Caving
Rigging Survey and Vertical Technique: A Field Reference for Rope Access, SRT, and Rescue-Ready Systems
★★★★★4.2 · 5 reviewsby Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
Master vertical caving with a no-fluff field reference on rigging surveys, SRT, and rope systems. Built for the dark, the wet, and the no-signal zones.
🔒Secure checkout via Stripe
✓30-day money-back guarantee — not right for you? Full refund, no questions asked.
About this book
Caving: Rigging Survey and Vertical Technique is the hands-on reference for cavers who are past their first rappel but not yet comfortable leading a complex pitch. Whether you're rigging a 30-meter drop or a multi-rebelay series, this book gives you the exact procedures, load tables, and rope specs to do it right—underground, where you can't look it up online.
Packed with quick-lookup tables for rope elongation, anchor angles, and carabiner strengths, plus step-by-step rigging sequences for SRT and micro-traxion systems, this guide lives in your tackle box, not on your shelf. You'll learn to survey a pitch from the bottom, plan your rigging before you commit, and execute rebelays and deviations with confidence. Every procedure includes exact values—rope lengths, knot positions, load ratings—so you can verify your work in the beam of your headlamp.
It's not a beginner's overview. It's a field manual for the caver who wants to move from fumbling to fluent, with a troubleshooting chapter that diagnoses the most common rigging failures and a reference appendix you'll actually use. If you're serious about vertical caving, this is the book you'll reach for before every trip.
Reader Reviews
Steven Jackson
★★★★★I've been caving for three years and always felt shaky on rebelays. This book is the first thing that made it click. The rigging survey chapter is gold—I used the form in the back to plan a 60-meter pitch last weekend and it went flawlessly. The tables for rope elongation and anchor angles are exactly what I needed to stop guessing. It's a bit dense, but that's what you want when you're underground with no signal. Highly recommend for anyone past the beginner stage.
Betty Gonzalez
★★★★★It's a solid reference, but I felt like it assumed I had a bit more experience than I do. Some of the procedures use terms without a quick definition, and I had to flip back to earlier chapters a lot. The troubleshooting section is helpful, but I wish there were more photos instead of just diagrams. That said, the load tables are great, and I've already used the rebelay setup instructions on a trip. It's a good book, just not perfect for someone who's only done a handful of vertical caves.
Charles Jones
★★★★★Finally, a caving book that doesn't waste time on the basics. I've been rigging for the local grotto for years, but I still learned a ton from the anchor load distribution tables and the survey method. The step-by-step for setting up a deviation with a rope protector was the clearest I've ever seen. This is the book I keep in my pack, not on my shelf. If you're serious about vertical technique, this is worth every penny.
Jessica Ramirez
★★★★★I bought this because I wanted to get better at rigging for the harder pitches in TAG. The multi-pitch example in chapter 8 is exactly what I needed—it walks you through a real cave, from survey to final rig, with a checklist. I appreciated the specifics on rope lengths and bolt placements. It's not a casual read, but it's a great field reference. My only complaint is the lack of color photos; the ASCII diagrams are clear but a bit old-school.
John Hill
★★★★★This book filled a gap I didn't even know I had. I've done SRT for a few years, but I always just followed what others did without understanding the 'why'. The rigging survey chapter changed how I approach a pitch—now I plan my rebelays and deviations before I even start rigging. The troubleshooting table saved me on a trip when my descender was slipping. It's not a beginner book, but if you're ready to level up your vertical game, this is the one.