When: 31st March – 4th April 2025

Location: Mt Victoria, Blue Mountains, Australia

Cost: $A2,750 (inc GST)

Focus: Vertical rescue in natural areas

Content

My experience is working with rope to solve problems.  Sometimes operational constraints require trade-offs.  Remote locations, overnight equipment, patient needs, team size, etc.   While vehicle based responses will likely use 11mm rope based systems with full body harnesses, true small-team remote responses may justify 9.5mm or even 8mm rope systems and sit harnesses.  These decisions, and the reduced capacity of these systems must be understood and taken seriously by the whole team.  The best way to develop this: spend five days on the cliff in less-than-ideal situations giving technicians the opportunity to experience first-hand the challenges presented by the natural environment.

Another key part of this program will be patient care.  To be frank, most “Rope Techs” are there to solve a transport problem.  THE key focus must be the patient.  No two patients will present the same way so we need to consider different constraints – much like sleeping bag manufacturers seem to assume we all sleep on our back with our arms by our sides…  Topics rarely addressed on programs include:

  • The time we can have someone in a litter.
  • Packaging options to manage presentation.
  • The latest recommendations for managing suspension syndrome.
  • Medical conditions that can tolerate changes in litter angle (pitch/roll).
  • Other hazards once in a litter.
  • Harnesses on patients and whether they are tied into the rope system.
  • The cost/benefit of having a bound litter attendant.
  • The top 5 things the non-medic vertical first responder can do to save a life.

These considerations are beyond my expertise so I have decided to partner with Andy Hughes for this program.  Where my background is “transport”, Andy’s is all about “care”.

Delivery

Everything will be outside in stunning Blue Mountains sandstone cliff environments.  Rain, wind, snow, sun, dark, cold, hot, wet – come prepared as we get them all here (well snow is unlikely).  These will not be drive-up sites and we will have to carry everything to each response.

Booking

The cost will be $A2,500 (+ GST) per person and we will limit enrolments to 12 places.

If you are genuinely interested, please send an email to richard@ropelab.com.au with “RVR2025” in the subject and we will start a contact list and send you an invoice. Your place is only secured once payment has been received.

Presenters

Richard Delaney (RopeLab)

Richard originally studied and worked as an engineer before moving to Australia’s Blue Mountains in 1992 to live and work has as a rock-climbing instructor and canyon guide.  During this time he was also one of the co-ordinators of the informal Blue Mountains Climbers Rescue Group – a group of local guides who assisted with many rescues and body recoveries.  Richard has continued to train and lead local rescue teams on many responses.

Since establishing RopeLab in 2014 Richard has delivered more than 50 workshops all over the world to a wide range of back, slack, and front country technicians.

Richard is the current president of the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians (SPRAT) and, when not travelling, works as Level 3 technician on a wide range of rope access projects.  He also sits on the UIAA Safety Commission and contributes regularly to many local and international standards.

Andy Hughes (Extreme Environment Medical Instructor)

Andy joined the UK military as a Royal Marines Commando in 1999, in 2005 he completed UKSF Medic selection and then Paramedic training in 2006. He continued to work for UKSF for 16 years leaving in 2021 as the unit Medical Warrant Officer.

During this tenure Andy completed 5 tours of Afghanistan and 1 tour of Iraq, and 6 trips to Borneo, he has operated as a Paramedic on 6 of the 7 continents (with Antarctica still in his sights). He has developed and delivered training packages for high performing medical and tactical teams belonging to the military and governments of the UK, USA, and Australia.

In 2018 -2021 he was an Incident Command National Inter-Agency Liaison Officer (NILO) for Domestic Counter Terrorism and was involved in several incidents within the UK during this time, utilising this time in a domestic role and in country he completed a Grad Cert in Healthcare in Austere Environments and Diploma Immediate Medical Care (DIMC) Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) in 2019 then went on to become a DIMC RCSEd examiner and is now the Australia member representative for the Faculty of Pre Hospital Care RCSEd.

More recently he has been involved with Expedition and Wilderness medicine training competency requirements and regularly delivers international education courses on Tactical medicine, Jungle medicine and Prolonged Casualty Care. Living in the Blue Mountains he spends all his spare time with his family and climbing, canyoning and trail running.