Course Information

The course is intended for cavers who are new to vertical, or experienced cavers who want to gain better vertical caving skills. The course will provide training on basic equipment, safety, and vertical techniques - ascending, descending, changeovers, rebelays, deviations, passing knots, dealing with unexpected problems on rope, and edge negotiation. The course will be physically demanding at times. After completing this course, students should be able to safely participate on a basic vertical caving trip.

We will meet at Berry College (starting in McAllister Hall room 102) on Friday (July 11) from 6 - 10 PM, and on Saturday and Sunday (July 12 and 13) from 8 AM - 6 PM. The following Saturday (July 19), we will review course material and continue hands-on skills. That Sunday (July 20), we will go to a vertical cave at a location to be determined. Cathy Borer, Ron Miller, Greg Whittaker, and Jarrod Humphrey will be the VTC trainers for the course.

Students are responsible for their own lodging and meals. Camping is available in several nearby locations including Lock and Dam Park or Rocky Mountain Public Fishing Area, and there are numerous hotels in the area, including some found on the Rome tourism website. We strongly encourage students to bring packed lunches and beverages on course days, as the lunch break period is not conducive to going off-site.

Prior to the course start, you will need to do the following:

Purchase, read, and study the student handbook - Basic Vertical Techniques - which is available through the NSS bookstore at a significant discount for registered students, and also may be purchased from most caving vendors;
Know and have practiced tying several basic caving knots (we will send you the list);
Have the vertical and caving equipment required for the course. We will also send you this list. Key components include a caving harness, a vertical ascending/descending system, and a caving/climbing helmet, all of which must be in good condition. A very limited amount of loaner gear may be available by prior arrangement.

For this course, we will only be teaching the Frog ascending system, preferably with bobbin-style descenders or micro-racks. Open-frame rappel racks are an option, but they are not a great match for the Frog system when using the Alpine-style caving techniques you will be learning in this class.

Additional information and learning resources are available at the VTC website: https://caves.org/vtc

If you have questions, please contact Cathy Borer at [email protected].

Register

Participant Type

Student ($150.00)
NSS member price of $100 ( a $50 discount!) will be applied after you verify your current membership status.
VTC Qualified (or Continued) Trainer ($0.00)
Specialist ($0.00)
Support Staff ($0.00)

Are you a current NSS member?

All students must purchase (and read!) the VTC Level 1 student handbook Basic Vertical Techniques prior to the start of the course. Basic Vertical Techniques is available from the NSS Bookstore and several caving vendors, including Speleobooks, Inner Mountain Outfitters, and On Rope 1. After you register, we will send you a discount code that you can use at the NSS Bookstore, as soon as the code becomes available (hopefully no later than June 11th). If you are an NSS member, the discount stacks on top of the regular NSS member discount!

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Cancellation Policy

VTC events require substantial preparation by our team of volunteers. While we understand that individual circumstances and plans change, we have implemented the following cancellation policy:

Cancellation 14+ days before the course begins - full refund
Cancellation 7-14 days before the course begins - 50% refund
Cancellation less than 7 days before the course begins - no refund

I would like to make a voluntary donation to support the nonprofit work of the NSS Vertical Training Commission (VTC)).

VTC is a commission of the National Speleological Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Donations may be tax deductible in accordance with IRS regulations.

Subtotal

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What additional information would you like to provide us regarding your participation in this course?

Communicable Disease Awareness*

By checking this box, I agree that if I display symptoms, test positive, or have other reason to believe I may be infectious with a communicable disease (including but not limited to Covid-19) that could threaten the health of other participants, I will withdraw with no penalty.

In the event I am exposed to or even contract a communicable disease (including but not limited to Covid-19), I agree to hold harmless the Vertical Training Commission, the National Speleological Society (NSS), their respective volunteers, and my fellow participants.

VTC recommends all participants be vaccinated against Covid-19.

You must sign the NSS/VTC waiver and agree to the Code of Conduct below to complete your registration. After you have registered for the course, we may send you any required additional waivers for landowners and/or site hosts at a later date. If the terms of any of the additional waivers are unacceptable to you, you may withdraw from the course at that time without penalty.

VTC / NSS Waiver

Release of Liability
Read Before Signing

In consideration of being allowed to participate in any way in the Vertical Training Commission (VTC) and National Speleological Society (NSS) program to be held in Rome, Georgia beginning on the 11th day of July, 2025, related events and activities, the undersigned acknowledges, appreciates and agrees that:

1. The risk of injury from the activities involved in this program could be significant, including the potential for permanent paralysis or death, and while particular rules, equipment and personal discipline may reduce this risk, the risk of serious injury does exist; and,

2. I KNOWINGLY AND FREELY ASSUME ALL SUCH RISKS, both known and unknown, EVEN IF ARISING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES or others, and assume full responsibility for my participation; and,

3. I willingly agree to comply with the stated and customary terms and conditions for participation. If however, I observe any unusual significant hazard during my presence or participation, I will remove myself from participation and bring such to the attention of the nearest official immediately.

4. I, for myself and on behalf of my heirs, assigns, personal representatives and next of kin, HEREBY RELEASE AND HOLD HARMLESS THE VERTICAL TRAINING COMMISSION and THE NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, their officers, officials, agents, instructors, and/or employees, other participants, sponsoring agencies, sponsors, advertisers, and, if applicable, owners and lessors of premises used to conduct the event ("Releasees"), WITH RESPECT TO ANY AND ALL INJURY, DISABILITY, DEATH, or loss or damage to person or property, WHETHER ARISING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES OR OTHERWISE, including but not limited to rope work including but not limited to work with knots, climbing ropes and associated gear. This release is intended to cover any and all claims associated with any of the activities of VTC and all its volunteers to the fullest extent permitted by law.

5. Images of me taken can be used for promotional, educational and commercial purposes.
The Vertical Training Commission is a Commission within the National Speleological Society, Inc—an Alabama not for profit corporation with its principal and only office located in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama. The undersigned agrees as part of this Release of liability that if any litigation is pursued by the undersigned as a result of any accident that the only forum available is the Circuit Court of Madison County, Alabama and that the law applicable to any such lawsuit is the substantive law of the State of Alabama regardless of where the accident may occur. These requirements are to be separate and several and an integral part of the contract between the parties.

I HAVE READ THIS RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND ASSUMPTIONS OF RISK AGREEMENT, FULLY UNDERSTAND ITS TERMS, UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE GIVEN UP SUBSTANTIAL RIGHTS BY SIGNING IT, AND SIGN FREELY AND VOLUNTARILY WITHOUT ANY INDUCEMENT. I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS OF THE RELEASED PARTIES ABOUT THE AGREEMENT I AM FREELY SIGNING IN THE EVENT I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT ANY PART OF IT.

I, the undersigned, agree to the terms above.

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