Students also learn the importance of maintaining three points of contact, a climbing technique which ensures that if one limb (either a hand or foot) ever does lose its grip on the rigging, climbers still have at least two more supporting them at all times.
Even after the students have been trained in the use of a safety harness, they still face one more challenge before they can be cleared to climb the rigging.
Under close adult supervision, our new crew members climb a few feet above the deck and perform a "hang test," hanging just by their hands for a few seconds. This lets us know that the climbers can support their own weight, and lets them know how tightly they need to grip the shrouds (the thick, black, upright lines in the standing rigging) to maintain their hold just in case they ever slip.