Exciting News! CAWA Training and Coaching Clinics

We have had many frustrating discussions over the years about our inability to provide training or coaching for members because of liability issues. In spite of the invaluable work we do to protect and promote climbing, I have always felt that we were hamstrung by this. Why? Because skill improvement is one of the things people look for when joining a sporting club. The reality is that no matter what you call it, anything involving instruction of any kind, means responsibility and the associated liability. It is difficult enough just obtaining basic public liability insurance for high risk activities, without the additional complication of cover for training.

So you can imagine how excited I am to be able to tell you that I’ve negotiated insurance cover for CAWA training and coaching. Based on feedback over many years as well as a commitment to promoting safe climb practices, the sorts of topics we will look at covering will be: basic climbing technique; setting up anchors and top ropes; coaching for specific types of climbing styles; transitioning from indoor to outdoor climbing; bouldering techniques and knot tying and application.

These training events will be distinct from trips, where participants still need to be independent. This is partly due to the changes in the outdoor industry a few years ago (hence the paragraph in our trip promos that always says you need to be self sufficient) but also due to the logistics of trips. However, it will, on certain trips, give us more freedom to assist less experienced members.

Stay tuned for more details about the first clinic to be run in November 2014.  An email will be sent to members shortly.

So if you aren’t already a member, there has never been a better time to join! Just click on this link: CAWA Membership or go to the homepage of the website.

Dena Rao

CAWA President