Bouldering

If you want to try climbing close to the ground with minimal gear, then bouldering is for you! As the name implies this refers to very short routes on boulders often 10 feet or less in height. All you need for this type of climbing is shoes, a chalk bag, and a “crash pad” to soften the landing should you fall. Your partner will “spot” you rather than having you on a rope. Some practice in spotting and using pads is essential to do this safely. Don’t think that short means easy, some bouldering routes can be very challenging with moves harder than you would usually see on longer rock routes.

Places to go near Asheville NC

Rumbling Bald is the most accessible bouldering mecca in this area with a wide variety of levels of difficulty. Try “Poison Arête” at the East Side boulders. It’s a easy “V0” (boulders are rated on the V scale), nice for beginners or a great warm up for harder climbing later!

Sport Climbing

Sport climbing refers to routes that have preplaced bolts to clip for protection, usually including bolted anchors. Many sport areas have climbs that are only one pitch in length but some are longer. In addition to your rope, harness, helmet, and belay device, all that is needed for most sport climbs are some quickdraw runners and anchor materials. This can be a great way to get used to leading and also allow you to try leading routes that would be too difficult for you if you had to place gear.

A good place to do some sport climbing is Crowder’s Mountain State Park in NC or Red River Gorge Kentucky.  Crowder’s has some great lines to climb.  The Red River Gorge is one of the premier sport climbing destinations in the country.  There are options at the Red for 5.6 to 5.14 climbing, so there are plenty of options for all levels.

Traditional Climbing

Trad is short for “traditional” which refers to climbing rock with no (or the occasional) preplaced bolts. This requires a climbing rack with cams, stoppers, and possibly other types of protection. The lead will place cams, stoppers, hexes or tricams to safe guard against falling.  The rope is clipped to each protection point placed.  Once the leader reaches the top of at pitch she either rappels and cleans the gear or another climber will follow the pitch and remove the protection.  It’s more difficult to place gear properly than clip a bolt and lots of practice with gear placements and proper instruction. Many traditional leads follow cracks or fission in the rock.  It pays to learn how to climb these features to lead traditional routes.

When you are ready, try the super classic 5.7 crack called “Fruit Loops” at Rumbling Bald for a one pitch trad lead ending at a bolted anchor in a cool cave.  This climb also has an interesting 2^nd pitch if you want to keep going. This turns it into a “multi-pitch” route!

Good places for traditional climbing near Asheville and Brevard NC are

• Rumbling Bald, NC
• Looking Glass Rock, NC
• Table Rock, NC
• Kentucky offers some exceptional trad climbing at the Red River Gorge

Multipitch Climbing

If you climb a long route with several pitches (rope lengths) of trad or sport climbing in a row, you are multipitch climbing.  At the end of each pitch you build an anchor (some climbs have preplaced bolted anchors) to serve as the launching point for the next lead. The second climber will “clean” a pitch or remove all of the protection placed by the leader so it can be used on the next pitch.  The next lead climber re-racks the protection and is belayed by the person following.  She will climb until she reach a suitable belay location and build a new anchor.  The leader will then belay the “second”. This process allows a team to scale large faces to the tops of cliffs and peaks.

To get down you typically rappel the climb although some areas allow you to walk off the top. You want to be on your game with leading, anchor building, and transitions at belays before you tackle a multipitch route.

When you have your bag of tricks up to speed, give “The Nose” a try (5.8 – 3 or 4 pitches). It’s a super classic route at Looking Glass with good gear, moderate climbing, bolted anchors, and great views! 

Some classic multipitch routes near Asheville and Brevard NC are

• Jim Dandy 5.4 at Table Rock, NC
• Daddy 5.6 at Linville Gorge, NC
• Mummy 5.5 at Linville Gorge, NC
• Second Coming 5.7 at Looking Glass Rock, NC
• Sundial Crack 5.8 at Looking Glass Rock, NC

Climbing Terms

Bouldering

Climbing without ropes on small climbs.  These are typically hard problems.  Boulders use foam pads and spotters to prevent injury in case of a fall.

Lead climbing

A climbing style were the climb start from the ground and climbs upward placing and clipping the rope to intermediate protection points until she reaches the anchor.  The climber has the potential to fall twice the distance she is above her last piece of intermediate protection.

Sport Climbing

Lead Climbing with a rope were the leader clips the rope to bolts, or pre-placed protection.  These climbs are typically challenging gymnastically and require excellent climbing technique and physical conditioning.  Most climbs are less than one half a rope length (60m rope) so the leader can be lowered off.

Top Roping

A climbing style were the climbing rope is anchor above the climber so if the climber slips or falls the rope immediately catches the climber.  A good method for practicing ones climbing technique or for learning how to climb.

Traditional Climbing

Lead climbing were the leader places protection and clips the rope to the protection.

Protection

Any equipment that serve to safeguard a fall.  This could be natural protection such as trees or artificial protection such as cams, stoppers, hexes or tricams.

