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A comment on hierarchies of risk 26-Jan-2016 At 12:41:35 AM Macciza

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First let me state that I am aware that some people may consider me to be 'bold, reckless, even dangerous or risky' at times when I climb .... Personally I don't agree and believe that I have a quite good understanding of the various risks involved and my ability to deal with such factors in my climbing, rope system management and protection capabilities. Sure I have had the odd incident here and there but in general I think i ' know my shit ' fairly well, and am generally aware of the relevant factors when pushing the boundaries and can explain/take responsibility for my actions. Based on a few decades of climbing the way I do ....

So here's a few observations.....

1. Just because you think you do everything 'correctly/by the book' (whichever one) does not mean that 'nothing can possibly happen' because as they say 'shit happens' and without a broad base of experience you may not be aware of some of the issues at hand...

2. Doing slightly dubious stuff with awareness of the relevant factors can maintain an adequate safety envelope; but without that awareness you are entering risky territory.

3. Teaching dubious techniques to others can lead you into quite dangerous territory and can lead to bad practice propagating and endanger the other person who has no perception of the risks involved.

4. Failing to even listen to constructive criticisms from experienced people creates an even more dangerous situation for both yourself and even more so for the person you might be 'teaching' ( for want of a better word).

5. To then claim that 'everything was just fine' without explanation or discussion is even more dangerous ( and a bit arrogant) because you are essentially unaware of the dangers involved so cannot protect against them and refusing to learn what you might be doing wrong and will never understand what you are doing wrong. Neither will the personal you are 'showing stuff to'( as opposed to actually teaching'. This can lead to substantial serious problems at later times for both of you and anyone else who observes and copies what you are doing wrong.

Sure you might be able to climb pretty well in the gym where safety is somewhat managed, but out in the 'real world' it's a whole different ballgame and you owe it not only to yourself, but more importantly others to at least listen when someone attempts to help you out with some knowledge/advice etc. You might actually learn/understand something that you weren't aware of. I know I did through the years and continue to do so.

I will generally listen to others point of view and feel quite able to respond to/explain any questions regarding what, why and how I might do something....

Please tithe to at least listen to others point of view and comments in the hope of staying as reasonably safe as you possibly can when engaged in the dangerous act of climbing...

And try to remember, it's really the unknown dangers that are most dangerous, and it's only the known dangers that you can can protect yourself from ...

Cheers, stay 'safe' ...