lessons for new members this year

[Keith]

Would it be any use to start up very basic lessons for new students/members starting this semester?
I know of a few people who won't go climbing because they don't think they can or that they will make a show of themselves in front of 'experts'. But who would if there was some sort of organised training for the wall.
By lessons I would suggest something like sectioning off the area to your left as you walk in the door on a Tuesday night and have a supervisor there to go through the basic techniques in climbing. From the very simple (putting on a harness) to footwork, and eventually to leading. At the same time they can be taught rope work, belaying and the rules of the place, so when time comes to train new supervisors, it's mostly done already, just needing some sort of assessment.

[mike]

You're right Keith,

The question is, do we have any supervisors who are good enough at technique/teaching to teach a large group.

I think instead of a formal class, you could make sure there are enough experienced climbers there so that each one can take 2 or 3 beginners and show them some routes and help them.

Maybe when signing up members you can ask them if they would be interested and they can choose a day/time to show up. In a 3 hour session, you could divide it into three 45 minute sessions leaving time for those helping to climb at the end if they want.

Would need commitment from climbers to be there though,




Also, the club needs to be strict with clothing footwear on the hills. The club has NEVER taken a hard line on this.

[Keith]

Even at the very start (the week after sign up's in the arena) could we have a night where we tell newbies that there will be a good few supervisors there to answer questions and that will go through stuff with them?

The problem I see is that when the first years come in, in a month, they will be hit with all the climbers who are used to being there every week and use all the walls all the time, so it will be very intimidating to someone having never climbed before to try ask a big guy if he can climb for a while.

Also I do think that the sign in sheet should be put into place from the very start, if anything it makes the place look more professionally run. Signing a separate sheet by the shoes stating what size you took out (or mark each pair with a number so pairs of the same size don't get confused) and have this checked by the supervisor. I.e. the supervisor sees 10 people climbing in club shoes but only 8 names on the list, and possibly only 7 marked as returned. Again, will look more professional and should stop shoes from 'walking' out the door. Also if you know there are 3 pairs of a certain size and notice the 3 are signed out you won't spend 5 minutes searching to see if they're there.

On another note. Explaining how to get to the club website is horrible, so why not buy www.ulopc.com for around $8 a year. I'm all ready to set it up if I get the go ahead. This can be printed on the cards handed out on sign up.

It might be a good idea to delay handing out the cards and print them up with the names/ID on them, I'd be more than happy to do it, and I have a laminator at home so we could make them look very well.

[mike]

Who is climbing wall officer this year?

[Keith]

Rob, i think

[cillian]

Howdy,

I agree that showing any new members that the club is willing to show them the ropes is the best way to move forward. Remember we all had a first night. The supervisor is always supposed to introduce beginners to the climbing calls and help them out and informing them about the gear as they go.. The provision of extra supervisors in the first two weeks would cope with the quantity of people..

Ideally we should have advertising posters up from the beginning of orientation week 3rd September. Since first years will be around at that stage and wondering what clubs will cater for them ;DUnfortunately I will be leaving for a short break on the 1st of sept but will be back by the end of the week. If posters are printed and available I will certainly be available to put them up before I go away all around campus and I am sure anyone else who is around will help out too.


General invitation posters to a specified open night for beginners (held preferably after the open night) should go up from the beginning. The Kayakers have posters up already and they look very well.Ill contact Paul Lee about the open night date.

Also posters something like we had two years ago - Calling all- First years, Erasmus, Study abroad and previous members to join the club for the wide range of activities we offer could be posted in the first week.

Whatever the Club website is I think we should use it more to keep everyone informed. We can work as a more efficient club if all details are posted about trips and gear. Each officer could look after his or her relevant section and all the required information could be available in black and white. And most importantly if people have questions ???they can be answered easily or a private message can be sent.

I personally don’t see a problem with the current web address but the message board needs to be used more. The site just needs a small few updates in format. The current web address could also be printed on the new membership cards.

Full coloured posters for each club activity (Rock-climbing, orienteering , Caving , Hill walking and Mountaineering) could also be hung down at the wall and on the notice board to show specific activities.(as a once off permanent thing) I am working on a caving one at the moment that’s shows the different aspects of caving within the club.

A few small things could make the whole show run nice and smoothly

Mise Le Meas

Cillian

[mike]

The current website address is a pain, I use google to find it (search 'opc ul')
It is worth getting www.ulopc.com provided there are clear instructions left if/when you leave Keith so we don't lose it.

The supervisor is supposed to help people but sometimes the supervisors are not active climbers and only show up when they are working and even then they don't climb. In that case, there is little they can show beginners other than basic rope technique.

