UKC

I experienced today what I thought was an very light touch competency test at a climbing wall which I wasnt registered, I'll call it the coloured arachnid. I had climbed there before when it had a different name but so long ago that I wasnt on the system, so had to do a test. I was expecting the usual tie a figure of 8 and demonstrate I could belay properly. I instead was given some laminated sheets of paper with various pictures on of bad practice and had to spot the errors. Glad to say I passed, but that was it. Off I went to climb.

I thought it was very light touch on safety, but maybe this is normal? Not here to slate the wall, they obviously have done their risk assessments etc, but it did feel bit odd compared to what I have done historically. First time climbing for a while so good to be at it again so maybe that's why it felt different. 

Thanks for reading 

In reply to Pb-climb-up:

Interesting, as I had exactly the same scenario as you a couple of weeks ago at a different wall chain (think E9).

Like you, slightly surprised, but got them all right - will admit to a nudge on one relating to autobelays, which is fine, as I really haven't used them very much.

I was expecting the usual practical, too, but maybe passing all the questions and pulling out my old membership card in a handful of other membership cards (they all live in the lid of my battered wall rucksack) convinced the chap I was a safe bet

In reply to Pb-climb-up:

Harrogate?

In reply to ExiledScot:

Not been for a while but I when I last went there it was overkill. Asked me to tie in and I used a bowline. They asked me to retie with a figure of 8. My stopper only went around twice rather than 3 times. Had to untie the figure of 8 and redo it with a “correct” stopper.

I then proceeded to climb with a bowline…

In reply to Pb-climb-up:

I've never been given a competency test at any wall in the UK.  I've just been given a piece of paper to sign to confirm I know what I'm doing

In reply to Pb-climb-up:

Quite a few leisure centre based walls have/had the laminated cards as the staff who work there aren't climbers, not sure if this was the case for the wall you visited though?

In reply to Pb-climb-up:

I had to do a competency test after not climbing somewhere for 20 years it was a set of laminated pics with spot the problem like OP described. I think this is more a widespread practice than some people here realise.

It needn't be a problem, just point out the problems in the pics and so metaphorically tick that box, then get on with the climbing.

Edit: at least in the UK we don't have to pass a belayers course and get a certificate like I hear some places do (US?) still not sure if people are pulling my leg on that one 

In reply to CantClimbTom:

The difference between a competency test and a certificate is a printer!

In reply to Pb-climb-up:

Had this maybe 15 y ago at EICA Ratho.

Now superceded by a test rig at reception where you can demo your knots & belaying.

 

In reply to CantClimbTom:

Oz is the same. You have to do a half hour mini course and then pass the test at the end before you can belay 

In reply to petegunn:

Climbing wall only - you wouldn't be there if you weren't a climber. I saw the guy that signed me in teaching a bit later.

In reply to Pb-climb-up:

I had a similar experience at a walking the South East not long ago. My read is that if you blast through the pictures and look super pro / sound reassuring they'll just let you get on. I think if you seemed a bit sketchy, they'd ask a few more questions.

In reply to Pb-climb-up:

Our wall has the same system. It is in a sports center and we only have climbing staff in the wall at busy times so there isn't always someone there to do a competency test. 

If you get the questions wrong though, you then come to see an instructor and do an in-person competency test. 

In reply to CantClimbTom:

I can confirm that I had to do a belay course in the climbing centre in san Francisco. It took about 10 minutes and then I had to wear a tag on my harness to prove my competence. 

* Mission cliffs I think was the name!

In reply to Pb-climb-up:

It's (surprisingly) variable. One wall near me has some tick boxes in their sign up, and once you've declared that you know what you're doing, you can crack on. Another has a formal test at the reception (and insists on stopper knots on fig 8, bowline explicitly banned).

The 'spot the mistake' type are a middle ground.

I asked the particularly strict one what their rationale was, and they said that their insurer insisted upon it all. How true that is, I don't know. I strongly suspect there's at least a degree of management decision.

