Self Rescue Skills (Vertical Mobility) (3 days)

The mountains are calling, and you must go. But first, let us show you the ropes… literally.

Vertical mobility skills are a fundamental tool in every climber’s kit bag. As outdoor adventurers, we pride ourselves on self-reliance, and therefore the ability to troubleshoot and mitigate unexpected problems is essential. Whether it’s isolating a damaged section of rope or improvising a belay device, the knowledge and skills you learn throughout the Vertical Mobility and Self-Rescue course are the key to confidence in our amazing vertical playgrounds.

This is two-day course which, as the name suggests, focuses on self-rescue – you’ll be learning how to get yourself out of trouble, not others. If you’re interested in developing the skills to perform patient rescue, you might be more interested in our five-day Vertical Rescue course. That said, the Vertical Mobility course is a fantastic introduction to several procedures you’ll improve upon in the Vertical Rescue course and will form a solid foundation for those who are new to technical rope concepts.

2025 DATES COMING SOON

OUR INSTRUCTORS

Our awesome instructors are highly trained and accredited by PACI (Professional Association of Climbing Instructors). They will be teaching PACI content.. Put simply, they are subject matter experts. They’ll provide all the theory material you’ll need to get a firm understanding of the concepts you’ll learn, as well as ample opportunities for practical application. Don’t leave it to guesswork, get trained by the best.

SESSION TIMES AND LOCATIONS

The Vertical Mobility course runs for 3 days. Day one and two are at Kangaroo Point Cliffs, day three is at Mt Ngungun Glass House Mountains. All days run from 7:30am to approximately 5pm

PREREQUISITES

Trainees must have previously completed the Top Rope course or Single Pitch Abseil OR can set up a top rope or abseil anchor within 15-20 mins and are familiar with the knots required to set these anchors.

COURSE CONTENT

The Vertical Mobility course covers a range of rope mobility and self-rescue techniques in a scenario-based context.

The following skills will be taught and assessed throughout the course: 

• Anchor systems (presumed these skills are already acquired)

• Ascending/descending a rope using prussics

• Changing from descending to ascending

• Retrievable Abseil

• Tying off device to hold position

• Applying extra friction to a descending device

• Knot bypass a fixed knot during descent and ascent

It also covers the following units of competency:

• SISOABN201A Demonstrate abseiling skills on natural surfaces

• SISOABN303A Apply single pitch abseiling skills on natural surfaces

• SISOABN304A Establish ropes for single pitch abseiling on natural surfaces

WHAT TO BRING

Whilst all necessary gear is provided, we encourage you to bring your own if you have it – your instructor will check it out and let you know if it’s suitable to use. This is a great opportunity to become familiar with the equipment you will be using in your future adventures!

We recommend every trainee owns the following gear as a minimum:

• Harness

• Helmet

• Locking carabiners (at least 2)

• Belay device

• Personal anchor (Sling, PAS or Purcell Prussic)

Don’t know which type to buy? Come on down and chat with our gear gurus in the West End store. Make sure you mention that you’re enrolled on the Vertical Mobility course to score yourself a deal.

As well as the technical equipment, you’ll need a few other things to make the course run smoothly, so make sure you also bring the following:

• Non-restrictive clothing. Check the weather forecast to get an idea of the conditions.

• Enclosed footwear

• A backpack big enough for all your personal gear

• 2-3 litres of water, hat, insect repellent, sunscreen, sunglasses

• Your own food and snacks, full of energy to keep you happy and psyched!

• A pen and paper

• Your completed exams (these are sent to your prior to the course date)

FITNESS REQUIREMENTS

Apart from walking up and down the Kangaroo Point stairs and some rope ascension techniques, this course contains little physical activity.

WHY CHOOSE TEAM PINNACLE?

With more than 20 years of experience, Pinnacle Sports is South East Queensland’s leading provider of rock climbing and abseiling training. We work closely with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) and other management organisations to ensure that our outdoor activities are fully permitted and environmentally sound. We maintain low instructor to participant ratios, meaning a better educational outcome for you. Here at Team Pinnacle, we love all things vertical and we’re dedicated to high quality training so that you can share our passion confidently and safely.

PRE-COURSEWORK PREPARATION

• PACI Exams MUST be completed, prior to the course start date and submitted to the instructor on the first morning of the course.

• PACI Study guides are sent with the booking confirmation and are available as a downloadable link. Study guides assist with the completion of the exams. Allow a day to complete the exams

• Statements of attainment will not be issued unless exams are received completed

• Take some time to practice your knots (refer to course outline and Knots Study Guide)

• Ensure you have all the meeting times from your instructor (If you need to organise gear from your instructor let them know well in advance)

• Unique Student Identifier - Each participant will require a Unique Student Identifier  (USI). A Unique Student Identifier (USI) is a reference number made up of numbers and letters that gives students access to their USI account. A USI will allow an individual's USI account to be linked to the National Vocational Education and Training (VET) Data Collection allowing an individual to see all of their training results from all providers including all completed training units and qualifications. The USI will make it easier for students to find and collate their VET achievements into a single authenticated transcript. It will also ensure that students' VET records are not lost.The USI will be is available online and at no cost to the student. This USI will stay with the student for life and be recorded with any nationally recognised VET course that is completed from when the USI comes into effect on 1 January 2015.  For more details, please refer to http://www.usi.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx. A statement of attainment will not be issued unless we have received a USI. If you have a valid USI please advise at time of booking. If you require a USI, please visit http://www.usi.gov.au/create-your-USI/Pages/default.aspx to create one (this should take about 5 mins)

• Language, Literacy and Numeracy Prerequisites - To comply with government reporting, all students must complete the LLN (Language, literacy and numeracy) self-assessment questionnaire. The LLN form is sent at the time of booking. Return the completed form within 1 week of booking onto the course. This is to ascertain if further assistance is required or not.

THE FINE PRINT

• Participants must be at least 15 years of age

• Participants must be able to speak, and understand the English language. This requirement is stipulated on the grounds of safety at height

• Participant must complete an LLN self-assessment questionnaire to be handed in prior to course commencement

• Participant must have a Unique Student Identifier (USI) number

• Statement of Attainment certificate will be sent electronically

• This activity is subject to minimum and maximum numbers to run. In the event that the minimum number of participants are not available, the activity may be rescheduled. A decision is made the week prior to the activity.
  

• Bookings must be made 2 weeks in advance. Study materials and exams will be sent after payment is received.

FAQ

Have additional questions? Read on through to our FAQ Section

Please ensure that you are aware of our full terms and conditions including our cancellation policy before booking.