Falling into space

Taking a fall can be very intimidating, and it is best to practice on a steep, overhanging wall, when 5 or 6 clips up, where you can just fall into space. Often when a climber gets into difficulty, she either down climbs and sits on the rope, or asks for a tight rope, then drops off.

Taking in too tight is probably the worst thing the belayer could do as he is taking all the give out of the system, and the climber will have an unpleasant experience which will put her off falling even more. You also see climbers struggling to clip high above their heads, which will result in a huge fall should they slip. Sport climbs are often ‘designed’ with a clipping hold to hand, so it may be better to push on closer to the clip and the clipping hold, and then should you slip the fall will be much shorter. However, the ‘clipping hold’ may not always be there, but the clue will be in the grade.

The belayer should always be vigilant. It is easy to be distracted, particularly at a busy climbing centre, and you never know when the climber will fall. A hold could spin, a hold could break off – a good reason to wear a helmet when belaying outdoors, so it is essential to be ready to hold a fall, you could save the climbers life. All too often you see even very experienced climbers belaying in a casual way, too much slack in the system, slipping the hand up the dead rope; the problem is just because nothing has ever happened doesn’t mean it won’t today.

When the climber falls off unexpectedly, the belayer will probably move inwards

Belaying with a Gri Gri

and upwards and the best thing to do is go with it and DON’T LET GO. This is all part of the dynamics of the system. Some instructors advocate the use of a weight bag or if outside anchoring the belayer, particularly if there is a weight difference, but this stops active belaying and restricts the give in the system should the climber fall.

 The Gri Gri is an excellent sport climbing belay device, but a lot of climbers don’t like it because if it is not used with anticipation and active belaying, it will be jerky to pay out to the climber. With practice, using the manufacturers’ instructions or from guidance from a qualified instructor it is very safe to use. It is essential that there is communication and co-operation between the lead climber and the lead belayer.

There is a negative side to the Gri Gri and that is when the lead climber falls off, the device automatically locks, which takes some of the dynamics out of the system. Its locking action has led some climbers to believe it is a hands free device. This is not the case. It should be used in a similar fashion to a standard belay device, with one hand always on the dead rope, and taking in using the bottom rope technique.

Lower off - Snap links in opposition

Lower off - Snap link and Screwgate

Once you reach the top of your sport climb, you have to clip into the belay before you are lowered off, and this differs inside and outside. Indoors you are generally faced with two bolts, linked together by a chain, with either two opposing snap link karabiners  or a snap link and a screwgate karabiner. If, once you have led it, you are either going to strip the quickdraws or your belayer is going to follow the climb, you must clip into both karabiners AND close the screwgate. If the belayer is also going to lead it, you need only clip one of the snap links as you will still be protected by all the quickdraws as you are lowered. Once you have clipped in, you must communicate with your belayer so he can take in before lowering you. If it is particularly busy you may want a visual signal as well, as your voices may not be heard.

Clipped into belay with sling and screwgate, and quickdraw

Outdoors, you may come across the same system, but is is unlikely and there are a variety of systems even on the same cliff. The following belt and braces system you could use on any sport crag in the world, but as you grow in experience you will make your own judgements at lower offs and use subtle differences.

•  As you set off to lead climb have a sling attached to your belay loop using a larks foot and clipped to a gear loop via a screwgate karabiner.
• As you arrive at the lower off, clip the screwgate into one of the bolt hangars if it is an expansion bolt or the bolt eye if it is a resined bolt, underneath any metalwork e.g. maillons, steel rings or chain.
• Clip a quickdraw into the second bolt hangar and clip it into the sling you have just
  

  Rope threaded through lower off

  attached to the first bolt hangar.

• Take enough slack to be able to thread the belay, tie a figure of 8 knot o a bight and clip to your belay loop using a screwgate karabiner. If the lower off fails at this point you are still protected by all the quickdraws below you as you are still on belay.
• Untie your original knot, thread through the appropriate metalwork; maillons, steel rings at the end of the chain, the end of the chain itself, or the resined eye of the bolt!!!! and tie in again as normal.
• You can now take off and untie the figure of 8 on a bight attached to your belay loop and ask your belayer to take in the slack.
  

  Being lowered off

Once you feel the rope tight on your harness, check it is threaded through the belay and that you have tied in correctly, remove the quickdraw and sling and communicate with your belayer that you wish to be lowered.