Kernmantle ropes have two components that work together to create the desired performance.  Some kernmantle ropes are static, meaning there is limited stretch.  These ropes work best for jugging, hauling, rappelling and anchor construction.  Climbers need a different type of kernmantle rope, dynamic.  A dynamic kernmantle rope is designed to absorb energy from a fall thus keeping the impact forces low.  This is accomplished through elongation or stretch of the rope when loaded in a fall.  The material used in ropes (nylon) is not inherently dynamic; therefore materials need to undergo various processes to provide this.  The older goldline was a twisted rope without a sheath.  They were rough on the hand and when loaded you would spin like top.   All modern ropes are kernmantle construction.

Materials

Nylon is the raw material that is used to make dynamic ropes.  Raw nylon comes in large spools in bundles of a specific diameter.  This material is treated with a lubricant from the manufacture to make it easier to work with.  This is essential for the construction of ropes and their performance in the field.

Nylon will then heat-treat the core and sheath fibers to relax them and make them more dynamic.    Also, some rope companies will dry treat the individual fibers before production.  This allows the dry treatment to completely saturate the fibers and reduce water absorption.

Rope construction

All kernmantle ropes have a core (center) and sheath (exterior).  Typically, core strands are constructed by twisting fibers together into cables.  Sheaths are constructed by braiding twisted fibers over the core.   Both the core and sheath are functional components of the rope.  The sheath must be in good condition for the maximum performance and security.

The core is constructed of twisted fibers bundles.  Core fiber bundles are twisted into a clockwise strand and a counter clockwise strand.  These are call S strands (clockwise) and Z strands (counter clockwise).  The core of a rope will have an equal mix of S strand and Z strands to make a neutral rope.  This prevents you from spinning when one hangs on the rope.  The primarily of the core is to provide stretch (elongation) that will absorb the energy of the fall.  Some of that energy is  converted into heat. .

Around these core bundles a sheath that is braided by a rope-braiding machine.  There are different patterns that can be braided.  A 2-over-2 bundles braid puts two bundles over two bundles.  This braiding pattern reduces fiber exposure and will pick less than other patterns.  A 1-over-2 sheath has one bundle going over two bundles.  This produces a slicker sheath that is more supple, but more prone to picking out.  The sheath determines the handling characteristics of a rope, but also is essential in controlling a fall.  During a fall the sheath squeezes the core controlling stretch rate and helping to convert energy into heat.  The sheath also protects the core from abrasion.  However, if the sheath is badly worn just assume that you need to replace the rope.  A worn sheath will break and ropes with a bad sheath do break in testing.  Play it safe, get a new rope.

Every rope made needs to begin with quality materials to ensure top performance.  However, there are many variables that manufactures can manipulate to determine the handling and performance of a rope.  Each rope will have an ideal situation such as alpine, sport climbing, or ice routes.  Check out next months tech article at Appalachian Mountain Institute on selecting the appropriate type for your climbing needs.

]]> http://appalachianmountaininstitute.com/part-one-climbing-ropes/feed/ 0 http://appalachianmountaininstitute.com/visit-to-the-pmi-factory/ http://appalachianmountaininstitute.com/visit-to-the-pmi-factory/#comments Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:14:27 +0000 patrickweaver http://appalachianmountaininstitute.com/?p=2175 Last Monday four of us from Appalachian Mountain Institute was fortunate enough to visit the PMI factory and lab.  PMI has been making ropes for over 25 years here is the USA.  We were able to take a tour of the factory and learn how PMI makes dynamic climbing ropes and static ropes used for rescue and rigging.

After the tour, Chuck demonstrated the UIAA fall test for dynamic ropes.  This test was conducted on some old ropes to see how they retained their ability to dissipate energy.  Each rope was dropped until it broke.  The whole process was illuminating and created more questions that need to be asked.  Thanks to Chuck for the great tour.

We learned a lot about ropes while visiting PMI.  Keep an eye out for upcoming articles on ropes on the AMI tech blog.

Rope testing at PMI labs.  Veiw these two links to see the testing process and a rope catching a fall and a rope breaking.

Video Links

Rope Testing – Fall caught

Rope Testing – Rope broke

Sheath damage

Rope Failure

Your partner leads up a new pitch.  You haven’t climbed here before but the climbing looks great.  Your partner decides to lower off the climb after constructing a bomber anchor.   You are congratulating him on a great climb and suddenly you feel something wrong.  The rope passes through your brake hand and in an instant, the belay device.  This sounds like an unlike situation, but it has happen to both beginners and experts alike.  I know of three cases were this has happened.  Two of the situations were with expert climbers.

Creating Good Habits

In climbing, one should strive to create habits that are safe in a variety of situations, not specific to a single area.  We have our home crags that we climb at all the time.  We learn what we can do and it becomes our habit.  In areas that allow you to lower off so your partner can top rope the pitch, climbers rarely tie into both ends of the rope.   This habit can become a liability in new areas or with different equipment.  For instance, one such accident occurred when a person new to the area brought a 60m rope.   Without questioning the length of the rope, a pitch was led and the leader was dropped as he was being lowered off.  This was due to the fact the route required a 70m rope.   There wasn’t a guidebook for this area, but guidebooks don’t always have the information either.   I have also seen this happen when the climber unknowingly goes to the wrong set of anchors, thereby increasing the length of the pitch.  Either situation could happen to anyone.

