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Cert II climbing at Mt York


Eduardo Slabofvic

7-May-2009
4:54:15 PM

On 30/04/2009 surfinclimb wrote:
>I would be embarresed if I as a guide couldn't climb a gr8 and be so far
>out of my depth that I have the fear of a groundfall.

I've had them pull on the rope instead of pay out, so the likelyhood of a grounder on any grade should not
be underestimated.

I recall a strory by another guide who had some kid set fire to a branch and wave the flaming branch over
the coiled up ropes, top of 1st pitch of Spiral Starcase I believe.

And there are always at least 2 nobs in each group that want to throw rocks, or want to untie, or want to
do some witless act that defies belief, and WM is right about the same old climb part. I think the trick is
not to do that much guiding in the first place. A full time job - no way.

On the bright side, you can claim climbing equipment as a tax deducion.

surfinclimb

8-May-2009
8:36:08 PM

On 7/05/2009 jkane wrote:
>>On 30/04/2009 surfinclimb wrote:
>>office worker etc. That sort of work
>>is truly soul destroying.
>
>Thanks for reminding me.

Just to rub it in I've just done 3 days of canoeing, Abseiling tommorow and then sea-kayaking down near the Prom on Wednesday. It's a hard life.


hangdog

8-May-2009
9:32:41 PM

>
>I recall a strory by another guide who had some kid set fire to a branch
>and wave the flaming branch over
>the coiled up ropes, top of 1st pitch of Spiral Starcase I believe.
>

I am not sure if this flaming branch happens a lot.
But in a former life working as guide in the Bluies we had a group of "youth at risk" on an abseiling
trip. These kids were real trouble, you know they are trouble when the ratio of youth workers to kids is
one to one. We had our abseil lines attached to a large boulder, i was working the top of the rap with 3
or 4 abseilers on the lines when i heard a sound like a flaming branch. I turned around and this kid had
a flaming log from the camp fire and he was just about to torch the whole anchor system. To cut a
long story short he didnt and lived to survive the event although only just as i would have chucked the
little pr....k off the crag.
I didnt get my jollies working with these types of people but after winging to the youth worker about
this kids behaviour he described in graphic detail what this kid had been through at the hands of his
father. Didnt change my mind about the burning log but i figured that if i had received the same
treatment from my father i would be setting fire to more than abseil anchor systems.
Working on the rocks. What a lifestyle. Just work with willing adults and not kiddie camping or youth at
risk. (Unless you went to a private school and this is your way of rebelling)


Sarah Gara

11-May-2009
10:10:21 AM

I've recently started climbing with one of my kayaking instructors -he also works as a climbing instructor -and can you believe he's not climbed himself in 2years! he has just belayed and set up top ropes for groups -depressing. He's well nervous about leading at the moment -but is starting to now.

He works at a centre where he is the only climbing instructor and says this is why he hasn't had anyone to climb with - He can't have looked very hard - but he's well chuffed he's got back into it.

I think outdoor instructors job would be well cool -shite money though -they should pay instructors more as they are really responsible for lives -yet int he UK they work for minimum wage -Is that the same in Oz.

Good for a while though til you're 30 (and old!! -it seemed so far away when I was 17) -and I guess there is money in it if you wanted to set up your own business.

The thing I'd love to be is a Canadian mountain guide -those guys are hard core -I'll never be anywhere near good enough for that though. -cool job though. x

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