Ski Mountaineering Learning the Ropes

27077_Cover 2/11/00 12:14 pm Page 1 ISSUE 20 - WINTER 2000 £2.50 WomenWomen’’ss WordWord Technical Clothing Special HeadsHeads Up!Up! Helmet Testing Continued SkiSki MountaineeringMountaineering Mastering The White Art LearningLearning TheThe RopesRopes Deciphering The Standards EXPEDITIONS 2000 REVIEWED FALLING OFF IN GREENLAND TRADING PLACES DEBATE ACCESS LEGISLATION CLIMB ‘01 YOUTH MEETS WINTER EVENTS FOREWORD...SUMMIT PYJAMAS part from playing football in the local park my first independent sport and recreation as a young- Aster was to join the local swimming club. In that long since demolished Victorian public baths the swimming club coach organised training, ran competitions, and carried out Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) proficiency tests. He even managed to organise an excellent exchange with a swimming club in Augsburg that gave me an eye-opening opportunity to stay with a German fam- ily and explore a bit of Europe. I enjoyed doing all the usual ASA proficiency awards, and later went on to do the life saving bronze medallion and RLSS intermediate teaching award; which were very useful when I had the chance to try sea and white water canoeing and dinghy sailing. Just over a year ago a 10 year old scout fell 200 m to his death while descending Snowdon. In October this year two school pupils aged 13 and 14 drowned while river walking in the Yorkshire Dales, and a 15 year old scout was crushed to death by stonefall while rock climbing on Little Tryfan. These are all tragic reminders about the hazards of adventure activities and the responsibilities of leaders. Mountaineering clubs safely operate with experienced and proficient volunteer leaders, and guidelines exist for group leader and instructor qualifications for formally led groups. But even experienced and qualified leadership is no guarantee that fatal incidents will not occur; as happened in November 1971 when six young people aged between 15 and 18 lost their lives high on the Cairngorm plateau. The scout master who led the group in last year’s Snowdon tragedy has recently been charged with manslaughter. At what age and with what experience is it reasonable for a young person to undertake an ascent of Snowdon or go walking in winter conditions in the Cairngorms? How experienced and proficient should group leaders be for different activities? The BMC’s participation statement reminds everyone about the risk of injury or death, but a simple statement can not inform young participants and Caption... novices exactly what the hazards are and how to mini- Roger Payne summiting in the Alps mise them. We all owe a duty of care to those around us, and the level of this duty varies depending upon the experience may convey a false sense of security. However, the BMC can and expertise of the participants. Also, in common law, those provide something much better than a crude proficiency test. A responsible for young people have a duty to act as a reasonably national scheme of achievement standards for young people of all prudent parent would, and good practice for all leaders is to carry abilities, with an on-going record of experience, could promote out a risk assessment before taking children on any excursion. safety awareness and encourage improved performance whether it be micro navigation or warming up to avoid injury. Such a scheme Going back to some of my first experiences, the controlled envi- would also promote an understanding of the history and ethics of ronment of a swimming pool is of course a far cry from being in a the sport and the environment in which it takes place; surely all of canoe charging down a thundering rapid. But all those lengths and which is to be welcomed? treading water, and making unlikely looking improvised bouyancy aids from my pyjamas, obviously helped me get the skills for the The next issue of Summit will describe the BMC’s new initia- fun and adventure of white water rivers and the open sea. The tives and guidance aimed at ensuring young people, novices, and introduction to life saving and hazard awareness became a firm volunteer leaders and assistants all have a support and training foundation for many years of adventurous climbing and moun- framework in which to develop their experience and carry out their taineering on the basis of personal responsibility and self-reliance. activities in a responsible way. In the meantime, have fun but take care in the hills, and if you have any comments on youth and Increasingly indoor climbing centres are taking on a city based leadership programmes please let the BMC know. adventure activities role. Many centres have excellent junior clubs, that like youth organisations, run events and offer proficiency training. Like schools with adventure activities on their curricu- lum some indoor climbing centres run their own proficiency tests and achievement awards. In the past it has been