Mock Leading

The safest way to learn to lead climb, besides contacting Monsterclimbs, is to mock lead. Mock leading is best done with 3 people; one to lead climb, tied into both a lead rope and a bottom rope, one to lead belay and one to bottom rope belay – keeping the lead climber safe as he practises clipping without the fear of slipping off. This method also gives an excellent opportunity for the lead belayer to practise without putting the lead climber at risk.

Lead climbing is one of the most difficult skills to get right, and not many climbers are taught by an experienced or qualified instructor, so you will often see at climbing centres and at the crag ‘experienced’ climbers demonstrating poor technique. When you do get lead belaying right the lead climber is well rewarded because if they do slip, or a hold breaks off or a resin hold spins you could save them from serious injury and even death. As the climbers confidence in the lead belayer grows the lead climber will become more confident in their own ability and will concentrate purely on the climbing. What a lot of climbers don’t realise is the potential to hit the floor from 3 and even 4 clips up, particularly if the lead climber is clipping high. When Monsterclimbs teach lead climbing they demonstrate this which has a big impact and beneficial effect on their students lead belaying as they can physically see the potential for the lead climber to be hurt.

Before the lead climber leaves the floor, she must decide which side she wants the belayer to stand, so the least amount of rope is paid out and the rope doesn’t cross the body. If the clips are mainly on the right of the climb then the belayer must stand to the right.

The lead belayer has a very difficult job  as the lead climber leaves the floor as he has to:

• allow enough slack rope for the first clip.
• stand close enough to spot should the lead climber slip and
• be ready to begin belaying as soon as the first clip is accomplished having moved into a position close to the wall, but slightly to the side to be able to see inside the climber.

It is essential that any extra slack is taken in at this time to prevent a ground fall, but not

Belaying at the 1st Clip

too much that it prevents upward movement.

The 2nd clip is perhaps the most dangerous in its potential for a ground fall and the belayer has to use a great deal of judgement which only comes with practise and experience. The belayer should stay close into the wall until the 4th clip is made to prevent a ground fall and once this is clipped the belayer can begin to move back and the belaying to become more active.

The belayer needs to keep enough slack in the rope to enable the lead climber to move freely, and when they clip, the belayer should anticipate this so there is no tugging on the rope.

Once you have decided you want to learn to sport climb, as well as the kit you already have; harness, helmet, shoes, chalk bag and belay device you will need a rope, quickdraws, two long slings and two screwgate karabiners.

30m Gym Ropes

60m Ropes: 10.5, 9.4 & 9.1

Ropes for sport climbing come in a variety of lengths, but as a general rule you would use a 30m rope for indoor and a 60m rope for outdoor sport lead climbing. Be aware that some indoor climbing centres are higher than 15m and so a 30m rope will not be long enough. It is always wise to ring the centre and check the length of their routes before you visit. Also there are some outdoor sport climbs that are longer than 30m, and you will therefore need a 70m rope. Read the relevant guide books before you venture on these routes or seek local knowledge. However, there are two ways you can ensure you won’t drop the lead climber when lowering and that is either to tie in as second, or tie a knot in the end of the rope.

Ropes can also vary in thickness between 9.1 and 11mm. The thinner sport ropes are usually used for travelling to save weight but a rope of 10mm is easier to handle and more suitable for general use. If you do go for a skinnier rope ensure you have the correct belay device.

Budget Quickdraws

You will often find if you lead indoors that the quickdraws are already in place. Some centres leave a selection of their lead walls without quickdraws and just have the bolt hangars in place.On sport crags outdoors there are no quickdraws in place and you have to provide your own. But what type do you choose and how many? Keeping 16 quickdraws in your rucksack and then choosing to carry as many as needed on the route with a couple to spare is recommended.

Ali uses clean-nosed, wire gate, snap link karabiners because they are light and easier to remove from the harness, and to unclip from the rope and bolt hangars as there is no hook to snag on. However, these are quite expensive and you can buy budget quickdraws that are adequate for as little as £8 per quickdraw.

Clean and Hook Nose Krabs

It is worth having a selection of different lengths of tape connecting the two karabiners on your quickdraws in case you need a longer length to negotiate an obstacle, e.g. an overhang.

You may also use shorter tapes when clipping close to the ground to avoid hitting the floor should you fall off.

The two karabiners should be different colours to differentiate between the karabiner that clips the bolt and the karabiner that the rope clips into. The reason for this is that the karabiner that clips the metal bolt will become worn with sharp notches that may abrade the rope if you get them the wrong way round.

