Springtime Skills Training
All outdoor guides work in unpredictable environments : the ever-changing environment is what draws them to their activity, be it water or mountain, snow or sea : there’s simply no possibility of doing the same trip twice !
It’s that same unpredictability however that means you’re unlikely ever to hear a guide say they’ve mastered their skills, seen it all and feel confident to navigate any situation. In addition to the physical and environmental variables, there are also the different personalities and characteristics of everyone on the team : some people are more confident, while others err towards caution; some people question everything while others happily accept it; some people are used to physical activity, others are less so - often all these characteristics and contradictions exist in the same family!
Treading the line between offering a challenging and fun activity that everyone finds exciting, and allows all participants to push themselves beyond what they may do on their own - while still feeling secure - is a complicated balancing act. Safety and security are paramount so it’s important they are ingrained habits, not relegated to second thoughts we keep our fingers crossed we’ll never have to use.
With this in mind we’ve started offering Rescue 3 courses to whitewater professionals in this area. Our belief is that it’s through practicing and honing rescue skills regularly, that guides feel confident and competent in their domain. This in turn affords them the confidence to be flexible and adaptive, to ensure everyone in the team is having fun.
There are various different courses that are designed to be refreshed every three years so participants never feel they have nothing more to learn, and have a constant motivation to improve and update their skill-set. Preparation and premptive precautions are the major consideration in this course, and enabling first responders to communicate efficiently, have the right gear on hand, and know how to use it effectively. The priority is about avoiding issues even arising, through streamlining and maintaining competence and discipline in challenging situations.
There are classroom based theory sessions backed up by practical activities in daylight and at night. It is a rigorous and demanding course, but one with plenty of ‘ah-ha’ moments when theories become meaningful and make sense. Above all, the Rescue 3 course teaches humility. By maintaining a respect for the lieu in which a he or she works, a guide remains humble and ready for anything they might encounter. The assumption that ‘it’ll never happen’ or ‘it’ll all be fine’ is one that no guide can afford to have.
If you'd be interested in paraticipating or running any training courses, drop us a line info@frogsrafting.com
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