Rock Climbing Basics: The Beginner’s Guide to Indoor Climbing

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Rock Climbing Basics The Beginner’s Guide

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Rock Climbing Basics

Rock Climbing Basics The Beginner’s Guide to Indoor Climbing E-Book Edition. First Published June 2018 Updated May 2020 © VDiff Climbing. All rights reserved. This publication is the property of VDiff Climbing. Writer and Illustrator: Neil Chelton Photographer: Fraser Harle Front Cover: Edinburgh International Climbing Arena, Ratho, Scotland.

Warning: Climbing is Dangerous With padded floors, top ropes and perfect climbing weather, indoor walls are ‘safer’ than outdoor crags. However, a cavalier attitude towards risk can actually make them more dangerous environments. Remember that gravity works the same indoors and out. This book is intended to be supplemented with practical instruction from qualified professionals. Do not rely on it as your primary source of rock climbing information. If you are unsure about any of the information given in this book, it is strongly recommended that you seek qualified instruction. Failure to do this may result in serious injury or death. The writers and employees of VDiff disclaim all responsibility and liability for any injuries or losses incurred by any person participating in the activities described in this book.

Rock Climbing Basics

The Beginner’s Guide to Indoor Climbing

Contents

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6

First Steps

20

Preparation

34

Top Rope Climbing

48

Lead Climbing

64

General

5

First Steps

What is Rock Climbing? Rock climbing is awesome. It's an activity in which you push the boundaries of your physical and mental capabilities, often leaving you bursting with a vibrant excitement that you never knew existed. Climbing takes on many forms: from 'pulling on plastic' indoors to 'crushing hard' at the sport crag or 'bagging' the summit of an elusive alpine mountain.

This guide, however, will introduce you to the very basics of indoor climbing, which is the safest place to begin. It's important to take the time to become competent at these basic skills before you move on to more advanced styles of climbing. With a solid understanding of these techniques, you'll find it easy to progress in whichever discipline of climbing suits you.

Can I Climb? People of all ages, genders, backgrounds and abilities enjoy climbing. Rock climbs are graded by difficulty, with the easiest being similar to walking up a flight of stairs. You don't need to be an athletic superhero with a rippling six-pack who can do 50 pull-ups. In fact, you never need to do any pull-ups, ever. So, why not give it a try? It might even be fun...

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8

What Do I Need To Climb Indoors? Rope Your rope is the main part of the climbing system. It connects you, via your harness, to the quickdraws on the wall and to your climbing partner. Ropes have an inner core and an outer sheath.

Harness A harness keeps you safely attached to the rope. It is made of really strong, flat webbing, with buckles to fasten it tight and padding to make it comfortable.

Screwgate Carabiner There are two main types of carabiner: screwgates and snapgates. A screwgate has a rotating tube which can be fastened over the 'nose' of the carabiner. This stops it from being opened accidentally.

Chalk (optional) Chalk is kept in a small bag with a draw-cord closure at the top that you can dip your hands into to 'chalk up'. The chalk is used to stop your hands getting too sweaty to hold on to the rock.

Quickdraws A quickdraw is the 'clippy thing' that attaches your rope to the wall. They're made up of two snapgate carabiners which are joined together with a fabric sling.

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Belay Device A belay device is a metal tube that you use together with a screwgate carabiner. The rope is fed through the belay device in a way which allows you to easily hold the weight of a falling climber.

Shoes Special climbing shoes make standing on small bits of rock a lot easier! They are designed to be tight fitting (like a sock) and have a rubber sole that sticks well to rock.

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Climbing Ropes Most climbing gyms have ropes for you to use, but some require you to bring your own.

Number of Falls Every climbing rope is rated for a certain number of falls. This is the number of falls using a specific UIAA test which indicates how many falls a rope can take before it breaks. Every UIAA certified rope is tested far more severely than you are likely to experience when climbing, so you don’t need to retire your rope just because it’s rated to six falls and you’ve taken seven. In real climbing situations, a rope will withstand hundreds of falls. They don’t fail unless they run over a sharp edge of rock, which cuts it, or if they have been stored amongst sharp objects or acidic chemicals such as bleach or leaking batteries. They do, however, wear out over time, especially if you take a lot of falls, so make sure to inspect your rope regularly (see page 19).

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Rope Type Most beginners start with a ‘single’ rope. They are thick, durable and easy to belay with. Single ropes are marked with a symbol at the end of the rope. Be aware of half ropes and twin ropes (marked with and symbols). These thinner cords are designed to be used as a pair.

Diameter and Length Climbing ropes are available in a range of diameters and lengths. Longer ropes enable you to climb longer pitches, but they weigh more. Thinner ropes are lighter, but wear out faster. A 60m length with a diameter of between 9.7-10.2mm will suit most beginners and last well into your climbing career. Be aware that the diameter of your rope may affect which belay devices you can use with it. Some devices will not work well, or at all, with very thin or very thick ropes.

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The Climbing Harness Gear Loops These are for clipping gear to, such as quickdraws, so you can take them with you as you climb. They're not strong enough to hold your weight, so never attach the rope to them.

Buckle Buckles adjust the size of your harness for a comfortable and tight fit. It's important that they are fastened correctly (see page 23).

Waist Belt This fastens around the smallest part of your waist.

Elastic These stretchy pieces of fabric help to stop your leg loops from sliding down at the back. They can be adjusted too.

Leg Loops These fasten around the top of your thighs.

Belay Loop This super strong loop connects the waist belt to the leg loops. You use it to belay from.

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Choosing a Harness Trying a Harness On Climbing harnesses are made in different sizes and shapes with different amounts of padding. It's worth going to your local shop and trying some on rather than ordering online. Select a few harnesses that fit correctly, then hang in them. Good shops will have a facility for you to do this. The leg loops should hold most of your weight, with the waist belt supporting your upper body so you don’t tip upside-down.

Leg Loops Harnesses either have fixed size or adjustable leg loops. They should fit closely around your thighs without hindering movement. Adjustable leg loops are useful if you plan to climb in cold environments where you'll need to wear thicker pants, or if the fixed size options just don't quite fit.

