Scottish Climbing Code of Practice (Summer and Winter)
A Statement by the MCofS 

WHAT DO YOU THINK? let us know your views You can make comments by either of the following methods: Use the Pitch-in pages of our website & read other comments on the Pitch-in Send comments direct to the Development officer, Kevin Howett at kev@mcofs.org.uk. Please state if you do not want your views posted on Pitch-in. DEADLINE: Friday 11th January 2010

What’s Climbing All About Then?

The MCofS has been approached over the past year by a range of bodies who own land such as Local Authorities and Public bodies, enquiring about climbing that occurs on their land and their worries regarding their liability.

  In response the MCofS has drafted up a “Climbing Code of Practice” which it is hoped will allay their concerns by explaining what our sport actually involves and how we operate to a code of self reliance.

  This statement shows how our activities relate to the Land Reform Act and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code: respecting the interests of others, personal liability and care for the environment.

  The statement also outlines the full range of climbing activities and how there are two styles (Traditional and Sport); the importance of the ‘MCofS Participation Statement’ and how this relates to climbing, putting up and documenting new climbs and liability for our own actions. It clearly states that climbers must risk assess everything from the quality of any fixed equipment (pegs, slings or bolts) to loose rock, to route descriptions and grades.

  Finally there are guidelines for the development of sport venues based upon previous consultations amongst climbers by the MCofS.

Scottish Climbing Code of Practice (Summer & Winter)

(A Statement by the MCofS)

CLIMBING DISCIPLINES & STYLES

The MCofS supports and represents all climbing disciplines in Scotland:

• Bouldering
• Adventure Climbing
• Sport Climbing
• Winter Snow and Ice Climbing
• Winter Mixed Climbing
• Winter Sport Mixed Climbing

The adventurous ethic of traditional climbing is important to Scotland, historically and in the future, and is highly regarded across the world. The MCofS therefore promotes a climbing practice which maintains this adventure ethic, whilst allowing the development of other climbing disciplines.

The following two styles are identified. These are regarded as distinct and are not combined in a mixed manner on a single climb.

Traditional Style:

The use of leader placed / second removed protection, also called ‘natural protection’. It includes the use of hammer-placed pegs as well as slings left in-situ. The style is often referred to as ‘adventure’ climbing.

Sport Style:

The use of in-situ protection from bolts: bolts are used for the production of fully equipped climbs and would not be used on climbs or cliffs regarded as adventurous terrain.

RESPONSIBLE ACCESS & CLIMBING

The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 gives everyone statutory access rights to most land and inland water for the purposes of recreation and passage. These rights only apply if access is conducted responsibly, and guidance on what this means is contained in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (the Code). See: www.outdooraccess-scotland.com. Detailed advice about minimising your impact can be found at www.mcofs.org.uk/advice-and-policies.asp. The three basic principles are:

1.      Respecting the interests of other people

Respecting other recreational users and land managers includes considering the impact of the size of any group or event, or the regularity of use of any venue. The Code also advises respect for reasonable requests to use alternative access for short periods when some areas may not be safe while management operations are underway.

2.      Caring for the environment

Caring for the crag environment is an important element of being responsible under the Code. In general terms it is irresponsible, as well as illegal, for climbers to disturb birds while they are nesting, or their young. Caring for the cliff environment to reduce the impact on wildlife includes avoiding uprooting plants, damaging to trees, leaving visually intrusive tat, keeping noise to a minimum and considering the suitability of the venue for larger groups.

3.      Take responsibility for your own actions

Be aware of the legal principle “volenti non fit injuria” which means climbers will generally be held to have accepted any obvious risks which are inherent in climbing. It is also a climber’s responsibility to assess their actions for the impact they will have on other people’s interests and the environment. This includes the rock and any protection used whether placed by the climber or another person.

PERSONAL RESPONSINBILITY

For all styles and disciplines of climbing, it is the ethic of the sport that all climbers take responsibility for their own actions. The MCofS Participation Statement makes this clear:

 “The MCofS recognises that climbing and mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement”

Participation and Development:

The development of all styles of climbing is conducted by climbers themselves. It is not organised, regulated or governed; the MCofS is not a governing body in this respect, but endeavours to represent climbers’ views.

