The Australian Climbing Association - Help

If you are having trouble with something, or would just like to know more about something.
Don't hesitate to post in the forum, or send an email to the adminitrator (Dan Roe).

Table of Contents:

• Printing
• Export as PDF
• Snippits
• Events
• The Route Database
• General Information
• Using the Route Register
• Image Guidelines
• Security Information
• Grades & Ratings
• Ticking Routes
• Importing Routes
• External Data
• Weather Data
• YouTube
• Forums

Printing

At the top of the page you will see a 'printer' icon.
The website has been designed with a second CSS stylesheet for printing.
When you click the icon, your browser will automaticlly use it.
The menu's will be removed and the content expanded to print correctly.

Try using the 'print preview' feature in your browser for an example.

Export as PDF

You can export an area from the route database as a PDF by clicking the 'PDF' button which is found just below the search button.

Snippits

Snippits is just a stupid name the developer came up with, it means nothing.
They can be a variety of things, from news articles, blog posts, events or forum posts.
They can even be files such as images, documents or videos embeded from YouTube.

You can create one by logging in and viewing your snippits page.
Select a type of snippit from the drop down list and hit create.

You can vote on snippits you think are interesting.
If a snippit gets enough votes, it may appear on the front page.
Voting on an event will add you to the who's going list.
You may also recieve email notifications for upcoming events this way.

Events

The events page is primarly designed to show event snippits.
It can also be used to display any other kind of snippit.

First ascent and added dates from the route database can also be searched.

The green plus sign will help you create an event for that particular day.

The Route Database

General Information

The route register is collaborative, meaning it is open to the community to main tain the content.
The register is organised into a logical hierarchy as follows:

• State
• Region
• Subregion (this level is optional)
• Crag
• Area
• Route

For example:

     NSW - The Blue Mountains - Blackheath - Shipley - Grey Slabs - Country Special

Using the Route Register

To be able to add or edit route information (including regions, crags and areas) you must first be:

• registered
• approved for route register access
• logged in

To get access, you need to either:

• ask for it when you register
• tick the 'access route register' box in your user preferences

If you have trouble, email us.

To add a new record, browse to the appropriate area in the register and click the 'Add Route/Problem/Spacer' button.

NOTE: If you are unable to see an 'add' or 'e dit' link on a page, it is because either:

• You have not logged in; or
• You have not been granted 'basic' access to the route database; or
• The record is locked from editing

(See the security section belo w for more information on locking)

When adding a record, you simply need to fill out the form and click the submit button.
Records have numerous options and fields to fill in, most of which should be obv ious, but only a handful are necessary.

Image Guidelines

Images can be submitted in 2 places; the gallery or in the route database.
Please follow theses guidelines when submitting images to the route database:

• Less than 1000x1000 to a side
• Less than 100kb
• GIF images are not support by the PDF generator

The route database will automatically scale any large images that have been subm itted so that they fit on the page.

Security Information

The register relies on contributor goodwill to survive.
However, there is always the possibility that some 'evil folk' will try ruin it.
To protect the data, the route database employs four strategies:

• Users must be granted 'basic' access to the database
• Records can be 'locked' and 'hidden' from other users
• The database is archived monthly, so the data has a backup
• All changes are logged, so there is always a record of who did what

Any basic user can add and edit records (route, area, crag and region).
However, only the owner of a record (the person that created it) can delete it.

To protect records from other people editing them, all records can be 'locked'. Only administrators can edit locked records. Furthermore, regions, crags and areas also have the option to 'lock children' wh ich means all the entries below them in the hierarchy will be locked also. Similarly, records can be hidden from the view of other users with the 'hidden' option.

Each record indicates whether, and by which mechanism, it is locked.

Grades & Ratings

Grades and ratings are subjective (a matter of opinion).
The grade and rating given by the author (or first ascentionist) of a route is o nly their opinion.
Accordingly, it is the consensus opinion of the community that is important.
Hence. The following rules apply:

• The Consensus Grade or Rating of a pitch is the average of all value given by people that have registered an ascent of that pitch.
• A minimum number of ascents is required before a consensus rating will emer ge
• This protects routes from being upgraded or downgraded by evil folk.
• The minimum is 2, plus 1 for every grade below 33.
• Hence a route of grade 21 requires 11 ascents before the consensus grade w ill stand.
• To give your opinion on the grade of a pitch, you must have successfully cl imbed the pitch in the appropriate style (free/aid) and recorded your ascent.
• You are only allowed to give a grade within +/- 2 of the consensus.
• To comment on the quality of a pitch, you must have attempted the pitch.

Ticking Routes

The route database allows you to record your ascents by clicking on the 'Tick' l ink next to the climb. You need to be registered and logged-on to do this.

When ticking a route you can choose to record the date or ignore the date altoge ther.
You have the option to show or hide your details and ascents from other visitors .

External Data

Every hour data from several websites is downloaded and cached on the webserver.

Weather Data

The weather data is sourced from http://www.bom.gov.au/, and cached locally every hour.
Weather information is located using the GPS co-ords provided in the Route Register.

For fellow nerds, i have left this function fairly open for public use.
You can use it like so:

  - http://www.climb.org.au/src/lib/functions/weather.php?image=1
This is all three satellite images blended into one and resized.

  - http://www.climb.org.au/src/lib/functions/weather.php?radar=STATION
  - http://www.climb.org.au/src/lib/functions/weather.php?radar=GPS-COORD
Displays the radar image of STATION or nearest to co-ordinates.

  - http://www.climb.org.au/src/lib/functions/weather.php?search=STATION
  - http://www.climb.org.au/src/lib/functions/weather.php?search=GPS-COORD
Displays the radar image of STATION or nearest to co-ordinates.

  - http://www.climb.org.au/src/lib/functions/weather.php?forecast=1
  - http://www.climb.org.au/src/lib/functions/weather.php?forecast=STATE
  - http://www.climb.org.au/src/lib/functions/weather.php?forecast=STATE&area=DISTRICT
Displays the forecast and 4 day image for all of Australia.
Displays the forecast for the specified state.
Displays the forecast for the specified state and district.

YouTube

You can specify your YouTube username to have your latest videos appear in your profile.
Alternativly, you can add "australian climbing association" to the tag field on your YouTube video, to have them appear on the side menu.

Forums

Several other climbing related websites are also cached hourly to provide you with a list of their latest forum posts.
We are not connected to these websites in any way, nor do we endorse their content.
These websites include:

• 8a.nu
• rockclimbing.com
• chockstone.org
• qurank.com