Single Rope Technique or SRT is the discipline of ascending or descending a rope using specialist equipment. It was transferred to caves from mountaineering, where much of the original techniques were developed. In Great Britain we use the European style, which differs from the Ropewalking techniques used by our American counterparts.European SRT is referred to as the Frog System, due to the movement of the person ascending the rope mimicking that of a Frog. It is a style most suited to short climbs, in tight caves. The American Ropewalking technique is favoured for long uninterrupted climbs.

Concepts of mountaineering inspired much of modern SRT, one example is the Prussik knot, created by Karl Prussik in the 1930s. This was a knot designed to move a person up a rope, staying fixed in place after sliding up. This is a concept similar to the chest ascender and hand jammer devices seen in modern SRT.

Much of the gear used by cavers is taken directly from mountaineering (carabiners, harnesses) but were adapted for the cave environment. Cavers like Fernand Petzl and Pierre Chevalier developed mechanical ascenders and descenders that were suited to the underground environment.