should not change unless the leader tells you to.

- The group must be hierarchical, since it has been proven that well-organized, hierarchical groups are much more operational, so that each group must have a leader and a monitor or aide

- The guide, if necessary take it, is about 25 meters ahead of the group, the leader in head and tail monitor the group closes, it will never and under no circumstances exceed the member to close the group

- Security is established by visual pairs, that is, each member must always lead to another member in direct eye contact, is is given before departure. Never lost eye contact with your partner, in any case can be a single group member, without being in view of anyone.

- During the progression of each member expected to follow him and teaches him how to be of step, helping if necessary, that saves time and gains in security.

- not forced, or force anyone to do something that scares you, if you do not want to jump or are unsure, you install the rappel.

- carrying backpacks or PROGRESSION rescue was never released ahead in rappelling and slides, these bags must remain at the head if necessary use the material.

c) rappels

- strings preferably be used semi-static caving 10.5, in case the polypropylene used, exclusively for rappelling, wet and double.

- First floor monitor, always self-insured or secured in a loop, if no water or rappelling extendable if it is a cascade

- When the monitor is down, reports on the intercom, the leader, as is rappelling, comfortable areas, risks, etc and assured the descending. Will be responsible for singing the open string. The group hopes, in a safe place, that all fall, no progress on their own, unless you have a second leader.

- never were used when water is self-locking.

- The system of descent is: piranha, vertaco or eight and carabiner brake.

- The most knowledgeable person técnicos tenga debe de permanecer siempre en la cabecera, ya que es más fácil el socorro desde arriba que desde abajo.

- Para anclar la cuerda, se utilizará, por este orden, químicos, parabolt o spits.

- Nunca se anclará sobre elementos naturales (rocas, árboles, pilares o barandillas de puentes, etc) directamente, se utilizará cinta y maillons del 8 o anilla de descuelgue

- Siempre se utilizaran un mínimo de dos puntos de anclaje, en caso de que solo este instalado uno, se asegura con natural o empotradotes. Never be used a single point, unless the fall is to water deep enough to avoid damage in case of failure of the anchor.

- The rappelling rappels were mounted in detachable or extendable, as long as there is water

- The string never passes directly through the plate, if not lift ring is placed a maillon of 8.

- The anchor in the anchorages, never on the cord or chain that two anchors, if one fails, the accident occurs. On the other hand the friction with the cord damaged strings to recover much

- In the headers must always be secured with the baga.

d) Diving

- Never jump without first checking that the jump is safe. The change of flow in the gullies is normal so you can drag logs or stones have fallen bandin where previously it was possible to jump

- Only jump when there is enough water if we are not insurance, rappel, we must avoid at all costs ankle injuries.

- jump when the leader is indicated in the order assigned

- The monitor remains in the bandin to help you jump, if an incident occurs. In case of dangerous movements of water, be provided with rescue rope, ready for launch

- not force or pressure anyone to jump, a leap unsafe is very dangerous.

- Ensure the correct input position, arms or body lying close to fully stretched, the input speed can cause injury, and we can get easily to 50 km / h (in a jump of 10 meters)

Javier Rodríguez Escobar
President CD Isis
Chief Isis Unit . Psychological intervention in disasters

http://www.grupoisis.org email: javier@grupoisis.org