Varied lengths

How to orient them is an interesting question, but generally speaking 99% of the time it is best to have the karabiners facing the same way so that the gates can be clipped facing away from the direction of travel.

There is a slight advantage in having them in opposition, but only if the bolt is a long way off to the side, then the gates are in the optimum position to get the most out of your reach.

Correct clipping occurs when the lead climber, in a balanced position is able to clip the karabiner one handed so that the rope to the climber is coming out of the front of the lower karabiner and the rope to the belayer is against the wall/rock face. It is worth practising with both hands whilst still on the floor as you use a slightly different method with each hand, and clipping from the left and the right.

Correct Clipping

Climbers often clip above their head, which means they pull out more rope to make the clip, which uses up more energy and if they fall off at this point, they will fall further and could even hit the floor, even from as high as 4 bolts up. The optimum position to clip is when the quickdraw is around waist height.

There will be many occasions, however, when you will clip above your head; just make sure you are in a good solid position.

Back Clipping

 

Z Clipping

Turning up at a crag you’ve never been to before and expect to find something suitable to climb would be very difficult indeed. If you are new to an area and/or new to climbing you need to find out where the climbing venues are and their suitability for you as a climber. The local climbing shop is a good place to start (or the internet, of course), where you are likely to meet local climbers who know the area well and can point you in the right direction. A guide book is a must. It will tell you:

• Where the crags are located and how to get to them.
• The historical background – who developed the area, ethics etc.
• Any access issues or restrictions.
• The lay out of the crags, including which direction they face, approaches and how to get off.
• The type of rock and style of climbing.
• Whether the crags are single or multi-pitch.
• Whether there are in-situ belays.
• The name, grade, description and first ascentionist for each climb.
• Graded lists.

As well as many diagrams and photographs to give the essence of the climbing.

Granite - Bosigran, Cornwall

Where have all the coloured blobs gone? There aren’t any. One of the biggest problems facing the new outdoor climber is being able to read the rock. So far they have been able to move from one coloured hold to the next, the obvious line of the climb always visible, but outdoors it’s more subtle. The holds are more difficult to identify and may appear to be poor on first contact, but with just a small shift of body position or feet the holds become more useful.

Quartzite, Gogarth

Although you are on a top/bottom rope so you are following the line of the rope, it doesn’t necessarily mean that is where the route goes. You have to look at the big picture; there may be a better hand or foot hold out to the left or right, you may have to shift your body weight to reach it. On the more popular routes there may be tell tale signs of wear on the rock, or dark marks where countless climbing shoes have embraced the rock.

There are many different types of rock that create dramatic scenery and entice the climber to want to explore them. The sculpted rock of Gritstone found in the Peak District and Yorkshire, often offer quite short routes but packed with adventure and brutal climbing.

Gritstone - The Roaches, Peak District

The complex Quartzite rock of Gogarth on Anglesey create magnificent, atmospheric sea cliffs. Hard Granite cliffs are found as far apart as Cornwall, North Wales and the Lake District producing single and multi-pitch crags that offer sport for all types of climber. Limestone is widespread throughout the United Kingdom: where it is quarried it is often bolted for sport climbing, but where it occurs naturally it is left to be climbed in the traditional way using leader protection.

Limestone - Wintours Leap in the Wye Valley

It offers some of the most beautiful and varied climbing in the United Kingdom. Other rock types you might come across in your pursuit of vertical pleasure are Sandstone, Slate, Rhyolite, Gneiss and Schist.

Soft shell

Once you decide you are ready to move outdoors, the first piece of equipment to consider is a helmet, as you are more likely to be struck on the head from something falling from above, as rocks etc. are dislodged by weather, birds, animals and other climbers. You could also bang your head on protruding rocks as you climb or if you fall, as the rock face is more multi-faceted than indoor walls.

There are 2 main types of helmet available: soft and hard shell and both have their pros and cons. Soft shell helmets have thick polystyrene padding and are similar to cycle helmets, they are not very durable but have the advantage of being light and comfortable.

Hard shell helmets

Hard shell helmets are made from plastics and polycarbon material and will withstand more harsh treatment. However, although wearing a helmet will be safer, it doesn’t make you invincible. Choose a helmet that has a close fit and is easy to adjust, and suits the type of climbing you do. For example hard shell helmets are more suitable for Alpine climbing, but are regularly used for large groups.

There are many styles and manufacturers to choose from and the best thing to do is try on as many as you can and choose the best fit.

