Guided climbing (and caving?)

[graham]

As a note to Graham: the fight wasn't between wholly amateur climbers and Sherpas. The fight was entirely between 100% climbers, the three Europeans are actually qualified guides and full time sponsored climbers/guides/photographers. The fight was also rather low down (in perspective) and was over not using fixed rigging but climbing above the Sherpas that we're fixing the rigging, unwritten rules about not doing this as it's considered disrespectful (bear in mind the European party were doing something that's never been done before so the rules aren't so clear) and then some nasty name calling by one of the Europeans adding to the disrespect shown for the Sherpas. But this is just pedantry.

Granted, 'amateur' was the wrong word for me to use.

 

[ah147]

As I said, just pedantry! Nothing serious.


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[Hammy]

Perhaps this won't ever be a serious issue in UK caving. Perhaps it will. best we talk about it before it creeps up on us, though.

I must say I chuckle at the suggestion that 'cave guiding' is 'creeping up on us'!

The first record of a cave tour was in 1213 and the first authorised cave guide in the world started guiding in 1668! In Mammoth Cave the Bransford family started guiding in 1838 and there were two generations of cave guides prior to that.

In the UK the earliest reference to 'cave guides' that I can find is to Goughs Cave in 1780, and currently White Scar, Stump Cross, Ingleborough caves all offer 'guides' to lead their customers on trips.

I must say I simply cannot believe that the author of the BCA document did any homework at all, suggesting that there are only twelve 'guided' caving trips across the UK per annum!