Access for Intermediate School Cavers

[2xw]

I suspect a big problem with getting a scheme like that would be how to prove they were sufficiently experienced/competent. I can imagine landowners and managing bodies getting worried about what that would involve and taking the easy option of using age.

An experienced caver known to the access body vouching for the young caver would be OK for those who were known by such a person, but it wouldn't help in the situation described. It would also be even more cliquey than things are already in many areas.
Perhaps a quick test like climbing walls do on registering. But who would administer that test and what would it involve?

Now, you could go down the NGB awards route (like using an RYA powerboat certificate when hiring a RIB) but that seems rather unpopular in the caving community. I'd actually quite like such a thing. It could be added as an alternative option for access - you have to be 18+ or hold suchandsuch award.
But it is unlikely to happen. There would be a big worry that it would be imposed as a requirement for access (believing insurers and HSE would like it). However, that was a worry for walking awards and climbing awards and that hasn't happened - all its done is give more people the skills to stay safe.

It's unpopular because it adds an unreasonable burden of expense. NICAS is expensive and further on up the CWA and SPA more so. Caving shouldn't be about whether you can afford an instructor.

Go the other way, it is simpler to just let U18s go underground accompanied by an adult. Age is not a factor in safety (you dont exclude the over 70s on the presumption of infirmity because that would be ridiculous)

 

[glyders]

It doesn't have to be expensive (we charge ?5 per pupil for NICAS - 50p over costs, with the extra being used to give it free to those who can't afford ?5).
However, I completely agree that a qualification should not be a requirement of access. I was suggesting that it would be a possible way of satisfying access controllers that someone was competent to allow in a sensitive cave that wasn't based on age.