Closing the System

When climbing single pitch terrain, function as if you are going to climb multipitch routes.  When climbing multipitch routes, it is customary for each climber to tie into each end of the rope before anyone leaves the ground.  This is called closing the system.  This practice has advantages.  It prevents the end of the rope getting away from the belayer on long pitches.  The transition from belaying to climbing is faster if both climbers tie in at the same time.  If the leader falls and needs to be lower it prevents the end of the rope passing through the device if the leader is 150’ up a pitch.  All of these are good reasons to close the system before starting up a multipitch route.   It makes sense and is a common practice.

However, this practice is infrequently used in a single pitch setting.  Closing the system has real advantages in a single pitch setting too.  It speeds up transitions, prevents lowering off the end of the rope, and allows for easy and shock absorbing anchor connections.

In a single pitch setting, create the same practice by either having the belayer and the climber tie into the rope with figure 8 knots or tie a double fisherman’s knot on the belay end of the rope.  Tying in both climbers allows for a faster transition to second climbing and also has the advantage of easily tying into a ground anchor with a dynamic line rather than a static sling.  At times, it is an advantage to create a ground anchor for the belayer and using the rope is an efficient way of accomplishing this.

The Stopper Knot

The other method is to simply tie a double fisherman’s on the end of the rope.  This prevents the rope from passing through the belay device.   I have seen belayers walk back away from the cliff as the climber climbs up the cliff.  They usually do this so they can see the climber better.  On top rope set ups that are close to half the rope length (near 100’ for a 60m rope) you don’t have much room for error.   If the belayer moves back too far, they will not have enough rope to lower the climber and the end of the rope will pass through the device before the climber safely reaches the ground.  This tends to happen more when the ground drops down and away from the cliff.   When the belay moves back, not only is the climber moving away from the cliff, they are also going down hill.   The best knot to safe guard agaisnt this is a double fisherman’s.  Be sure to pull this knot tight, you do not want this knot to loosen up.

Equipment issues

Not all ropes are the same length.  Be aware that rarely are two 60m ropes the same length, even from the same manufacture.  I have had two 60m ropes with differences of 18 feet.  In the past, climbers have practiced cutting the bad ends off of ropes after heavy use.  This shortens the rope over time.   Additionally, there are many routes going up these days that require 70m ropes to lower the leader safely.   This can cause problems when you use a different or new rope on a set up you are familiar with.

Practices

Closing the system in Single Pitch climbing

1.     Both the climber and belayer tie in with figure 8.

2.     Climber leads the pitch to the anchor

3.     Builds the anchor

4.     Belayer lowers leader to the ground

5.     Leader pulls the rope through the system until the rope is tight on the belayer and puts the belayer on belay.

6.     While the rope is getting pulled through the belayer puts on his or her climbing shoes.  Usually the belayer will be on belay about the same time they have their shoes on.

7.     Second climber climbs the pitch and:

a.     either is lowered if the climb is going to be climbed again

b.     or constructs a rappel so the party can go to the next route.

Closing the system and Ground anchors

1.     Both the climber and belayer tie in with figure 8.

2.     Belayer places a sling or cordelette around a tree, boulder or solid object.

3.     Belayer pulls the necessary amount of rope from his or her tie in point on the harness.

4.     Then clove hitches the ROPE into a carabiner on the sling around the tree.

5.     Make sure the rope in on the brake hand side of the belayer.

6.     The clove hitch is used to adjust to the rope to proper length.

7.     When it’s the belayer time to climb, simply unclip the clove from the ground anchor.

This system allows for adjustability of the anchor length and more dynamics when catching a fall.  The rope and knots absorbs energy, verses clipping directly into a ground anchor with a sling.    This makes for an easier catch if the climber falls.  One caution, do not make the anchor line (the rope between the climber and ground anchor) too long.   This can cause the belayer to get lifted up some and possibly cause the belayer to loose control when catching a fall.  Always keep the belayer close to ground anchor.

Knots

The ideal stopper knot is the double fisherman’s knot.  It will jam against most belay and rappel devices.  The only exception is a figure eight rappel device.  This device is rarely in use these days and is more commonly seen in caving and canyoneering.

Double Fisherman’s

1.     Ideal stopper knot

2.     Make sure the knot is tight

3.     Have 6” of tail

4.     Also use on rappels

5.     Get in the habit of tying this whenever top roping climbs.

A Knot to Avoid

It seems to be becoming a practice in some areas to use half of a figure 8 as the back up knot.

DO NOT USE THIS KNOT.  This knot has been shown to roll off the end of the rope failing to jam against the belay device.

The following statements reflect the need for route development that seeks balance for all users.  It does not advocate retro-bolting routes (unless permission is granted by the first ascentist), grid bolting, convenient anchors where traditional anchors can be adequately obtained.  These statements in no way mean any disrespect towards the pioneers of climbing.  These statements do not advocate any disrespect towards bold routes or bold climbing.

These statements are intended to set forth some acceptable practices for engineering routes that exhibit grade appropriate protection.  These guidelines reflect easy to intermediate grades, more than the upper grades.

