Responsibility in climbing�also: Intro to Leadership Development

Leora Gregory

Climb Leader

Leadership Development Manager/Climbing Committee

Today’s talk

• How you’re now viewed by others because you’ve taken a higher level of mountaineering education
• Implicit vs Explicit leading
• Different “What next” opportunities
• Description of the Leadership Development program
• Why you should be interested in the program
• How to apply for the Leadership Development program

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You’re seen differently by others, now

• You need to internalize this:
• YOU may not see yourself, differently
• Others do
• Similar to the “Expert Halo” in Avalanche training (“ICS Halo?”)
• Story:
• ICS graduate put-together Southside Hood climb with serious injury

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Leading (private) climbs

• You now have the skills to go off and climb fairly difficult routes
• Build upon easier climbs (e.g. do Leuthold before Sandy Glacier, and do the South Side before Leuthold) (ICS grad injured not following this progression)
• Remember that others may not be as skilled as you
• If you do put together a climb, understand that you’ll be seen as responsible for that climb, so act that way:
• Make sure that people have the skills for the climb, or teach those skills
• Communicate all decisions
• Know where everyone is at all times

Dynamic for an all ICS-grad climb

• Yes, it’s different
• You’ve been learning, together
• No preconceived notions about how/what people were taught
• Caveats:
• Different year classes taught different skills, and sometimes taught differently
• People learn different things from the same lecture or field session
• People DO forget what they’ve learned

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Various “what next” options

• Come back and help teach the next crop of ICS students
• ICS is only successful when climb leaders and prior students come back to help the next class. Be that person that helps out!
• Become a hike leader
• We have a very robust hike leading team, and we always need more leaders
• Becoming a hike leader is fairly simple:
• Take the hike leader first aid/CPR training (WFA/CPR qualifies)
• Take the hike leader training class (website training, hike leading expectations)
• Do one provisional hike (get evaluated)
• Become a climb leader
• Join Leadership Development to become an “A” leader
• Join Leadership Development to become a “C” or “E” leader

What is the Leadership Development (LD) Program?�

• A primarily experiential program
• Allows the participant ample opportunity to participate in a leadership capacity while in a safe and supportive setting
• Leadership Development part: (Itallics For C leader goal
• Teach & be evaluated during 3 different field sessions (ICS, AR, SSI, skill builders, even Climb Leader recertification sessions)
• Assist & be evaluated during 3 different climbs
• Assist in a leadership role & be evaluated for BCEP or FM101
• Keep up certifications for CPR, WFA + MFA skillbuilder, Crevasse Rescue, Avy, and go to a Leader Update session
• And then the Provisional part:
• Run 3 different climbs and be evaluated
• Expected time to complete: roughly, 3 years or less

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What’s in it for you, the ICS student?

• One of the many ways to “give back” so that the Mazamas can continue to inspire people to love and protect the mountains
• An opportunity to be the type of leader YOU would like to see
• An opportunity to lead the climbs that YOU want to see on the climb schedule
• You’ll always have a team of people to climb with
• Access to climb leader resources
• Access to Outdoor Leadership program (If we rerun it)
• Access to mentorship (trying to set up mentors for everyone)
• Access to climb leader discounts

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How do I apply?

• Send mail to LeadershipDevelopment@Mazamas.org with:
• A letter saying why you are interested in joining the program. Think about the following questions:
• What leads you to apply to this program?
• What do you hope to get out of the program?
• What aspects of being a climb leader interest you?
• What do you plan on doing as a climb leader?
• A climb resume that includes:
• Your climbing education (Inside or outside of the Mazamas, including first aid instruction)
• Climbs that you’ve done (date, mountain, route, leader, Mazama climb?, successful?, your role) [ you need to have climbed at least 16 alpine routes, 8 of which should have been with the Mazamas for a C or E climb leader, and 12 alpine routes, 6 of which should have been with the Mazamas for an A climb leader]
• Information on any volunteering that you’ve done (related to outdoor type activities and/or with the Mazamas)
• Have 3 full climb leaders send letters of recommendations to LeadershipDevelopment@Mazamas.org (Here’s a guide for the recommenders.)

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Questions?