Waist Belt The waist belt should fit around the smallest part of your waist, above your hips. It needs to adjust small enough to fit tight over a t-shirt, with enough adjustment to get it on easily or wear a jacket underneath too.

The Rise The rise is the distance between the waist belt and leg loops. Women's harnesses tend to have a bigger rise to fit women's body shapes better. If the rise is too short, you won't be able to get the waist belt all the way up to the smallest part of your waist.

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Carabiners Carabiners (often shortened to 'crab' or 'biner') are the mainstay of the climbing system. They're used to attach the rope to pieces of equipment, or to join two or more pieces of equipment together. Carabiners are generally made of aaaaaaaa

aluminium. Shapes vary, but it's always some kind of elongated triangle or oval, with an opening gate on one side to allow you to easily clip and unclip stuff. There are two main types: snapgates (non-lockers) and screwgates (lockers).

Snapgates Snapgates are the simplest carabiners. They're used for clipping the rope to gear, but not for anything really important such as belaying or anchors.

Snapgates cannot be locked. Instead, a spring system snaps the gate shut.

The gate can be made out of solid metal or a loop of wire: both work in the same way.

Screwgates Screwgate carabiners are used when you need to be 100% sure that the gate won't pop open. They're slower to use than snapgates, but safer. The gate features a rotating tube which spirals around a screw thread. The gate is locked when the tube is positioned over the carabiner’s nose.

Locked

Unlocked

To unlock it, simply unfasten the screw. Don't be tempted to tighten the screw too much – it’ll be hard to unfasten.

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Autolocking Carabiners You may also come across autolocking carabiners. The locking tube on these isn't threaded, but instead springs into place and needs twisting in a certain way to unlock. They're just as safe as screwgates, but can be fiddly to use at first.

How Strong are Carabiners? Climbing carabiners are always rated to at least 20kN (kilo Newtons). You don't need to understand the numbers, but that's REALLY strong. Strong enough to hold an elephant.

The kN rating will always be written on the side of the carabiner; this is how you know your carabiner is safe for climbing and not just for your key chain.

They are weaker if you cross-load them (load them sideways) or load them with the gate open (another reason to use screwgates for important stuff). See page 54 for more information about this.

How Many Carabiners Do I Need? Here's the good news: probably just one! When you're starting out at the climbing wall, you only need one screwgate carabiner for your belay device.

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If you want to climb outside, you can build up a 'climbing rack' over time that will include a lot of carabiners. There's no rush though – learn the basics first.

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Quickdraws A quickdraw (draw) is the 'clippy thing' that attaches your rope to the rock or climbing wall. They're made up of two snapgate carabiners with a fabric sling (known as a dog-bone) to join them. Using just one carabiner on a bolt would cause the rope to get tangled in it. A quickdraw spaces the rope safely away from the bolt.

Most indoor walls require 4-10 draws for the height of the routes. Check with the staff how many you'll need before you start climbing up. Quickdraws are available in many different lengths and with different styles of carabiner. For indoor climbing, get some with a sling length of 1012cm.

Bolt The quickdraw needs to be attached to something in the rock to hold it there. At the indoor wall, this will be a bolt. Many venues already have quickdraws attached to the bolts for you. If yours doesn't, you'll need to bring your own.

Bolt-End Carabiner Quickdraws are made up of a bolt-end carabiner and a rope-end carabiner. The bolt-end carabiner is the one which moves freely on the fabric sling, and is the one which you clip to the bolt.

Rope-End Carabiner The rope-end carabiner usually has a curved gate and is held in with an elastic or rubber loop. The rope is clipped through this carabiner.

It's important not to get these two carabiners mixed up. The sharp edges of bolts can notch the bolt-end carabiner, which will damage your rope

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if you swap them over. It is recommended to use quickdraws with different coloured carabiners so it’s easy to identify them.

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The Belay Device A belay device is a metal tube that you use together with a screwgate carabiner. The rope is fed through the belay device and carabiner, and the belayer holds the rope underneath.

If weight is applied to the rope (e.g. if the climber falls) a huge amount of friction is created. This makes it easy to hold the climber’s weight and stop them falling.

Belay Device

Screwgate Carabiner

Harness Belay Loop

Assisted Braking Belay Devices Some belay devices, such as the Petzl GriGri have an assisted braking feature, which means they lock almost by themselves if the climber falls. They must be used differently to normal belay devices. GriGri belaying techniques are detailed in Sport Climbing Basics.

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Climbing Shoes Shoe Types Special climbing shoes make standing on small bits of rock a lot easier! They are designed to be tight fitting (like a sock) and have a rubber sole that sticks well to rock. There are many types of climbing shoe on the market. To get the best fit, you should try a few different pairs on before you buy. Look for something that's quite flat and stiff soled. If it's too downwards bent (aggressive) they'll probably make your feet hurt. These are designed for much harder climbing than you'll be doing to start with. Really flexible shoes will also be painful on your feet. Pick something stiffer until you get used to balancing on the end of your toes. Climbing shoes come with different fastenings – lace up, velcro or elastic. Just pick whichever you like – lace up and velcro offer the most adjustment.

Size Which size you buy is also important. It will feel strange to wear such tight shoes to start out with. Pick a size where your toes are snug into the end of the shoe, but not crunched up. Climbing shoes are sized just like normal shoes, but different brands tend to fit differently. Just start trying on whichever size you would normally wear and go up or down from there. If you shop online, make sure you know exactly what size and type of shoe you need.

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Keeping Shoes Fresh Most climbers prefer to wear shoes without socks, for increased sensitivity. This can cause your shoes to smell terrible after a while. Don’t leave sweaty shoes buried in your bag for days – air them out after each climb and use shoe fresheners when you store them.

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Climbing Chalk Most climbers use a chalk bag and chalk. The chalk absorbs sweat, and therefore increases friction between your hands and the rock. Chalk is available either loose or in a small mesh ball. Using a ball is easier and less messy to start with, and many indoor walls don't allow loose chalk. You'll also need a chalk bag to put it in. This is a small bag with a draw-cord closure at the top that you can dip a hand into to 'chalk up'. You can attach the chalk bag around your waist with a piece of cord or clip it to the back of your harness with a carabiner.