1. Protection is provided by natural gear placements and bolts where there are no natural placements that are adequate for the fall potential.  Bolts should not be placed if the section of the climb can be protected by natural placements that is adequate to hold the fall.
2. The need for a bolt placement is determined by the potential and consequence of the fall.
   1. How difficult is the climbing relative the route’s grade, not the climber’s ability.
   2. How far is the fall potential?
   3. What is the likelihood of hitting an object, or ground?
3. Route engineering should consider a protection system rather than protecting single moves.
4. Protection should be closer together in the upper half of the grade and further apart in the lower half of the grade. Grade being the single hardest move or overall difficulty if there are successive moves of equal difficulty.
5. Considerations for protection on run outs on easy terrain relative to the grade should be made if:
   1. There is potential for loose rock or hold breaking
   2. There is a potential to shock load the anchor
   3. Protection is required for the second.
6. Protection for the second should be considered while engineering routes.  For example, protection before and after crux moves during traverses, or when necessary to manage the fall line.  The second should not be exposed to more risk than the leader.
7. Rappel stations that are frequently used should be bolted rather than utilizing trees.
8. Rappel stations should make every effort to avoid vegetated areas to reduce compaction and erosion of soil along the cliff top.
9. When possible, fixed rappel stations should avoid topping out the climb to reduce impact on the cliff line vegetation along the cliff top. Topping out climbs impacts the cliff line vegetation and increases erosion.

Tricam

Many climbers fail to recognize the value of tricams and instead miss protection opportunities that other types of protection simply will not work.  The biggest advantage of tricams is versatility.  Tricams are a dual purpose protection piece that can function passive (chocking) or actively (camming action).  Tricams also are narrower that cams for the relative size, thus may work where a cam may not.  For example, I have place tricams in pockets that cams simply will not work. Due to their odd shape, tricams will fit in offset placements better than stoppers and cams.

Parts of a Tricam

A tricam has four parts: sling, stitching, head and pin.  The head has a stinger (fulcrum) on one side and rails on the other.  The sling is around a stainless steel rolled pin.  At the end of the rails are two “ears”.  When you look at a tricam in passive mode the ears will be sticking up.

Placing Tricams Passively

Tricams are a stopper-like device that functions like a stopper in passive mode.  I use them in place of larger stoppers due to their versatility.  Tricams work best in an offset constriction or one that has a rapid or bottle neck constriction on one side of the crack and a gradual or straight side on the other (see photo).   Find the largest unit that will fit the crack.  Place the stinger or fulcrum on the prominent constriction side of the crack.  The rails will set in the gradual constriction and you should get more surface contact on the stinger area (see photo).  Slotting tricam in horizontal also works.  Place the unit in a wide area and slide it sideways into a constricted area.  When placing tricam horizontal place the nose or fulcrum towards the side that has the most pronounce constriction.

Tricams do not work as well as stoppers in gradual constrictions.  Stoppers have more gradual tapper, around 12° and are design for cracks that taper down gradually.  Tricams are not suited for this and when place in such constriction will get stuck if you fall on them.  Look for the offset constriction or bottle neck constriction for the best locations.

Active placements

Tricams can also be the bridge between passive and active pro.   Flip the head around so the webbing is running between the rails, place the stinger in a depression or behind a protrusion of rock and it will cam like a spring loaded camming device.  This gives tricams the ability to exert and outward force on the rock and function in parallel cracks.  Cams can do this too, but tricams are lighter and narrower.

It is important to get the stinger in a depression or behind a protrusion.   The fulcrum or stinger cannot slip.  If it does the unit may fail.  In glassy slick rock such as limestone and some quartzite this can be a real problem.    The stinger is the pivot point for engaging the camming action.  If the stinger slips, the unit will not cam.  I have tracked tricams out of polished quartzite at Devils Lake.  In higher friction rock, tricams will function without the stinger behind a nubbin.  Again, it is friction dependent.  When in doubt, look for a place to place the stinger.

Try to have the rails contacting the rock in the lower-range, but not completely cammed (see photo).  If you place a tricam too tight, the unit will get stuck.  Set the placement with a slight pull and place a sling on it.  Do not yank wildly on the unit, do a direct inline pull to set it.  Tricams are very prone to wiggling out or getting stuck from rope drag in the active mode, so be sure to add a sling.

To ensure proper function of the tricams in active mode check the contact on the rails.  The contact should be straight across the rails or evenly distributed on the rails.  If the contact is diagonally across the rails (one rail contacting more than the other) the unit may pivot and come out when loaded.  Be sure and set the unit in the direction of anticipated load and check the rock contact.  If the unit pivots when you set it, move it and try again.

Active placements will work in parallel cracks or in crack with a gradual constriction, either vertical or horizontal.  This is the best option if the crack constricts some and you do not have a stopper big enough.  Tricams will not walk and open up like a cam.  Go with one size down from the unit that fits passively and place the unit in active mode.  One can also place tricams on their side in active mode in a horizontal crack.  I have done this in Red Rocks in some irregular pockets common to the area.  It requires a good place to set the stinger and even contact on the rails to work.

Horizontal placements

There is some debate as to which is better, stinger up or down in a horizontal placement.  Stinger up gives the unit a more stable base as the rails rest on the rock (see tricam A).  Stinger down is better on the sling, as it reduces the angle of the sling as it goes over the edge (see tricam B).  Both are valid statements, but one should consider the stinger placement as first priority.  Again, look for the depression or nubbin of rock to place the stinger in or behind.  This ensures that it will function as a fulcrum and engage the camming action of the unit.  If there is a sharp edge that the sling goes over, the B placement should be consider especially if one can get the stinger in a good location.

