your safety in the mountains
I was lucky enough to grow up enjoying the mountains and have been regularly standing on summits since I was 7 years old. I have been instructing since 2002 and an active Mountain Rescue Team member since 2008. All of that experience has taught me that climbing and mountaineering are not safe. It is important that you recognise that and understand it when you come and join our trips and courses.
For me the risks of being in the mountains are offset by the many benefits. The mountains have shaped my whole way of life, given me a community, life long friendships and many powerful memories. I have also lost friends to the mountains and sat with the relatives of people who have died doing what we love.
If we go into the mountains we are taking a risk that is greater than normal daily life.The only way to totally avoid that is to not go.
I am not looking to abdicate my responsibility as an instructor in telling you this. When you are out with us we will aim to educate you to the risks involved and make you aware of the processes we use to manage risk. At the same time we need to accept that we cannot remove all risk to either clients, instructors or those people around us.
Some activities carry a greater risk than others. If you join us for a weekend of hill walking then I would say that the overall health benefits exceed the risk of getting hurt or worse. Of course that is entirely anecdotal but there are numerous reports that show the benefits to our physical and mental health of being active in the outdoors.
I have had to call Mountain Rescue out to my clients when a lady suffered anaphylactic shock having been stung by a bee. She hadn’t suffered a reaction like that before and so wasn’t carrying adrenaline. A helicopter was able to get to us within 10 minutes and she made a swift and full recovery. Had the weather been poor and a helicopter unable to fly then the outcome might have been different.
Once we move into scrambling the risks increase. We are moving onto terrain where the consequences of a slip are more serious. It is the “easier” scrambling ground that catches people out. When we are on the hard bits you will be on a rope. It is the grade 1 routes or the “bits in-between” on the harder routes where your own movement skills and judgement will determine your safety to a far greater extent than anything we can do. We will teach you movement skills and explain our judgement but ultimately your safety is in your own hands – or feet!
In winter the risks increase again. We now face objective dangers in the form of avalanche and cold weather injury. We will use our experience and judgement to talk through our plans, our decisions and sometimes our “gut instinct”. That being said, experienced mountaineers get nailed by avalanches every year and we can’t remove that risk 100% – unless we stay at home. On some days we will suggest doing just that!
Every time we go out my overall aim will be to come back safely. That is the number one priority. Along the way we want to have fun – that is the number two priority. I also want you to learn something and be inspired by the mountains that give me so many wonderful days out. Everything else is a bonus!
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT:
When an activity becomes predictable and absolutely safe, it ceases to be exciting or by definition to be an adventure. For an activity to be adventurous it must have an uncertain outcome and it will carry risks. Going into mountainous regions is implicitly hazardous, and if we add to that an adventurous activity, then by necessity the hazards are increased. This implies an inherent and intractable risk of injury or, in the extreme, loss of life. Anyone considering taking part in a trip needs to consider this very seriously and to take responsibility for their own participation and acknowledge and accept these risks.
Expeditionguide reserves the right to remove participants from courses and expeditions on the grounds of safety at their discretion without refund or compensation.
Overseas Expeditions: Our expeditions and courses are educational and they are exciting, they will take you to parts of the world that will make a big impression on you and equally will benefit from the impression that we can offer them. You will experience moments that will remain with you for the rest of your life. Sadly, some of these areas are impoverished. This alone is an important incentive to go but it means we operate invariably in regions with limited infrastructure. If you are injured, problems with infrastructure alone can mean a delayed evacuation and so a worse medical outcome than for a similar accident nearer to home.
For us the benefits of mountaineering expeditions overseas far outweigh the negatives, that is why we do what we do and we hope the same will be true for you. In order to take part in a truly exciting, adventurous activity with all the rewards of experiencing diverse cultures and sharing unforgettable memories with newly found friends, you have to accept the risks involved.
The BMC acts on behalf of walkers, climbers and mountaineers in the UK and offers the following participation statement that we ask you to agree to:
“The BMC recognises that climbing, hill walking and mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement.”
Complaints:
All complaints should be addressed in writing to:
Rob Johnson
1 Pant y Carw
Nant y Felin Rd
Llanfairfechan
Conwy
LL330SU
rob@expeditionguide.com
Complaints will be investigated by Rob Johnson in the first instance. Where a complaint remains unresolved Expeditionguide agree to the matter being referred to the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI).
Expeditionguide.com is the trading name of Johnsons Expedition Guides. Our company number is OC300151