A Sport and Rope Rescue Annotated Bibliography, by Thomas Evans
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Introduction:
Caving, climbing, canyoneering/canyoning, and rope rescue are complicated subjects that are integral to the professional practice of many rope users. Professional rescuers (fire service), mountain rescuers, rope access technicians, arborists, and recreational climbers and cavers all need to understand how to move up and down a rope and how to rescue themselves or others. The techniques used in each discipline are often similar or the same, though the devices used are different (e.g., cavers use racks, while climbers use ATC’s, etc.). As such each of these user communities has created teaching tools to learn their brand of rope use and rescue. What this has created is a huge array of written material that an interested student can wade through, which can be daunting and time consuming.
Because sport rope uses and rope rescue both involve elements of common sense, material properties, statistics, equipment advances, testing, and chance, they evolve rapidly producing increases in safety and ease of use. Safety improvements are wonderful since continual updates yield greater safety, while simultaneously making it difficult to keep up with the latest developments. As lay people we are often five to fifteen years behind learning new information since we do not have the time to read or find it all. It is also difficult to know where to look for information since it is not our full time job. It is particularly daunting for a novice when learning rope skills since everyone has a strong opinion that usually oppose the views of others. Where do we find quality information about rope techniques? Who do we trust? Unfortunately because of the proliferation of literature across rope using disciplines, there are many places to learn about rope work, however not all information is equally sound.
This literature review is intended to provide both a list of reputable references a student can access to learn techniques, but also a brief review to tell you what is in each resource. This can enable a student to study the material they wish to, from the appropriate source, and in the order that is most appropriate for them. As such the bibliography below is a good starting point to help you improve your personal vertical and rescue skills. Below each reference is a brief opinion concerning the usefulness of the resource, as well as some additional comments as I see fit. Keep in mind these are the opinions of the author alone and are subject to change as I learn and study more.
Note: Because this bibliography has gotten so large, the list of books is broken up by their intended audience (e.g., firefighters, cavers, canyoneers, etc.). Readers are encouraged to read through the citations intended for other disciplines so you can find other useful resources.
Canyoneering/Canyoning Technique Books: (Intended for those moving through canyons, all books have short sections on small party rescue techniques)
- Black, D., 2013. Canyoneering: A Guide to Techniques for Wet and Dry Canyons, Second Edition, Falcon Guides, Guilford, Connecticut
This book covers nearly every aspect of technical canyoneering, at least at the introductory level. Frequently the techniques are described with minimal explanation, so readers could probably perform the methods in a canyon but not know the strengths and weaknesses of the methods. Consequently this is an adequate introductory text, but I would encourage readers to study additional materials to learn how the methods work (e.g., read a climbing anchors book). In a couple of places some techniques are taught that are physically strenuous where other techniques would be more efficient, so readers should know that cross training in another discipline would improve their canyoneering rope usage. - Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino E Speleologico, 2013, Manuale Tecnico Do Soccorso In Forra, Progressione E Soccorso In Canyon, Direzione Corp Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico, Milano, Italy
Buy this book. This is a fantastic guide to canyoning, though it is written in Italian, so English speakers will have a harder time understanding all the content. It is worth noting that this book is incredibly well illustrated, so if you do not read Italian (like myself) you can still learn the vast majority of the techniques taught. So this is a must have book for those descending wet canyons. This is not a canyoneering guide to dry canyons in the desert southwest, but rather a guide to canyons that have copious flowing water. So many of the techniques seem a bit risky, however they are optimized for limited time on rope in a flow. As such, this book provides a different philosophy to rigging than other canyoneering books. There is a greater reliance on bolts, often the techniques are hard on gear (e.g., cutting ropes when an emergency is encountered, etc.), and it assumes a higher basal rope proficiency for the user. All around this is a great book, but it is not appropriate for the beginner because many of the concepts discussed really require understanding the fundamentals of ropework in advance of reading this text. - Jeffrey, Darren, McDaniel, Travis, 2010, Canyoneering Anchors and Basic Rope Systems, AuthorHouse, Indiana
This book is unique because it tackles the issue of anchor construction for one specific sport, canyoneering. The content is standard fare in canyoneering, so it is a great resource for individuals entering the sport. In addition, it also has a really interesting philosophy toward anchor construction that is absent in all other books on this list. For this reason alone, I would recommend purchasing the book. The authors also include research data in the text, which makes it unique for many guide books. The drawback is that some of the discussions of anchor construction are brief in terms of what they are considering, and how to handle some of the marginal anchors. So while it is geared for beginners, some veteran rope users will see some glaring omissions. For example, there is never a discussion of how to rappel over a lip while minimally weighting/stressing an incredibly marginal anchor even though marginal anchor construction is included in the text. However, of the many anchor construction guides on the market, this is clear, easy to read, and well-illustrated, so beginning canyoneers would benefit from purchasing and reading this book. - Prattley, Grant, Clearwater Daniel, 2020, Canyoning Technical Manual, Over the Edge Rescue
