| Rock-Climbing Introduction and Safety |
From "Family Outdoors"
episode FAO-202 |
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If you've never tried it, rock climbing may sound like a dangerous and reckless activity. The sport has undergone some advances in recent years, however, making it safer and easier to learn than ever before. It's a sport of discipline, strength, endurance and finesse that can provide a great deal of personal gratification and, at times, exhilaration.
With advanced equipment, good instruction and other recent advances such as indoor climbing gyms, climbing is not much more complicated than, for instance, learning swimming or gymnastics.
Safety precaution : The purpose of this episode is to provide an introduction and some basic information for getting started in rock climbing. It demonstrates some of the safest ways to climb. Anytime that you climb, however, you're likely to be high off the ground, relying on your skill and equipment to avoid injury. Proper training and equipment can help minimize risks and dangers but will not eliminate them entirely. It's critical to weigh all factors, be properly equipped and get proper instruction before you start climbing.
Belaying
A big part of climbing is gaining the knowledge and using the right equipment that will protect you in the event of a fall. Anytime you're climbing and there's a chance you might fall, you need some reinforcement and protection. The main method for that protection is known as belaying.
Essentially, belaying (figure A) simply means that the climber is secured to a rope, the rope is attached to some fixed object, and the opposite end of the rope is being held and controlled by a second person, known as the belayer. There are several methods for securing the rope (figure B) that are suited to varying climbing situations.
Bouldering
Belaying is a necessary part of climbing when the climber will be high enough that a fall could result in injury. One type of climbing known as bouldering, however, doesn't require a belay. Bouldering (figure C) is a great introduction to the sport of climbing, and a great way to practice, since it teaches some of the basic techniques but is done lower to the ground, where there is less risk involved. Climbers may spend an entire day perfecting climbing moves across a short span of rock that's only a few feet off the ground. It helps hone hand and foot skills and build endurance. For many climbers, bouldering is a sport in and of itself.
Whether bouldering or using belay techniques, climbers always wear protective helmets. They also use specialized shoes to help them get better traction against the rock face (figure D). And they use chalk on their hands (figure E) to help give them a better grip and prevent their hands from becoming slippery because of sweat or moisture. Chalk is carried in a small chalk-bag that's worn on the climber's belt.
Indoor Climbing
Rock climbing was once only an outdoor sport, but with the advent of indoor climbing walls and gyms, that situation has changed. Indoor climbing gyms can simulate much of the experience of real rock climbing -- but indoors. They offer a number of advantages, especially for beginners. Perhaps most important, they offer good instruction and all the equipment necessary for safe climbing. Kids in particular enjoy this form of climbing, and it provides a safe way for them to get an introduction to the sport.
Indoor climbers are nearly always top-roped (figure F) -- secured by a rope to an anchor on the artificial rock face for safety. The climber is secured to one end of the rope, and a belayer is in control of the other end.
Before beginning the climb, the climber puts on a full-body harness (figure G) that supports the body at the upper legs and shoulders. The harness buckles at the waist for a comfortable fit, and the climbing rope is attached through loops on the harness straps.
The rope is secured to the climber using a knot known as the threaded figure-8. It's formed by tying a figure-8 knot, running the end of the rope through the harness loops, then retracing the figure-8 knot for a secure and reliable attachment (figure H).
Once the climber is fitted with the harness and tied in, the instructor sets up the belayer, who also wears a harness. The rope is attached to the belayer using a belaying device known as an ATC. A loop of the rope is fed through the belaying device, and the device is then clipped to a loop on the belayer's harness (figure I) using a carabiner.
The belayer uses his left hand to guide the rope coming down from the anchor and his right hand to brake. When the rope is extending straight out of the ATC (figure J), it moves smoothly, allowing the climber to move about. If the belayer pulls his brake hand down and the free end of the rope is pulled at an angle from the ATC, however, it causes the rope to catch, thus breaking a climber's fall if necessary.
Communication in climbing is important. It may make all the difference in preventing injury. Climbers and belayers are taught specific safety precautions and climbing terms before they begin. It's vital that the climber and belayer get their signals straight before the climb begins.
The phrase "belay on" lets the climber know that the belay is hooked in and operational. It gives the climber the all-clear to begin ascent (figure K).
The phrase "watch me" means the climber is trying something difficult and may fall. This call alerts the belayer to take in any slack in the rope and pay particularly close attention (figure L).
As the climber begins an ascent, he or she attempts to move smoothly and evenly up the face of the rock. Climbing is about grace and agility, not brute strength or speed. A good climber is able to continue for a long climb without tiring out by using deliberate balance and technique.
Once the climber has reached the top of the climb and is ready to descend, the belayer lets the rope out slowly so that the climber can make a safe descent to the ground. Going slowly helps ensure the climber's safety, prevents the belayer from getting rope-burned and prevents the rope from wearing out because of excess friction.
RESOURCES :
REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.)
A comprehensive site with equipment and clothing for camping, hiking, climbing, cycling, paddling, fly fishing, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking and other outdoor activities.
REI
Sumner, WA 98352-0001
Website: www.rei.com
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Rock Climbing
Model: 0028631145
Author: Joe Glickman and Stefani Ellen Jackenthal
Macmillan / Alpha Books
Website: www.macmillan.com
Knots & Ropes for Climbers
Model: 0811728714
Author: Duane Raleigh and Mike Clelland
Stackpole Books
Website: www.stackpolebooks.com
Rock Climbing : A Trailside Guide (Trailside Guide Series)
Model: 039331653X
Author: Don Mellor, Ron Hildebrand
W. W. Norton & Company
How to Rock Climb! (How to Rock Climb Series)
Model: 1575401142
Author: John Long
Chockstone Press
Better Bouldering
Model: 1575400871
Author: John Sherman
Chockstone Press
Boulderdash magazine online
The online version of Boulderdash: The Appalachian Climbing Quarterly
Web site: www.boulderdashmag.com
Climbing magazine online
The online version of Climbing magazine
Web site: www.climbing.com
Rock and Ice magazine online
The online version of Rock and Ice, a magazine for climbers.
Web site: www.rockandice.com
Tying a figure-8 for rock climbing
Check the following direct links for information on how to tie a figure-8 knot, one of the most important knots for rock climbing.
Web site: www.apocalypse.org/pub/u/antony/tutorial/intro.htm
-or-
Web site: www.thechipster.com/rockclmb.htm
rockclimbing.com
Informational web site on rock climbing.
Web site: www.rockclimbing.com
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