ACTIVITIES SUMMER 2020

This thread is a replacement for the “Suspension” topic which was posted at the beginning of the COVID emergency.

For outdoor activities in England, the guidance continues to be a maximum of 6 participants, with social distancing. Huts and bothies are generally closed.

The Club is obviously not in a position to organise anything for more than 6 people. In particular, our jolly cragging evenings for a dozen or so on Thursdays will have to await happier times. But of course Members will get out and about within the guidelines and using their judgement.

Hillwalking in small groups is fairly straightforward, especially on a breezy day. I carry sanitiser and (try to) wipe hands after using gates.
Days out can be organised via the Forum (as was last Saturday on Ingleborough).

Rock climbing is more complex. A number of us remain very dubious about passing gear and rope from hand to hand (?? when I’m not allowed to play catch with my grandchildren ??). On the other hand, there is national guidance (even though that may be subject to commercial and other influences). The balance between safety and ambition has to be decided individually.

On 9 July there was updated guidance from Mountaineering Scotland.
This seems to me to be usefully specific and clear on the detail of precautions AND choice of routes, so I’m including the “Climbing” section below in full.

For those who keep up to date with Scottish mountains, the full document is at
https://www.mountaineering.scot/coronavirus

ANDREW

While you are climbing / scrambling:
Scale back your ambitions – be cautious, choose objectives well within your own technical and physical limits to minimise the risk of accidents and injury, and to avoid pressure on emergency services.
Maintain physical distancing, staying 2m apart with anyone from outside your household/extended household.
Try to ensure your bags do not come into contact with other people’s bags and only visit your bag if you are able to maintain physical distancing. Put your bag in a separate area if possible.
Ensure you sanitise or thoroughly clean your hands after each climb / problem and ensure you do not touch your face.
Don’t hog the crag/boulder – show consideration to fellow climbers that are waiting to climb. Maybe consider a half day at a venue if it is busy and be prepared to be flexible.
Communicate respectfully with fellow climbers. It is good to understand what people’s intentions are and to work together so everyone can get their climbing fix. Ensure appropriate physical distancing at all times.
Be aware of wildlife which may have moved into unexpected areas during lockdown: cliff-nesting birds are likely to be on new crags due to the lack of visitors and should not be disturbed.
Cleaning of equipment can be done in some cases in line with the manufacturer’s guidance (see link to guidance in “Further information”).
Additional considerations for bouldering
Spotting should only be carried out by members of your household.
Do you have enough bouldering mats to build a suitable landing? Avoid lying/resting on mats and clean them after use.
Can you avoid climbing with other groups/individuals you encounter out bouldering?
Consider low level traverses and problems rather than high ball.
Additional considerations for climbing
Do your buddy checks at a distance. Ask your partner to show you the checking rather than you checking yourself.
Choose your routes carefully to ensure you are 2m apart from other climbers. This may mean leaving a route in between if necessary.
Avoid single pitch routes where the leader and second need to share a small ledge or top out.
Physical distancing will be difficult to achieve on multi pitch routes and will require advance planning and good local knowledge of routes so you can pick those with large stances.
Think about how you manage your stance, consider belaying back from the edge and using technical solutions to ensure physical distancing can be maintained.
Equipment:
Avoid sharing equipment where possible.
Minimise shared gear by doubling up on items where possible.
Avoid using your mouth when clipping ropes or placing gear.
Disinfect your hands with gel before and after each pitch.
Minimise exchanges of equipment whilst maintaining social distance.
Disinfect your hands with gel after handing over gear.