The Gauntlet SRT Course Startup Fund

The Gauntlet is a SRT ropes course that provides a fun and challenging environment for people to explore and improve their srt techniques. It tests general ascending and descending skills, changeovers, rebelays, redirects, tyrolean traverses, j-hangs, guided rappels, and ascending through tight water passages. Check out photos and videos on Instagram.

So far, this has been a DIY operation; all of the gear is the personal gear of the volunteers. We would like to have Gauntlet exclusive gear, so we are no longer wearing out personal equipment.

Our funding goal is calculated by counting up all the gear that goes into making the gauntlet possible.

Rope - 3600 ft

Webbing - 748 ft

Caribiners - 52

Quicklinks - 10

Hose - 400 ft

Kiddie pools - 2

Culvert pipes - 4

Beginner frog systems - 3

This comes to about 5.2-5.5k

Additional costs include $500 for maintenance and repair of the trailer (which wasn't designed for its current purpose lol)

This puts our goal at ~$5.7-6k. Any funds raised above our goal will go into the gauntlet fund for replacing equipment when things wear or get damaged. Additionally, we are constantly brainstorming new challenges to add to the course. Extra funds will also be used to aid in that.

We welcome any size donation. If you donate $25 or more, we will send you a gauntlet sticker!

If you run a company and would prefer to donate gear/rope/supplies or sponsor us, please reach out to us!

History of The Gauntlet:

It started with a small ropes course setup in Kevin Mulligan's backyard for central New Jersey grotto meetings. It expanded to weekend long multi grotto meetups between Central NJ, Northern NJ, Met, Philly, and Out of Bounds grotto members.

Eventually it got popular enough that cave event organizers started asking for it to be brought out for nearby caving events.

Since spring 2022, the gauntlet has traveled over 4600 miles! It has appeared at:

MAR/VAR - Grand Caverns VA

SPAR - Schoharie NY

Cave Capers - Mitchell IN

Mammoth Cave Restoration Camp - Mammoth Cave Kentucky

MAR - Lincoln Caverns, PA

Tag Fall Cave-In - Rising Fawn GA

Its next appearance will be VAR (fall) - RASS field station, VA