Voluneer Belayers Needed - Sandfontein Peak (Cederberg)

[gerhardco]

Hi All,

For 25-27 Sep 2024, we are looking for 2 climbers would be willing to help out with a youth survival camp. The pupils are in Gr11, and we have 2 toprope routes (with anchors) that we usually climb with them.

We have all the gear available, we just need some experienced belayers. You will need your hiking boots, a backpack and a sleeping bag.

The trip will be as follows:

Wed 25 Sep - Hike from Sandfontein Farm up to Sandfontein Peak - sleep on the peak in a cave.
Thu 26 Sep - Put up ropes (you can walk to the anchors) and let the group (30 pupils) climb - sleep on the peak again.
Fri 27 Sep - Hike down.

If you are interested please get in touch with me via the forum.

Happy climbing

Gerhard Combrinck

[thomas65]

Hey I'm interested

[Forket]

Sounds like you legally need single pitch certified guides...

[justin]

Sounds like you legally need single pitch certified guides...

No (although qualified is always better for various reasons), so long as there is a legally certified climbing guide(s) present.

[Forket]

Justin, that's basically what I said , but I guess you implying that the guide doesn't need to do anything. Either way, best to legally have one or more present?

[gerhardco]

If you are still interested in helping please email me at gerhardco@gmail.com.

Thank you

[Forket]

Do you have a qualified guide present?

[justin]

Justin, that's basically what I said , but I guess you implying that the guide doesn't need to do anything. Either way, best to legally have one or more present?

Correct: Best and certainly legal to have a qualified guide on site.

[Nic Le Maitre]

@Justin

If no money is changing hands, does anyone need to be certified? Genuine question, not trolling.

[Forket]

Nic, I'm not trolling. There are kid's lives on the line man.

Didn't want to get this deep into the topic, just wanted to know if the guy had considered that he should probably have a certified person present.

You need a certificated person or a person trained by a certified person these days (to prove that you aren't being negligent) if you're a business (eg. school) outsourcing the work or prosecution is undoubtedly possible if something went skew. A private accident occurring among friends or randoms at the crag is another story, unless money is exchanged for services.

In the case something went wrong, the school could be held accountable by a parent. The school would be considered negligent if there wasn't a certified person present or a person trained by a certified person (someone that has passed a competence test). If the school was unaware of the climbing activity, they would deflect it to the person in charge of the camp/hike. The person in charge would then try deflect it onto the belayer. If the belayer wasn't aware that they had to be certified, such as a kid getting roped in via an online forum, the person in charge or the school would be accountable. If money was exchanged, then SARS would be pulled in and the way money was exchanged and the motive for doing so would be questioned. If money wasn't exchanged, then the person belaying (if the accident was their fault) would have to prove their competence in the case that they claimed that they weren't aware they had to be certified. If they could prove that they were capable or competent, but it was just an accident, then they could probably get away with it.

All comes down to the parents and the prosecution if something had to go wrong, thus its best to cover yourself and get a competent person to render you a service, or train the persons or check that they are competent before they render the service.

Ebert

[Nic Le Maitre]

Thanks for the comprehensive reply.

That's exactly what I thought the case would be.

I have a few guide friends and after the kids drowned at that school camp, there is a serious push to regulate this kind of thing more strongly.

[justin]

Yes, Forket is pretty much correct (although it is still a slightly grey area).

The words 'adventure based learning' come into play - that is teaching via an activity (say for example rock climbing or abseiling).
This might be a teacher, a school or a climbing club who are not directly charging each person, again the main purpose is education.
They need to have proven that the persons who are assisting are competent in the skill - e.g. attendance of skills training and assessment (but not necessarily a qualification in that skill).

If money is changing hands, you 100% need someone who is qualified. This also allows public liability insurance to be set in place.