Tricky Placements

The design of the tricam allows for some tricky placements.  It is possible to place tri-cams in old pin scars, flares and in shallow stopper placements.  In pin scars and flares one must look for the best location for the stinger.  If you can place the stinger in a depression you will get a reliable placement even if the rails are on a flaring section.  This may require the unit to lay horizontal or angled back some.  This works because the sling is flexible and transfers the force to the unit along the rails.

Shallow stopper placements that pinch down near the opening of the rock also work with tricams.  Place the unit so that one rail and the stinger are inside the rock with one rail out of the crack.  This locks into place and makes a reliable placement in an otherwise difficult spot.  I have done this in Red Rock and Seneca Rocks.

Tricam limitations

Tricams are difficult to place in a strenuous stance, look funky, and are prone to being dislodged by rope drag.  Place a sling on the placement and lengthen it if necessary to reduce rope wiggle.  Also set them with a direct inline pull.  Be cautious about yanking on protection, if it pulls you’ll probably pop off as you lose your balance.

The small tricams are weaker in the passive placement than when placed actively.  For example, the pink tricam is rated to 9kn in active mode and 6kn in passive mode.  This is due to the force pulling on the pin towards the small end of the head.  This only affects the first couple of sizes.  The larger units are stronger than any other protection available, with larger unit rated to 18kn or more.

Removing Tricams

Removing a tricam is a Zen art.   Most beginners will get tricams stuck before anything else.  To remove, first, look at how it went it.  What is the probable path?  Push in on the ends of the rails or ears to release the camming action. Now, slide the unit along the probable path of placement.  Go easy.  I once spent 30 minutes trying to remove a stuck tricam only to have an older and wiser gentleman pop it out in 10 seconds.  Learn the nuances of tricams from frequent practice.  Getting familiar with these pieces is a hand’s on lesson.  Grab a bunch and head out to the cliff to play.  A good mentor or guide will help tremendously.

Enjoy your climbing

Patrick Weaver

Copyright 2010 Appalachian Mountain Institute, LLC

Aid  Climbing Dictionary

A1 Aid rating system that denotes a (bomber) reliable placed protection of any type whether stoppers, cams or pitons.

A2 Aid rating system that denotes protection that is tricky to place or may only hold a short fall of any type whether stoppers, cams or pitons.

A3 Aid rating system that denotes a series protection placements that will hold only body weight and could result in a 30 foot fall if a protection placement should fail.  This rating also necessitates the use of brown pants. (See diaper drop)

Aid climbing-  Act of climbing rock using the protection placements as a means of moving upwards.  Typically done with the use of aiders and daisy chains. (see aider and daisy chain)

Aider-   A 5 or 6 step ladder made of rope or webbing.  There are various types manufactured by various companies.

Ascending-     The act of using ascenders to move up a fixed rope.  There are a variety of methods to be used depending on the steepness of the rock.  The Yosemite method is typically used on rock that is less than vertical.  On steeper rock there are a variety of methods to employ.  The original ascender was called a Jumar (see jumar).

Big Wall Any shear rock face that causes one’s saliva to instantly dry up and causes a server case of cotton mouth.

Bounce testing-    The act of testing a protection placement of any type (stopper, cam or piton) by aggressively dropping  your body weight onto the placement.  This must be done correctly or one can create a hazard should the protection fail.  This is typically done on A2 placements or harder.

Cleaning-        The act of removing protection.  Typically done while ascending the fixed lead line in ascenders or jumars.  One must know when to clean while ascending and when to clean while being belayed.  Otherwise one may encounter the need for a change of clothes.  Some cleaning may require a funkness device.

Daisy Chain-   This is standard equipment for aiding and is a leash between your harness and either the aiders or a jumars depending on whether you are aiding or ascending.  Daisy chains are used for leading and cleaning pitches and are essential equipment.  Daisy chains come in either a series of fixed loops that are always the wrong length or adjustable types.

Diaper Drop (1) A term used to indicate what happens after a lead fall while aiding.  (2) Actual name of an aid route named so after this phenomenon occurred on the first ascent.

Fifi hook-        A hook shape device attached to your harness for connection to the protection piece.  Fifi hooks are prone to popping out when least desired; usually resulting in a need for a clothing change (see diaper drop).

Fixed line-      A rope that is tied into the anchor.  This is either a static jugging line or the lead line depending on the situation.

Funkness device-      A cable with two loops on each end.  Design to yank the protection out of the crack.  Typically results in a loss of one’s glasses, teeth or both.

Haul bag An extremely durable backpack designed to be hauled up the rock.  See Burlyequipment.com, Fish.com or Metholius

Hauling The act of raising the haul bag with all the goodies in it.  Usually accomplished by the rookie in the group (AKA: Wall hauler).

Head -  A specialized protection piece made of aluminum or copper that is designed to be beat into the rock with a wall hammer.  It generally has the IQ equivalent of the person who places such device and believes it will actually hold them; also referred to as Mashhead.  They typically come in several types straight and circle heads in either a duck bill or round shape.  One should know how and when to place a head BEFORE actually doing so on lead.  Failure to learn this may result in instantaneous jettison of the climber in an anti-upward vertical motion.

