I. Leave No Trace Principles
II. Tree Climbing
Colorado Protocols for Guided and Group Climbs:
III. Tree
Climbing Atlanta / Tree Climbing USA Standards for Guided and Group
Climbs
I. Leave No Trace Principles
- Plan ahead and prepare
- Travel and camp on durable surfaces
(In popular places, concentrate use and impact. In pristine places,
disperse use and impact. Stay off places that are just beginning to
show impacts)
- Dispose waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
From the US Dept. of Interior/BLM
website:
Originating in the 1970s, when
recreational use of wilderness areas first began to soar, Leave No
Trace is a code of ethics and principles that come with suggested
guidelines and techniques for carrying out the standards behind the
phrase. The concept has caught on as an ethic, a social movement, and
now an organization specializing in education.*
* For more information, contact Leave
No Trace, Inc., a non-profit educational organization, at P.O. Box 997,
Boulder, CO 80306, www.lnt.org (800) 332-4100. Their educational
materials are free. For further reading: Soft Paths, by Bruce Hampton
and David Cole. Stackpole Books, and the National Outdoor Leadership
School.
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II. Tree
Climbing Colorado (Harv) Protocols for Guided and Group
Climbs:
General:
- All
participants in proper attire - long pants, sturdy closed-heel-and-toe
footwear.
- Health
and allergy issues addressed/medicines on hand.
- Pre-climb
warm-ups
- All
climbing and safety techniques discussed and demonstrated
- Instructor/facilitator
First Aid/CPR certified
- 2
First Aid kits on site
- Safety
rules posted and discussed
- Cell
phone on site
- All
equipment inspected before and after each event
Specific
for Tree Climbing and Tree Climbing Colorado:
- Instructor/facilitator
certified by TCI (Tree Climbers International)
- Climbers
age 7-17 accompanied and waivered by parent/guardian
- Only
ANSI-compliant, Ness recreational tree climbing saddles used for
participants
- Only
16-strand, solid-core, 1/2" professional arborist rope for participants
- Facilitator/instructor's
rescue rope set highest. Rope and helmet of different color than
participants'.
- No
rock climbing rope or harnesses allowed
- Only
buckled, approved climbing helmets
- Helmets
worn at all times by all in climbing area. Only climbers allowed within
drip line.
- Limit
6:1 climber:staff ratio
- All
TCI safety protocols followed during tree inspection and line setting
- All
lines bounced-tested, knots-seated, weight-checked prior to participant
on-rope.
- Only
facilitator/instructor ties knots, does final preclimb check of all
equipment
- Safety
knots tied by climbers 5-5-3 on all participant ropes
- Cambium-savers
or false crotches on all dynamic DRT ropes anchors
- Participants
leave with greater knowledge and appreciation for trees
- Participants
have fun
- All
TCC-climbs are non-invasive and follow Leave No Trace protocols. We
strive to leave trees we climb healthier than before our attention.
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III. Tree Climbing
Atlanta (Tim) / Tree Climbing USA (Abe) Standards
INSURANCE STANDARDS
1) Instructor / Facilitators
Requirements
a. Taken the proper courses and
stayed up to date with all other instructors on new
information.
b. CPR and First Aid certification
via Red Cross
c. Partake in rescue techniques and
have all rescue gear at site for all climbs
d. Able to provide adequate equipment
for all climbs and keep a gear log sheet
e. Physically fit and mentally aware
to deal with any situation
f. Only the facilitator or Instructor
will tie all the knots prior to the climb
g. Check all forms for signatures
prior to climbing
h. Make sure safety knots are tied
i. Go over basic instruction with
precise directions
j. Instructor / facilitator is always
ready to enter the tree at any time
k. Have accident report forms /
Write a follow-up for after action report
l. Aware of possible weather changes
and prepared to act accordingly
2)Gear Standards / Grove
Requirements
a. Proper harness, saddles, helmets,
carabiners, pulleys and other hardware are
all
ANSI approved/ Gear is inspected before and after every climb
b. Arborist Ropes are inspected
before and after every climb
c. Gloves and Safety Glasses with tie
downs (croakies) are available
d. First aid kit will be at every
climb
e. Rescue rope for facilitator / lead
climber
f. Trees are accessible for any
emergency situation
g. Telephone is accessible
h. Grounds have been cleared and
inspected
I. Tree is thoroughly inspected
before every climb by instructor/facilitator
J. Rules and Regulations are
discussed and posted for all to see
K. Release,medical and photo release
forms are available and filled out
l. Drinking water available
m. Tree is safe distance from power
lines
3) Climber Requirements
a. All forms must be signed and rules
and regulations read before climbing
b. Climbers are recommended to be at
least 7yrs. old
c. Parent or Guardian must be present
at climb
d. Climber is not allowed to take
anything that may be a hazard into the tree
e. All items brought into the tree
must stay securely fastened to the climber at all times
4) Non Climber Requirements
a. Non climbers shall stay away from
the climbers, as not to interfere with instructors direction
b. Will need to keep pets on leashes
and away from the climbing area
c. No smoking within the climbing
area
d. Will obey list of climbing rules
5) Emergency Plan
a. Have an emergency action plan
S.O.P. (standard operations procedures)
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