Information For Trip Organiser

This information is intended for Trip Organisers but available to members who may be interested in organising a club trip.

Setting up a trip

Setting up a trip involves:

• the trips coordinator (TC) who manages all club trips and helps the TO
• the trip organisers (TO) who run the individual trips.

Role of Trip Organiser

Your role as TO is facilitating VCC members getting together to go climbing. You are not a climbing instructor or guide. Nor is your role to 'look after' novices on the trip. If there are novices and intermediate climbers, you should have already made sure that you have other climbers willing and capable to climb with them. 

Key Documents

Trip Participants Guidelines - These outline the skill and experience for people participating on club trips, and defines novice, intermediate and advanced climbers. 

VCC Safety Warnings - These are part of the VCC Trip Register (see below) and must be accepted by all participants as a condition of participating in the trip. They accept them by completing and submitting the Trip Register. You should run through the warnings with participants at the start of each trip – usually Saturday morning meet-up for weekend trips.

The VCC Trip Register, including Safety Warnings - Each participant must complete the Trip Register to participate in the trip. It is a key part of the club's (and your own!) risk management. There can be no exceptions. People who choose not to complete and submit the trip register cannot participate in the club trip.

The TO provides participants with a link to a digital version of the trip register before the trip. They can complete the register before arriving or on the morning of the trip at camp. However, it is worth printing out a few copies (ask the TC for the file) for people to sign a hardcopy. For people completing a hardcopy of the Trip Register, check you are able to read their details and their emergency contacts. This is especially important for overseas/interstate climbers who attend as guests. Also, the emergency contacts cannot be on the trip. This often needs to be stressed to couples. Any hard copies of the Trip Register should be scanned and sent to the Trip Co-ordinator after the trip. 

The VCC Accident Report Form - Don’t be alarmed by this last document! It is for trip organisers only and can be obtained from the TC. Before a trip, you should print off several copies and have them with you on all trips that you lead - out of sight and with pens. The idea being that, in the event of any incident/accident, you can get any eye witnesses to complete these forms as soon as possible/sensible after the accident. That is, after the injured have been taken care of, and any observers etc. This is because witness statements are more accurate when completed closer to the actual incident.

Who can come along on the trip?

The trip organiser has the final say in who comes along on their trips. You can choose to limit the number of beginners/novices, or the number of non-leaders. It is your trip. If needed, use a wait list for novice climbers. Let them know that you need experienced/advanced leaders to join the trip for them to attend. Also, give preference to novices who are members.

You should find out about the experience and skill level of the participants if you don’t know them already. Don’t be afraid to ask around the experienced trip organisers. But nothing works as well as talking to intending participants if you don’t know them. You can introduce yourself and have a conversation to find out about their experience indoors and outdoors, their skills and grades. It may turn out that they are not suited to your trip. That phone call might save you a lot of difficulty on the trip and it probably saved them from a frustrating weekend away!

On the trip

Supporting new TO - We ‘mentor’ our new trip organisers by encouraging experienced trip organisers to come along on your trip to lend a hand – and be there if you have questions etc. It’s reassuring to have someone else there for the first trip. Ask the experienced organiser to help you and if you’re unsure of anything.

The club has first aid kits for club trips. These are generally distributed amongst our regular trip organisers. You need to ensure that at least one of these kits, or equivalent, is on your trip. The TC can help facilitate this depending on who is coming along on the trip. Also, the club will pay some money towards TO completing, or renewing, a first aid certificate. Contact the TC for more information.

The club has two PLB for use on club trips. These can be used in emergencies, especially if mobile reception is non-existent. These are only needed in the more remote crags without mobile reception. Contact the TC to organise a PLB for your trip.

Helmets must be worn at all times when climbing, belaying or when below someone else who is climbing. Dropped gear, broken rocks etc fall in unexpected directions, especially from up high. Check that non-climbers are safe at all times and are wearing helmets if necessary.

We try to encourage car-pooling for our trips. This is facilitated by participants using the optional car-pooling spreadsheet. The TC will set up the car-pooling spreadsheet and send you the link. Just a note - it is not your responsibility to organise the car-pooling or lifts for people. Individual participants have to organise this themselves.

Top-roping - It’s worth mentioning that sometimes people may decide to top-rope routes at some crags. There is no obligation for the TO to set up topropes for the group or individuals. When top-roping, check the anchors are equalised (usually with a cordelette, or another rope at the You Yangs for example) and that two locking carabiners are used to run the rope through. If you are using natural anchors, a minimum of three ‘bomb-proof pieces’ should be used. Again, locking biners should be used if bolts are used as the anchors, or to attach the cordelette to the natural protection. (Double opposed biners instead of one locking biner could also be used with the natural anchors).

At some cliffs, usually steeper ones like Camels Hump, it can be OK to top-rope off two draws for some sport routes. The proviso is that a sling or longer draw with two locking biners is used, as well as the two draws in the anchors, as a solid back-up. Be careful as the top of some cliffs can be rounded and friction is an issue. Extending anchors with a rope is often required to protect the climbing rope! If in doubt, please check with an experienced organiser. It is never ok to toprope directly through anchors. This wears the ringbolts or mallions unnecessarily. Always use two drawers with locking biners or a backup sling with locking biners.

As a general rule, the club does not run ‘top-roping’ trips for novices. We encourage our novices to climb routes as a second, cleaning gear/draws along the way if necessary. This is usually a much better learning experience for the novice. Having novice climbers top-roping routes that are too hard for them is NOT a positive learning experience. It wastes an incredible amount of time and is unfair on other participants and the trip organiser. If top-ropes are being set up, sometimes at the end of a day’s climbing, ensure the routes are suitable for the participants.

Stick-clipping - Whenever there is a danger of clipping the first bolt, because it is high or there is a poor landing, encourage lead climbers to stick-clip when on Club Trips. Also, some routes are actually bolted with the intention that the first bolt be stick-clipped. When the rope is pulled and someone else is leading the same route, try to leave the rope in the first draw. A stick can be used to do this easily. Or just stick-clip again.