Jumar Brand name of an ascender.  Most older wall aces use this term for denoting any ascender.  Newbie’s don’t understand this term.

Lower out Process of lowing a person or haul bag off an anchor point that may be fixed.  Ideally one knows how to do this before actually doing this on the wall, otherwise this could result in awkward or scary moment that one desires not to repeat.

Nailing The act of driving in a piton with a wall hammer.  Although this sound easy nailing pitons requires practice and knowledge to do properly without the total destruction of the rock.   Failure to learn nailing properly may also result in instantaneous jettison of the climber in an anti-upward vertical motion.

Pecker A specialized piton that looks like a tomahawk.  Generally Peckers are easy to place, difficult to trust and impossible to get out.

Piton A steel pin that is driven into the rock like a nail.  See Nailing.  Most useful are blades, lost arrows and sawed off blades.  Peckers are useful on thin seams which is the most common use of pitons these days.

Portaledge A collapsible ledge designed to provide an opportunity to sleep and rest on the wall in the absence of a real ledge.  However, one rarely sleeps on this swinging contraption because one is constantly worried about said contraption falling apart and / or swinging upside down resulting in an instantaneous jettison of the climber in an anti-upward vertical motion.

Wall hammer A really nice hammer.

Wall hauler (1 )A device that makes hauling a bag easy or (2) the tag- a- long person who has to do all of the hauling.  Freeing the others to enjoy the climbing.

By

Patrick Weaver

Getting starting in climbing is more complex than it used to be, climbers have a greater selection of gear, and sometimes it is hard to find someone with the experience necessary to get good advice from.   In this article I want to present recommendation for rock climbing gear that works, is reliable and advice for selecting the most appropriate gear for your type of use.  It will cover basic essentials: harness selection, helmets, belay devices, and shoes.

Getting Started

Climbers starting out will typically want to get the necessary gear to join their friends climbing at the gym or crag.  To accomplish this you’ll need: harness, helmet, shoes, belay setup, a chalk bag and possibly a rope.

Harness

Climbing Harness

This is a seat belt with leg loop made from webbing that is either sewn or tied. There are several parts to a harness.  Waist belt , this belt goes around the waist. A buckle is responsible for holding the seat belt together.  The webbing on the belt must be doubled back to function properly. Leg loops, these are attached to the seat belt and go around the legs.  They should fit snuggly and may also have a buckle that should be doubled back. Belay loop, this is a loop of webbing that connects the seat belt to the leg loops.  It is also used to attach the belay device to the harness with a locking carabiner.  It is never used as a tie-in point for the rope.

Buckle, this is a flat metal component with two slots in it or a two piece auto locking buckle.  For non auto locking buckles, look for buckles that have tight snug-fitting slot to hold the webbing, otherwise it will have a tendency to creep and loosen through the day.  For auto lockers, look for a buckle system that has to be lift over 60° before releasing the webbing.  Never un-thread an auto-locking buckle; they are a pain to re-thread.  Traditional buckles should be passed through the slots three times.

Triple passed buckle - safe

Double passed buckle - not safe

The harness is the connecting point to the safety system, either the climbing rope or direct anchor, so it should function well.  Things to consider are fit and function.  No matter what harness you purchase it MUST fit well.  The correct fit should meet all of the following criteria:

1.      Waist belt.  This should come up over the hip bone and fit snuggly.  If you can slide three stacked finger between your hip and waist belt the belt is too loose.  Pull down on the belay loop; does the waist belt slide down past the hips?  If this happens, the harness is too loose and is dangerous.  If you can’t get any tighter, the size is too large, go smaller on the size.  Harnesses do not fail, but people can fail to fit them properly.

2.      Buckle.  Even if the waist belt can fit the hips is there enough belt tail to be threaded through the buckle?  There should be a least 3 inches of tail on the webbing belt after it has threaded three times through the buckle.   Some modern harness have auto locking buckles, this three inch rule still applies, but should be less of an issue.

3.      Leg loops.  The leg loops will come in two styles; adjustable and fixed.  If purchasing a harness with fitted leg loops there will be an elastic band that keeps the leg loops snug.  If the leg loops are adjustable, make sure that you can get them tight enough and large enough to fit over bulky cloths if you plan on climbing in the winter and yes you must close the buckles.

Function of a harness depends on what the intended use is.  Tips for purchasing a climbing harness for general climbing.

1.      Shape.  The belt shape will have a big impact the performance of the harness.  Too wide or bulky and it will limit your climbing movement.  Too thin or narrow and you will hate life on your first multipitch climb.  The best shape is somewhat of a bull horn shape with some padding and about 3-4″ in the back with a taper down to around 1″ in the front.  This will be supportive but allow freedom of movement.

2.      Belay loop.  The belay loop is the location for attaching the belay device with a carabiner.  Look for a harness that has a small, compact loop.  The compact loop keeps the belay device closer to the body and makes it less strenuous to work the belay mechanics.  This is especially true with people with small hands and short arms.  This loop should be no more than 3″ from end to end.