This is an excellently written and illustrated canyoning technique spiral bound book. The techniques presented are simple, so this is a wonderful book for the beginner who would like to learn the basics plus a few simple rescue techniques. It covers basically all content you would need to go caving in wet canyons, including trip planning, what equipment to take, teamwork, movement through canyons, and how to tackle water hazards. The vertical work is simple, providing just one way to do most things, but the techniques work and are tried and true. It covers rappelling and ascending, knots, anchors, basic rigging, belaying and the basics of simple rescues. As such, this is an excellent guide for a beginner, and should be included on any canyoneers shelf. However, if you have years of experience, this book will probably not provide many new techniques. - Van Tilburg, Christopher, 2000, Canyoneering: Beginning to Advanced Techniques, The Mountaineers, Seattle, WA
This book is an excellent introduction to canyoneering in the broadest sense of the term. It discusses the most basic skills needed to traverse and hike canyons, with very little discussion of how to utilize ropes in canyon. As such, this is a great place to start for those interested in getting into the sport in the very beginning. However, it is inappropriate for those who are interested in learning rope related skills. It would be better to get any of the other books on this list to learn rope skills. So, for new canyoneers, with little outdoor training and experience, buy this book. For those with more experience interested in learning rope related skills, forego this book in favor of others on this list. - Annerino, John, 1999, Canyoneering, How to Explore the Canyons of the Great Southwest, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
This book is a great introduction to canyoneering in general; however, it provides only a few pages covering roped techniques for moving through a canyon. As such, readers would be better getting any other book on this list than reading this book to learn any rope related skills.
Single Rope Technique Books: (Intended for cavers, most have short sections on small party rescue techniques)
- Ecole Francaise de Speleologie, 2013, Caving Technical Guide, English Edition, Federation Francaise de Speleologie, France
This is a relatively short book, easily accessible/easy to read, and designed as a training manual for beginning French cavers. The book is well illustrated with pictures and sketches, making the material easily accessible to the reader. It appears to be written for a motivated beginner because many of the techniques described are written with less detail, so the reader has to look at the pictures to get all the information. With that said, the book has a variety of techniques not seen in US or other UK influenced caving manuals, so it is well worth owning for a beginner caver to study from. Lastly, its production quality is superb; the book looks professionally written, edited, and composed, so the reader knows a considerable amount of time was spent developing the book for use. - Elliot, D., 1986. Single Rope Technique: A Training Manual, Troll Safety Equipment, Oldham
This is a short older single rope technique guide for cavers. It is clearly and simply written, however, for the competent rescuer or vertical caver who has read and understands On Rope and Alpine Caving Techniques, it is unnecessary. It was written as a mid level text, and as such, is superseded by On Rope and Alpine Caving Techniques. With that said, those interested in understanding where modern cave access and rescue techniques came from would be interested in owning this text. - Federation Francaise De Speleologie, 2014, L'utilisation des techniques <<legeres>> en speleologie, Les Cahiers De L'E.F.S. No. 14
This is an exceptionally short book designed to show new French cavers the basics of vertical caving. It does not have extensive text or step by step instructions, rather it is a list of skills people can use to remember what they have learned. Given that the French have a caving school, this is really meant as a reminder to students what they learned in their classes. As such, I think it is a great addition to a cavers library, but is not that important when it comes to "must have" books for new cavers because it lacks the training component that can be found in other texts.
Note: This book is now available free online here. It can be downloaded directly here and here as well. - Marbach, G., and Tourte, B., 2002. Alpine Caving Techniques: A Complete Guide to Safe and Efficient Caving, First English Edition, Urs Widmer, Switzerland
This is an incredible book written as a guide to caving techniques in Europe. It is a standard work in Europe covering SRT and small party rescue techniques so it is a must have for a serious rope user. It provides a different and valuable perspective on rigging than that found in On Rope (the US equivalent text). This should also be part of all rescuer’s and vertical caver’s libraries. - Meredith, M., and Martinez, D., 1986. Vertical Caving, Second Edition, Lyon Equipment, Dent, United Kingdom
This short publication is practical and provides sound advice for cavers interested in learning cave access given the time it was written. Presently it is out of date, so it primarily provides a student with perspective of where SRT was and where it is headed. This book is only recommended to people interested in the history of technique development and those filling out their rope use libraries. - Montgomery, N. R., 1977. Singe Rope Techniques: A Guide for Vertical Cavers, Sydney Speleological Society, Sydney, Australia
A well referenced technique guide written for Australian cavers. While this is book is out of date, it gives the student a perspective of where SRT used to be and how problems can be solved with minimal equipment. It is the first Australian version of On Rope, so it is useful to have in a vertical cavers library, though other rope users might find it less useful. - Smith, B., and Padgett, A., 1996. On Rope: North American Vertical Rope Techniques, New Revised Edition, National Speleological Society, Huntsville Alabama
Buy this book. It is a standard work covering most techniques in SRT and rescue and should be a part of all rescuer’s and vertical caver’s libraries. While it is written for cavers, it covers topics from lead climbing to circus rigging, so it is an essential read for serious rope users. It is also one of the most frequently cited books in the many other references on this list, so it is important to have a copy to understand what techniques others are referencing. - Warild, A., 2007. Vertical: A Technical Manual for Cavers, Fifth Edition, Published by Alan Warild, Newtown, Australia
This book is the Australian equivalent to On Rope and Alpine Caving Techniques. It is practical, well written, and covers a different rigging philosophy to that in On Rope. While it is written for cavers, it is accessible and covers equipment more commonly found in other portions of the world, and as such, it is a useful addition to a riggers library.