Rope Bags and Tarps Rope bags or tarps provide a clean space for your rope and are very convenient if you frequently move between routes. You never need to coil your rope – simply stack it into the tarp and roll it up. Then unroll it at the base of the next route and you’re ready to go.

You can buy a specifically designed rope bag, but a heavy-duty IKEA bag works just fine too.

Looking After Your Gear It’s important to inspect your climbing gear frequently and replace anything which shows significant signs of wear.

Exposure to battery acid or acid fumes will significantly reduce the strength of nylon.

Frayed or faded slings, or any metal gear which has been dropped off a cliff should be replaced. Nylon gear (ropes, slings and harnesses) degrades over time and should be replaced every five years, even if you’ve barely used it. UV radiation from direct sunlight will speed this time up.

Keep your rope out of the dirt. Grains of rock and sand can cut tiny fibres inside it. Wash your rope occasionally in lukewarm water and allow it to dry in the shade. Store your climbing gear in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. If any gear gets wet, let it dry completely before you store it away.

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How To Inspect a Climbing Rope You should check your rope for damage frequently. Starting at one end, feed the rope through your hands, looking and feeling for non-uniform sections. Look out for: - Cuts - Burns - Flat or soft spots - Sheath bunching up over the core

A slightly fuzzy sheath isn’t a problem. However, severe fuzzing may make a rope unsafe. As a general rule, if you can see a rope’s inner core, the sheath has worn too thin and you should retire the rope. Make a nice rug out of it, or use it as a washing line.

Buying Used Gear You'll probably begin climbing using other people's gear but at some point you’ll have to invest in your own. Be prepared though – climbing gear is expensive. Pieces of equipment that your life depends on (e.g: ropes, harness, cccccccccccc

carabiners), should be bought new. You can save money on other gear (e.g: shoes, chalk bags) by getting it used. With your own gear, you will know the history of it and therefore know it's reliability.

Finding a Climbing Partner It takes two to climb! There are a few different ways to find a climbing partner, including: - At the indoor climbing gym - On a climbing course - At a climbing club - Through friends - On internet forums However you find a partner, it’s important to assess how safe they are. A good ‘first date’ is to climb at the gym. Be upfront and honest about your skills but be aware that some people ppppppp

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will exaggerate their abilities in order to impress. If you are unsure of their abilities, have a staff member test you both on belaying and lead skills before you climb together. Don’t blindly trust someone with your life until they have proven themselves trustworthy. Stop climbing with someone who does strange or dangerous things. Instead, recommend that they take a course, or read this book, or both.

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Preparation

Pre-Climb Preparation Before you climb, you and your partner will need to wear a harness and decide who will be the climber and who will be Wear Harness

the belayer. The climber ties into the rope, and the belayer attaches their belay device.

Climber: Tie In

Belayer: Attach Belay Device

How To Wear a Climbing Harness Step 1 Adjust the buckles so both the leg loops and waist belt are at their biggest size. You don’t need to unfasten them completely. Lay the harness on the floor, with the leg loops underneath, so it's easy to step in to. Make sure the belay loop is at the front and not twisted. Step 2 Step one foot in to each leg loop and pull it up so it sits well above your hips. The waist belt needs to be on the narrowest part of your waist, not sitting low on your hips. VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > Preparation

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Step 3 Next, you'll need to fasten the waist belt. Start by feeding the webbing through the square as shown.

Step 4 Double-back the end by feeding it through the buckle. The waist belt needs to be tight. You should be able to slide a couple of fingers between it and your waist, but no more. This may feel uncomfortable at first, but it's essential. If you fall upsidedown wearing a baggy harness, you could fall out of it completely.

Step 5 Pull it tight. Tuck the loose end of the strap away (there's usually elastic or a tab for you to do this). If there's a second buckle on your waist belt, repeat these steps with it.

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Step 6 Fasten the leg loops in the same way, if they have buckles (some harnesses have fixed size leg loops).

Step 7 Check that your harness is fastened. If you've done it correctly, the buckle makes a 'C' for closed.

If you've forgotten to 'double back', the buckle makes an 'O' for open. This is not safe.

Quick-Adjust Buckles Some harnesses have quick-adjust buckles which are always closed. They simply need pulling tight. Once tight, tuck the loose end of the strap away.

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To release, just pull up on the buckle's edge. Make sure you know which type of buckle you have and be certain you understand the manufacturer’s instructions on how to fasten your particular harness.

How To Attach a Belay Device When the climber has tied in to one end of the rope, the belayer must attach their belay device to the other end of the rope and also to their harness.

The following description assumes you will be doing a top rope climb. The setup is different for lead climbing. Lead belaying is described on page 58.

Step 1 Clip a screwgate carabiner to your belay loop.

Step 2 Push a loop of rope through one of the slots on your belay device. There are two slots on most devices – it doesn't matter which one you use.

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25

Step 3 Clip the screwgate carabiner through both the rope loop and the cable on the belay device. It is important to clip through both of these.

Step 4 Fasten up the screw screwgate carabiner.

on

your

Belay Device: Friction Notches Some belay devices have friction notches on them. These notches provide extra help in holding a fall.

Rope to Climber

You should make sure the notches are on the same side as the brake rope (the section of rope which doesn’t go to the climber).

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How To Tie In To a Climbing Rope You'll need to tie the end of the rope to your harness before you climb. The best way to do this is using a rethreaded figure of 8 knot. It's important that you do it correctly, as this knot connects you to the whole climbing system and keeps you safe. Try to avoid talking to someone or distracting them while they tie in.

Step 1 Make a loop about a meter from the end of the rope. Wrap the end of the rope around the base of the loop, then push the end through as shown.

Likewise, once you start tying your figure-8, keep going until you’ve finished before responding to any questions. Accidents have happened because climbers were distracted halfway through tying in and then fell with a half-completed or incorrect knot.

Step 2 You should end up with an '8'. Make sure the knot is around 90cm from the end of the rope. The exact length varies with ropes of different diameters.

Step 3 Pass the end of the rope through both of the two points on the front centre of your harness – the same ones your belay loop runs through. It is important that the rope goes through your harness in exactly the same way as your belay loop does.

