11th European Cave Rescue Meeting – 2nd Circular

The 11th European Cave Rescue Meeting is going to take place in Sofia, Bulgaria between 5th – 8th October 2017.

Organized by Cave Rescue Bulgaria on behalf of the European Cave Rescue Association.

Topics for this year’s European Cave Rescue Meeting are:

  • Improvement of existing collaboration in operation level, how to deal with authorities, discussion about bilateral agreements between cave rescue services
  • Self-rescue – technical specifications and recommendations
  • Table Top Exercise – Big Cave Rescue Operations
  • Technical testing of equipment and maneuvers
  • Searching for people in Labyrinths
  • Cave diving exercise in Dushnika cave, with the participation of rescuers and cave rescue divers.

Please, fulfilled the registration form for the 11th European Cave Rescue Meeting

Second Circular for the 11th European Cave Rescue Meeting, Sofia, Bulgaria 2017, in pdf format.

Preliminary Program of the 11th European Cave Rescue Meeting

5th October, Thursday

Round table – Improvement of existing collaboration in operation level, how to deal with authorities, discussion about bilateral agreements between cave rescue services. (ECRA bureau, Cave Rescue Bulgaria, Bulgarian civil protection).
19:30 – 22:00 Dinner

6th October, Friday

08:00 – 09:00 Breakfast
09:15 – Opening of the 11th European Cave Rescue Meeting
10:00 – 12:30 Self-rescue workshop
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch
14:00 – 17:00 Self-rescue workshop
17:00 – 19:00 People Seeking in Labyrinths, presentations
19:30 – 21:00 Dinner
21:00 Party

7th October, Saturday

08:00 – 09:00 Breakfast
09:15 – 19:00 Cave diving exercise in Dushnika cave

09:15 – 12:30 ECRA General Assembly
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch
14:00 – 17:00 Table Top Exercise – Big Cave Rescue Operations (2 participants per country)
14:00 – 17:00 Technical testing of equipment and maneuvers
19:30 – 21:00 Dinner
21:00 Party

8th October, Sunday

09:00 – 10:00 Breakfast
Departure

The meeting place

National Education Centre of the Red Cross, Bulgaria

Address
Polovrag Str. 31,
Dolni Lozen, Sofia
Bulgaria

Participation fee

The participation fee is 50 EUR and can be paid during registration of participants.
Participation fees include accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner in period 5-8 October.

Official Language

The official language of the European Cave Rescue Meeting 2017 is English. All presentations should be written in English. No simultaneous translation will be provided.

Visa

No visa is required from citizens of most European countries. Please consult the Bulgarian Embassy in your country if in doubt. If needed, the participants can request a letter of Invitation by e-mail: info@caverescue.bg


Pre-meeting program

International cave rescue exercise
28 September to 1 October (Thursday – Sunday)

Cave Rescue Bulgaria is organizing an international cave rescue exercise in caves near Sofia. Everyone is welcome to participate.

Location of the exercise

Western Bulgaria, village Komshtica, Godech municipality, about 90 km from Sofia, near the Serbian border.

Organised departure from Sofia for the exercise is planned for Thursday, 28 September at 6:00 pm, from National Education Centre of the Red Cross.

Address: Polovrag Str. 31, Dolni Lozen, Sofia, Bulgaria

The camp place for the exercise is reachable by car.
Location of the camp: village Komshtica, Godech municipality
GPS: 43°08’03.4″N 23°00’45.8″E

Departure from the camp back to Sofia is planned for Sunday, 1st October before 1pm.
Participants needs personal tents, sleeping bags and mats for the camp.

Caves

Goliama Balabanova dupka is a labyrinth cave with 3351 m length and -126 depth. It is the longest cave in Godech municipality. The temperatures are about 10 degrees Centigrade. It is a horizontal cave with a mix of wide and narrow galleries, small drops and steps. There are no big verticals, but SRT equipment might be required, based on the part of the cave chosen for the exercise.

Granicharskata is a vertical cave about -70 m deep. It has several small pits separated by short horizontal parts. The temperature is about 7-8 C, and there might be water on the first pit.

Goal of the exercise

The exercise is part of the annual training of the Bulgarian cave rescue, with the additional goal of achieving cooperation between international cave rescue teams.

Equipment for the exercise

The group rescue equipment for the exercise will be provided by the Cave Rescue Bulgaria. The participants need personal SRT caving equipment.

Food

The food is provided by Cave Rescue Bulgaria for the participants of the exercise. If there are participants who acquire vegetarian meals, please inform us.

Following persons are in charge of the organization of the exercise:
Vladimir Georgiev, +359 89 66 82 377, vld.georgiev@gmail.com
Antoniya Vlaykova, +359 888 688 999, tonisv@gmail.com

Feel free to contact us on all issues.


Pre-meeting program in period of 2 to 5 October

For the period before the meeting, participants can book a place in the National Education Centre of the Red Cross. The accommodation for one night is 9 Euro. The place has its own restaurant.

2 and 3 October (Monday and Tuesday)

Visit of the longest cave in Bulgaria (Duhla, 18 km) – it is non-tourist, horizontal and labyrinth cave. No SRT equipment is needed.

Free of charge.

4 October (Wednesday)

Musala peak (2925 m, Rila Mountain – the highest peak on Balkan Peninsula).

Fee – 15 euro, including transportation, lift, guide.

5 October (Thursday)

Historical site seeing trip in Sofia – about 3-4 hours with professional guide.

Fee – 5 euro, including professional guide.


Sponsors

The 11th European Cave Rescue Meeting is organized with the help of European Speleological Federation, through Euro Speleo Projects.

 

 

 

It is sponsored by Avanture Verticale, Beal, Scurion.

Please note the date for ECRA meeting in your diary!
We are looking forward to meet you in Sofia.
Organizing committee

Dinko Novosel, President of ECRA
Alberto Ubertino, Vice President of ECRA
Kurt Dennstedt, General-secretary of ECRA

Antoniya Vlaykova, Cave Rescue Bulgaria
Vladimir Georgiev, Cave Rescue Bulgaria
Encho Enchev, Cave Rescue Bulgaria

Darko Bakšić, HGSS (Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, Cave Rescue Commission)
Giuseppe Conti, CNSAS (The National Alpine Cliff and Cave Rescue Corps, Italy)

Max Merela, Jamarska Reševalna Služba Slovenije (Cave Rescue Service of Slovenia)
Pete Allwright, British Cave Rescue Council

Cave diving team
Aleksandar Stoev, Cave Rescue Bulgaria
Niki Tomov, Cave Rescue Bulgaria

Ivica Ćukušić, Hrvatska Gorska Služba Spašavanja – HGSS (Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, Cave Rescue Commission)
Robert Anžič, Jamarska Reševalna Služba Slovenije (Cave Rescue Service of Slovenia)