Note: This book is now available free online here.
Cave Rescue Books: (Intended as guides for those interested in cave rescue specifically)
- Cartaya, Eddy, Speact, Rick, 2019, SPAR, Small Party Assisted Rescue: Expedition and Small Party Rescue Techniques, First Edition, Vertically Speaking, Printed in China
This is a unique book on this list because it is specifically written to aid people in performing rescues with minimal equipment and personnel. It contains many very useful techniques and includes descriptions of techniques not found in most rope rescue books on the market. However, it is also unique in being singularly poorly edited, quite verbose in places, and has a consistent problem with busy and overly cluttered pages. While the content of this book is good, and will provide most rescuers a suite of new techniques to apply to problems, some of the content is difficult to access due to the editing problems in the publication. There is also a philosophical problem in the work as well. While it sets out to present minimal equipment rescue solutions, often the solutions presented are equipment and personnel intensive, while overlooking simpler and easier solutions. Similarly, it claims to present general techniques for all environments, however, the equipment used, and the basal skills assumed in the rescuers, can only be found in the caving community. As such, this book is really geared toward cavers and cave rescue, and provides little practical value for most above ground rescuers.
Note: I contributed to this book, so my review is biased. So please take my review with a grain of salt. - Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino E Speleologico, 2015, Cave Rescue Techniques, Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico, Milano, Italy
If you are interested in cave rescue, download or buy this book. This is a well written, well-illustrated guide to cave rescue techniques in Italy. This is the English translation of the next book on this list, and is a welcome inclusion to the rigging guides for cave rescue. The rigging philosophy presented in this book is markedly different than that used in the United States, so readers in the US should be aware they are working from a different set of assumptions. As such, this is a really good book to read to get a different perspective on cave rigging. The techniques employed are all based on one system (with some variations), and that system relies heavily on bolting. Generally the techniques are gear intensive, and often put high forces on the anchors. This can partially be explained because the book is written to train people in callout cave rescue, rather than smaller party rescue techniques. There is also a reliance on ascenders in the system for progress capture rather than soft interfaces (e.g., prusiks). As such, the techniques described here do require a higher basal rope proficiency than techniques taught in the US. With all that said, it is a great book that cave rescuers should certainly own.
Note: This book is now available free online here. This is a fantastic book, so if your primary language is English, then buy it in English. - Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino E Speleologico, 2013, Tecniche di soccorso in grotto, Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico, Milano, Italy
If you are interested in cave rescue, buy this book. This is a well written, well-illustrated guide to cave rescue techniques in Italy. It is written in Italian, so English speakers will find much of the text difficult to access, however it is professionally illustrated so most of the techniques can be learned effectively through the pictures. The rigging philosophy presented in this book is markedly different than that used in the United States, so readers in the US should be aware they are working from a different set of assumptions. As such, this is a really good book to read to get a different perspective on cave rigging. The techniques employed are all based on one system (with some variations), and that system relies heavily on bolting. Generally the techniques are gear intensive, and often put high forces on the anchors. There is also a reliance on ascenders in the system for progress capture rather than soft interfaces (e.g., prusiks). As such, the techniques described here do require a higher basal rope proficiency than techniques taught in the US. With all that said, it is a great book that cave rescuers should certainly own.
Note: This book has been translated into English, and is now available free online here. This is a fantastic book, so if your primary language is English, then buy it in English. - Federation Francaise de Speleologie, 2006. Cave Rescuer’s Manual, English Edition, Beta, France.
