NZ Deep Cave Search & Rescue Exercise
Getting my caving gear in better shape than normal ready for the deep cave search and rescue exercise. It's a national search & rescue practise run every three years.
The exercise runs over three days. The typical scenario is a search resulting in the finding of an injured caver in a party deep in one of New Zealand's vertical cave systems. The next day or so is spent carrying the person on a stretcher, navigating any obstacles in the way. There tends to be lots of ropework - setting up complex haul systems to get the stretcher up cave pitches and climbs.
This year's practice involves the police, caving clubs, land search and rescue people and the Air Force. We're flying into the mountains to our deepest cave - Ellis Basin Cave Systems. The cave is over 1,000 metres deep. The 'accident' site is likely to be 300-400m underground.
Good be an excellent weekend. Exhausting but invaluable for practising for the real thing.