BMC Launches Safety Campaign

With the number of indoor climbing walls on the increase, the British Mountaineering Council has just launched a campaign aimed at improving safety at walls themselves and bridging the gap between indoor climbing and the less predictable environment of real rock.

Walls are great for developing pure technical climbing skills and fitness, but climbing outside is very different and potentially far more dangerous with hazards like rockfall, the need to be able to protect routes safely and the ability, say, to abseil, all alien to most indoor climbers.

"Indoor climbers often have lots of technical skill but don‚'t always have sufficient knowledge of how climbing outside can differ," says BMC / MLTE Training Officer Jon Garside. "We want them to have the skills to climb safely and in the best interests of the crag environment."

The BMC campaign takes a three-pronged approach. Safety panels are soon to be installed at more than 35 climbing walls across the UK. The 1.5 metre high displays will convey core safety and conservation reminders and will be positioned in prominent locations for maximum impact.

The second part of the campaign is a new booklet aimed specifically at climbers with indoor experience who want to make the transition to outdoor climbing safely. The booklet covers sport climbing and bouldering, but the main emphasis is on crucial traditional climbing skills such as placing protection, constructing belays and abseiling. Called 'Climbing Outdoors', the booklet will be available free from the BMC, at climbing walls and as a PDF download from the BMC web site.

The final prong is a new poster - above - on a 'Check or Deck' theme. It's a revamp of a 1997 BMC campaign, drawn by Ray Eckermann of 'smallmountains' and aimed at conveying the simple message - take time to check your knot. The poster will be distributed to all climbing walls and also available on request from the BMC office.

For more BMC information, check the BMC web site.