This small book details the cave rope rescue techniques used in France. Presently it is difficult to obtain a copy in English, which is not such a problem because the content of the book is covered in other books on this list. It is by no means necessary to own because it leaves out many details in what appears to be the assumption that the reader has obtained training within the French cave rescue organization. As such, this book is not particularly important to have on your shelf. However, it does show how to implement a rescue utilizing only the equipment carried by people on a vertical caving trip. This makes it an interesting read, in large part, because the book does not use soft interfaces (prusiks) for rope grabs, which means many of the methods they use are modified so they can be built with ascenders. - Hempel, John, Fregeau-Conover, Annette, 2001, On Call, A Complete Reference for Cave Rescue, 2001 Edition, National Speleological Society, Inc., Huntsville, Alabama
This second generation cave rescue manual was, for over a decade, the best cave rescue text available from the US caving community. Recently the National Cave Rescue Commission has produced a new manual to replace this book. As such, this manual is out of date. However, like the cave rescue manuals before it, this book is an excellent addition to a cavers bookshelf to help give context for the techniques that we use and train with today. It is likely that serious cave rescuers will find this book a welcome addition to their home library, while others may find this book to be less useful. - Hudson, Steve, Lawrence, Judi, 1988, Manual of U.S. Cave Rescue Techniques, Second Edition, National Speleological Society, Inc., Huntsville, Alabama
This book is now out of date, so it is not necessary to own. However, it is a useful book to have on cavers bookshelves because it gives context to the methods we teach today. The book was pioneering because it was entirely dedicated to cave rescue and was the forerunner of the many modern cave rescue texts. As such, cavers may find this book to be a welcome addition to their bookshelves as a means of understanding the context of modern cave rescue training, techniques, and instruction. - Merchant, D., 2007. Life On A Line: The Underground Rope Rescue Manual, Published by Lulu.com
This book is exceptionally well written, funny, technically accurate, engaging, and all around a fantastic read. This should be on all rescuers and cavers shelves since it covers both SRT and rescue topics well and walks through how to think about rigging problems. This is a unique book in that it is the funniest and most engaging read of all the documents on this list. - Mirza, Anmar, 2015, Manual of U.S. Cave Rescue Techniques, 3rd Edition, Version 2.0, National Speleological Socitey, Huntsville, Alabama
This book is the latest edition of U.S. cave rescue techniques, though the quality of this text is not as high as some of the other recently published cave rescue manuals. The text does a great job of covering a variety of topics in cave rescue, many of which are not covered in the above works. However, the book is primarily text, so to learn the material you have to read it thoroughly. The lack of copious pictures and diagrams is a distinct drawback. Similarly, the text has many typological errors, so reading it can be a bit distracting because there are so many small errors. However, this text is notable because it contains descriptions of rigging techniques that are not found in any of the texts in this entire bibliography. So this is a useful book to have on your shelf if you are a rescuer, just expect to need a little patience when reading it.
(Note: My review of this text is biased because I am one of the authors of the text. So take my comments with a grain of salt.)
Arborist Books: (Books designed to teach rope access for tree workers)
- Jepson, Jeff, Kotwica, Bryan, 2000, The Tree Climber’s Companion, A Reference and Training Manual For Professional Tree Climbers, 2nd Edition Revised and Expanded, Beaver Tree Publishing, Longville, Minnesota
A short but surprisingly thorough guide to accessing and working in trees, it is recommended for anyone interested in learning how to perform roped arborist work. Unfortunately, the field has moved forward rapidly since the publication of this guide, so it is woefully out of date. However, this book covers simple, safe, and effective means of accessing tree canopies and working within them. Those working in trees would do well to learn these skills, and update them with modern equipment, hitches, and techniques. Because this book focuses on the basics, it is a must read, just keep in mind that you should seek further training and education with additional books on this list. - Jepson, Jeff, Kotwica, Bryan, 2009, To Fell A Tree, A Complete Guide to Successful Tree Felling and Woodcutting Methods, Beaver Tree Publishing, Longville, Minnesota
This is a marvelous book on how to fell trees without accessing the canopy, so no rigging is taught within its pages. For those interested in felling trees, this is a great guide, but it is not recommended for those interested in using rigging to fell, limb, and buck trees.
Slacklining Books: (Books that teach how to rig and use slacklines)
- Ashburn, Haley, Rogers, Scott, 2013, How to Slackline! A Comprehensive Guide to Rigging and Walking Techniques for Tricklines, Longlines, and Highlines, FalconGuides, Guilford, Connecticut
As one of the few books on the market teaching slackline rigging and use, this book is essential for slackliners to have on their book shelves. However, this book is missing some important content and occasionally reads like an extended advertisement for some companies. This book provides a useful and effective introduction to the basics of slackline rigging and use. When it comes to more complicated rigging the book falls short of explaining the underlying physics and how to mitigate the problems inherent in using slacklines. Particularly, slacklining stresses anchors in a way no other discipline does, and this book provides inadequate training in complex anchor construction, a fact that it is aware of. As such, this is a great book for beginners, but should be supplemented with other texts to learn and understand more complicated anchor construction. Lastly, in multiple places it reads like an advertisement for some companies, which was distracting and left me wondering how objective some of the other advice in the book was.
Climbing Books: (Here I cast a wide net for books on any type of climbing; sport, trad, big wall, etc.)
