Membership Rules and Conditions of Use for Climbing at The Foundry Mountaineering Club CIC

Climbing in its simplest form is movement at height; therefore, there is a risk of a fall from height. Any fall may result in an injury despite the safety systems in place to avoid it. Members must make their own assessment of the risks whenever they climb.  

  • The Club's Duty of Care – The rules of The Club set out below are not intended to limit your enjoyment of the facilities. They are part of the duty of care that The Club owes to you, our members, by law. As such they are non-negotiable. If you are not prepared to abide by them, you may not belong to The Club, or use its facilities. If it comes to The Club's attention that you are not abiding by its rules; The Club may revoke your membership and The Club's staff will require you to leave. 

  • The Member's Duty of Care – You as a member, have a duty of care to act responsibly towards other members and users of the Club facilities. Statements of ‘Good Practice’ are posted around the centre adjacent to the relevant facilities. These describe the accepted methods of use and how members would normally be expected to behave towards each other.  

  • Unsupervised Climbing – Members can climb without supervision. The Club requires members to be competent in the activity they are undertaking. Members are required to register that they understand and accept the rules below and that they understand the risks involved in their participation. New Members will need to be competent in the use and application of climbing equipment and techniques. The club provides access to coaching and instruction for members wishing to acquire or improve their climbing skills and capabilities. If members are not confident in the use of any climbing equipment or techniques, they must not attempt to use it without the supervision of someone competent to do so.

  • Supervised Climbing – A registered member may supervise up to two novice climbers if they are prepared to take full responsibility for the safety and actions of those people. 

    • Groups - Three or more novices must only be supervised by a qualified climbing instructor holding relevant qualifications and insurance. 

    • Novice climbers - are the responsibility of the supervising member who must remain with their novice(s) when in the centre.  

    • Children – (under 18) All under 18 members in the centre must be supervised by a registered adult member or under instruction by a qualified climbing instructor unless they have been assessed by the Club and registered for unsupervised climbing.

Part 1: General Safety 

Registration 

You may register for unsupervised climbing online via our website and you may upgrade your registration as your experiences develop. For instance: 

  • Option 1. A bouldering registration.

  • Option 2. A bouldering registration and use of the auto belays.

  • Option 3. A bouldering registration, use of the auto belays and rope climbing.

If the member upgrades/changes their registration they must complete a new waiver online. The member's competency level will then be changed on their file. If the member is learning a new activity (belaying for example) then they are classed as a novice at this activity and must be supervised by an appropriately competent member/qualified climbing instructor. 

All members must:

  • Report to reception on each visit before they climb.

  • At all times exercise care, common sense, and self-preservation.

  • Report any problems with the walls, equipment, or other climbers’ behaviour to The Club immediately.

  • Be aware of the other members around them and how their actions will affect them.

  • Do not distract members while they are climbing, belaying, or supervising.

  • Stand well back from the climbing walls unless the member is belaying or spotting a climber. Never stand or climb directly under someone climbing and ensure the climbing zone is free from hazardous items.

  • Refer to best practice signage for specific area safety rules.

  • When climbing, do not climb with unsecured items on your person, for example, objects in pockets, or weight belts that have the potential to fall off.

Under 18s

Competent under 18 members may climb unsupervised at the Club only if they have been assessed by the Club and registered for unsupervised climbing. They may not sign in guests/novices. Under 18 registrations are categorised as a “Green Card” (Bouldering, Auto Belays and Top Rope Climbing) or a “Red Card”((Bouldering, Auto Belays, Top Rope Climbing and Lead Climbing). An under-18 may not use any of the gym equipment unless supervised by a qualified climbing instructor/coach or an over-18 with an unsupervised registration.  

External Organisations

The Club requires external organisation personnel to be registered with the Club. The Club also requires a copy of the personnel qualifications and insurance before the start of the session. (The minimum qualification is CWI/CWA held with Mountain Training)

Only qualified personnel can lead a session, the maximum ratio a session can be run at is 1:9.  

