Paddle paddle paddle paddle...

A week or so of canoeing and kayaking at both ends of Wales has been shattering, but loads of fun! It started with my 4 star leader open canoe training and ended with a club trip to North Wales and the River Dee, separated by a short break to attend a tutor induction event for the new(ish) Hill and Mountain Skills scheme at Plas y Brenin.

4 Star Training

The first day of a 3 day course with Ray Goodwin began with all six of us scraping the hail and ice out of the bottom of our boats at Pontiscill Reservoir. Despite the finger-numbing sub zero temperatures and the occasional snow flurry, the morning mist over the still water was somehow both calming and uplifting at the same time. We worked on refining our forwards paddling technique as we journeyed around the reservoir, stopping for lunch only long enough to scrape the icicles from our noses! In seriousness, the cold was significant enough that we had to keep moving as much as possible. 

A lack of wind in the morning threatened to dash any hopes of sailing, but by the time we had learned a few improvised sailing rigs, a gentle breeze had become a powerful wind cutting across the lake. Powering downwind, it was difficult to keep our pair of rafted canoes on course, but some timely bow jam strokes from Haydn steered us in towards the shore in a sheltered bay. The next challenge was getting back out again with the wind against us!

This challenge proved a great opportunity for me to experiment with micro-trim: positioning myself a little further forwards in the boat in order to dig the bow into the water against the wind. Progress was slow, but steadier than I have sometimes managed before in similarly strong winds.

Back on the River

The following two days were spent on the River Usk, running the Aberbran to Brecon and Sennybridge to Aberbran sections, both of which were familiar to me in a kayak, but not in a canoe. Nonetheless, I was pretty comfortable with the territory and relaxed a little as the sun came out on the final day. This proved to be a great opportunity to learn a bit more about lining and poling, skills which I had only rarely used before but which are essential on longer river journeys. I left the course with a pretty clear idea of what I need to work on before assessment and an eagerness to progress.

Heading for the Hills

The Hill and Mountain Skills scheme was introduced about a year ago by Mountain Training UK to offer an introduction to the UK's hills and mountains for the general walker. The ever-industrious Will Kilner is one of the approved providers for the scheme and offered me the opportunity to get involved as a tutor for his courses.

The two day induction took place at the National Mountain Centre at Plas y Brenin and covered everything from the ethos of the scheme to top tips for delivering training to participants. It was nice to get back into the mountains of North Wales, and it also meant I was just down the road prior to the first of what I hope becomes a regular Monmouth Canoe Club trip to the area.

Back on the River Dee

I met the rest of the club members taking part at Mile End Mill outside Llangollen and we wasted little time in getting straight on the River Dee (well, after a short break for tea and coffee anyway). I've run this section a few times now, so I was happy to lead. After a short warm up downstream of Horseshoe Falls we eddy-hopped down to the top of Serpent's Tail rapid. The river was as high as I have seen it, and the usual island by the rapid was almost washed out. With no-one leaping forward to have a go, we decided to portage the drop and headed on downstream.

A few easy drops and ledges took us to the top of the Mile End Mill site, where we got out to head up to the luxury cottage Tracy had booked for us (which worked out even cheaper than a bunkhouse would have been!).

Another run on the Dee the next day found Tracy's son Jack taking on some of the leadership too, picking sound lines for the group and even having a go at the Serpent's Tail. Unfortunately for him the legendary 'sting in the tail' was particularly sharp that day and tipped him out at the bottom. Sharpshooting Hugh hit him first time with a well aimed throwline though, and he was soon back on the bank.

As heavy rain began to fall we headed on down through the Mile End site, taking on a couple of extra drops before getting out in Llangollen this time. The rain put most people off the afternoon's planned trip across the Pontysyllte Aqueduct, but we made it across the following day instead. 

Sadly both me and Laura had to return home for work, so we missed out on the further exploits of the club, taking on a new river in Snowdonia and convincing one terrified member to sign up for the forthcoming SARA charity abseil, but that's another story!

My next trip out should see me safely on dry, if somewhat snowy, ground. A five day winter skills course in Scotland to look forward to!

(Photos borrowed variously from Haydn and Tracy)

Thoughts on a mountain tragedy

The professional outdoor world has been ablaze with debate and discussion over the past few days, thanks to the findings of a fatal accident report by a Scottish Sheriff.

The full judgement can be found here, but in summary, the inquiry concerned the death in 2012 of Graham Paterson, an experienced hillwalker and climber who was self employed, taking clients out in the hills of Skye. Although Mr Paterson had been taking clients out since 1995-96 and has been referred to as a mountain guide, he did not hold any formal qualifications in this area. This forms the background to some of the Sheriff's recommendations.

Mr Paterson fell on a grade 4 winter climb, in the company of a client who had asked for, and thought that she was going on a winter walk. When the accident occurred, the client did not know which mountain she was on, let alone the exact location, and Mr. Paterson was badly injured and unable to tell her. With considerable difficulty and at considerable personal risk, the client was able to descend the mountain and summon help.

Evidence was given by a local MIC holder and by the deputy head of the Scottish Adventurous Activity Licensing Service (AALS). Both were unequivocal that the client should not have been on the route she was, given her own stated level of experience, and that furthermore she should have been more involved in the route planning, as well as being provided with emergency procedures.

The Sheriff states in his report that 'the underlying cause of the risks to which (the client) was exposed was the unregulated nature of mountain guiding in Scotland' and that 'it is incumbent upon policy makers to discover a means by which mountain guides in Scotland are properly qualified and equipped to provide the service which they promote and which they operate for commercial gain'

This is no knee jerk reaction, the likes of which can be seen in the uninformed comment of the Daily Mail every time there is a death in the mountains. The Sheriff did not call for a minimum level of qualifications, nor did he call for the banning of non-professionals from the mountains and uplands of the UK. Instead, at a time when the UK government has been considering removing the requirement for licensing of outdoor activities for children, the Sheriff seems to call for the expansion of the AALS approach to the adult sector.

The current situation in law is that an outdoor professional can demonstrate their competence in a number of ways, including the use of formal qualifications. It is also possible to demonstrate competence through long experience. Where the competence-based route can fall down is in the area of continual professional development, in particular keeping up with developments in best practice and new technology. The licensing approach, with its emphasis on technical advisors, attempts to address this concern.

The distinction between children and adults that forms the basis of the AALS regime is based on the premise that adults are (or should be) more able to understand and assess the risks involved in an activity. When commercial services are engaged however, this process of risk assessment becomes blurred, and in practice, paying clients expect that risks will be managed for them.

So, licensing, a no-brainer right? Well, at a cost of £700+ for a 1-3 year license under AALS, many small providers are discouraged from taking on licensable activities. If this approach were extended into the adult market, how many small businesses would decide to pack it all in? Would we be left with a few big players taking people out on the same routes and offering a less than personal service, or would prices simply rise to absorb the licensing and technical advice fees?

There are no easy answers, and this case appears to be unusual rather than indicative of a wider problem amongst outdoor professionals, but I believe there is some wisdom in the cautious steer given towards licensing by the Sheriff. Regardless of the next steps though, there will always be risk in the mountains. The focus must remain on sound judgement and decision making, with external controls a secondary concern.