Becoming a Boulder Group Trip Leader

We encourage our members to volunteer to become Boulder Group trip leaders! Here's the information on how to accomplish that.

General Requirements:

There are two categories of trip leader applicants:

New -- those who have never been approved as a Boulder Group trip leader.

Upgrading -- those who are currently a Boulder Group trip leader and are now applying to lead a different trip type. For instance, a member who is currently a rock leader may apply to lead ski touring trips.

The following are required for new trip leaders only:

• Current Standard First Aid card. Standard First Aid is the minimum requirement, although Wilderness First Aid (WFA) or Mountain Oriented First Aid (MOFA) is preferred.
• Current CPR card
• Complete the Leadership Seminar

The following are required of all trip leader applicants:

• Be a Boulder Group CMC member.
• Co-lead one Boulder Group trip of the same trip type that they wish to lead and receive a favorable written recommendation from the leader of that trip.
• Co-lead a second Boulder Group trip of the same trip type that they wish to lead and receive a favorable written recommendation from the leader of that trip. Note that the two trips must be with two different trip leaders.

The following are required of all rock trip leader applicants:

• All trad and sport trip leader applicants must lead a line, with at least one trip participant either following or top-rope belayed from the base of the climb, on both trips counting towards the co-lead requirement. Multi-pitch climbs are preferred for trad climbing co-leads.
• Top roping trip leader applicants must set up the top rope anchors on both trips counting towards the co-lead requirement.

The Trip Leader Approval Process:

Steps to be performed by the Applicant:

• Determine if the general requirements are met.
• Obtain the Trip Leader Application cover letter, Trip Leader Application form and Trip Leader Reference form from the clubroom or from www.cmcboulder.org/bms/leadership/LeaderApp.pdf.
• Send the completed Trip Leader application form to the Outings Chair, as directed on the form.
• Send a Trip Leader Reference form to each of the Boulder Group trip leaders, as noted in the general requirements.
• Follow up with the references to confirm that they've completed the Trip Leader Reference form and sent them to the Outings Chair as directed on the form.

Steps to be performed by the Outings Chair:

• Note the date of the receipt of the application on the form.
• Within no more than 2 weeks after receipt of the application, acknowledge to the prospective trip leader the receipt of their application form and note that on the form. Provide updates to applicant as appropriate, but no less than every 2 weeks. Inform the applicant of the expected timeframe for a decision.
• Verify receipt of the reference forms from the two Boulder Group trip leaders. Note that on the application form.
• Consult with the applicant's references, if necessary, to obtain additional information about the applicant's performance on the two trip co-leads.
• Consult with the Safety Chair, if appropriate, to determine if there have been any past safety issues with the applicant.
• Consult with any person familiar with relevant aspects of the applicant's background, skills, knowledge, safety attitude, and familiarity with CMC safety and other procedures, as deemed necessary to fully evaluate the applicant's fitness to be a Boulder Group trip leader.
• Conduct a final review within the Outings Committee of the applicant's qualifications. Based on the review, complete the Trip Leader Evaluation form to either accept or decline the applicant as a trip leader. Note on the form the reason for the decision.
• Notify the applicant of the decision. Include a reminder to lead trips well within their abilities.
• Notify the state CMC of the member's new trip leader status.
• Update the Boulder Group's trip leader list for the specific trip type.
• Submit a notice to the Compass newsletter announcing the member's new trip leader status.
• File all application papers in an Outings Committee notebook, maintained by the Outings Chair, for future reference.