- Gaines, B., 2013. Rappelling: Rope Descending and Ascending Skills for Climbing, Caving, Canyoneering, and Rigging, Falcon Guides, Guilford, Connecticut
This is a good introductory text for rappelling. As such, experienced users probably do not need to read this book, but beginners would be well served buying and reading this manual. It covers anchors (fixed, and natural), knots, different rappelling devices and methods, how to rappel, climbing rappelling, single rope rappelling, canyoneering techniques, and ends with rope ascending methods. All of the subjects are covered as surveys of the important points, often glossing over details. As such, this book is the first step in learning rappelling, but should not be the last. For example, there is only a page and a quarter on rappel rack use, most appropriate for caving or long rappels, so cavers should clearly seek further instruction if they wish to use that device. In short, this book is a great introductory text that should be followed by reading additional resources in this bibliography. - Fasulo, David, 1996, Self-Rescue, Falcon Guides, The Globe Pequot Press, Guilford, Connecticut
This is an excellent book and was well ahead of its time. A short work of only 99 pages, it presents a climber centered how to guide for how to perform rescues of a partner during climbing. The figures are delightfully illustrated and clearly show how to perform each technique. Directions are provided in order so they are easy to understand. However, only one method is taught for each technique, so it is quite prescriptive. As such, this book is not up to date, though it is still useful decades years later. Because it is out of date, it is not my first choice for a rescue book, however, to a scholar of rope rescue, this is an essential book to have on the shelf. It shows where we, as a community, were, and compared to later works, shows where we are headed. As such, for a beginner, there are more important books to have on the shelf, but to a student of rope rescue, this is required reading. - Fasulo, D., and Clelland, M., 2011. Self-Rescue, Second Edition, Falcon Guides, Guilford, Connecticut
This is an excellent book well worth the read for recreational users. I will even go so far as saying that professional rescuers should read this book to understand the mentality of those they are rescuing in the back-country. The most important aspect of this book is the philosophy it espouses, which is twofold. First, the idea that if you can help in your own rescue (or the rescue of a party member), then you can and should. This philosophy speeds up rescues, making rescues more efficient, often improving patient outcomes, and generally reducing the rescue load on professional rescuers. Second, the techniques advocated are more efficient than in the previous edition, which usually involves directly transitioning from sport rigging to rescue rigging. The book is broken into logical sections that explain the need for the techniques presented, explains the setup, provides step by step instructions, and informative illustrations. It is rounded up with rescue case studies and analysis as well as suggestions for personal practice. This is a must have book. It is important to note that some of the techniques presented are energy intensive, which is okay for the target audience (in shape climbers). For other sport disciplines, with less fit practitioners (e.g. caving or canyoneering), some of the methods would be more difficult to accomplish. - Long, John, Croft, Peter, 2014, The Trad Climber’s Bible, Falcon Guides, Gilford, Connecticut
This is an excellent book appropriate for the correct audience. A fantastically written book that is both engaging and enthralling which made this reviewer, an avid caver, want to pick up climbing. The book is a series of stories written by seasoned climbers that explain important events in their climbing careers and what they learned from them. The lessons are critically important to avid outdoor users of nearly any kind, so the content and delivery are exceptional. Most lessons focus on how to learn any advanced outdoor skill, and how to practice them. As such, I would recommend this book for any person who wants to learn how to learn an outdoor sport of any kind, particularly climbing. However, this book does not teach any climbing techniques per se. So a user wanting to learn climbing technique or how to use ropes and rigging would find little value in this book. As such, this book is not appropriate for someone who wants a book that will teach them how to use ropes and rigging, but it is appropriate for someone who wants to learn how to learn new skills and the philosophy they should take towards practice and lifelong learning. - Long, J., and Gaines, B., 2013. Climbing Anchors, Third Edition, Falcon Guides, Guilford, Connecticut
Buy this book. This reference covers the philosophy of anchor rigging, the basics of natural and artificial anchors, and even provides testing data to support the rigging practices advocated. This is a must have reference guide for those who will be building anchors that support human loads (recreational rope users and rescue users). What is particularly valuable is the relatively small amount of text there is in the book in favor of providing many pictures with written commentary. This excellent format makes learning the material much easier by showing realistic scenarios and providing expert commentary to draw the novice eye to the appropriate or relevant material. The only drawback is that the data sets graphed in the book have not yet been published in a public location where others can assess the data quality. So while I highly recommend this book, one of its greatest strengths (the reporting of new testing data) is also one of its greatest weaknesses (the lack of data transparency). - Long, J., and Gaines, B., 2007. Climbing Anchors: Field Guide, Falcon Guides, Guilford, Connecticut
This little pocket guide covers the vast majority of the content in Climbing Anchors, by John Long and Bob Gaines, presented primarily in the form of pictures. For someone who wants a quick review or a good study aid, this is an excellent resource. This field guide is no substitute for reading the full book, but it is a great way to remind yourself the content of the book. With all this said, if you need a field guide to perform the activities in the field you should probably spend more time studying and practicing in a safe environment before going out to recreate. - Long, John, and Gaines, Bob, 1996, More Climbing Anchors, Chockstone Press, Evergreen, Colorado
