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General Climbing Discussion

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Extreme sports and kids... 21-May-2015 At 4:12:46 PM Wendy

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On 21/05/2015 One Day Hero wrote:
>On 21/05/2015 patto wrote:
>>Even without a club. If I as an experienced climber take my mate George
>>for a climb a strong duty of care exists.
>
>Really? Has this been tested?

I'd like to see that go down in a court. Suddenly, no one would teach anyone anything. Supervising a learner driver? Nope. Teach your kids to ride a bike? Nope. Volunteer to coach football? Showing someone how to use power tools? Nope. Maybe origami. People might still feel ok teaching their mate origami.

Aside from that, I agree with the instructor's issue (and it may well apply to club trip leaders, but maybe not general members?). If you are claiming certain skills and paid accordingly, you should damn well be doing the job in accordance with those skills. And I think it would go down in court that you have a duty of care such that a reasonable person of similar skills would consider your course of action reasonable. Would a reasonable instructor (note, not a good instructor, just a reasonable one) have checked the kid's gear? If we want climbing instruction to be recognised as professional, that also comes with responsibilities. Which is also why I am against the general lowering of standards that happens across the industry because the conditions are so crap that not many people with decent skills stay around long and just about when new guides get enough experience to be good, they also realise as a career, it sucks and become paramedics and teachers.