spamfrog said:The person who now accompanies me hillwalking has vertigo. He was freaked
out on the last ridge walk we did and wants to use a rope next time, he
doesn't like the idea of just tying the rope around the waist and would
prefer to wear a harness.
He has also asked about using a belay device for tricky steps or possible
escapes.
I am just wondering whether the above would be considered overkill or worth
it to give someone a bit of confidence and stop them freaking or freezing on
the next ridge or rock tower.
The problem with ropes is they need to be deployed with knowledge and
technique. If you don't know what you're at then they just get in the
way with little additional safety for walking roped (I wouldn't really
know how to go about walking roped without research, and I'm a climber
and low grade winter mountaineer as well as a "plain" walker), and for
belays you need good anchors (and by implication the wherewithal to set
them up).
My personal feeling on walking trips is that if a rope is needed then
you shouldn't really be there, because if you come to rely on something
that can't be set up for a safe belay at some point then you're stuck in
a very problematical place with someone who can't do anything. Not
good. Clearly this is an opinion and not The Only Way, as others do it
differently, but it's based on seeing people using confidence ropes who
were still clearly having a Bad Time when they could probably have been
having a better one somewhere else.
I'd be more inclined to find areas without sharp ridges and get them
slowly used to exposure.
Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/