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

If you think of climbing shoes as an essential piece of equipment and probably THE most important piece you are more likely to choose the right shoe for you. The correct fit of climbing shoes will give you the most pleasure from your climbing.

The choice of shoes is amazing; board lasted or slip lasted, lace ups or Velcro, leather or man-made, beginner or technical? A board lasted shoe allows the toes to flatten, and are a good beginner shoe, in that they do not scrunch up the toes, but you must still go for a tight fit and take them off between climbs. Climbing shoes are designed for climbing only and NOTHING else. A slip lasted shoe, is far more technical, it is softer and more flexible and therefore more sensitive and is designed to fit with bent toes allowing you to stand on very small holds.

Lace up shoes will give you a more precise fit down the length of the shoe, but Velcros are easier to take on and off and ensure you will go for a closer fit.

Leather tends to give over time, whilst man made materials have less give and are more likely to maintain their original fit.

A beginner shoe will offer stiffness that may be useful initially, but the shoe is often soon outgrown and discarded for a more technical shoe. Whichever shoe you decide it must be based on the fit, so that the foot cannot move inside the shoe, and tight enough to make you want to take it off between climbs, but not too tight as to cause tears of pain. And try on as many different makes and styles of shoe before you make your choice.

Alpine harness with Fig 8

Choosing a harness is a difficult decision to make, in that there are numerous manufacturers who make numerous models and it depends on what you want it for. For example if you only want to go scrambling or easy mountaineering there is the lightweight Alpine style harness that is often only slightly padded that fits all and enables the climber to wear over clothing and is easier to put on whilst wearing crampons. It is also a style that has become common for group use, but is not very comfortable or suitable for lead climbing.

Sport harness

Another type is a lightweight, lightly padded sport harness, often with only 2 gear loops which is used for indoor and outdoor sport routes, i.e. those that have been bolted and only need quickdraws to place and clip.

The most common trad harness is the most functional type, which is generally more padded and has 4 or more gear loops so that it can be used for both single and multi-pitch, sport or traditional routes (those where you place your own gear). A harness must fit snugly around the waist, with the belay loop dead centre and with enough tape left to extend through the loops on the waist belt, even if you are wearing a thick jumper. The middle loop at the back of the harness should sit in the middle of your back. Leg loops should fit comfortably around the top of the thighs, which if they are adjustable should have enough tape to extend through the loops.

Trad harness

The common feature for whichever harness you choose is that it must fit correctly and be comfortable. When you try a harness on, always fit the waist first and leave the leg loops loose. There are two types of buckles, the Ziplock which is now the most common buckle on new harnesses, which is already correctly fastened and only needs a pull on the strap to tighten, but still needs tucking away through the loops on the waist belt, and the double backed buckle which has to be threaded and then doubled back to be safe. Once the waist belt is secured you can then adjust and secure the leg loops.

So, you’ve heard of climbing, but it’s for big roughfty, tufty men with lots of clanking metal attached to them…

Not so; climbing comes in all shapes and sizes and is accessible to everyone and you don’t even need to have any equipment.

If you pop along to your local climbing centre, or contact me on 07814555378 you can join a course to learn to climb, and the price you pay will include all the equipment you need for you to learn the ropes.  And once you’ve learnt the basics it’s quite easy to progress.

Climbing is especially good for keeping fit, as it is a form of physical activity that involves the whole body and once you begin to lead climb it is mentally challenging too and all the worries and stresses of the day are lost in your own journey up the wall.

You can begin climbing with no prior experience, although walkers who begin todevelop scrambling skills, and then want to take things further, find the move towards climbing less daunting.

From the Ground Up

So over the next few months I will be looking at climbing in great detail, from your first steps as a beginner to multi-pitch trad climbing (this is where the clanking metal comes in).

I will look at buying your first harness and the correct choice and fit of shoes – the fundamentals of climbing and how to tie on and belay correctly.

You will learn how to transfer your indoor skills to the outdoors and the differences you will encounter.

You will discover how lead climbing enhances your skills, how your technique becomes more accurate and your movement more fluid, your balance more important and your dexterity with one hand incredible.

You will also learn that climbing is all about choices: choice of venue and rock type, choice of route and grade, choice of style and gear (climbing equipment not top fashion) and choice of when and if to push your limits.

If you let climbing into your heart it will open so many doors and if you learn to lead, either sport or trad, you can climb on single pitch or multi-pitch routes, anywhere in the UK or all over the world.

You will learn to trust someone with your life.

If nothing else I hope the articles will inspire.