~90cm

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Step 4 Use the end of the rope to re-trace the figure-8. Follow the twists of the rope starting from where it joins your harness.

Step 5 Continue following the twists until you end up back at the start of the knot. Pull the tight.

whole

thing

Step 6 Make sure the end of the rope is around 25cm long. If it is shorter, you'll have to untie and start again. After this, you will need to tie a stopper knot. Loop the short section of rope around the main length.

25

Step 7 Do this twice, with the second loop closer to you than the first.

Step 8 Push the end of the rope through these two loops as shown.

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cm

Step 9 Make sure the stopper knot is pushed right up against your figure-8 knot. Pull it tight.

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Tying In: The Stopper Knot The stopper knot has no bearing on safety as long as you tied your figure-8 correctly, so don’t panic if the stopper knot starts to unravel as you climb. The purpose of the stopper knot is to ensure that you have left enough tail to stop the figure-8 failing – a short tail could slip through the knot.

Also, if you left a long tail dangling without a stopper knot, it could be mistaken for the main rope when clipping quickdraws, or the anchor. Always tie a stopper knot for these reasons. If you didn't have enough rope left to tie a stopper knot, you'll need to retie the figure-8 so that you do.

Tying In: Common Mistakes Incorrect 8 shapes.

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Only threading rope though one part of the harness.

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Before You Climb: Safety Checks System Check - One end of the rope is tied to the climber.

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- The rope goes from the climber, up to the anchor at the top of the climb, and then back down into the belayer's belay device.

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Climber Check Rope runs through the correct two points of harness Waist belt and leg loop buckles fastened

Stopper knot

Correctly tied figure of 8 knot

Belayer Check Rope to climber (live rope)

Waist belt and leg loop buckles fastened Screwgate fastened

Rope to ground (brake rope)

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Correctly set up belay device

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Climbing Technique: The Basics Extended Arms Keep your arms extended when looking for foot holds or moving your feet. Having bent elbows puts unnecessary strain on your biceps.

Relaxed Grip Focus on using hand holds purely for balance; use them to pull yourself into the wall, rather than up the wall. Over-gripping will soon give you epic 'forearm pump'.

Good Footwork If you're struggling to reach a hand hold, try moving your feet higher first. Beginners often scuff their feet across the wall, wearing out their shoes fast. Focus on placing your foot precisely (like a ninja creeping across eggshells) and you'll soon be confident with the smallest foot holds.

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Plan Moves in Advance Before you climb, think about the best way up the route. Visualize exactly which holds you will use with each hand and foot. The more time you spend unsure where to go, the more tired you'll get.

Hips Close to the Wall The more you lean out from the wall, the more you rely on your fingers and arms. This drains your energy quickly and will almost certainly hurt your fingers over time. Instead, keep your hips close to the wall by pointing your knees to the side, like a frog. This will keep your weight on your legs.

Use Your Legs It may feel natural to use your upper body muscles to pull yourself up the wall, but doing this will cause you to tire out very quickly. Your legs are much stronger, so focus on pushing up with your legs instead of pulling up with your arms.

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Move Deliberately You may see other climbers 'dynoing'. This advanced technique is mainly used to impress other climbers rather than being an efficient way up the wall. To start with, you should focus on moving slowly and fluidly, treating the climb more like a slow dance and less like a gymnastics class.

Over time, you will naturally adapt these techniques to suit climbs of different angles and with different types of holds. As you climb more, you'll probably encounter overhangs and moves that aaaaaaaa

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Find Resting Points A good rest spot is anywhere you can comfortably stand with most of your weight on your feet. It gives you time to plan the next few moves and relax your arms. You should be able to take one arm comfortably off the wall to chalk-up and shake out your arms. Let them hang and give them a gentle shake to dislodge some of the lactic acid that has built up.

require some serious finger strength. However, you'll build this naturally as you progress towards harder climbs. Climbing technique is discussed in greater detail in Sport Climbing Basics.

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Top Rope Climbing

Top Rope Versus Lead Climbing There are two main types of climbing system; top roping and leading. Both of these use the rope and gear to catch a fall, but in different ways.

Top Rope Rope is through the top anchor

- Safer

Most beginners start top rope climbing, as it's the safest and easiest way to learn. Once you've mastered the basics you can move on to leading.

Lead Climber clips the rope into quickdraws as they climb

- Bigger fall potential

- Easier to belay - More advanced belaying skills needed

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Top Rope Climbing: How it Works * These steps are discussed in more detail later in this chapter.

Step 1 The climber ties into one end of the rope (it doesn't matter which end). The belayer attaches their belay device near to the other end of the rope.

Step 3 If the climber falls, the belayer simply holds them where they are – the friction from the rope running through the belay device makes it easy to hold their weight.

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Step 2 As the climber moves up the wall, the belayer takes in the slack (extra rope) through their belay device. This is known as belaying. It's important to learn this skill well before you trust someone's life to it.

Step 4 Once the climber is at the top (or if they just want to come down at any point), the belayer lowers them back to the ground by letting the rope slide through their belay device under control.

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How To Top Rope Belay Using a belay device makes it possible for the belayer’s limited grip strength to control the large forces generated in a fall. How easy this is depends on: - The belayer’s grip strength - The weight of the falling climber - The diameter of the rope - The angle of separation between the rope strands

Lock Off

In most cases, it is very easy to stop a fall once you have mastered the techniques. However, it’s important to understand that heavier climbers and thinner ropes make it more difficult. To compensate for this, consider wearing leather belay gloves for extra grip. There are 3 main techniques that you'll need to master to top rope belay safely:

Take In

Note: The descriptions on the following pages assume that you’re right-handed (i.e: your right hand never

Lower

leaves the brake rope). Feel free to switch right and left hands if it works better for you.

The Angle of Separation To safely operate a belay device, you must first understand the angle of separation. This is the angle between ttttttttt

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the rope strands which determines how much friction is produced. More friction makes it easier to hold a fall.

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Little friction is produced when approaching 0 degrees. In this position, you have very little control over the belay and it is impossible to hold a fall.

Some friction is generated as the angle increases to 90 degrees. Depending on the design of your device, this is a good angle for taking in rope.

