Mountain Clients

The Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (24 Oct 2006)

According to the Daily Mail dated the 19th October, 2006 (page 29) the government 'Better Regulations Commission' has ridiculed the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (set-up in 1996). Set up as a knee-jerk reaction to the Lyme Bay canoeing disaster in 1993, the AALA (receives in excess of 1 million pounds sterling of taxpayers money per annum) since its conception it has apparently put some 600 outdoor pursuits organisations - out of business - one way or another. The AALA advertises that it is an 'independent' authority and yet, passes out licenses to fellow British Mountaineering Council (BMC) & Association of British Mountain Guides (BMG) - members...

Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (18 Nov 2005)

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 providor. Those assurances have been heard before and in fact, the existance 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 misslead 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 manouver for such young children. Apparently, Joseph dissapeared; became seperated from the rest the during this manouver, 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.