In reply to Reach>Talent:
This raises another point about Health and Safety concious walls.
I witnessed an incident at Boulders last year (this isn't some 'lets all attack Boulders' thing, merely that the incident in question left me quite angry).
A friend of mine from Norway, herself a competent and experience climber both outdoors and In, came over to this country to study. The first time I took her to Boulders she was required to choose from a bunch of pictures the correct way to tie in, the options being figure of 8 through belay loop, figure of 8 through tie in point, and figure of 8 clipped to crab and clipped through belay loop.
She chose the last option, crab to belay loop. Now, whilst not strictly best practice in the UK, it is a commonly used technique, one employed by members of staff at many walls including boulders when instructing large groups. Essentially, it may not be best practice, but it is not overly dangerous when done correctly, as will all methods of securing oneself.
She was failed on the spot and told out right by some well meaning lass with a CWA training weekend under her belt that she wasn't allowed to sign up as that was dangerous. I contested this stating clearly that the option she had chosen whilst not best practice wasn't dangerous and pointed out to her that in the particular circumstances given that my friend from Norway is used to tying in like this as accepted practice in Norway, should still be allowed to sign up.
She offered an outright no. I was appaled at her failure to grasp that a much more effective way of dealing with this situation would have been to explain the BMC's stance on attaching by this method and explain best practice in the UK. By offering an explanation my friend would learn, she would be able to climb, and all percieved additional danger would have been avoided.
This to me is a big problem with many outdoor and climing centres, in that their staff are themselves inexpereinced and have a list of do's and don'ts, without the knowledge of why which would allow them to apply intuition and discretion to many situations - much like tying in with a bowline.