argued that proficiency tests for climbing, hill walking and mountaineering could be counter productive because a single one-off assessment of skill General Secretary BMC SUMMIT - ISSUE 20 1 27077_SUMMIT 20new.p65 1 02/11/2000, 12:16 PM 20 CONTENTS Welcome to issue 20 of 4 News Access Bill, Climb '01 info, Winter meets, Grivel Leash failure, Youth meet reports. Summit is the membership magazine of the British Mountaineering Council. The BMC promotes the interests of 8 Access news climbers, hill walkers and mountaineers Hoghton Quarry success, and the freedom to enjoy their activities. Peak litter clean-ups, Area updates. The primary work of the BMC is to: 40 Trading Places Negotiate access improve- 5 Join the winter meet 38 Arena ments and promote cliff and All the Area news and mountain conservation. meetings. Promote and advise on good practice, facilities, training and equipment. 40 Forum Support events and specialist Trading Places; the programmes including youth creation of a new trading and excellence. and services entity. Provide services and information for members. 42 Briefing All the upcoming BMC, 177 - 179 Burton Road, events and publications. Manchester M20 2BB Tel: 0161 445 4747 REGULARS Fax: 0161 445 4500 e-mail: [email protected] www.thebmc.co.uk 10 Ski mountaineering EDITORIAL Rob Collister's top tips for Contributions for Summit should be ski mountaineering. sent to the Editor at the above address or [email protected]. Every care 16 It's a woman's is taken of materials sent for publica- world too! tion, however these are submitted at The changing market for the sender's risk. women's clothing. 30 Helmets, part 2 PUBLISHING 18 Technical clothing Gill Wootton Six manufacturers discuss 26 Expeditions 2000 Display Advertising technical products for A round up of this year's Fraser Ingham & Lisa Undery women. BMC/MEF expeditions. Classified Paula Taylor & Lindsay Crossley 24 Falling off is 25 MLTB update Tel: 01536 382500 easy... Results of the MLTB survey. Fax: 01536 382501 A first hand account of PUBLISHED & PRINTED BY remote flying time and the 28 Learning the GreenShires Publishing consequences. ropes Telford Way, Kettering Rope markings and labels Northants, NN16 8UN 18 Women's gear explained. Tel: 01536 382500 FEATURES Neither the BMC nor Greenshires Publishing accept 30 Heads up responsibility for information supplied in adverts. Readers are advised to take reasonable care when Part 2 of this major article responding to adverts. on helmet choice and RISK & RESPONSIBILITY testing. Readers of Summit are reminded that climbing, hill walking and mountaineering 52 Last thoughts are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these activities Mountains and morphine. should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and Cover: Charlotte Manwaring on the involvement. The BMC publishes a wide exposed final ridge of Peak 1303, range of safety and good practice advice and Torrssuqatoq Sound, Greenland. provides training opportunities for members. Credit: Alex Messenger 27077_SUMMIT 20new.p65 2 02/11/2000, 12:18 PM SUMMIT FORUM DARK PLOTS partnership so why not descend in part- processes, mostly weather related, which Now in my eighth decade can I take this nership? All we have to do is stand below will cause changes from time to time. The opportunity of saying how excellent and lightly hold the rope. In the event of only other climb which I am aware that ‘Summit’ is. I find it very readable and emergency, just apply a little tension to has been altered in the last ten years or so informative, improving with each issue. I arrest the abseiler, just as you would a was the result of a natural landslip, which was particularly interested in ‘Knight casualty. had to be made safe. Moves’. For over forty years a group of We are currently considering a monitor- us have had a mid-week night walk or Geoff Tyson ing regime for the quarry which will tell us climb. In the winter months it has been whether there have been any notable slips quite amazing how one adapts to dark- or changes over a period. I would be grate- ness (we don’t take torches), more often ILKLEY RESPONSE ful for any information that your members may have as to any perceived changes. than not a hill summit was reached and Following on from the removal of sev- We are hoping to carry out some further we never had any problems other than eral tonnes of rock in the Wellington Crack clearing-up in the quarry during the next dirty boots. Listening to ’In Parliament area of the Cow & Calf Quarry, Ilkely, fortnight - we have a machine working on Today’ this morning I was saddened to BMC Vice President and guidebook edi- the moor and this will be moved down to hear the quite idiotic objections offered, tor Dave Musgrove received the follow- the quarry to clear away some of the de- clearly people with no interest in other ing response in mid-July.

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