An iconic book about rock climbing anchors that serious climbers should have on their book shelves. The book consists of analyses of 52 different climbing anchors, including pictures of each anchors and a discussion of their strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, the content is out of date, so the comments about each anchor and how they suggest the anchors could be improved are not up to modern standards. So beginners would find this book confusing. However, for those who have a strong handle on building climbing anchors using modern techniques, this book is invaluable. Experienced anchor builders can use the book as a study aid by analyzing each anchor, then reading the authors’ comments. While their analyses are not complete, they do give the reader significantly more information about each anchor. As such, the book is definitely recommended for veteran anchor builders, but is probably not useful for beginners. Other books on this list would be better choices. - Luebben, C., 2007, Rock Climbing Anchors: A Comprehensive Guide, Mountaineers Books, Seattle, Washington
This is an excellent addition to a rigging library. This book covers many ways to create climbing and multipoint anchors in a variety of environments and configurations. Frequently the advice is illustrated with clear pictures and often includes tables with relevant strengths and properties. One of its greatest strengths is the inclusion of considerable detail that allows a reader to fine tune their rigging and use faster than other texts. However, generally it reads similarly to a textbook, providing the relevant detail just in a way that is less engaging. The only significant drawback to this book is that it does not include some of the recent advances in our understanding of anchors. So while I encourage people to buy and read this book, it is important to read some more recent work as well to get up to date. - Luebben, C., and Soles, C., 2011. Knots for Climbers, Third Edition, Falcon Guides, Guilford, Connecticut
This short book is a must have on a recreational rope user’s, or rescuer’s shelf. It clearly illustrates how to tie the most commonly used knots in climbing (most vertical work), is well written, and includes brief descriptions of what each knot can be used for. An all-around excellent and quick read. It could be improved with a better discussion of knot dressing, tightening, and rope efficiency, but this is only a minor oversight in the text. Buy this book. - McNamara, Chris, 2012, How To Big Wall Climb, SuperTopo, Mill Valley, California
A more apt name for this short book would be “A Training Program for Aid Climbing El Cap”. This book champions the philosophy of climbing light, fast, and ensuring you are solid on the basics of climbing. In this regard, this is an excellent book. Unfortunately, the book leaves out many details that the author assumes the reader already knows from years of climbing. So this book is really not for novice climbers. It is a book written for climbers who wish to start aid climbing and have a background in rope use and management already. There are also a few notable issues in content. For example, the text correctly points out the dangers inherent during cleaning a traverse or pendulum, but fails to point out that a carabiner can be clipped into the upper holes of an ascender to keep it on the rope when ascenders are loaded at odd angles. Similarly, the discussion of rappelling (bailing) with a haul bag and ascending (jugging), both include information that is incomplete leading to inefficient equipment use. As such, this book is recommended for those interested in climbing El Cap, and big wall climbing in general. But it should not be a readers only source of information regarding how to big wall climb because of its omissions of basic information, techniques, and thorough treatment of how to use equipment. - Shepherd, N., 2007. The Complete Guide to Rope Techniques: A Comprehensive Handbook for Climbers, Falcon Guides, Guilford, Connecticut
This is one of the more unique books on this list because it is written from the perspective of a climbing guide in the United Kingdom. Like most rope use, techniques differ across the globe, so it was not a surprise to find differences in technique between the American techniques and those in the book. I recommend reading this little book, if for no other reason, than to see how other people perform the same tasks. I also learned a couple of very helpful techniques I have yet to see in US based climbing and rescue guides. Generally this book conveys information through text, so reading is the way to get through it. The pictures that are included are great, but the reader must read the text to understand the figures appropriately. In short, it is a unique guide that I would recommend to any climber or mountain rescuer interested in expanding their horizons or filling out their rigging library. - Tyson, A., and Loomis, M., 2006. Climbing Self-Rescue: Improvised Solutions for Serious Situations, Mountaineers Books, Seattle, Washington
This is a great book and well worth the read for recreational users. The book covers most aspects of a small party rescue in the context of climbing. Techniques are described clearly and frequently illustrated. However, this text relies on the written word over pictures, so if you are a visual learner this will be a more difficult to access guide. Personally I found this book a little more confusing that other similar texts, but it is still a valuable resource recreational rope users should consider owning. With all this said, the book is worth owning for the scenarios section alone. The authors provide hypothetical situations and explain how they would solve the problems. This provides students the opportunity to creatively apply what they have learned, and thus practice the cognitive side of self-rescue. This is a unique section of the book, one that makes it a singularly useful study aid for the recreational rope user.
