Training & Equipment

This page is about the Training & Equipment Working Group. For more general information check out the Equipment & Techniques section on the Safety and the Training for Cavers section of the Training page.

About

The T&E is one of the BCA’s Working Groups, which meets at least three times a year to discuss matters relating to recreational training and equipment usage matters. As a Working Group, it is chaired by a Convenor who is a BCA Officer and reports to the BCA National Council at Council meetings.

The Training & Equipment Working Groups exists to facilitate and advise on all aspects of training, alongside issues with equipment and its usage. It arranges training events nationally, assists with funding for groups to arrange their own training events, and conducts its own research into the techniques cavers are using.

Caving requires the use of many complex techniques and skills, ranging from Single Rope Technique (SRT), rescue, first aid, surveying and mapping, photography, conservation, scientific research amongst others. Proper knowledge of any of these techniques can only really be gained by dedicated training or through hands on experience. Some clubs or individuals are lucky to have access to great facilities and experience to learn these skills, and some do not. For everyone, there are always new aspects of caving to learn.

The aim of the BCA’s Training & Equipment Working Group works to bring together expertise to discuss:

Best practices for the use of equipment and its care and maintenance.
Evaluation and testing of new and existing equipment.
Determination of equipment life spans.
Providing a national approach to recreational caver training within the Regional Caving Councils

Matters relating to caving qualifications (for caving instructors) such as the CIC and LMCLA qualifications fall under the remit of the Qualifications Management Committee (QMC).

Key Documents

Safety Information for Cavers Using Resin Bonded Anchors
- Key safety messages about the use of any BCA-approved resin bonded anchors
Comparison of Alpine and Cavers Butterfly Knots
- An in-depth comparison of these two types of butterfly knot with recommendations.
Warning about use of Pulley and Jammer Combo
- A warning about dangers associated to using a pulley and jammer in combination when hauling or belaying.

Meeting Minutes

Note: The Training and Equipment Working Group is a successor to the previous Equipment & Techniques Committee and the Training Committee. Additionally, the topic of Anchors moved to the Anchor Working Group in 2025, but previous minutes on the topic can still be found here.