I work as an Outdoor Education Instructor in Staffordshire and regularly take groups scrambling at the Roaches. On this occasion I was taking a small group of 12 year olds down the Devil’s Toilet gully just to the right of the Yong Area. At the same time there was a pair climbing next to our descent, the first climber had already led the climb and had set up on top, but was waggling the ropes. The Second was still on the ground, arms crossed and shouting ‘no…it’s just not working.’ It became clear that the couple were climbing with just one helmet. The Lead had obviously worn the helmet to climb and was attempting to send the helmet back down to the Second via the rope, not very well thought through as the rope was still clipped into the quick drawers from his ascent. As a result the helmet was now stuck on the top piece of gear and of no use to anyone. The Second would now have to climb without it and retrieve it when she got to the top, bringing to mind computer games where at the end of a level, when you have defeated the fire-breathing dragon, you are rewarded with extra lives. The Second was obviously embarrassed that my group and I had witnessed this so I quickly moved them on.
It led me to question who should be wearing a helmet and when. You could argue that the need for a helmet had passed, that whilst the Lead was climbing both were most at risk, the Lead from falling and the Second from falling rocks. Although in such a well-climbed area many would say the risk of falling rock was minimal. I have to say that after witnessing such bad decision-making I’d be reluctant to trust the set up on top, I’d want a helmet. But all arguments aside, the situation I witnessed was ridiculous, made even more so by that fact that just to left of the Yong Area and are the steps that lead up to the Upper Tier; if they were that bothered the Second could have just run up and got the helmet.
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