~0°

~90°

At the maximum angle of 180 degrees, enough friction is generated to control the full force of a fall. This is the most effective lock-off position.

~180°

Locking Off To hold a climber's weight on the rope, you need to 'lock off' the belay device. Remember that the climber could fall without

without warning, so you have to be ready to catch them at any point.

Step 1 Move your right hand down towards you. This causes the rope to kink through your belay device, which creates the friction needed to hold a fall.

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Step 2 Hold the rope tight. If you are holding the climber for a while, it can be more comfortable to hold the brake rope with both hands.

Taking In As the climber moves up the wall, you'll need to take in the extra rope that is created. You should aim to keep the rope tight enough so they won’t fall any distance, but slack enough so you ddddddddd

don’t interfere with their movement. Watch the climber carefully so you can take in rope appropriately as they move up.

Step 1 Put your left hand on the live rope above your belay device, and pull down to take in the slack rope. Your right hand should be on the brake rope below your belay device. At the same time as your left hand pulls down, move your right hand slightly up (keeping hold of the rope), so the angle of separation is around 90°. This makes it easier to pull the rope through the device.

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Step 2 Move your right hand back down towards you to ‘lock off’ the device. Make sure you perform these two steps quickly. If the climber falls as you're taking in, it's harder to hold them.

Step 3 Your right hand will now be further down the rope towards the ground. You'll need to move it back up towards your belay device before you take in any more rope. It's important that you do this without letting go of the rope. Bring your left hand down and grab the brake rope just below your right hand. Hold on tight with your left and loosen your grip with your right hand. Then slide your right hand back up the rope to just below your belay device.

Step 4 Now you're 're-set' and ready to take in more rope. It's easiest to only take in about 2030cm of rope at once.

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Lowering When the climber reaches the top, or just wants to come down, you'll need to lower them.

Step 1 Take in any remaining slack and lock off the rope. You should be able to feel the climber’s weight on the rope. Hold the rope in both hands, with your left hand above your right.

Step 2 Keep hold of the rope with your right hand and loosen the grip with your left. Move your right hand upwards so some rope slides through your left hand and then through the belay device. This will lower the climber a short distance.

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > Top Rope Climbing

Step 3 Once your right hand is up against your left, hold on tight with your left to lock off the rope. Then slide your right hand back down. Repeat this over and over until the climber is back down on the ground.

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Step 4 The climber should lean back on the rope, with their feet against the wall in front of them, as if they're sitting in a chair. The climber 'walks' their feet down the wall as they are being lowered. Make sure to lower the climber slowly and in control so they don't bash into the wall.

Step 5 Slow down when they are close to the ground so they have time to regain balance in the horizontal world.

Good Belay Technique - Hands correct distance away from belay device

- Holding the brake rope in the correct downwards direction

- Ready to take in, give slack or lock off

- Tight grip on rope

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Warning! Top Roping on Overhangs When top roping on overhangs, climb on the rope which is clipped through the quickdraws.

Then clip the rope back through the quickdraws on your way down.

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Warning! Keep Hold of the Rope When belaying, you need to keep at least one hand on the brake rope all the time. This is what stops the climber from falling to the ground. Letting go of the brake rope is like letting go of the steering wheel while driving on a fast country road. Avoid the temptation to loosen or release your grip, even just for a second. Use your other hand to wave to friends, get something out of your pocket or scratch your butt. Or better yet, just wait until you’ve finished belaying. Your partner’s life is literally in your hands. If they fall while your hand is loose or off the rope, you probably won’t catch the fall.

Climbing Calls Climbing calls are certain words that climbers use so everyone knows exactly what is happening. These calls may seem a bit excessive when you're standing next to each other in the gym, but they help to avoid any confusion when you're starting out. Once you're 50m away from each other outside and the wind is howling, you’ll see why they’re essential!

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > Top Rope Climbing

Note These are the climbing calls commonly used in the UK. Climbers in other countries often use slightly different terms. Before you climb, make sure that you and your partner are familiar with the same climbing language.

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Take In Once the safety checks are complete, the climber tells the belayer to 'take in' the slack rope. The belayer pulls the rope through the belay device until it is tight on the climber.

Take in

That’s Me When the rope is tight, the climber tells the belayer 'that's me'. This lets the belayer know that the rope is tight to the climber and not twisted or stuck anywhere else.

On belay. Climb when ready

That’s me

On Belay When the belayer is ready to belay, they tell the climber they are 'on belay' and they can 'climb when ready'.

Climbing As a final check the climber tells the belayer they are 'climbing'. But the climber doesn't leave the ground until they hear 'OK' from the belayer. Everything's good to go!

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > Top Rope Climbing

Climbing OK

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Take If the climber wants a rest, they can tell the belayer to 'take'.

Take

This informs the belayer to take in all the slack from the rope and hold it tight with both hands. Once they have done this, the belayer replies 'OK'.

OK

Lower

Lower If the climber wants to be lowered down at any point (or if they reach the top), they tell the belayer to 'lower'. The belayer replies 'lowering' and then lowers the climber down.

Lowering

Safe When the climber is back on the ground, they tell the belayer they are 'safe'.

Off Belay The belayer removes the rope from their belay device and replies 'off belay'.

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > Top Rope Climbing

Safe Off belay

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Lead Climbing

Lead Climbing: How it Works * These steps are discussed in more detail later in this chapter.

Step 1 The climber ties in to one end of the rope. The belayer attaches their belay device to the rope next to the climber.

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > Lead Climbing

Step 2 The climber clips the rope into quickdraws on their way up the climb. The belayer switches between feeding rope out and taking it in, depending on whether the climber is below or above a quickdraw.

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Step 3 If the climber falls, the belayer holds the fall via the rope running through the highest quickdraw.

Step 5 The belayer lowers the climber to the ground by letting the rope slide through their belay device under control.

Step 4 When the climber reaches the top, they clip the rope through the top anchor.

Step 6 The climber unties and the rope is pulled down.

Rope!

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Before You Lead Climb Before you lead climb, there are three extra things you need to do which you wouldn't do if top roping:

1) Stack the rope 2) Close the system 3) Attach quickdraws to your harness

1) Stack the Rope You'll need to stack the rope before every lead climb so it will feed out without tangles while you're climbing. Beginning at one end, simply feed the rrrrrrrr

rope into a pile on top of your rope bag, or a clean area of the ground. The climber ties into the top end of the rope.