That's why something like what I described above might be worth thinking about.

[fRuth]

Heya lads,

Reading these entries with interest. I like Keith's idea - if there's an organised time slot even once a fortnight, it would encourage 'newbies' to come, join in and learn from scratch, in an unpressured and non-judgemental environment.

I'm the new PRO. Heard about the Kayaking posters the other day. They really sound like a good idea but I haven't seen them. Could anyone give me an idea of what they're like. And ideas for what we could include in our own poster(which would be geared towards newcomers during orientation week).

Any suggestions would be of value to me.

Thanks,
fRuthie

[mike]

I'm still not convinced by formal 'lessons', why not make every monday in september a beginners night and each 'experienced ' climber takes 3 beginners and shows them routes and basic techniques including knots/ belaying if there is rope space. Very informally though and they can answer questions about other club activities. This could be during the 2nd two hours of the climbing session.

There could be a sign up sheet every week for this at the wall perhaps. The number of groups limited by the space aviailable on the easier parts of the wall. And afterwards everyone could go to the stables for a miwadi


Of course, some easier routes should be set and marked before.

[rob]

hey guys,
haven't been able to get to a computer in ages,so its cool to see all those ideas .....

about the newcomers to the climbing wall,, i think the hardest thing for me as a newbie last year was finding some routes to do... its alright turning up and climbing, but theres only so long you'll be entertained for without any real goal.... whereas the route board is a really good idea, it needds to be completely updated because most of the routes are either not there or are impossible to locate on the wall

i'm climbing wall officer this year so i guess this is my responsibility... i'm not in limerick for the summer but i should be back sometime during orientation week so if anyone is around to give a hand give me a call (085 7326060). i've feck all experience in setting/grading routes so if theres anyone around that does that'd be cool

[Keith]

Tony..can we get that domain sorted soon then?
I have no access to the clubs/socs credit card so can you have a look at it?
www.godaddy.com <-- my recommendation for a registrar.

[barry]

Bumps, jugs, smears and horns !

Tony and I spent the day yesterday de gripping and re gripping the main flat wall, particulary the right hand side, setting routes should be ongoing over the next few weeks as We move around holds and put more new fancy snazzy metolius holds up. this work is quite time consuming but the wall is a lot more beginner friendly as a result of yesterday's work.

Any chance of buying a vacuam cleaner ? the thought of how much dust and chalk that gets lodged in the room and doesn't leave is fairly gross.

In the UCD Wall the supervisor hoovers the floor and mats at closing time, well that's about all they do.

lesson HHHHMMMMMM !

Climbing is a life long learning experience of how to do moves.

kinda hard to teach people to climb, few basics obviously, but essentially from my perspective it's a journey of self discovery

Still a beginners night would be good, nevertheless I would expect CW supervisors should have a commited interest in climbing and be proactive assisting those new to the wall if they're not too busy belaying non stop,

Lots more grips on the main wall for traversing, that's always a good way for people to lean movement, flow and technique.

Being busy supervising does not include chatting and sitting on the bench reading a book-not a direct reference to UL but to UCD.

[tony]

if you now type www.ulopc.com you will reach our webpage which is nice. no more mention of squiggily lines and such

[tony]

o and to get to the message board go to board.ulopc.com

[yellowwellies]

Fair play Keith, I agree that lessons for beginners are a good idea but in order for it to be a benefit to people it needs to be well organized. There have been a lot of good points mentioned above as soon as col starts up again a plan to organize there lessons should be started. The idea of sectioning off a part of the wall for beginners is a good idea. From my own point of view as a person fairly new to climbing I can say how when I was just starting to climb I hated to climb not only in front of 'experts' but in front of anyone really.

The wall opens at 7pm the days it’s open. Perhaps if there is interest in lessons from both beginners and supervisors the wall could open at 6pm before other climbers start appearing. Small groups of something like 5 people could be shown the basics and then see how they go from there. As Barry said when you’re climbing your always learning (not a direct quote).

Bob made a good point about the routes. I know there is constantly ‘suggestions’ in relation to the routes and people say different things. In my opinion maybe the route management (I’m not talking about trees there by the way) needs to be better taken care of. It’s good to hear that there is some work going on with the routes. It is going to take a lot of time and commitment to strip existing routes and make new ones. It’s a time consuming job that isn’t just magically done at the tap taping of people on keyboards.

Fair play to Tony and Barry for getting the ball rolling. I’m not forgetting that Tony and Conor did make a start before the summer hols also. All I’ll say is boys with the long reaches who are setting routes should try and remember about the people with not as long reaches!!!

I’ll be back in lim in Sept and will try helping out as much as I can.