world views - guiding

It struck me yesterday that I have yet to sign a single paper signing my life away. No liability waivers, no releases of responsibility. Nothing.

Do they not have lawsuit issues as we do in the states? After talking with my roomate Gael and his girlfriend Karine, who spent last year in Quebec, it seems it is just that. Though lawsuits are becoming more common, and Karine expects to see waivers and such as in the states in the years to come.

I realized the difference, too when I went to Espace Verticale, an incredible climbing gym here (biggest indoor wall in France, I believe), and no one asked for my lead certification card. I walked in, suited up, and started climbing, much as I would at any outdoor site. Weird. Karine and Gael had been equally stunned to have to pass a test at the gyms in Quebec, and even more shocked that they had to pay extra to take the test! That's pretty lame, for sure.

But it was particularly interesting to be on a trip where we could jump off rocks. I feel like a trip like that canyoneering trip would be quite unheard of in the states. Maybe some organisations would allow it, but probably not many.

It was quite fascinating to compare and contrast it to the world of guiding that I know at home. What are the costs and benefits - emotional and physical?

I was initially a little unimpressed, and thought the trip a little careless. I'll run through briefly from the beginning...

1) Here we take personal vehicles, not university vehicles, wherever we go. Liability. But it works for them here, and gives you a certain bond with your car-buddies.

2) Slippery rocks, wet ropes, and muddy climbing gear. Hm.

3) Jumping off rocks into pools of water. Too risky? Or calculated/perceived? It certainly provided an opportunity for challenge-by-choice, neither promoted nor discouraged, but with the guides appropriately interjecting, without any judgment, that you must trust yourself enough to make the jump safely foot-first, communicating the risk if you can't.

4) No organized get-to-know eachother/name games. Makes it more of a personal thing - gotta do it yourself. But the nature of the activity promotes getting to know each other, for sure.

5) Quickly rendered us fairly independent, only briefly checking our rappel setups on the second and third runs. This I found to be very empowering. I had no idea what to expect, and for me this was just a recreational activity. I had forgotten that there are some students who get credit for going on these excursions for the sport requirement (as part of the climbing club) and thus are expected to learn the ropes, literally. Thus, the trip is structured to tell us what we're doing, show us how to do it, and give us the chance to do it ourselves. Familiar concept, different style - but by this I was quite impressed.

Professionalism is not the first word that comes to mind to describe these trips - but learning adventures, they are for sure. I'm really enjoying being on the other side of the guiding thing, as a participant - but I'm becoming quite intrigued to know more about how their system really works here.