2) Close the System Tie a knot in the end of the rope. This ‘closes the system’, so it is impossible to accidentally lower your partner off the end of the rope. The rope which the gym provides should be long enough anyway, but it’s a good habit to get into if using your own rope.

3) Attach Quickdraws To Your Harness Some indoor walls have quickdraws already attached to the wall, but for those which don’t, you'll need to bring your own. Clip half of them to the gear loops on the left side of your harness and the other half on the right side. Clipping them to your gear loops with the boltend carabiner will make it easier when you come to use them. Make sure to bring enough quickdraws with you. You'll need one for each bolt, plus a spare in case a mystery bolt dddddddd VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > Lead Climbing

appears that you couldn't see from the ground.

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How To Lead Climb While you are lead climbing, there are four extra things you'll need to do that you wouldn't do if top roping:

1) Clip quickdraws to bolts 2) Clip the rope into quickdraws 3) Clip the rope through the top anchor 4) Pull the rope down when you finish

1) Clipping Quickdraws To Bolts If the quickdraws are not already attached to the wall, you'll need to clip your own to the bolts. Simply clip the bolt-end of your quickdraw to the bolt in the wall. It doesn't matter which way it faces, but make sure it is hanging neatly.

Bolt carabiner

Rope carabiner

2) Clipping the Rope into Quickdraws The easiest way to clip a quickdraw is to place your fingers around the back bar of the carabiner, then use your thumb to flick the rope through the gate. The pressure of you pushing the rope on to the gate will open it – you don't need to open it with your fingers. If you're clipping with your other hand, you'll need to hold the back bar with your thumb and use your fingers to flick the rope through instead.

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Another way is to steady the carabiner with your middle finger and then flick the rope through with your thumb. Practise these three techniques at ground level before heading up a route. Make sure you're comfortable clipping quickdraws with both hands, in either direction.

Warning! Skipping Quickdraws You need to clip every quickdraw to stay safe. Never miss any out.

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > Lead Climbing

Warning! Z-Clipping You’ll end up with a z-clip if you take the rope from the beneath the last quickdraw and clip it to the one above. Make sure to clip them all in order.

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Warning! Back-Clipping The rope needs to be clipped through the quickdraw so that the end of the rope attached to you comes out of the front side of the quickdraw. If you fall, the rope will stay clipped through the carabiner.

Rope to climber

Rope to belayer

If you clip it the wrong way (known as back-clipping), the rope could snap through the carabiner's gate during a fall. This would unclip the rope from the carabiner. When belaying a leader, keep an eye out for them accidentally back-clipping, and let them know if they have!

Warning! Cross-Loading A carabiner is cross-loaded when it is loaded sideways. This makes the carabiner much weaker, meaning that it could break during a fall. Also make sure the carabiner's gate has snapped shut after you've clipped the rope through it. If it stays open, the rope could easily fall out.

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > Lead Climbing

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3) Clipping the Rope through the Top Anchor Once you get to the top of the wall, you'll need to clip the rope through the top anchor. Different walls have different systems for this – some have two snapgate carabiners, some have one or two screwgate carabiners that you'll need to unscrew first. Ask one of the staff before leading if in doubt. Once you've clipped your rope through the top anchor, you can be lowered down in the same way as if you were top roping.

Incorrect Top Anchor Setups Clipping your rope through the same carabiners as another rope will cause the ropes to rub together when you lower down. This will damage the ropes, making them less safe for future use.

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > Lead Climbing

Only clipping half of the anchor is dangerous because you will be risking your life to a single carabiner. Clip them both.

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Lowering Down If you've attached your own quickdraws on the way up, you'll need to collect them on the way down. Simply lower down, unclipping them from both the bolt and rope, and then clip them back to your gear loops. The belayer will need to stop lowering you at each bolt so you have time to do this. Many gyms have quickdraws permanently installed, especially on overhangs. In this case, just lower down the same as for a top rope.

4) Pulling the Rope Down Untie any knots from the rope before pulling it down. Shout 'rope' before it falls so everyone around you is expecting it – a falling rope in the head hurts! Pull the rope so the falling end drops down through the clipped quickdraws. This will slow it down and make it safer. Rope!

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > Lead Climbing

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Understanding Fall Potential Leading for the first time can be pretty scary. Suddenly you're exposed to much greater consequences than you would be with the security of a top rope. If you fall, your chances of hitting ssssssssss

something (such as a large hold) are increased. The belayer and leader should work together to keep the leader’s fall potential to a minimum.

If you fall while next to a quickdraw which you've just clipped, the fall will be short. Short fall

But if you fall when above the last quickdraw, you’ll take a bigger fall. This may be further than you think as the rope stretches to absorb the force of the fall.

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > Lead Climbing

Bigger fall

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It's important not to clip quickdraws too soon. It can be tempting to pull through meters of rope to clip way above your head. But doing this means there's a lot of slack rope in the system so you'll fall a lot further if you slip while trying to clip. Instead, wait until the quickdraw is between your shoulders and waist, then clip it. This reduces the distance you could potentially fall. It is also less strenuous and quicker. Obviously, if you fall before clipping the first quickdraw, you'll land back on the ground.

Where To Position the Rope When lead climbing above a quickdraw, make sure the rope is running to the side of your legs. If you fall with the rope around your leg, it can flip you upside down, causing you to hit your head on the wall and get 'rope burn' behind your knee.

Lead Climbing: Top Tips - Try to clip from a resting position, if possible. It's much easier to clip a quickdraw while you're hanging from a big hold on a straight arm than hanging from a tiny hold on a bent arm. VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > Lead Climbing

- After a big lead fall, let your rope ‘rest’ for five minutes to recover its elasticity. If you get straight back on the wall and then fall immediately, the fall will be more abrupt and less comfortable. 59

How To Lead Belay Step 1 Attach your belay device so there is just a few meters of rope between it and the climber's knot.