Snow and Ice Climbing, and Glacier Travel Books: (Most intended for recreational users)
- Gadd, Will, Chayer, Rodger, 2003, Ice & Mixed Climbing, Modern Technique, The Mountaineers Book, Seattle, Washington
There are few books that teach how to ice climb, and this is a good introduction to the sport. Clearly written by someone who actively climbs, the book provides practical advice on how to climb more comfortably and efficiently. The text is laced with tips on how to stay warm and take care of your body while moving through a hostile environment. Of particular note is the thorough explanation and advice on how to train for ice climbing that is rooted in understanding fitness holistically, which was refreshing to read. As such, this is an excellent resource for a beginner ice climber. However, the book is weak in teaching rope skills, and the very basics of ice climbing equipment. The text essentially assumes the reader has a climbing background, so the nuances of belaying, anchor construction, etc., can be learned elsewhere. So the text is best thought of as a way of helping a competent climber become an ice climber. If you want to learn rope work for climbing, this is not the book for you, but if you are already a climber and want to try ice climbing, this is a fantastic resource. - Selters, Andy, 1999, Glacier Travel & Crevasse Rescue, Second Edition, The Mountaineers, Seattle, Washington
This is a thorough glacier travel and rescue book that is more in depth than other books on this list. The content is unsurpassed, though it is not as well illustrated as other texts on this list. For a reader interested in glacier travel, this is a must read as it is an extension of other books on the list. Like other glacier travel books, this text confines itself to techniques used in glacier travel alone, so is not recommended for those interested in broader rigging and rescue skills. - Tyson, Andy, and Clelland, Mike, 2009, Glacier Mountaineering, An Illustrated Guide to Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue, Falcon Guides, Guilford, Connecticut
This is a fun and engaging book that teaches basic glacier travel and rescue. The content is clearly written, excellently illustrated, and all with a sense of humor. One of the more fun books to read on this entire list, it provides excellent advice on how to manage ropes during glacier travel and rescue. Unlike most books, it spends most time teaching the reader how to prevent problems, usually through providing rope management tricks, rather than diving in to more complicated rigging or rescue techniques. Philosophically well grounded, it would be a great addition to any library for someone interested in recreating in snow and ice. However, those interested in broader rigging texts, this is not for you. Nearly all the content is specific to glacier travel; however, because that is the intended purpose of the book, it achieves its objectives admirably.
Rope Rescue Books: (Most of these books are primarily written for the Fire Service)
- Brennan, K., 1999. Rope Rescue for Firefighting, Fire Engineering Books
A well written introductory text designed for fire service personnel. This book is a great reference for those individuals in the fire service and on professional rope rescue teams, though it is not as well illustrated as it could be. It covers many topics related to activities in the fire service, but not applicable to recreational rope users. - Briggs, Tom, 2013. Vertical Academy, Briggs, Milton Keynes, UK
This is a well written fire service rescue book. The intent is clearly to be an all purpose training manual that covers everything from personal skills to team competencies. Of the fire service rescue books, this is the most comprehensive. This book is necessary to have in a rescue library. It should be noted that in a few places the material presented disagrees with other training manuals, so critically reading it for its strengths and weaknesses is important. - Brown, M.G., 2000. Engineering Practical Rope Rescue Systems, Delmar, Thompson Learning, United States
This book is a technical manual for fire service personnel designed to teach you how to engineer rescue systems. I found this book a great read, but it was also hard to read in places, often getting bogged down in technical details of rigging. If you plan on spending copious time rigging this is a good addition to your library. - CMC Rescue, 1997. Rope Rescue Manual Field Guide, Third Edition, CMC Rescue Inc., Santa Barbara California
This is the field guide companion to the next book written for the professional fire service rescuer. If you need a field guide to perform the skills in the book, you probably should not be doing them. However, spiral bound field guides are handy study aids. - Frank, J.A., 2014. CMC Rope Rescue Manual, Revised Fourth Edition, CMC Rescue Inc., Santa Barbara, California
This edition of the manual is a considerable improvement over the third edition. The text is much longer, however the topics covered are more and in greater depth. The figures have improved as has the information density. Bang per buck, this manual has more than the other fire service targeted texts. In addition, CMC added the results of some of their testing, an addition that makes this volume unique because no other volume includes testing data (but see Climbing Anchors, which also has testing data). With all this said, some of the subjects are covered only briefly, which is probably a function of page limits. This is an important book to own if you are developing your own rigging library. (Note: I need to disclose a conflict of interest here. CMC gave me a copy of this manual without me asking for one, so I am not entirely unbiased in my appraisal of the content.) - Frank, J.A., 1998. CMC Rope Rescue Manual, Third Edition, CMC Rescue Inc., Santa Barbara, California
This book is a simple introductory rescue manual written for fire service professionals. Of the texts on this list, this is the most introductory, so it is the least advanced of the texts. This would be good as an introduction to rope work for a fire fighter, but for any other user other references in this list would be more appropriate. - Frank, J.A., and Patterson, D. E., 1997. CMC Rappel Manual, Second Edition, CMC Rescue, Inc., Santa Barbara, California
