In reply to David Hooper:
Well – it seems to me there are 4 main issues here. Insurance, course, crag etiquette and your demeanor.
1) Insurance – come Monday I really feel someone should contact the BMC giving them a link to the thread and inviting their insurance expert to give a definitive comment. There are a good few instructors posting on the thread + Andy Say from MTLE and no-one seems to be definitive about the insurance.
As an freelance instructor, I know EXACTLY where I stand with my own insurance – other folks and club insurance doesn’t really need to concern me as long as I am watertight. For your own sake, don’t assume anything with insurance , GET IN IN WRITING AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE COVERED.
2) The Course. It is very much a well planned and prepared formal course, with yourself acting as a de facto instructor – no doubt in my mind. You have prepared very comprehensive paperwork. Ive scanned it (as in reading it - not on a digital scanner) and will go over it in detail to give you more feedback if you like? Ive already noticed a couple of things that I woiuld do differently, but that’s down to personal style, rather than you being wrong. I have been asked by 2 different instructors and Andy Say at MLTE if they could have a look – Would it be OK with you to forward this? Libbys book is an excellent choice – one I recommend to my clients.
3) Crag etiquette and choice of route.
I must admit to being a bit concerned to your apparent intransigence in your choice of Mauds Garden. Many folk on the thread have pointed out that it may not be the most appropriate route choice, both due to its starred status and popularity and the fact it makes for a fairly bold lead.
I do tend to concur.
Throughout the thread you do not appear to have heard and taken on board folks well meaning advice and even in the last letter you have sent round to your clients, you have reiterated your intention to continue using Mauds Garden. Tonight I opened my Roaches Guide at the Mauds Garden page (34 &35) On page 34 there is a highlighted yellow box trying to educate about group use. And on 35 the Mauds Garden description contains “A tricky start that has been bold for nearly 60 years”.
I know folks preconception of a “group” is a bunch of trainer clad scallies with a Liverpool Probation Service minibus, bottom roping, dropping litter and carving their intials into the rock. But make no mistake, your usage of the route is just as much group usage and takes the route out of the public domain for as long or longer than a bottom roping group.
A good experienced instructor will assess the needs of his clients and select a portfolio of routes accordingly and progressively (also factoring in the impact of that choice on the wider constituency of crag users). We do not shoehorn the clients onto the one selected route we have rigidly planned our course around.
You have stated that you “Stand by my route choice and will use it for the duration of my course”
Despite the concerns of fellow climbers?
Despite the concerns of 2 of the Roaches Guide contributers?
To me this shows a worryingly rigid mindset and I respectfully suggest you may wish to work on this aspect of your instructing. Personally I would choose a more obscure route in a quieter area or even a quieter crag. I don’t want nervous leaders to have a distracting audience. I would choose an easy route, but mainly a route defined by continuous easily protectable cracks and protection opportunities where the client could lob a bit of gear in every couple of feet. Not a bold slab with a manufactured placement.
Lastly, once I have rigged up my static rope for self lining – I don’t really want to be moving it all the time, so another reason not to choose a popular classic.
4) Your demeanor – Nicholas Livesey who started the original thread is not one of UKCs troublemakers or mudslingers – check his posting history. I believe it was a genuine heart felt, concerned post, from a moderate man, passionate about his mountains and his climbing.
It may be an idea to work on reconciling your self image with how others appear to perceive you Iain?
There is Nicks original impression of you to take on board and the mail I received from an MIA running an SPA course at the Roaches that day who didn’t feel comfortable slating you on the thread, but who sent this to me :
“Hi David
I don't want to add to the visible posts, so thought I would contact you
directly as you are now dealing with EZ. I was running an SPA Assessment
right next to EZ and his group on Saturday; we climbed Mauds Garden in two
groups of two, and then moved on to other areas of the crag. It was busy,
with a large uni group wandering around.
I know that you are looking at the scheme of work etc. but I think that
EZ's problem mught be one of attitude. He was very "obviously" instructing
a group by demonstrating anchors- by this I mean that it had an element of
performance put on for the benefit of passers by as much as for his group.
Personally I would have chosen a more discreet spot. The whole thing seemed
a bit bombastic.
I don't want to go flaunting my MIA quals and so forth on UKC- I
understand your reluctance- but EZ did seem to be running a session as a
bit of a showman, without regard for other crag users. It's pretty much a
fundamental when you do SPA training to be made aware of other crag
users.
Sorry for rambling, but his schemes for running his training days will no
doubt be faultless- he needs to be somehow taught soft skills (by
attending SPA training, assessment etc etc like we have). Anyway good luck
and well done for offering to help him out.
Obviously Iain, I wasn’t there so can only feed these things back to you.
So to summarise Iain, I think it is absolutely great that you are giving of your time for introducing folk to leading.
Despite Fawkeseys assertation that instructors are elitist, protectionist and looking after our income, I know of no instructor who struggles to find clients –we are all busy – we all network and help each other out – there is plenty of love to go around and mates teaching mates should be a big part of our mutual enthusiasm and passion for climbing. Even a hard nosed, money grabbing,elitist, professional instructor like myself, still finds the time to teach folks to climb for free sometimes
Please don’t get overly hung up on your paperwork and prep (superb as it is) don’t be afraid to be a bit “looser and more organic and flexible”.
When I did my MIA assessment at PyB back in the mists of time, both me and my mate had our knuckles rapped on the “teaching multipitch” day – we were both too safe and boring.
We passed, but on the condition that we hired Nigel Shepard for the day to give us “interesting “lessons. What a day!!! He wandered us all over Hollytree Wall, Idwal Slabs, Javelin Buttress and Idwal Staircase by a wonderful meandering enchainment, telling us stories, showing an interest in our stories and making us laugh – twas like a day out with a good mate and indeed I now consider Shep to be a mate
I learned a lot from that day.
So please Iain – don’t stop what you are doing, keep instructing, but listen to people, relax, prepare to be flexible, f*ck Mauds Garden right off (joke)
Oh and lastly? – hurry up and get yerself qualified – I think you will be a great asset to our instructing community when you become open to constructive feedback .
My very best wishes
David