Trip Participant Guidelines 

Club members can participate in club climbing trips that are consistent with their skills and experience. This page provide guidelines for people attending club trips.

Yes, there are lots of them. That's because climbing is an inherently dangerous sport. The club practices strict risk management. You are expected to participate in and support these risk management processes when you attend a trip.

Your climbing level

Trips may be listed as appropriate for a certain level, novice, intermediate or advanced. For the purposes of VCC trips:  

• You are a novice climber if:

  • you can tie yourself in using a figure-of-eight knot

  • you have a harness, helmet, suitable footwear, one sling and a screw-gate karabiner

• You are an intermediate climber if:

  • you can tie yourself in using a figure-of-eight knot

  • you can safely belay and second a lead climber

  • you can abseil

  • you have a harness, helmet, suitable footwear, several long slings, two screw-gate karabiners, nut pick and belay device

• You are an advanced climber if:

  • you meet the intermediate climber criteria

  • you can lead climb using traditional gear

  • you can set up belays on multi-pitch climbs

  • you have all the mentioned gear above plus a rack and a rope.

Your participation

• Anyone planning on going on a trip must contact the trip organiser. This allows the time to organise enough advanced climbers to mentor other participants on the trip. It also helps organising transport so no one misses out.  

• All climbers participating in club trips require a helmet and harness specifically designed for rock climbing, and adheres to UIAA, CE or equivalent. There are no exceptions. Proper climbing shoes are recommended but not required. 

• All trip participants must wear a helmet at all times when climbing, belaying, or above or below a cliff. No helmet, no climbing, no exceptions. 

• No persons under the influence of alcohol or drugs are permitted to participate in climbing.

• You must inform the trip organiser if you suffer from any allergies, are taking any medication or have a pre-existing injury or illness that affects your ability to participate in the club trip

• The club does not cater for beginners. Trip participants must meet the minimum of novice standard to attend. The club does not provide gear available for trip participants to use - you must provide your own. Ropes and protection may be provided by the advanced climbers on trips who agree to mentor other trip participants. 

• The club does not run abseiling trips. Contact a commercial organisation. 

• All participants (or parent/guardian in the case of minors) must sign the trip register before participating in a particular trip.

Who can participate?

• Anyone under 18 years of age may attend a club trip only if accompanied by a parent or guardian.  

• Trip organisers can reject intending participants at their absolute discretion at any time, including during a trip. Rejection may include that the participant does not have the necessary level of skill, equipment, attitude or any other reason. The organiser is not obliged to provide the reason for rejecting a participant.

• Non-members may attend two club trips as guests, after which they will be required to become members to attend further club trips.  

Emergency Contacts

Participants are required to provide a primary and alternate emergency contact. Contact names and phone numbers are recorded on your profile on the VCC Member Portal. Follow these steps to check and update your emergency contact information before each trip:

• Log into your profile on the VCC Members Portal

• Click your name/initials in the top right corner and select 'My Profile' from the drop-down menu display the 'Details' tab with your information, 

• Scroll down to locate then add or update 'emergency contact person and number', and 'emergency contact person and number (alternate)'

• Scroll right to the bottom of the page and press the 'Save & Update' button.

Booking into a trip

There are four steps to booking into a club trip.

1. Expression of interest

Trips are recorded as Upcoming Events in the VCC Members Portal. The event has information on the trip organiser, location and specific requirements for the trip. Participants register their interest by 'buying' a free online ticket.

2. Availability

An expression of interest does not guarantee you are booked for the trip. Every trip need a balance between advanced climbers who can lead, and intermediate and novice climbers who can second. The trip organiser will contact you and ask your climbing level. Intermediate and novice climbers may be 'waitlisted', depending on the availability of advanced climbers.

3. Acceptance

The trip organiser will confirm your booking as/if places become available. 

4. Registration

Every trip participant is required to complete and submit the trip registration that will be provided by the trip organiser. The registration has safety warnings - climbing is an intrinsically dangerous activity - and explains your responsibilities as a participant on the trip, most of which have already been explained in these participant guidelines. The trip register is an important part of the club's risk management process. Participants who decide not to accept the terms of registration will not be permitted to attend the trip. 

Learn to climb

Club trips are not instructional. Experienced climbers may mentor other trip participants but club trips are the opportunity for members to climb together.

If you are new to climbing, we suggest you get formal instruction before participating in a club trip. These teach aspiring climbers the basics to make sure you have fun and get home safely. Then, buy yourself a harness, helmet, suitable footwear, a sling and a screw-gate karabiner, and attend a club trip as a novice climber.