This training guide is intended for members of the fire service who have limited exposure to rappelling and climbing rope. As such, this book is simplistic and generally written at a lower level. It is a useful introductory guide to those with no rope experience in the fires service however in most cases you would be better to read any of the other books on this list a second time than to study extensively from this reference. - Frank, James A., Smith, Jerrold B., 1987, Rope Rescue Manual, California Mountain Company, Ltd., Santa Barbara, California
This is a refreshing book to read; while an older text, the tone is practical and the advice provided is pragmatic. Many of the techniques taught in this edition are out of date (still functional!), but the philosophy of rescue that permeates the text is timeless. This first edition of the CMC Rope Rescue Manual was clearly written by cavers who were well versed in rescue, making this book unique among the rescue books written for above ground rescue. Cavers tend to be practical in their rescue systems, and this guide delivers this practicality. I would recommend this book for any student of rope rescue who wants to study the beginnings of rope rescue and how many techniques are extensions of sport rope usage (like caving). It also provides example rescues users can read for examples of how rescues can be performed, a unique section not found in other rigging guides. Lastly, this book provides descriptions for obscure ways of moving patients horizontally not on a highline. As such, this is a valuable resource for more “quick and dirty” methods that many rescuers have never been exposed to. In short, if you are a student of rope rescue, buy this book, if you simply want to learn modern rescue rigging, this is not the book for you. - Hirst, Ben A., 2006. Exam Prep: Technical Rescue Ropes and Rigging, Jones and Bartlett, Massachusetts
This short exam preparation book embraces the concept of teaching to the test. It is intended for a fire service rigger taking multiple choice certification exams, so it walks through a pre defined study regime and practice tests covering the material that will be on the certification exam. The pedagogy used is sound, and the study techniques are also sound. Unfortunately the learning that takes place is entirely book learning, which is arguably less important than being able to physically carry out the tasks required of a rigger. In addition, it focuses on factual memory recall rather than higher order thinking skills (e.g., creatively rigging), so it is only appropriate for those individuals who are interested in studying for certification exams, rather than learning rigging and rescue for their own personal interest. - Hirst, Ben A., 2008. Exam Prep: Technical Rescue High Angle, Jones and Bartlett, Massachusetts
This short exam preparation book embraces the concept of teaching to the test. It is intended for a fire service rigger taking multiple choice certification exams, so it walks through a pre defined study regime and practice tests covering the material that will be on the certification exam. The pedagogy used is sound, and the study techniques are also sound. Unfortunately the learning that takes place is entirely book learning, which is arguably less important than being able to physically carry out the tasks required of a rigger. In addition, it focuses on factual memory recall rather than higher order thinking skills (e.g., creatively rigging), so it is only appropriate for those individuals who are interested in studying for certification exams, rather than learning rigging and rescue for their own personal interest. - Lipke, R., 1997. Technical Rescue Riggers Guide, Revised Edition, Conterra Technical Systems Inc., Bellingham, Washington
Good small spiral bound field guide, and worth owning. Of the rope rescue field guides this is the best. If you need a field guide to perform the skills in the book, you probably should not be doing them. However, spiral bound field guides are handy study aids. This guide works well as a set of flashcards with which one can study. So I would recommend owning it for use as a study guide for those in the fires service or mountain rescue - Matthews, J., 2009. Technical Rescuer: Rope Levels I and II, Delmar, Cengage Learning, Clifton Park, New York
This book is intended as a training manual for members of the fire service, and as such, it has learning objectives, hypothetical examples, self test questions, etc. Generally the information covered was simplistic and formulaic, with the author presenting only one or two ways of solving a rescue related problem. Other technical rescue guides are more thorough, so this is really only useful as an introductory guide or to fill out a rigging library. - Prattley, Grant, 2021, Rope Rescue & Rigging Field Guide (3rd edition), Over The Edge Rescue
A well written and illustrated spiral bound field guide. It covers most topics in technical rescue, so is a useful resource for a trained rescuer. If you are planning on learning rescue, pick another title. However, it is an excellent guide for those with training and experience as a means of refreshing information. As with all field guides, if you need a field guide to help you perform a rope rescue, you should not be attempting a rescue. It is a fantastic study aid, however. - Pendley, R., 2003. The Essential Technical Rescue Field Operations Guide, Third Edition, Desert Rescue Research, Arizona
A good well written small spiral bound field guide. This pamphlet covers many rescue topics outside of rope rescue, and as such is a good resource, but to a professional rescuer not a recreational rope user. If you need a field guide to help you perform rope rescues, you should not be attempting a rescue. Pamphlets are handy study aids, however. - Rhodes, Pat, 2013. A Practitioner’s Study: About Rope Rescue Rigging, Rhodes
This rope rescue book is unique in that it contains the musings of a rigger, in more or less an organized fashion. It is written for fire service riggers, but contains a mix of rigging philosophies and light techniques. This book is not appropriate for a beginning rigging student, as many of the concepts are not developed or explained well. Rather this text is appropriate for a more senior rigger with more experience and background. It is notable that some of the subjects are covered so briefly that understanding requires extensive prior knowledge. In addition there are frequent typos, suggesting that the editing was not complete when sent to print. - Rhodes, Pat, 2014. Rhodie’s Guide to Rescue Knot