External Organisations need to fill out an External Group Form whilst they are acting in a professional capacity at The Foundry Mountaineering Club. Each of their (External Organisation) clients needs to be on the External Group Form whilst the Organisation is acting in a professional supervisory or advisory role towards the individual/group.

Possessions

The Foundry Mountaineering Club cannot accept responsibility for the loss of or damage to members' possessions.  

Part 2: Bouldering & Traversing

  • The impact flooring & matting under the bouldering walls are designed to provide a more comfortable landing for the climbers falling or jumping from the bouldering wall. IMPACT FLOORING AND MATTING DO NOT REMOVE THE RISK OF INJURY BUT ARE DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF THESE INJURIES. 

  • Uncontrolled falls are likely to result in injuries to yourself or others. 

  • Members should always climb within their capabilities and descend by down climbing, jumping or, at the very least, a controlled fall.

  • Only climbers and spotters should be on the matting.

  • Keep the climbing area clear of belongings and do not climb when wearing a harness.

  • Do NOT climb over the top of any bouldering surfaces (otherwise known as topping out)

Part 3: Auto-belay

  • Members may only use an auto-belay device if they are registered to do so or have the express permission of their supervisor.

  • When using the auto belay, members must identify the line on that auto belay and not deviate off this line.

  • Descending from the route must be controlled with, where possible, the landing zone and path checked to be clear before letting go.

  • Do not climb above the device and do not attempt to grab back onto the wall when descending.

  • Members must clip the auto-locking carabiner into their belay loop. If using an alpine harness, the gate should face away from the climber.

  • The auto belay on the main wall is for use by climbers who are experienced and competent to climb safely at the level of the routes on that line.

  • Do not use helmets when on the auto belay.

  • Members should take into consideration the clothes they wear. Loose-fitting clothes may snag on holds and entrap them.

  • Weight limit 2-23 stone, 10-150kg.

  • Members must remove all items clipped to their harnesses before climbing.

Part 4: Roped Climbing

When climbing members must:  

  • Ensure they identify if their chosen route is a top rope or lead route.

  • Do not solo climb on the top rope or lead climbs; members must always use a rope to protect themselves on these climbs.

  • Always use a climbing harness to attach themselves to the rope.

  • Always tie directly into the harness using a `figure of eight` or `bowline` knot. Clipping in with a carabiner is not allowed.

  • Never climb directly above or below another climber. 

  • And ensure the landing zone is clear.

When Belaying members must:  

  • Always use a belay device attached to their climbing harness with a locking carabiner. Ensure the device is connected to the correct part of the harness.

  • `Traditional`, `body` belaying, `friction hitch` or `Italian hitch` are not acceptable.

  • Weight bags may be used to provide support to people belaying a climber who is much heavier than they are. Always connect the weight bag to a load-rated part of the harness and never directly belay from a weight bag.

  • Always pay attention to what the climber is doing.

  • Always stand as close to the climbing wall as is practical. This will help the member stay in balance whilst belaying.

  • Novice and Under 18 guests must be backed up by a member signed off to climb on the roped walls.

When Lead Climbing members must: 

  • Please use The Club's quickdraws when lead climbing. Quickdraws are provided at intervals on the lead walls. Members must identify the line their route follows and correctly clip all the quickdraws in sequence.

  • When using the lead walls do not use the Club's top ropes for lead climbing. The minimum rope length required is 30m.

  • If seconding a climb, the second climber should be protected from uncontrolled swings by appropriately clipped quickdraws. The rope MUST be securely fixed to the lower-off anchor.

  • If members lead climb on an auto belay line, release the auto belay to the top before leading and clip it back into the kite after completing their climbing on the line.

  • When lead belaying, always pay attention to the amount of “slack” in the system to allow for a comfortable and safe fall in the eventuality their climbing partner falls.

Hiring Equipment:

  • The Foundry Mountaineering Club rents out harnesses, belay devices, climbing shoes and lead ropes. It is the responsibility of the member who is hiring the equipment or who is supervising the novice using the equipment to ensure that they can safely and correctly use the equipment before hiring it. Members must not hire equipment that they do not have the correct training or experience to use.