UKC

I'd like to take some people from work to do Snakes and Ladders in the slate quarries, but I'm a bit confused about the legality of it.

Firstly, we're all trained tower climbers and I'm sure work would let us use our harnesses, y-lanyards etc as it's essentially just climbing ladders. However, as none of the ladders, or even the abseil bolts are rated or inspected to industrial standards, I guess this option is out from a legal stand point?

So that leads me to thinking on more normal terms of guiding. What MLTE quals would actually cover you to take someone round Snakes and Ladders? Would I need to hire a MIA? Would an SPA be able to do it? Do I need a caving guide for the tunnels?! I've realised it's a bit of an anomaly now I'm trying to organise it.

I know the advice will probably be to just wing it and go anyway, which we'd all be more than competent to do, but as it would be a work thing it needs to be 100% by the book. Someone could easily get hurt by a falling bit of slate or something and then I'd be right in the sh*t if I hadn't followed the rule book.

Any ideas on how to go about this? Any help much appreciated.

In reply to Dave 88:

Given that access isn't officially allowed I'd be wary of doing anything that might lead to the ban being enforced

In reply to Dave 88:

There has been a lot of damage recently. If you're at all doubtful about litigation I wouldn't recommend snakes and ladders

In reply to Dave 88:

1) You don't NEED a qualification. Guiding is not professional in the UK.
2) Are you being paid in any way shape or form or is this purely a jolly? If it's purely a jolly and you are all going as equals on a non work related trip away, then you are not responsible. All adults should be responsible for their own actions and they would have to prove serious negligence on your part.
3) If it's a paid trip, then you need to follow best practice at the very least. MIA would be best, but a min. of SPA and ML would be advisable. Don't know about caving.
4) No bolts will not be rated - this is not industrial rope access work - infact access to the quarries is iffy and not legal, so FFS if you get caught by the quarry owners do not under any circumstances say you're with a company, or that you are being paid...

In reply to Dave 88:

If it's just a few mates from work you want to show then no quals or insurance is really needed. if you want to charge even a nominal fee you should have appropriate insurance and experience of the route, know about risks of the route etc... you don't NEED to be qualified in the sense of an actual NGB (the beauty of the UK regulations!) but you do need to be experienced in what you are doing.

In reply to All:

I completely forgot access isn't officially allowed! Goes to show how we can take such a great climbing area for granted.

I wouldn't be getting paid but I was looking to organise it as a work trip (ie use a work vehicle and maybe get a bit of cash for food as a team building kinda thing), so they would need someone with official quals.

Back to the drawing board given the access condition I think. Might take a couple of them for a jolly in our own time instead then.

Thanks for the helpful responses.

In reply to deacondeacon:


Didn't one of the most "exciting" ladders finally collapse in Jan or Feb?

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Don't think so as I did it at Easter and all was 'intact' apart from the bridge which had parted company on one side. Much of it was definitely dodgy though, plenty of wobbly ladders and missing rungs.

I'd be very wary of taking a group on it cause one day some of it is coming crashing down. Be interested to hear of the extent of any damage.

In reply to spidermonkey09:

Agreed...slightly old but generally intact and checked Via Ferrata ladders shit me up somewhat, let alone something like that.

Neil

In reply to Blue Straggler:
Well the bridge collapsed, as well as a very big rockfall in 'the lost world' which flattened the bothy.

I also don't think that rope access lanyards would be much use at all. If one of those ladders collapsed when you were on it, the last thing you'd want is to be clipped into it.

In reply to deacondeacon:

If you were clipping to anything on it, a VF lanyard would be more use, as it would lessen the shock load. But I'm inclined to agree with you given that the main reason you'd be falling off a ladder would be because it had failed.

Neil

In reply to Neil Williams:
I'd rather take my chances rather than being tied to it with anything.

When i've done it first person up might as well be soloing it, but can then offer a top rope for the others.

In reply to spidermonkey09:

Thanks, I got muddled

In reply to Mark Kemball:

Yeah I showed that photo to my mate. When we did it (not that long ago) he was insisting we did the bridge, luckily I managed to talk him out of it or we could've been on it when it finally gave way!

In reply to Dave 88:

And if you look at before and after photos of the bridge you'll see that it didn't even break at the point that looked the dodgiest, but at the other end.

Was so relieved it had already gone before I did it so I didn't have to make the decision of whether to risk it or not!

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

It would not be a nice way to go!