3.      What is your intended use of the harness?  Sport, gym, single pitch trade climbing or multipitch climbing.  Beginners should focus on an all around harness.

a.       How many gear loops you need will depend on the type of use.  For traditional climbing, a harness with 4 or 5 loops is preferred.  Sport climbers often only need two, but most harnesses will have four, the loops will be smaller on a sport harness.  If you plan to ice climb, a harness with ice clipper slots is a real advantage for racking ice screws.

b.      Location of Gear loops.  What is the location of the gear loops?  Put the harness on and see where the gear loops are.  Are they too far back for you to reach or are they so far forward that the gear bounces off your legs while climbing.

c.       The sizes of the gear loops are important.  For traditional climbing you will need to be able to clip 5-7 items on each loop.

d.      Forward tilt.  On many harness the gear loops tilt forward, forcing gear to slide forward as gear is removed.  This is handy when climbing harder routes.  I will rack gear in order of use so that I am always pulling from the front of the gear rack.  Having a forward tilt makes this easier.

Recommended harnesses include:

a.      Misty

b.       Black Diamond

Belay setup

Proper Belay setup

The belay setup is composed of two mechanical devices, rope and belay loop.  This section will focus on the belay device and the carabiner.  Study the diagram for information on how the belay should be set up.

Belay devices come in a variety of styles.  There is no one style that is ideal for all situations, but there are a few that are good all around.

Tube style belay device

Tube style with V slots

Most styles these days are a form of the tube style belay device.  The rope will pass through a slot and down around a carabiner and back up through the same slot.  The bends in this style create pressure and increase surface contact which increases friction for holding power.

When selecting a device you must match the diameter of rope that you will be using with the device.  For example, a Black Diamond ATC (a very common belay device) will work great with ropes in the 10.5mm range.  However, many find this device to be slippery on ropes less than 9.8mm making it difficult to catch falls and lower climbers.

If using rope less than 10mm in diameter consider

• Petzel Reverso
• Black Diamond ATC Guide
• Black Diamond ATC-XP

If using ropes over 10mm consider

• Black diamond ATC

Carabiners

Most people select large carabiners to belay with.  This is incorrect.  The things to look for in a belay carabiner are size, shape and stock.  The first consideration is size; this should be smaller.  The smaller carabiner keeps the belay device closer to the belay loop and under more control.  Shape should be a HMS pear shaped or D shaped.  The D shape keeps the rope along the spine better, which is the strongest part, but the HMS carabiner can also be used with the Munter hitch in case you drop the belay device.  The stock of the carabiner should be round, not flattened.  Round stock is more rope friendly, locks up when needed and feeds better than flattened carabiners.

Recommendations

• Metolius HMS Element Belay locker
• Petzel Attaché
• Petzel Am’ D

Shoes

The selection of shoe will depend not only on what you intend to climb, but also the shape of your foot.  Remember the most important thing; the shoe must fit your foot.  Don’t buy a shoe just because someone climbed that hard route in them, the shoe must fit your foot properly in order to do the job.

The fit of a climbing shoe should be snug.  There are three general patterns that climbers follow: flat foot, curve toe and hammer toe.  For most people the hammer toe is not recommended, and many climbers who used this fit method are having foot trouble these days.  Flat foot is what beginning climbers will be most comfortable with.  This can be described as having your toes flat but touching the end of the shoe.  A good rule of thumb is to select a climbing shoe that is approximately 1″ shorter that your street shoe provided you have the correct street shoe size, less for smaller feet.  The shoe will fit well if there is no dead space in the toe box area.   For more climbing performance, you may want to use a curve toe fit.  This is approximately ½ smaller than the flat foot fit.  It will cause your toes to curl under slightly, but not so much that they point down.

Foot shape affects the fit.  Foot shape relative to climbing can be broken down into two categories: narrow feet vs.  medium and mortan toe vs. normal.  The most difficult foot shape to fit is a narrow foot.  Climbing shoes must be snug to edge properly otherwise you will get foot roll, or the foot shifting in the shoe.  This will constantly cause your feet to pop off small foot holds, not fun.  Some shoes that work with narrow feet are

• Evolv – bandit
• Evolv – pontas lace
• La Sportiva – mythos
• La Sportive – Barracuda

A mortans toe is a foot with the second or third toe longer than the big toe.  Many shoes today have an asymmetrical shape the curves toward the big toe.  This is unfriendly to people with mortans toe, but works great for normal feet.  There are a couple of shoes that work with mortans toe

• Evolv – Demorto
• La Sportiva – Katana
• La Sportiva – Mythos

The function of the shoe will be a factor in selection also.  Shoes are made flat or down curved these days.  Flat shoes will work for outdoor climbing on slabs, cracks and vertical face climbing.  Flat lasted shoes will also be preferred for long days when you can’t take the shoes off between pitches.  But when the angle steepens beyond vertical, most climbers are using a shoe with mild to extremely down curved last.  Beginners should avoid shoe with a down curve at first, it’s painful.  It took me a month to get use to my first pair of down curve shoes.  Remember, you won’t keep them on for more than five minute anyway.  Get a pair of flat lasted shoes first and as your feet get stronger and use to being crammed into a tight pair of climbing shoe then get a pair of down curve shoes.

