Horizontal Intermediate

Personal Skills and Awareness

• Underground Hazards: Detailed knowledge of hazards such as flooding, rock falls, deep water, exposure to cold, getting lost, self rescue, and potential difficulties of rescue after even a minor accident. 
• Awareness of the effects of less immediate hazards, notably Radon Gas and Weils Disease. 
• Mine Hazards: Awareness of hazards such as unstable entrances and workings, poor ventilation, unsafe mine features, shafts, deep water, pollution, dangerous gases and getting lost.
• Etiquette: Cavers must understand the need to follow established access procedures and the need for respect and sensitivity towards the interests of farmers and landowners. 
• Conservation: Cavers should be aware of the vulnerability of the more popular sites and will be expected to set a good example at all times on the need to protect the underground environment.
• Hypothermia/exhaustion: Cavers should be familiar with the causes, symptoms, treatment and above all prevention of hypothermia in the underground environment and be aware of the risks of exhaustion for some people on longer trips.
• Weather and Flooding. 
• Cavers should be aware of the impact of the weather on underground activities. In particular those entering caves and mines with active stream ways should understand the different ways in which severe flooding and flood pulses/flash flooding could occur.
• What to do in the Event of an Accident Underground: Cavers should have a clear idea of their responsibilities and priorities in dealing with casualties and the rest of their parties. 
• The process for getting help if the leader is incapacitated should be considered. 
• They should be able to decide when self-help is appropriate and to organise this, including methods of aiding a partly incapacitated person in moving towards the surface. 
• They must know how to call out the local Cave or Mine Rescue Organisation in the event of an accident.
• Caving Crew leader kit – contents and purpose
• Group management aspects and responsibilities of caving in a group (‘the weakest link’).
• Seconding – what they do and what seconding looks like

Technical Skills

• Appropriate use of and reaction to “BELOW!”
• Movement in a cave:
• Spotting and safely negotiating, loose and slippery rocks
• Efficient movement over difficult terrain to conserve energy and reduce risk of injury
• How to do basic climbing
• How to chimney up a rift/enclosed climb
• How to wedge and slide to descend a rift
• How to traverse over rifts (different styles. Legs either side, site on one side. Identifying when to use which technique).
• How to use a handline to cross near fall risks
• How to use a handline to ascend a climb
• How to use a handline to descend a climb
• Understanding how to give basic peer aid (knee/hand up a climb, pulling through a squeeze) to fellow cavers in climbs/squeezes/tricky areas
• Recognising when you may pose a risk to other cavers (loose rocks, fall risk with people below you) and how to reduce this
• Tighter passages:
• Judging a squeeze based on your size.
• How to safely get through a squeeze (superman, beware tense shoulders, breath out, footholds, etc)
• A knowledge of of suitable lighting and common reasons for failure