Participation and Documentation of Climbs:

Climbing venues and climbs are documented by individual climbers (on the internet and in guidebooks). This is unregulated and the quality of the information is taken on trust by those who use it. This is undertaken on the full understanding that any description of a climb is for guidance only. Information regarding changes to climbs is updated by individuals on an ad hoc basis in guidebooks and the internet.

Participation and Personal Risk Assessment:

The MCofS Participation Statement relates to both those ‘developing’ new climbs and those ‘repeating’ climbs. Climbers should make their own assessment of the quality of any protection they use, both personal (climbing ‘gear’) and in-situ (protection left in the crag including pegs, slings and bolts). It is up to the individual to assess whether such protection is suitable to take a fall or be used in any way. This is part of the risk assessment required by individuals to participate as safely as they wish to.

Liability:

Climbers cannot undertake the activity, understanding the risk and their responsibility then hold any other person liable for damages (including other climbers, first ascensionists / climb developers, guidebook authors and publishers, landowners and land managers etc.).

Self Regulation:

Safety in climbing is a self-assessing and self-regulating system – natural environments, in-situ protection, protection opportunities and rock quality, as well as grade of difficulty of climb may change over time and so cannot be ‘governed’ by regulation, and cannot be maintained to a particular standard. The placement of bolts to produce sport climbs is also unregulated although the MCofS recommends that they are placed in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. The quality of in situ bolts on a sport climb can therefore be as variable as other forms of in situ protection.

Protection Replacement:

Local climbers (or the first ascensionists) endeavour on an ad-hoc basis to replace in-situ ‘natural’ protection (pegs, nuts, slings and threads) when it degrades, but often it cannot be replaced. The natural progression towards a ‘pure ascent’ of a climb without older in-situ protection is a recommended ethic in adventure climbing. The MCofS encourages voluntary ‘Adopt-a-Crag’ initiatives to help with this issue.

Climbers developing sport climbs may have a personal connection to the crag which allows for informal checking of bolt quality. This can be backed up by feedback from visiting climbers. Local ‘bolt funds’ have been set up to help pay for the replacement of old bolts and the MCofS supports this informal system and encourages climbers to support any local bolt fund.

Assessing suitable venues for sport climbing development in Scotland:

The MCofS, as a representative body, has conducted extensive consultation with climbers over many years and endorses the widely accepted view that adventurous bolt-free climbing remains the primary ethic for all Scottish climbs, but that there is a place for sports style climbing.

The following MCofS statement regarding the use of fixed protection (bolts) in Scotland acts as a guideline for climbers wishing to establish sport routes:

Established Climbing Venues:

• Sport climbing development in Scotland is considered an integral part of the diverse range of climbing styles available
• Bolts are unacceptable to the majority of Scottish climbers on established (documented) mountain cliffs and sea cliffs, in both summer and winter
• Established (documented) ‘traditional’ and sport venues would be expected to remain in their documented style. If a change in style is to be considered in the future (bearing in mind the above guideline on mountain and sea cliff venues) then the following advice is given: 
  • Retro-bolting (the addition of bolts to established climbs without them) should only be considered with the agreement of the first ascensionist and after wide consultation with interested climbers at local and national level
  • Retro-trad (the removal of existing bolts) should only be considered with the agreement of the first ascensionist and after wide consultation with interested climbers at local and national level

New Sport Developments:

• The development of sport climbs is welcomed within the context of a clear overall ethical framework
• Mountain and sea cliffs with a wild, remote character (also reflected in their surrounding environment) and adventurous nature are not suitable locations for bolts, either for the development of routes or their limited use in order to facilitate easy retreat. Self rescue and descent without fixed equipment are all part of the adventurous nature of traditional climbs.
• Crags with good or adequate quality protection within strong natural lines would be regarded as traditional venues. Crags where an overall lack of natural cracks for protection together with a lack of strong natural lines may be suitable venues for sport climb development. This is as long as they could not be classed as wild mountain or sea cliff venues.
• Sport mixed climbing (and dry-tooling) has an important role to play in the future of Scottish winter climbing, but should not be at odds with these guidelines.
• Those seeking to develop new sport mixed venues should enter into consultation with interested climbers at local and national level before taking action.
• Bolts should be placed using current best practices.

These guidelines allow climbers to make informed decisions about sport development and allow the climbing world to self regulate. If there are any doubts, or ‘grey areas’, an informal approach to gaining opinion is best at local and level. The MCofS will offer assistance (through awareness / distribution of information / debate / mediation) to aid consultation when required.