Step 2 When the climber is moving up the wall, you'll need to feed rope out to them instead of taking it in. Place one hand on the rope above the belay device and the other on the brake rope below. Use both hands to shuffle rope upwards through the belay device. Then slide your hands one at a time back down the rope so you are ready to give more slack. Make sure not to let go of the brake rope!

Step 3 Once the climber has clipped the quickdraw but is still below it, they're effectively on a mini top rope, so you'll need to take in a small amount of rope until they're level with the quickdraw. This ensures that slack rope is kept to a minimum. Remember that the climber will need enough slack to make the next move, but not so much that you create unnecessary fall potential for them. Continue to give slack as the climber moves up, and take in rope as required.

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Step 4 To catch a lead fall, hold the rope downwards in the lock off position. If the leader takes a big fall from above a bolt, the force will be much greater than a simple top rope fall, so it will be much harder to hold – keep a tight grip on the brake rope and pay attention!

Belay Position Before the First Bolt Before the leader reaches the first bolt, you'll need to 'spot' them, just the same as if they were bouldering. Make sure to have just enough slack in the rope so they can reach the bolt.

After the First Bolt Stand close to the wall, and in-line with the leader. Maintain a good stance in a position where you can see them. The rope should go up and out from your belay device to the climber with minimal slack in the system.

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Common Mistakes - Leaving too much slack in the rope.

- Standing too far back from the wall.

Soft Catches On steep routes, a ‘soft catch’ is a common technique which makes the fall much more comfortable for the leader and stops them from slamming into the rock when the rope gets tight. The leader will fall further during a soft catch, so make sure to only use this technique on steep, overhanging routes where you are certain the leader cannot hit anything. To soften a fall, belay with your knees bent. Straighten them during the catch, allowing the weight of the falling climber to pull you upwards slightly. You could even take a small hop just as the rope begins to pull tight. There are many situations when a dynamic belay is unsafe. A lightweight belayer might be pulled upwards into the first quickdraw which could cccccccccc

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > Lead Climbing

disengage their belay device, or the extra rope could cause the leader to hit a large hold or the ground. Watch your partner carefully and learn to recognize how much of a dynamic belay (if any) is appropriate.

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Weight Differences If the climber weighs more than the belayer, a fall usually lifts the belayer into the air, naturally softening the fall for the climber. However, if the climber weighs significantly more, a fall could cause the belayer to slam into the wall or be ‘sucked in’ to the first quickdraw. There is a real danger of losing control of the belay if this happens. To combat this, the lightweight belayer can anchor to the ground. This technique, however, reduces the belayer’s ability to move around the base of the route and give a soft catch. A good compromise is to attach aaaaaa

to a ground anchor with enough slack to move around and give a soft catch if needed, but not so much slack that you would be pulled into the first quickdraw. Ask a member of staff for help with this.

Lead Climbing: Learning Tips For your first few times belaying (for either top rope or lead), it can be useful to ask a qualified member of staff to hold the brake rope too. This acts as a back-up so the climber will still be safe if you fail to hold the rope correctly.

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > Lead Climbing

It's also possible to have a top rope set up in addition to the lead rope. This means you can practise the techniques of leading, with the increased safety of a top rope. Ask a qualified member of staff for help with this.

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General

General Climbing Wall Etiquette New climbers may be unfamiliar with the general etiquette at an indoor wall. Basically, it comes down to being hhhhhhhh

polite, respecting other climbers and having common sense. Here are a few things you should be aware of:

Be Considerate Walk around climbers and belayers, not between or underneath them. If someone is climbing a route that you want to do, feel free to get in line behind them, or maybe just find another route that’s free.

Ropes There are lots of ropes hanging around at indoor walls – don’t swing on them. Sometimes there are belay devices clipped to top ropes. Just leave them as they are so they don't swing out and hit someone.

Usually climbers alternate in a logical order for busy routes or boulder problems. So after you’ve had your turn, let someone else give it a try. Don't be greedy!

If you're bouldering on the roped climbing wall it's OK to put the ropes to one side while you're climbing, but make sure to move them back after.

Noise Climbing walls are noisy enough with loud music playing and everyone talking at the same time. It's important, however, not to shout across the room unless you have to – climbers and belayers need to communicate to stay safe. Please be respectful of others by not interrupting their communication.

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > General

Bolts Never put your finger through a bolt hanger! It can be tempting to hold onto a bolt if you're about to fall, but if you fall with your finger in a bolt hanger, you'll probably break your finger. Only use bolts for clipping quickdraws. They are not holds!

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Coiling Your Rope If you are storing your rope for a while, or stuffing it away in a backpack, coiling your rope will help to prevent mmmmmmm

mysterious knots tying themselves in the middle of it.

Step 1 Hold the middle of your rope in one hand and loop both strands over your shoulders. Some ropes have a convenient middle marker to make this easy. If yours doesn't, find both ends and hold them together. Then shuffle both the strands of rope through your hands until you get to the middle point.

Step 2 Reach across and grab the rope below your other hand.

Step 3 Pull your hand along the rope, creating enough space to flick the next two strands over your head, so they rest on your shoulders with the first two. Repeat this with your other hand in the opposite direction.

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > General

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Step 4 Keep draping the rope over your shoulders until there is about four meters left. Use both hands to take the rope off your shoulders, and drape the middle of the loops over your arm.

Step 5 Wrap the two ends of the rope tightly around all the coils near the top. Do this three or four times. It's best to go from the bottom upwards.

Step 6 Push a loop of each end through the top of the main coils as shown.

Step 7 Pass the two ends of the rope through these loops. Pull it all tight and your rope is coiled!

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > General

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Step 8 If the tails of rope are long enough (at least 1 meter), you can tie the rope on your back. Pull the tails over your shoulders, cross them over your chest, then wrap them in opposite directions around your back. Bring the ends in front of you and tie them together around your waist.

Warming Up Like any sport, you should warm up before your workout to avoid injury. For climbing, this can be split into three parts.

Pulse Raiser If you didn't walk to the climbing wall, consider skipping, jogging on the spot or doing some star jumps for a couple of minutes. The point is to get your heart rate up a little. Many walls have a separate stretching room for this.

