Opportunity to draft a Mountaineering/Canyoneering Policy for the UNPC

[Blake Merrell]

Hey all,

I received an E-mail today from the Global Safety Manager -Risk Management Division of The Church or Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the email I was asked to help develop a Mountaineering/Canyoneering Policy for the BSA Utah National Park Council.

I wanted to open up this topic to the community.

What would you like to see in a BSA mountaineering/canyoneering policy?

Thanks!

Blake Merrell

 

[Nick]

I think this thread has some very relevant stuff in it that still applies:

http://backcountrypost.com/threads/your-most-important-or-favorite-wilderness-skill.4161/

As far as technical stuff, I'm probably not qualified to comment much, but I do think one of the most overlooked risks in canyoneering is accommodating the thicker folks amongst us. Getting stuck in a slot is like my biggest canyoneering nightmare. I believe a boy scout got wedged in Zero G a couple years ago. Unfortunately, canyon ratings don't seem to take that into consideration, so I'm not sure how you'd address that.

A policy of replacing webbing and anchors with new/rebuilt ones when possible might also be a good idea (and cleaning up the old stuff). If I were running kids through a place like that, I'd want it all to be tip-top and tested and I'd make them carry a ton of webbing and links to use. I recall reading a story about a guy taking a huge fall in one of the Poison Springs slots a year or two ago from webbing getting sliced through on rock. He was something like the 11th to go and there were more behind him, so it can really happen without warning.

 

[Jeff Hilton]

I think this thread has some very relevant stuff in it that still applies:

http://backcountrypost.com/threads/your-most-important-or-favorite-wilderness-skill.4161/

As far as technical stuff, I'm probably not qualified to comment much, but I do think one of the most overlooked risks in canyoneering is accommodating the thicker folks amongst us. Getting stuck in a slot is like my biggest canyoneering nightmare. I believe a boy scout got wedged in Zero G a couple years ago. Unfortunately, canyon ratings don't seem to take that into consideration, so I'm not sure how you'd address that.

A policy of replacing webbing and anchors with new/rebuilt ones when possible might also be a good idea (and cleaning up the old stuff). If I were running kids through a place like that, I'd want it all to be tip-top and tested and I'd make them carry a ton of webbing and links to use. I recall reading a story about a guy taking a huge fall in one of the Poison Springs slots a year or two ago from webbing getting sliced through on rock. He was something like the 11th to go and there were more behind him, so it can really happen without warning.

I was told growing up that the church has nothing to do with boy scouts

Hey all,

I received an E-mail today from the Global Safety Manager -Risk Management Division of The Church or Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the email I was asked to help develop a Mountaineering/Canyoneering Policy for the BSA Utah National Park Council.

I wanted to open up this topic to the community.

What would you like to see in a BSA mountaineering/canyoneering policy?

Thanks!

Blake Merrell

I was told that the church has nothing to do with boyscouts as a child. I was never invited because I didn't attened.

 

[Blake Merrell]

I was told growing up that the church has nothing to do with boy scouts

I was told that the church has nothing to do with boyscouts as a child. I was never invited because I didn't attened.

Gah! I hate to hear stuff like this. Wish I could smack all the lds members who tell people these lies.

 

[Bob]

haha ........... good call....... thicker folks..... at first I thought, no common sense...... but