Moving outdoors for the novice climber is a big step, but a necessary one if you are to develop your climbing skills to become a trad lead climber. Climbing outdoors is very different and obviously has

Bottom rope set up off a tree

more potential dangers. It is recommended that your introduction to outdoor climbing be with an experienced and qualified Instructor – one who displays the AMI logo. An Instructor will teach you all the basic skills to keep you safe, how to use a guide book , as well as all the essentials of crag etiquette. Alternatively you can join a climbing club, details of which can be found on the internet, from the British Mountaineering Council and from climbing magazines.

Some climbers moving outdoors for the first time often set up bottom and top ropes, not only on the easier climbs but the more difficult ones too, and this should be discouraged. However, if this is a step you feel you must take before you contemplate lead climbing then it is essential you follow a series of guidelines:

• Keep your climbing group to a minimum, 2 or 3 to reduce your impact on the climb and the base and top of the crag.
• Climb routes that are within your capabilities so the integrity of the route is maintained.
• Learn to identify climbs by using a climbing guide book written by local experts.
• Keep yourself safe whilst creating your belays. A long sling attached to a tree, spike or block clipped via a screwgate to your belay loop will give you enough room to work.
• Initially you should keep the bottom rope belays simple by using a large tree, block or spike. The screwgate
  

  Bottom rope set up off a block

  karabiner should be visible from the ground and screwed shut.

• It is easy to converty a bottom rope belay set up to  a top rope by clipping yourself into the sling. You must sit forward and tight on the belay so you are in line with the climb.
• You should be aware that setting up bottom and top ropes may be frowned upon by other crag users who may wish to lead your climb. It is good crag etiquette to offer to move on.
• Wear climbing shoes only when climbing and ensure they are as clean as possible. Dirt on your shoes affects friction and has the affect of polishing the rock.
• Keep your impact on the environment to a minimum, by taking ALL your rubbish with you including fruit peelings and nut cases.

Top rope belaying using a spike

Communication between climber and belayer becomes essential outdoors, particularly if the belayer is at the top of the crag. Always look in the direction you are shouting so your voice carries well, and don’t do anything unless you have had confirmation. ‘Climb when you are ready’ has a greater significance as you may not be able to physically see the belayer or if he/she has you on belay. Windy conditions will often make communication more difficult and outdoor climbers must shout clearly and loudly.

Climbing as we have already established is about reading the route and the holds you are going to use.

Leaning away using a side pull

If you overreach, you are less likely to be ale to use the hold, but if you work your feet up and adjust your hands on the holds you will be able to move up the wall more efficiently, you will also have a more open body position and be able to see the footholds more easily. Some holds are easy to read, for example a jug, which is a big hold you can curl most or all your fingers around or into. As you move up using your feet, the jug may be better used as a side pull. This is true of almost any type of hold; side pulls enable you to lean off left or right giving depth of movement to your climbing and not just thinking in a straight upward line. This becomes more relevant when you take climbing outdoors.

Closed crimp

Finger holds or crimps vary not only in depth but can restrict the number of fingers you can use. With a closed crimp the fingers will be in an arched position with the thumb across the top of your index finger for support. With an open crimp the fingers will be straighter and the thumb not always able to give support, but look for ways to get added pressure from the thumb. Finger strength takes time to develop, another reason to warm up and progress through the grades.

Open crimp

Large rounded holds are called slopers and require an open handed position. An extended arm keeping the body below the hold is essential. It might be useful to look at, feel and experiment with different holds whilst at ground level, either in the climbing centre or in the the bouldering room if there is one available, in order to see all the possiblities a hold has to offer.

A sloper might have a hidden side pull. An upside down jug becomes an undercut, allowing you to move outwards and upwards.

With some moves you will have to match, or swap hands on the hold in order to free up the other hand. This is also true of the feet. There are several ways to do this, and are similar for both the hands and feet. The terminology may give you a clue: the hop, the tableclothe, the roll and the peeler. Whatever you choose, plan ahead and have fun trying.

As you get familiar with using holds for hands and feet your movement will become more fluid. Many climbers move statically which is secure but limits fluidity. It is the ability to place the foot, transfer your weight onto it and push off with an almost dancelike quality, so there is no beginning or end to the movement, that turns a static climber into one who flows up the wall. Children are naturally dynamic climbers, using their momentum to reach the next hold. A good balance can be found somewhere between the two.

Most new climbers have the misconception that climbing is about pulling yourself up the wall using mainly your arms, which is why they often get tired quickly and have poor technique.

