Climbing Rope and Climb on Safety

[CNYScouter]

Would a climbing Rope, basically like gym class, a large rope w/knots, suspended 12-15 off the ground, be covered under the Climb on Safety rules?

 

Climb on Safety seems to be focused on Rock climbing and climbing walls.

 

This would be an activity stations at an upcoming camp-o-ree and I want to be sure we are following the G2SS.

 

[OldGreyEagle]

this is an outline of the Climb On Safely program

 

http://scoutmaster.org/usscouts/boyscouts/climbonsafely.asp

 

this is about how to do a safe unit climb, not about how to set up climbing apparatus.

 

You may want to consult Topping Out, its a technical book about climbing

 

http://www.scouting.org/Media/FactSheets/02-578.aspx

 

I beleive if you want youth to be 10-12 feet off the ground, you will need them to be top rope belayed.

[Gunny2862]

I don't necessarily know that it falls under Climb on Safely guidelines(definitely re-read and apply whatever is applicable anyway) but you DO need to refer to the G2SS p38 and 39. If you are okay there, you are probably okay with Climb on Safely for what you have described.

 

I think the key is how high you are expecting the Boys to climb - in bouldering, for example you would need to put on a harness and belay system as soon as their feet were at your head height. It would seem with the current focus on safety (that our parents would have laughed at) that the same guideline would apply here.

 

I would ensure I had some kind of padding on the ground and encourage the use of gloves - especially if this is a Cub Scout event? They usually don't have the hand strength to go all the way up and all the way back down - the gloves help prevent the rope burn on the way down.

 

Also ensure that you have a dedicated spotter to try to catch or slow down their fall if you go with out a harness. This person should have NO other responsibilities when ever anyone is on the rope.

 

Just out of curiosity, what are you attaching the rope to at the top? How is it being rigged? I'd go without the knots and make them actually climb it.

[CNYScouter]

I am having a disscusion later in the week about how this actiity is going to run (ie. how the rope will be attached and safety equipment)

 

My 2 concerns initally were the qualified instructors (not sure if the person wanting to do this one) and the safe area (it will NOT be in an established climbing site or facilty).

 

I think that this activity should be replaced but others putting this activity together feel that as it's not a rock climbing activity and just a hanging rope the Climb on Safety gudelines do not apply.

[Gunny2862]

Remember that the Climb on Safely is primarily to get you to think thru the process..., Which you are doing.

If you don't think you have or cannot create a safe system, then don't do it. Or at least make it clear in written form to the Event Organizer that you will not be responsible for that portion of the event. If you are the Event organizer and you aren't comfortable with the setup - kill it.

 

IMHO only.

I don't think a climbing instructor would be required for what you are describing.

Keep the overall height under 10 - 12 feet(at their heel to your head height you're getting into harness territory) so fifteen is probably a little high, depending on the height of your Spotter and you can probably dispense with harnesses. But again ensure you have some adequate catch padding if your Spotter fails to catch and only slows them down - they'll still land with some moderate force.

Will there be an EMT/Paramedic on site?

[Beavah]

Yah, hmmm.

 

Da point of spotters when boulderin' is that the hand and footholds are tiny and hard to grip (or can even break off), so that it's possible for da climber to unexpectedly fall, eh? Same reason for havin' a roped belay when yeh get up higher than a spotter can cover.

 

That's really not an issue with climbin' a set of stairs, or climbin' a ladder, or climbin' a rope. When you're climbin' some manufactured thing that's well-anchored, the issues are different.

 

For that reason and more, this ain't a Climb On Safely issue. There's no such a thing as a qualified instructor for climbin' a gym rope or a ladder. This is an ordinary prudence and good judgment sort of thing.

 

So long as the rope attachment point was secure and the landing zone was clear, supervised, and padded, I reckon such a setup is pretty self-limiting safety-wise. Lads who aren't strong enough to hold on to the rope well don't make it very high. And no kid is goin' to accidentally let go, eh?

 

Beavah

 

[eagle1977]

Kinda makes you wonder how we ever survived middle and high school back in the day, doesn't it? I was always scared to death to climb the rope and ring the bell. But what a wonderful sense of accomplishment when I finally succeeded!

[HobcawChaos]

Still remember the view from the top of the elementary school gym rope....coach on the far side of the gym. Hard 2" wrestling mat left over from the high school below. Would never have let go.

[Eagle309]

I agree that this is not a Climb on Safely issue but nonetheless caution you to be careful.

 

I almost lost one of my (Webelos at the time) Scouts about 5 years back due to a school gym class rope climbing accident. It seems that he lost his grip at the top of the climb and fell to the too thin a mat below. The gym teacher was 'spotting' but was unable to break a fall from that height. The boy went into cardiac arrest as a result of the fall. The only thing that saved him was the fact that the fire department was less than 1/4 mile away so arrived quickly with a defibulator.

 

The local school system has since that time removed all gym ropes and is adding bouldering walls where funds can be raised.