Application
This unit applies to those working as climbing guides or assistant guides in a range of natural single pitch conditions. This unit may also apply to leaders working for outdoor education or adventure providers; volunteer groups; not-for-profit organisations or government agencies. |
Prerequisites
Nil | ||
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Plan for the climbing activity. | 1.1. Identify and plan food and water requirements according to principles of nutrition and the duration of the activity. 1.2. Identify and select an appropriate activity site according to relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures. 1.3. Identify associated hazards and procedures to minimise risks to climber and belayer on single pitch natural surfaces. 1.4. Access relevantsources to interpret detailed weather and environmental information to determine activity plan. 1.5. Establish a suitable communication system to use while climbing and belaying with other participants. 1.6. Consider contingency plans in the case of unforeseen circumstances. |
2. Select a route for the climb. | 2.1 Identify suitable access to and egress from the climbing site, according to relevant legislation. 2.2 Select a suitable route for the climb and inspect the position and quality of features according to the capabilities of the climbing party. 2.3 Interpret a route description for the climb. 2.4 Identify and communicate route features, hazards and belay stations with climbing party members. 2.5 Determine the potential need of artificial or natural protection required for the safe ascent of the route. |
3. Select and utilise equipment. | 3.1. Select and use equipment according to manufacturer's specifications, according to contextual issues. 3.2. Adjust and fit equipment to ensure personal comfort and safety. 3.3. Complete all necessary personal and equipment safety checks, according to organisational policies and procedures, prior to commencement. 3.4. Demonstrate attachment to a suitable belay system at bottom of pitch, in accordance with manufacturer's specifications, and apply correct rope handling and knot tying techniques. 3.5. Apply safety procedures at the top and bottom of climbing site. |
4. Demonstrate climbing techniques. | 4.1. Display correct posture and fluent climbing techniques suitable to features and possible holds. 4.2. Maintain effective communication between climber and belayer throughout climb. 4.3. Locate and evaluate the main features of the climb whilst climbing. 4.4. Apply safe and correct climbing techniques to minimise injury in the event of a fall or rock fall. 4.5. Locate and utilise rest positions to reduce fatigue. 4.6. Negotiate obstacles and avoid or remove hazards to climb in a controlled manner. 4.7. Use equipment in a manner that minimises damage to the environment. |
5. Ascend a single pitch route as a second climber. | 5.1. Demonstrate use of belaying system to maximise climber safety at all times. 5.2. Remove artificial protection in a manner which minimises damage to the equipment and environment, with and without the use of a nut tool. 5.3. Use slings to optimise a placement and to minimise equipment loss or damage |
6. Ascend a single pitch route as a lead climber. | 6.1. Set up anchors and belay system safely and efficiently. 6.2. Select and use suitable natural, fixed or artificial protection for the chosen climb and rack protection so that it is accessible during the climb. 6.3. Place protection periodically throughout the climb to reduce fall distance, after consideration of the possible direction and magnitude of force during a fall and the second's ability and safety. 6.4. Apply correct techniques to minimise rope drag, displacement of artificial protection and injury in the event of a fall. 6.5. Retreat from pitches both greater than and less than 25m in length. 6.6. Select solid and secure anchors at the top of the pitch, or place artificial protection. 6.7. Establish a belay system at the top of the pitch which maximises climber and belayer safety at all times. |
7. Demonstrate belaying technique. | 7.1. Establish belaying position by moving body in relation to chosen belay device that allows effective use of belay system. 7.2. Demonstrate a safe and efficient escape from belay system. 7.3. Perform all safety checks according to organisational policies and procedures to ensure belayer safety in the event of a climber fall or rockfall. 7.4. Maintain rope tension to ensure fall distance is minimised whilst not restricting climber movement. 7.5. Monitor climber progress constantly and respond appropriately to climber calls. 7.6. Arrest falls promptly using technique suitable to the belaying device and situation. |
8. Evaluate climbing activity. | 8.1. Evaluate relevant aspects of lead climbing and belaying. 8.2. Identify improvements for future second and lead climbing activities. |
Required Skills
Required skills |
communication skills to inform progress and interact with climber and or belayer whilst participating in activity problem-solving skills to: determine type of protection to use and where to place it to minimise fall distance during lead climbing select a suitable route to match participants' ability rope handling, rigging and knot tying skills to maintain adequate rope tension when climbing and belaying on a single pitch site first aid and emergency response skills appropriate to the location to enable initial response to emergencies and personal health care. |
Required knowledge |
relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures to enable safe conduct of all activities minimal impact climbing codes to enable protection of the environment equipment types, characteristics and technology used for lead climbing on natural surfaces, the advantages and disadvantages of the range of equipment, and factors affecting appropriate selection of equipment care and maintenance of climbing equipment to ensure prolonged life span and safety requirements lead climbing techniques and common communication methods and calls used between climbers and belayers to reduce risk during lead climbing on natural surfaces belay techniques and devices appropriate for single pitch surfaces technical climbing knowledge of various types of protection, ropes, knots and anchors used on single pitch natural surfaces weather and environmental information to ascertain possible conditions and their affect on the activity hazards and fall factors that may be experienced during lead climbs on natural surfaces emergency procedures, potential hazards and obstacles relevant to the location to ensure safety of self and others. |
