Tord S. Eriksson wrote: > As a group leader the hardest job can be to decide that it is time to > abort a trip (due to weather, wind, participants less than prime > physique/skill, equipment failure, et cetera), as some in the group > will think that it just too early, due to ego, invested money/time, > et cetera, while others might well be so far beyond the point where > they can reason clearly, due to exhaustion, hypothermia, et cetera, > that they too can come to the same conclusion. > > How do you handle such incidences?! > > Do you let the group split up, or what?! If I am the leader, I insist all remain together until anyone who is incapacitated is safely on shore, accompanied by a buddy who is not impaired. Those are the only circumstances in which I would split the party because of inability to paddle with the others. Sometimes I will allow a split of there is a competent leader to handle the other bunch, and conditions are benighn. BTW, if I am not aware some are becoming hypothermic well before they are impaired, I have failed as a leader (or, one of my helpers has). I should be communicating with everyone as we go, checking affect, responsiveness, and attitude, so I do not get surprised with a situation like that. The above applies under normal circumstances. In desperate circumstances, I'd have to decide then what to do. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri May 09 2008 - 07:31:23 PDT
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