Читать книгу Canyoning in the Alps. Graded routes in Northern Italy and Ticino, Austria, Slovenia and the Valais Alps онлайн

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These can be useful for assessing pool depth and searching for sunken equipment.

Camera

A waterproof digital camera is useful for recording guidebook information, so that the book need not be damaged by taking it canyoning. However, they don’t always take the best photos (see ‘ssss1’, below).

First-aid kit (and mobile phone)

A first-aid kit should include pain-relief medication, gaffer tape and a survival bag as a minimum. A small splint such as a SAM splint is highly recommended. If going to north-east Italy, take fine-tipped tweezers or a specialist tick-removing tool (see the introduction to ‘ssss1’ for details). Mobile phones may work in some canyons.

Choosing ropes

There are a number of points to consider.

Number and length

The route summary table (ssss1) will help in choosing the length of rope needed.

Note that with repeated wet–dry cycles a rope can shrink by ten per cent of its original length, sometimes more. It is advisable to soak and dry the rope a few times, then measure it again before using it. Bear in mind that pitch lengths quoted in this guide assume a pre-shrunk rope. Best practice is to carry a spare rope, so that the canyon can be completed safely if a rope is lost.