Evidence Required
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. | |
Overview of assessment | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | Evidence of the following is essential: applies relevant processes to plan for lead climbing activity and describes suitable route to take selects and fits equipment independently and carries out safety checks to ensure effective working order places protection at sufficient distances apart to reduce the distance of climber fall and removes and safely carries protection during second climbing communicates effectively to monitor progress when belaying and to organise climbing group at belay stations safely and efficiently negotiates obstacles and hazards during lead climbing, and adapts quickly to problems or issues that may arise to ensure safety of self and other participants evaluates and reflects on own lead climbing and belaying performance to identify strengths, weaknesses and areas for improvement. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure participation in multiple lead climbing and belaying activities on single pitch natural surfaces to demonstrate competence and consistency of performance. Assessment must also ensure access to: resources and information regarding lead climbing and belaying, to accurately plan for the activity suitable natural single pitch climbing sites with obstacles and features that allow participant to demonstrate lead climbing skills and belaying other climbing participants, to assist with belaying and second climbing equipment such as harnesses, helmets, belay devices, ropes, protection, nut tools, gloves, karabiners, climbing shoes and first aid equipment. |
Method of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures to enable safe conduct of all climbing activities observation of safe participation and demonstration of lead climbing skills, such as placing protection periodically and communicating with belayer to inform of progress observation of dealing with contingencies, such as equipment failure or change in weather third-party reports from a supervisor detailing performance. Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example: SISOVTR301A Perform vertical rescues SISOCLN303A Establish belays for climbing on natural surfaces. |
Guidance information for assessment |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included. | |
Food and water requirements may include: | range of foods: perishability packaging storage. |
Principles of nutrition may include: | food groups dietary guidelines. |
Relevant legislation may include: | occupational health and safety permits or permission for access environmental regulations. |
Organisational policies and procedures may include: | operating procedures and company or enterprise policies occupational health and safety use and maintenance of equipment communication protocols emergency procedures code of ethics. |
Hazards may include: | temperature extremes slippery or unstable terrain dangerous animals and insects stinging trees and nettles dense vegetation group management hazards. |
Risks may include: | hypothermia heat exhaustion injuries exhaustion lost party or party member equipment failure. |
Natural surfaces may include: | cliffs boulders. |
Relevant sources may include: | Bureau of Meteorology media land managers or agencies local knowledge. |
Weather and environmental information may include: | satellite images daily and weekly forecasts maximum and minimum temperatures weather warnings event warnings river levels synoptic charts high and low tide predictions. |
Communication system may include: | calls radio hand signals whistles. |
Contingency plans may include: | poor communication conditions injuries escape or retreat options off route possibilities. |
Unforeseen circumstances may include: | equipment failure change of route unresolvable obstacle or hazard dramatic change of weather climber or belayer injury. |
Features may include: | aretes chimneys corners cracks edges flakes jugs ledges overhangs. |
Capabilities may include: | body weight ratio strength stamina flexibility balance mental perceptions. |
Route description may include: | verbal written. |
Equipment may include: | helmets karabiners harnesses climbing shoes belay device chalk and calk bag tapes and slings ropes and cord. nuts spring loaded caming devices quick draws hexes tut tool |
Contextual issues may include: | weather conditions, including times season transport location trip distance and duration group objectives group size. |
Safety checks may include: | A - anchors - secure and suitable to application B - buckles - locked as per manufacturers recommendations C - connectors - locked, secured and orientated D - devices - threaded correctly and secured E - everything else including end of rope knots, friction hitches, belayer ready, helmet chin strap, clothing, jewellery and hair secured F - friend - cross check. |
Belay system may include: | top belay bottom belay single rope double rope. |
Knot tying may include: | figure eight Bowline. |
Climbing techniques may include: | bridging dynamic movement, such as dead pointing heel hooks jamming lay backing layaways and side pulls mantle pinch grips smearing underclings. crimping chimneying. |
Rest positions may include: | edge to lean against ledge to lean against. No hands rest. |
Obstacles may include: | ledges overhangs squeezes traverses vegetation. |
Anchors may include: | multi-directional uni-directional self-equalising. |
Protection may include: | artificial fixed natural. |
Belaying position may include: | top of the pitch bottom of the pitch. |
Belay device may include: | plate device tube device auto locking device. hitch such as munter or Italian. |
Belayer safety may include: | wearing of helmets attaching to safety ropes standing out of direct line of rock or gear fall. |
Relevant aspects may include: | objectives planning process activity site weather equipment selection clothing selection food selection instructional content instructional technique assessment technique group feedback directing techniques rescue techniques employed. |
Sectors
Unit sector | Outdoor Recreation |
Competency Field
Climbing-natural surface |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. |
Licensing Information
Refer to Unit Descriptor