Helmets

Climbing Helmets

If you climb outdoors, you will eventually need a helmet.  I have not personally been hit on the head by a rock in twenty years of climbing, however a half dozen of my friends have and I have been hit by rocks before, just not on the head.  There are places where you may get by without a helmet, but with modern advances in technology helmets have become comfortable, light and much more agreeable to wear.  Make sure the helmet is CE approved before purchasing.  This guarantees that it will with stand impacts from falling objects.  Some helmet use expanded foam with a thin plastic cover.  These are extremely light.  Others rely on a hard plastic shell for protection.  Your choice which to use, both do the job.

Helmets

• Mammut – Tripod
• Petzel -Elios

Ropes

Selecting a climbing rope these days is an overwhelming task; which size, which brand, why are they so expensive, bicolor, triple marked, dry, non-dry, are just some of the considerations you have to decide upon.

Rope length

The modern standard is 60meters or 198 feet.  Most ropes are cut 3% longer to allow for shrinkage.  In some areas routes are being put up with 70m ropes.  These are sport routes that are around 35m in length and therefore you need a 70m to lower off.  In traditional climbing avoid the temptation to use 70m.  Linking pitches may work at times, but more often you’ll end up running out of gear, having really bad rope drag and not being able to hear you partner which can lead to confusion and even accidents.  This has happened more than you think.

Size

For beginners, who will be top roping most climbs, a 10.2 to 10.5 will give the best compromise between durability, handling and feed well through the belay device.  11mm ropes are unnecessarily thick and make belaying a chore.  This size will allow you to take many falls without damaging the rope.

For multipitch climbing a 9.5 to 10mm works well.  It is light, handles well and will hold up if used properly.  Obviously, it will not take as many falls as a thicker rope, but I don’t know too many traditional leaders who are taking lots of falls on tradition gear.

Other considerations

Bicolor ropes change color at the mid- points and are great for single pitch top roping and even multipitch climbing.  If you plan to climb ice, get the best dry treatment possible.  Icy ropes will not pull through the belay device well.  If not, you can skip the dry treatment as most do not climb rock in the rain.

Examples of climbing ropes

• Sterling Velocity 10.2
• Blue water Dominator 9.4

To uncoil a NEW rope

1.      Remove packaging

2.      Insert left arm into the coil and hang the coil from this arm.  You must get all the loops or you WILL BE IN TROUBLE.

3.      Look at the rope and find one end and pull a few feet off.  Make sure that you are pulling from the side that the strand will uncoil from.

4.      Insert the right arm into the coil from the opposite side and pull tension between the arms, holding the coil in place.

5.      Begin to unwind the coil UNDER TENSION.  Go slow and pile the rope at your feet. Keep the tension between the arms, otherwise you will lose the coil (this is bad)

6.      If you do this correctly, you will not need to do a single thing else to the rope.

7.      If you do this incorrectly,

a.       Place a carabiner on a sling around a sturdy object at least 25 feet away, the farther the better.

b.      Start with one end and pull the entire rope through the carabiner and stack randomly.  The rope MUST make a 180 degree bend at the carabiner.  Stand next to the rope stack 25 feet away.

c.       Flip the stack and repeat this process 3-6 times.  Be sure to always pull the same end each time, otherwise you will just be moving twists back and forth across the rope.

Rope handling

The rope needs to be handled properly to prevent kinks and tangles.  There is nothing worse than having to untangle a rope.  The easiest method of coiling the rope is the butterfly coil.  Start with a flaked rope on a tarp or rock, find the two ends and pull 10 ft of both strands through your hands.  Drape the rope over your neck and begin throwing 5-6 ft sections over your neck.  Soon you will reach the end of the rope, which is actually the middle.  Carefully remove the coil from your neck and wrap it 3 times with the extra 10ft.  Pull a loop of rope through the newly created hole; pass the end through the loop and you’re done.  To do this effectively you must flake the rope beforehand.

Flaking the rope involves taking one end of the rope and pulling it through your hands, randomly stacking the rope on top of itself.  Check for nicks and frays as you do so.  Be careful to leave both ends showing so they are easy to find for coiling or tying into.  Now you are ready to toss the rope.

For tossing a rope, you will need to first coil the middle section in a butterfly coil.  First, make sure that you are anchored.  You can toss this section after you yell “rope”.  This call will notify anyone below that you are tossing a rope, so be aware.  Coil the last half and yell rope again and toss the second half over the edge.

Rope Care

A rope is a valuable tool that must be kept in good working condition for your safety and the safety of others.  Keep the rope clean by using a tarp in dirty climbing areas or sand stone cliffs.  Some prefer a rope bag, but a 5×7 tarp can be cut down to 4×5 and is the perfect size.  Avoid running the rope over edges.  Place the master points over the edge so the climbing rope does not run over and edge.  The motion will abrade the sheath.  Sunlight and chemical can weaken the rope.  Store a rope in a location away from light and chemical cleaners.  Bleach, acid and many other chemical can have a negative effect on the rope. Do not place the rope on asphalt or in a parking lot.  Cars can leak chemical that have a negative effect on ropes.  Retire a rope when it is time, old rope will lose the dynamic properties even when the sheath looks good.