Climb Easy Routes It's a smart idea to climb a few easy routes to warm up your muscles and tendons before trying anything difficult. Choose routes which you find easy and which have big holds. Don't worry about grades. Climb slowly and in control, focusing on technique and balance. This will also help you avoid getting 'pumped' too soon.

Stretch Gently You'll benefit from stretching after climbing, but it's important for injury prevention to perform a few gentle stretch exercises before climbing too. Focus on your upper body, moving each joint through it's range of motion. The goal is to lubricate your joints and loosen up your muscles.

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Bouldering Bouldering is a simple form of climbing low down without using ropes. Indoor boulders are generally around three or four meters tall with padded mats beneath them to absorb your fall. There are a few things to be aware of to boulder safely:

Clear Landing Zone Assess where you might fall before you start. Clear away any water bottles, chalk bags and other objects that are in your fall zone. Ask anyone who's sitting on the mats to move away. While you're climbing, keep an eye out for unobservant climbers or stray children who may wander underneath you. Your spotter can help with this too.

Be Aware Climbing walls can get busy. Make sure to stay out of the potential landing zone of other climbers. Many routes share space on the wall, so be aware of where your route goes compared to others. Keep a reasonable distance between yourself and the next climber, so that you won't swing into each other if you fall.

Climb Down When possible, climb down from the top of the wall instead of jumping. Use the biggest holds to make this easier. Not only is it safer for you and those around you, but you'll save your knees too.

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > General

Spotters A spotter is someone who stands beneath a climber and helps them fall correctly. The point of spotting is to push the climber so they land on their feet – you are not trying to catch them! Hold out your arms and be ready to push them onto the centre of the pad, aiming for their mid back or shoulders. Some climbers prefer to tuck their thumbs in to their palms to avoid dislocating them. Some boulder problems cause the climber to change the way they lean from holds. This changes the trajectory of a potential fall and can be difficult to spot. For problems like this, consider having two or more spotters, each with their own spotting zone.

Rest Rest sufficiently between attempts. Avoid trying the same problem too much in a short space of time. Move on and try something else on a different angle and with a different style of holds, or have a break and review your sequences.

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Fall Properly You will fall a lot when bouldering, sometimes with no warning. Practise using your cat-like reflexes to land on your feet.

Be Subtle Beware of small pockets, underclings or sidepulls which may stress your finger tendons. The least damaging grip is the open-hand.

When you hit the pad, buckle your knees, then collapse your torso and use your hands and arms as the final shock absorbers. Bend your elbows to avoid injuring them.

Also watch out for shouldery moves and big dynos. Consider making subtle changes to the moves rather than just trying to pull harder with each attempt.

Some moves, such as heel hooks, may cause you to ‘helicopter’ off. Think about the fall before you commit to a high heel hook. If your hand slips, will you be able to release the heel in time to get your feet under you?

Pads Make sure the pads are underneath you and you know where the edges of the pads are. You could twist your ankle if you land with your foot on the very edge of a pad, or between pads. Ask your spotter to move the pad as you climb if needed.

Unless you are positive that you can make the next move, set your heel lightly so you can release it instantly. Alternatively, avoid the hook and try a different sequence. Intentionally avoiding a heel hook usually makes a problem harder, but the fall safer. Dyno falls can be dangerous too. If you lunge for a hold and stick it for a second while your feet swing out, you risk a twisting fall that you are unlikely to control. Doing a lot of dynos is a great way to get injured.

Bouldering on the Main Wall Some climbing walls allow you to boulder low down on the main roped wall. If yours does, find out how high you're allowed to go (often there's a painted line) and remember that roped climbers have priority. Never boulder underneath a roped climber, even if they're high up.

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics > General

If climbing with multiple pads, lie them flat, rather than stacked. Arrange pads so there are no gaps between them, and check the pads after every fall because they can move. Fit them together like a jigsaw puzzle so they present as few exposed edges as possible. If bouldering alone, carefully visualize where you are most likely to land, and set the pad there.

Warm Up Bouldering is generally very powerful and dynamic. It puts a lot of strain on your body. Make sure to warm up properly before you start. Be especially careful with your fingers – climb on big holds first, slowly warming up your finger tendons before using smaller holds. Remember to warm up again after breaks of longer than 15 minutes. Cool down at the end of your session too.

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Want To Climb Outside? Once you’ve mastered lead climbing and belaying indoors, you’re probably wondering what’s next.

Many people want to start climbing outside but don’t know where to start.

Take a Course Consider hiring a guide or joining a group session for a good introduction to outdoor climbing.

Read Up Read up on how to get started with different types of outdoor climbing.

Your indoor wall should be able to give you more information about this..

Visit www.vdiffclimbing.com for huge amounts of free information about trad and sport climbing.

Climb: Maria Parkes on The South Six Shooter, Utah. Photo: Neil Chelton.

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Other VDiff Titles

Having the knowledge of safe climbing skills is the lightest and most useful equipment you can take on any climb.

Available as paperbacks or e-books. For more information, visit: www.vdiffclimbing.com

Learn before you go. Don’t actually take these books up there with you!

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics

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Index angle of separation, 38-39 autolocking carabiners, 14 back-clipping, 55 belay device, 9, 16, 25-26 belay position, 61-62 belaying lead, 60-61 top rope, 38-43 bouldering, 70-71 calls, 45-47 carabiners, 9, 13-15 chalk, 9, 18 close the system, 52 coiling a rope, 67-69 cross-loading, 55 equipment, 9 etiquette, 66 fall potential, 58-59 falling, 71 figure-8 knot, 27-29 first steps, 6-19 friction notches, 26 harness, 9, 11-12 how to wear, 22-25 language, 44

VDiff > Rock Climbing Basics

lead climbing, 36, 50-62 middle marker, 67 partner, 19 preparation, 20-33 quick adjust buckles, 24-25 quickdraws, 9, 15, 53-54 rope, 9-10 coiling, 67-69 tying in to, 27-29 rope bags, 18 rope position, 59 safety checks, 30-31 screwgates, 13 shoes, 9, 17 snapgates, 13 soft catches, 62 spotters, 70 stacking a rope, 18 stopper knot, 29 technique, 32-33 top anchor, 56 top rope climbing, 34-46 used gear, 19 warming up, 69, 71 weight differences, 63

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