Mountain Clients

http://www.hse.gov.uk/aala/recommendation-to-abolish-aala.htm On the 21, Oct, 2001: The health and Safety Executive wrote that the AALA is to be abolished. 

 

Joseph Lister, a 14 year old school boy died in an avoidable caving accident (he was left behind by his instructor and teacher) on the 15th November, 2005, whilst under the assured guidance of Bewerly Park Centre for Outdoor Education in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, licensed as it is, by the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA). The AALA (another quango that receives £millions in government subsidies)  is supposed to: ‘Provide assurances to the public about the safety of activity providers…’ Bewerly Park is such a provider. Those assurances have been heard before and in fact, the existence of the AALA (which first saw the light of day in Cardiff, South Wales) assures – nothing. Interestingly, the AALA has links on its website with the Mountain Leadership Board and the British Mountaineering Council. Both organisations have advertised similar – ‘assurances’ in the past and still people, clients, have been mislead by those ‘ensurities’.

As an ‘unqualified’ cave leader I would not have taken those school children into that cave system at that time considering the recent heavy rain fall that has beset the whole of the UK recently… But then, I am not ‘qualified’ to comment. Like many other parents and reletives of adventure clients who have been killed in spite of – assurances, Joseph’s parents will have a lifetime in which to ponder just what, might have been had those £millions been more meaningfuly spend on education in outdoor safety rather than wasted on ‘safety quango,s’ such as the AALA..

Amy Ryder, one of Joseph’s class mates stated that the youngsters had to negotiate a ‘sump’ traversed by the only means possible – by submerging and going forward to emerge the other side of the water barrier. If so, it would have a highly dangerous maneuver for such young children. Apparently, Joseph disappeared; became separated from the rest the during this maneuver, traversing a sump full, filling with water. North Yorkshire Police and officials from the Health & Safety Executive have refused to comment, but will be examining the conduct of the ‘qualified’ instructor. 2011, and the government is to finally disband, abolish the AALA – not before time.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/244770.stm The BMG/UIAGM guide in charge of seven Venture Scouts (four of whom died) did not receive a jail sentence whilst the Manager (though not present) of the centre responsible for the  four canoeist (who died) that galvanised the setting-up of the AALA, received a two jail sentence. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_Bay_canoeing_tragedy

 

The abolishing of the AALA will bring little comfort to the instructors with the desired qualities, but without qualifications (for whatever reason) who lost their employment 15 years ago via the – AALA.