Out of Africa

Caving, climbing and kayaking have all got in the way of my updating the blog before now, but the most recent delay is all down to a month spent in Tanzania! I was leading a school expedition for True Adventure and, unsurprisingly, internet access has been a bit hard to come by lately!

The expedition took us from trekking in the Eastern Arc Mountains to safari in Mikumi national park, a voluntary project in Msata village and finally to some much needed R+R on the beaches at Bagamoyo and Kigamboni.

Uluguru Mountains

We completed two multi-day treks in the Eastern Arc Mountains, starting with 5 days in the Uluguru range, close to the bustling city of Morogoro. Baking heat and dusty tracks were the order of the day to begin with, but by the end of a tough climbing first day we had reached Morningside camp. Set above the point of a beautifully sculpted valley high above Morogoro, Morningside was a delightful spot to camp for the first night and, as the sun descended behind a nearby ridge, we watched the lights come on in the city below, glittering in the cold night.

The second day found us tramping up narrow and thickly vegetated trails to the former German army radar station on Bondwa Peak - the highest point on the trek at 2170m above sea level. A near 360 degree panorama stretched out beneath us: the plains speckled with long dead volcanic hills and the great lake that supplies the town with water.

Persistent rain followed us for the next two days as we slithered and slipped along narrow muddy tracks to the aptly named 'Forest Camp', deep in the woods before emerging at the friendly village of Tegetero. The welcome we received here was only matched by the drunken dancing of one local man who (almost literally) stumbled across our tents in the early evening!

From Tegetero we made our way down to Kinole, a large village on the road back to Morogoro, but not before taking a side trip to the spectacular Kisimbi waterfall. Some of the girls took the opportunity to wash their hair here, thrilled at the thought of fresh running water for the first time in 4 days!

Going on a Lion Hunt!

Our overnight safari in Mikumi national park was a stunning introduction to the range and volume of wildlife that Tanzania has to offer. Within minutes of passing through the park gates we were greeted by the sight of a family group of elephants just a few metres from the gates. Giraffes, zebras, baboons, wildebeest, buffalo, crocodiles... the list goes on. No lions though, they were all a bit too camera-shy.

Nguru and Beyond

The second trek was in the Nguru Mountains, another of the Eastern Arc ranges. This was far less challenging than the first, and took in a more populated area than the Uluguru trek. The track took us along what were once slave routes from the interior. Captured slaves would be forced to carry gold and ivory along these trails to the coastal ports where the survivors would then be sold on to new masters; a sombre place to be. With a slightly less fatigued group, the Nguru trek provided a good opportunity to wind down before a hectic and busy project.

The school in Msata village suffers from severe shortages of water during the dry season, so the team helped to build a rainwater collection system. The teenagers managed everything from buying project materials to engaging a local builder for the technical parts of the job, as well as finding time to scrub and paint 5 classrooms, help out in English lessons and cook for themselves! The effort meant that the team achieved far more than I thought possible in the time they had.

Beach Holiday

From Msata, we made a beeline for Bagamoyo where gorgeous beaches combined with real showers and toilets made our resort seem like luxury! A short side trip to the Mwende craft market in Dar es Salaam, followed by another fine but quiet beach in Kigamboni was all that time allowed before the flight back home again.

Next Adventures

It's still been non-stop here in the Borderlands though: A week spent working on a NCS programme followed by some downtime squirming around a Mendip cave... Next stop Cornwall for some real downtime before it's back to work preparing for the next Borderlands first aid course!

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.