A log record for a vertical activity captures different information to a walking or paddling log. The route grade, the type of activity, the equipment used, and the role of the person logging all matter in a way they do not for a day walk. Getting these details right in the log makes the record genuinely useful for building an experience file.
What to Capture
- Activity type: abseiling, climbing, caving, canyoning
- Location and specific crag, cave, or canyon name
- Route name and grade where applicable
- Height or depth involved
- Your role: participant, second, leader, instructor
- Participants and their roles
- Equipment used and any relevant setup notes
- Conditions: weather, water temperature for canyons, cave conditions
- Any incidents or near-misses, even minor ones
Role Matters
Recording your role accurately is important if the log is being used as evidence for a certification or qualification. Time spent as a participant counts differently to time spent leading or instructing. Some certifications require a minimum number of hours in a leadership or instructing role rather than just participation hours.
Grading the Activity
For climbing, record the Ewbank grade of the routes completed. For canyoning, record the grade of the canyon. For caving, note the difficulty classification of the system. These details allow you to build a log that shows progression across grade levels over time, which is what most certification bodies want to see.
Using LogsKeptSimple for Vertical Activities
LogsKeptSimple supports vertical activity logging with fields for type, grade, participants, and role. You can attach photos as evidence and record detailed notes in the comments field. The location can be set to the specific crag or cave for easy reference later. GPS tracking is less relevant for vertical activities, but the activity record and documentation aspects of the platform are well-suited to this type of logging.