Using toe area of foot to optimise size of hold

Transferring the centre of gravity

Traversing is a good way to develop this skill.

You may also find that there often isn’t a foothold where you want one and beginners are often seen in contorted positions trying to get their foot onto the next hold. A simple solution is to use an intermediary technique, a smear, by applying pressure to the big toe area of one foot against the wall, keeping it horizontal in order to move the other foot to a better hold.

Choosing a climb at an indoor wall isn’t just about finding the climb and knowing the grade but choosing a route that is suitable. It is always best to start on easier climbs in order to warm-up the body to prevent injury and prepare the body (see warm-up techniques article on this website). Warm-up routes are a good opportunity for the climber to concentrate on specific techniques on easier terrain. It is often the case that climbers choose climbs that are too difficult for them which means more time is spent hanging on the rope than developing their technique. Obviously climbers need to push themselves in order to improve, but unless they have good technique to begin with, their climbing will plateau and they won’t know why.

The grading system used indoors is taken from the French sport grading system and usually starts with F3, it continues to F4, sometimes with a +, then F5 with a + or a,b or c. Now grades start to get harder F6 with a,b, or c and so on up to F9, although you seldom see anything harder than F8a indoors.

If you need to hold a bottom rope fall, bring the hand holding the live rope down to join the hand holding the dead rope immediately, and lower your centre of gravity by bending your knees. The only friction is created by the bend in the dead rope over the belay device, as only the belay is clipped when you bottom rope, which means all the weight of the climber comes directly on you. By lowering your centre of gravity as they fall, mimimizes any upward lift you might encounter, unless there is big weight difference between the climber and belayer, in which case a weight bag may be used.

Climbing Indoors – Communication. Bottom rope belaying – taking in and lowering

It is good to get in the habit of good communication indoors, even when bottom roping as it becomes an essential part of climbing outside, as we shall look at later in the series.

At the start of the climb, when the belayer has taken in the slack, the climber says “That’s me”.

The belayer responds with “climb when you’re ready”. And it’s at this point that both belayer and climber should check:

• each others harness; that buckles are doubled back and the waist belt is sitting on the waist
• that the knot is correct and tied in to the right place
• the belay device is loaded correctly, with the dead rope coming out of the bottom
• the belay screwgate karabiner is done up and attached to the belay loop.

The climber then says “Climbing” and the belayer responds with “Ok”. Don’t feel too self conscious about this, as it is a good habit; there is often loud music in climbing centres and many distractions including scantily dressed individuals! It is also important when the climber gets to the top of the indoor climb and is ready to be lowered that not only do you communicate verbally using names, but you make eye contact.

  Bottom rope belaying is mechanical; it is a series of movements repeated over and over again. The rope is loaded in the belay device so the ‘dead’ rope is coming out of the bottom.

  The following applies to left handed belaying using an ATC, Bug, Variable Controller, Guide Plate or similar devices.

 The belayer stands close to the wall, not too close that it causes neck pain, and not too far away that you are pulled into the wall should they fall. Weight difference will often determine this distance.

1. The belayer holds the live rope about head height with the right hand, whilst the left hand is holding the dead rope just below the belay device, creating a bend in the rope.
2. As the belayer pulls down with the right hand on the rope, he pulls up with the left hand, forming a close ‘V’ with the rope.

Starting and '3' position

'V'

To the knee

 3.    The belayer then takes the left hand quickly towards the knee, forming a bend of the rope over the belay device.

'1'

4.    The right hand moves to join the left hand, but just above it – ’1′.

'2'

 6. The right hand moves back to head height on the live rope  – ’3′ and so the sequence begins again.

Lowering

 

Retied fig. 8

 

ATC, Variable Controller & Bugette

 Since then the device has progressed to a small basket shaped piece of smooth metal with 2 holes (although there are devices out now with only 1 hole for using single ropes for sport climbing). The reason for 2 holes in the device is for traditional or adventure climbing where two skinny ropes called half or double ropes are used.There are several two hole belay devices on the market, for example the Bug, the ATC and the Variable Controller, all of which are excellent for beginners to use for bottom roping, but which as the climber develops, enable them to be used for lead climbing – sport and trad, multi-pitch climbing and abseiling. It is only if the climber becomes more specialised that he/she may choose a more technical trad device like the Guide Plate, for instructional use or the auto locking devices such as the Gri Gri, the Cinch and the Eddy which are specifically used for single rope use on sport routes. There are other less known examples of these devices that are equally expensive but not necessarily as effective.

Gri Gri