Climb On Safely

It's as easy as 1 to 8!

Similar to the BSA Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat, Climb On Safely is the basic training required of adult leaders to organize a climbing and rappelling activity for their unit. The training lasts just less than an hour. You may arrange to have a Mt. Diablo Silverado Instructor teach your unit leaders Climb On Safely.

What's this all about? The goal of this training is to not only to make the adult leaders aware of the potential dangers and hazards of this type of activity, but also to know that by following the eight points of Climb On Safely, they will help their unit avoid significant risks. After the training, the leaders should be able to explain how each of the eight points contributes to the objective of assuring a safe climbing / rappelling activity. Those points are:

1. Qualified Supervision
2. Qualified Instructors
3. Physical Fitness
4. Safe Area
5. Equipment
6. Planning
7. Environmental Conditions
8. Discipline

Also, it is required that the adult leaders have knowledge of BSA Youth Protection, First Aid and the Age Appropriate Climbing / Rappelling Guidelines (a sampling is listed below).

Cub Scouts / Webelos Scouts

• Bouldering no higher than the climber's shoulders with trained adult spotters.
• Climbing in a climbing gym or using a portable wall or other age appropriate facility with close supervision and age appropriate instruction and equipment.
• Climbers will be lowered by a belayer; no rappelling by Cub Scouts.
• Rappelling with a trained belayer, O.K. for Webelos.
• No belaying by Cub Scouts or Webelos Scouts.

Boy Scouts, Ages 11 To 12

• Top-rope climbing with trained belayers.
• Rappelling with trained belayers.
• Belaying with supervision and a backup.

Older Boy Scouts / Varsity Scouts / Venturers

• Bouldering no higher than the climber's shoulders with trained adult spotters.
• Top-rope climbing with trained belayers.
• Belaying with supervision.
• Rappelling with trained belayers.
• Practice lead climbing with a top-rope belay.