Policies and Procedures

At Granite Guides we approach risk in a systematic manner. Our operations incorporate an overall philosophy, which shapes our policies, defines our procedures, and drives our practices. Risk is an inherent part of rock climbing activities and we can never totally eliminate it, but we can reduce it and make wise informed decisions that will enhance our safety practices.

The three stages of risk assessment we use are Operational, Daily, and Dynamic.

Our operational structure has been set and refined to deliver programs and courses that are within our acceptable level of risk.

Daily assessments take into account weather, conditions, client profiles, energy, and skill levels to choose appropriate objectives and routes.

Dynamic assessment is the moment to moment with the guide making and implementing decisions to enhance safety and optimize the level of risk in the field.

Assessing risk is one of the most difficult tasks we all face in the mountain world. We look at risk as being the culmination of many variables. First off, we need to know what hazards we face. Some are obvious such as falling on the approach, and some are less obvious because their frequency is so low we haven’t had much exposure to them. Knowing the hazards then allows us to think about how we deal with them with our safety system in place. The next step is to consider the likelihood of that event occurring. This is definitely the hardest piece of the puzzle. Determining the likelihood of an event in the rock climbing environment is most certainly a subjective expert-based assessment. Therefore, having a team of experienced guides working together, sharing conditions and information will de-bias the subjectivity. This allows our guides to better determine the likelihood of the event. Step three is considering the consequence or severity of that event occurring with our safety measures in place. Would it be of minor consequence or severe? Step four is looking at our overall exposure to the event. Are we in the area of concern for 1 minute or all day?

Therefore, we determine Hazard Risk = Likelihood x Consequence x Exposure.

So, if we feel a risk is too high, we can reduce this through eliminating or avoiding the hazard and or, reducing the likelihood and or, reducing the consequence and or reducing our overall exposure.

Critical to dealing with risk is having renowned guides and experts with current up to date training. Guides at Granite Guides have undergone rigorous certification through the American Mountain Guides Association. All our guides have a minimum first aid requirement of an 80-hour Wilderness First Responder course, recertified every three years.

In addition to this, Granite Guides conducts different staff training sessions every year. Staff training is a big commitment, but we look at it as investing in the development of our guides and the safety of our guests. Training consists of reviewing emergency procedures, policies, risk assessments and technical training and development.

Certification is not all we look for in hiring guides. They must be personable and good educators, show good judgment and have exceptional decision-making skills. We have strict hiring criteria and though many guides apply not all are chosen.

Risk management practices extend into all areas of our operation: Vehicles, food, gear, and compliance with Land Managers regulations.

The word ‘risk’ derives from the Italian word risicare which means to dare. The Granite Guides risk management program optimizes levels of risk to allow for positive outcomes and we strive to eliminate the negative. We are proud of our culture and we continuously are striving to maintain the balance of risk and reward. Our intent is to work in an environment with control, not to control the environment.