Hats off to anyone who can tie a figure of 8 into a random 2m length of rope first go while being assessed at the front desk of a climbing wall. I go to pieces every time 😂 

In reply to Pb-climb-up:

I vaguely remember going to a wall a while back with someone who hadn’t been climbing long. They had a similar sign off process with some “spot the problem” pictures. My mate struggled a bit with a couple of them and didn’t seem super confident in their answers and they were then asked to do a proper demo.

I guess it probably saves a bit of time if it means they can avoid doing a full belay check on people who breeze through it and clearly know what they are talking about. 

The laxest feeling one I’ve come across was just being asked to mime a belaying motion without a rope or device. I certainly wouldn’t be confident declaring someone safe to belay after just watching them wave their arms in the air for a couple seconds. 

In reply to Jamie Wakeham:

Sounds like somebody's not up to date on knotting techniques.

In reply to Stuart Williams:

A belay mime?  That does sound a bit too lax for my comfort.

My local wall requires you to fill in a form stating you understand about belaying and climbing (standard Mountaineering Scotland participation statement form), then present yourself to the duty instructor who will observe you putting on a harness, tying in, belaying, lowering and catching a fall, whilst they tail the rope.   If all is well, you get signed off and can come in unsupervised, if not, you need to be accompanied by a registered climber or take a course.

Fairly stringent but belaying standards are generally fairly high.

In reply to CantClimbTom: Nope, you need a belaying certificate for indooor walls in Norway if you want to climb without anyone there to keep an eye.  Excellent thing and saves a lot of trouble and bother

In reply to CantClimbTom:

A national standard that's tested once, you have a card and it's with you for every wall in the uk would be better, a known standard that saves time(for staff and user) if you climb at several different walls. 

In reply to Pb-climb-up:

I've got no problem with a competency test, but filling in a stupidly long form on an iPad pisses me off. I went to a wall with the kids today. We were there not long ago so had done all the forms, and I said "we're all good to go, right?". Not so fast... The guy pulled me up because I'd put a joke middle name on my form. It wouldn't let you leave it blank. Apparently I should have put a dot. Put a dot in for me then, I said. No dice, have to do the whole form again. I didn't want to be an arse, but I really didn't want to do the whole form again. So I pointed out that he couldn't prove it wasn't really my middle name. And went and climbed.

In reply to Stuart Williams:

We went to a wall in Geneva a few times. Went to the desk, the lady asked if we knew what we were doing. We said yes and she took our money. That was it!!

They also had a big bucket of lead ropes that you just helped yourself to. We got odd looks because we had our own rope!

In reply to Pb-climb-up:

I had the opposite when I went to the Depot, once: I was surprised to have to go through a very hands-on demo of tying in and belaying... I then walked down into the hall and immediately saw all sorts of terrible belaying, most of which included standing far too far away from the wall (c. 6m) and one of which included taking the hand of the brake rope while letting out slack... on a tube device. I wasn't even looking to criticise - the mistakes were just that glaring. Obviously, the demo picks up very little... meanwhile, the lack of floorwalkers picks up even less bad practice.

In reply to Pb-climb-up:

i remember being asked to tie a fig of 8 at wall years ago. i folded the rope over and did it like a loose end.

In reply to mark s:

Did it pass?

In reply to C Witter:

I climb at the Reach in London and the floor walkers are super hot on spotting any mistakes. It dents my male pride sometimes, and it confuses me why they don’t like people doing fall practice (and i’m talking small falls, not mega-whippers), but ultimately a good thing so always recieved with thanks and a smile…

In reply to Twiggy Diablo:

The small club I'm in has started going to the wall again now the weather is crap. The staff are pleased to see us as half the wall has been made into kiddy clip-n-climb, so they miss seeing actual climbers. They are very laid back with us. I was chatting to a staff member while belaying the other week, looked down, and said "I should probably do this screwgate up yeah?". Got an eye-roll and "Maybe you guys should go outside again".

Out of interest, how do they enforce the "No fall practice" rule? Do they come running over and say "that wasn't a real fall", "oh yes it was"?

In reply to Twiggy Diablo:

You do get used to doing knots in certain situations. I can clove hitch at a belay or barrel knot my tie in no problems but ask me to do it in a random setting and I have to really think!