You are to develop and discuss what requirements are needed to carry out effective, enjoyable and safe climbing/ walking for groups (beginners and intermediates). Ensure that full consideration is given to the legal requirements that may be required, and what guidelines the National Governing Bodies provide. Ensure that a consideration of risk assessment is included. The scope of this assignment title is broad. In order to narrow the area somewhat, this essay will focus mostly on the traditional activity of mountain walking in the British Isles, during summer conditions. However, most, if not all of the safety aspects discussed in this essay underpin the safety aspects of almost all activities undertaken in mountainous areas.
Reference will be made throughout therefore, to other aspects of mountaineering activities, such as climbing and scrambling, in both summer and winter conditions, in the UK and abroad. As a leader taking a group walking in the hills one has the responsibility to ensure safe, enjoyable and effective walking for that group. In order to achieve this one must fulfil all necessary legal requirements, one should follow the guidelines laid down by the National Governing Bodies, (for example The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) and the Mountain Leader Training Boards (MLTB),) and should also conduct a risk assessment, as well as ensuring emergency procedures are set in place.
The legal requirements for leading groups walking in the hills is that one should hold the necessary up-to-date nationally recognised qualifications and also hold appropriate insurance cover. (The British Mountaineering Council, 2003d. and Sport Coach UK, 2003.) The BMC provides comprehensive insurance cover to all persons participating in climbing and mountaineering activities. There are also numerous qualifications available through the UK Mountain Leader Training Boards (MLTB).
As a leader one should encourage and guide participants to accept responsibility for their own behaviour. (Sports Coach UK, 2003.) Mountaineering activities are dangerous with a risk of personal injury or death. The freedom to face, assess and manage this risk is one of the factors that attracts people to take part. (The British Mountaineering Council, 2003b.) As participants we recognise and accept these risks every time we participate. Essentially we perform a risk assessment before and during all our activities, analysing the risks and taking action according to the outcome of the assessment. In other words, we take the responsibility for our own actions based on the assessment of the likely dangers and outcomes of our activity. (The British Mountaineering Council, 2003b.)
The situation for under eighteens differs to leading a group of adults however. Under the law minors cannot fully accept responsibility for risks. As a young person approaches eighteen the level of responsibility increases and is also dependant on the individual’s experience. (The British Mountaineering Council, 2003a.) Not only is parental consent required, but medical forms are also a pre-requisite, not only to inform the leader of any potential problems, but also to show that they have taken all appropriate measures to pitch the activity at the correct level for the group. Leaders owe a high degree of responsibility to their employer or supervising authority as well as the party and it is important that the leader is aware of the authority’s operating guidelines, for example the emergency procedures. (Long, 2003.)
Sport is not above the law, and therefore neither are climbers and hill walkers. The law is also not static, but changes to reflect society. Society has become increasingly risk averse and as society re-evaluates acceptable risk it seems people increasingly assume that somebody is to blame when an accident occurs. The law is about fault, about the consequences of actions (this is called the chain of causation) and if one’s actions have led to actual damage to another it is possible that they are at fault and then they may be liable.
For a person to be liable, they have got to breach a duty of care that they owe to the injured person, and the damage must result from that breach of duty of care. (The British Mountaineering Council, 2003b.) As a hill walker one owes a duty of care to others who are so closely and directly affected by their actions. When hill walking with a group, one has a duty of care toward themselves, the other members in the group and to anybody else who is walking in the same location.
It is crucial therefore to understand what one’s standard of care toward others will be. In the context of a group, (two or more walkers,) the standard of care owed to others will be higher for the more experienced member. (The British Mountaineering Council, 2003b.) The practical result of this is fairly obvious, whereas one would not routinely check an experienced partner’s equipment for example; one would be expected to do so for a novice. A novice must also be made fully aware of the relevant risks involved. One of the first defences for this is the BMC participation statement: The BMC recognises that climbing and mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement.