Training Levels
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Introduction to the Training Levels
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Foreword to our Training Levels

Foreword to our Training Levels

The aim of this document

This document should help answer the questions:

  1. “What is the next skill for me to learn?”
  2. “What skills do I need to run my own Caving Crew trips?”
  3. “How can I achieve the next skills?”
  4. “As the Crew training officer, what sort of training should I organise?”

Skills, Environment, Experience

In any caving trip, whether  the easiest or the hardest,  the group should be identified according to these different levels:

  1. Novices – someone who may need looking after
  2. Competent Cavers – someone who should be able to mostly look after themselves 

Other than personal skills there’s: 

  1. Leaders – someone who is able to look after themselves + others and is in charge of the trip
  2. Seconders – Informally designated competent cavers (or leader) who can assist the Leader

These skill levels vary according to the environment, for example: 

  • Someone who is a Novice in hard vertical caves may be a very good Leader in friendly horizontal caves.
  • A good leader in vertical Peak District caves, may be a novice in expedition caves or in caves with complex SRT.

In addition, an appropriate challenge may vary based on the environment and experience: 

  • a leader who is capable of leading Horizontal Trips in Carlswark Cavern may not have suitable experience to lead Daren Cilau despite them both being horizontal Caves.
  • A leader who is capable of leading a Giants Hole trip to the Crabwalk may not have the experience to run a Bar Pot to GG Main Chamber trip if they haven’t had similar experience.

In summary, all caves are different, therefore all experiences and skills are different in all levels. They vary according to the environment of the cave, and this should be identified where necessary.

Known issues:

  • Lack of clarity about
    • How you prove you know these skills and get “signed off”
    • How and where progression is recorded
  • There are a few places where methods have been specified directly – most memorably around knots and squeezes. It’s intended that any good practice method is allowable, and rewriting these bits to be less directive is intended at some point. 
  • “Caves this might allow someone to do” is clearly highly subjective and not absolute.
  • Arguably the SRT Coach Levels should be renamed without the word “SRT”
  • The Horizontal Leader level may need rewording and extra love, given that level is able to bring people to Horizontal Intermediate. Awareness of teaching skills etc. comes to mind.
  • There are various places that could almost certainly be reworded for clarity. Please help!

Suggestions of rewordings are always welcome!