Rock Climbers: Climb It, Protect It
Rock Climbers: Climb It, Protect It
Rock Climbers: Climb It, Protect It
CONTENTS
1.
www.sportengland.org
www.thebmc.co.uk/firststeps
Photo Credits
Cover shot: Alex Messenger.
Other credits: Alex Messenger, Mike Hutton,
Niall Grimes, Ray Wood, Michael Doyle,
Becky McGovern, Plas y Brenin, Laetitia Sterling,
Peter Sterling, Nick Brown, Barnaby Carver,
Dougie Cunningham, Don Sargeant,
Andrew Sinclair, Cath Flitcroft, Jon Garside.
www.bmcshop.co.uk
2.
Climb within
your ability
Ask a friend
Many climbers take their first steps outside with
an experienced friend or family member. This
can be a fun option. Do you know anyone who
climbs outside to show you the ropes?
Go on a course at an
outdoor centre
www.thebmc.co.uk/climbing-for-all
Join a club
Clubs provide a great opportunity to meet likeminded people to climb with. There are over 300
BMC climbing, hill walking and mountaineering
clubs in England and Wales. These vary from small
and local to large national clubs, with some clubs
owning huts in prime locations near crags. Many
climbers are members of one or more club for
decades, building life-long friendships. Find a club
near you on our website.
www.thebmc.co.uk/find-a-club
Other resources
BMC TVs Skills channel is full of short films covering the fundamentals for
climbing outside. New films are added regularly and chances are that youll find
one to hone your skills. For a comprehensive video resource you can purchase
the BMCs Rock Climbing Essentials DVD online from the BMC shop.
www.bmcshop.co.uk
http://tv.thebmc.co.uk/channel/skills
Risk
The BMC recognises that climbing and
mountaineering are activities with a danger
of personal injury or death. Participants
in these activities should be aware of and
accept these risks and be responsible for
their own actions and involvement. Each
individual should identify a personally
acceptable level of risk.
Managing risk boils down to having
the right level of skill and experience
relative to the difficulty and seriousness
of a given climb. An important part of
making the transition to climbing outside
is developing the ability to judge whether
your own skills are sufficient for the climb
undertaken. Experienced climbers strive
hard to know their own limitations, and so
the sport enjoys remarkably low accident
rates. For your first climbs, choose those
well below the grade youre confident at
climbing indoors.
Accidents can happen due to
circumstances over which you may have
no control, such as rock fall, and first aid
training can make all the difference in such
events. All climbers should be familiar with
basic emergency procedures, as outside
help will always take time to arrive. Check
out the emergency procedures chapter on
page 34 for more information.
Many serious accidents involve head
injuries. Deciding whether to wear a helmet
is a personal choice, however wearing a
helmet has saved individuals from serious
injury or death. More information about
climbing helmets is on our website.
www.thebmc.co.uk/helmets
3.
4.
Young climbers
www.thebmc.co.uk/rockout
www.thebmc.co.uk/find-a-club
Competitions
Delivered at indoor walls and open to children aged
7 to 17, the regional BMC Youth Climbing Series
provides opportunities for young climbers and their
parents to meet others to climb with. Talented
children are identified from the Youth Climbing
Series and invited to attend the BMC Regional and
National Academies.
www.thebmc.co.uk/youth
www.thebmc.co.uk/regionalacademies
Clubs
Clubs provide a great opportunity to meet other
climbers. Many BMC clubs welcome children
when accompanied by a parent or an adult acting
in loco parentis. As a general rule, clubs do not
provide formal instruction but opportunities for
novices to learn from those more experienced.
www.thebmc.co.uk/find-a-club
Parents may not be climbers themselves but can download Young People, a parents
guide to climbing, hill walking and mountaineering from our website. The various
activities are explained and the meaning of commonly used climbing terms provided.
Children and their parents also need to understand the risks associated with climbing,
which the guide helps to address. The majority of todays best climbers began
climbing when children, developing climbing skills and risk awareness in tandem.
www.thebmc.co.uk/youngpeople
5.
Being a climber
Chipping
Sanitation
Access to climb
Gardening
Keep cleaning to a minimum, ensuring you dont
remove any rare species. If in doubt, remove nothing.
Dogs
www.thebmc.co.uk/cleaning
Parking
Be considerate and dont block gates or entrances - a
major cause of access issues. Parking a little further
away than you may wish often eliminates conflict
with local residents and farmers.
www.thebmc.co.uk/birdsfilm
Never ignore climbing restrictions your actions could lose access for everyone.
6.
Bouldering
What is bouldering?
Bouldering is climbing problems - like very short
routes - of five to ten moves not far above the
ground without ropes. Whilst indoor bouldering
walls have extensive matting throughout, when
outside youre not so lucky! Instead, bouldering
mats are taken to absorb the impact of a fall.
Where to boulder
There are many bouldering venues across
the country with their problems described in
guidebooks. The BMC publishes guidebooks
for the Peak District, a world class bouldering
destination. Another guidebook, Boulder Britain,
showcases venues throughout the country. You
may also find an artificial boulder in your local park,
perfect for that outdoor climbing fix! Check out our
list of beginner venues.
www.thebmc.co.uk/boulderingvenues
www.thebmc.co.uk/guidebooks
Where to start
Holds
Grades
The same system is used indoors and
outdoors, V grades (V0, V1, V2...) and Font
grades (Font 4, 5, 5+, 6A...). However, as
real rock is so different to indoors, this is
where the comparison ends. Start with
grades way below what youve climbed
indoors. As you gain experience, youll
improve. Climbers with good technique
often find they climb harder on real rock.
Family fun
Age is no barrier to bouldering. What could
be better than a family picnic and some
bouldering on a sunny day? Bouldering
can be a great way to introduce children to
climbing. Think of the boulders as a giant
adventure playground.
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11
BO UL DE RIN G SK ILL :
What is spotting?
Spotting is a technique for reducing the risk of
injury when a boulderer falls off, guiding them
to land upright on the mat, and taking care to
protect their head and back.
www.thebmc.co.uk/guidebooks
www.thebmc.co.uk/spotting
12
www.thebmc.co.uk/rad
www.thebmc.co.uk/placingmats
Sport climbing
Place mats the right way up with the hard foam on top, creating
a level surface. Dont just pile them on top of each other. Try to
cover as large an area as your mats allow, whilst minimising any
gaps in between. Consider filling gaps with a rucksack, ropes,
clothing or small mat doubled up. Check carrying straps are out of
the way. It would be daft to execute the perfect landing only then
to trip over a strap and hurt yourself! Always think where the fall
zone is, as mats are only useful if landed on. Not every problem
goes straight up, and climbers can fall in the most surprising
directions. The spotter may need to move a mat during a climb.
Where to climb
How to spot
7.
Whats underneath
a problem?
Are there small or large rocks?
Does the ground slope away?
A small doubled-up mat could
be wedged under a larger mat
to make a flatter surface. A
spotter can stand up against
this arrangement to prevent it
from sliding down a slope.
13
HO W TO :
www.thebmc.co.uk/safer-sport-climbing
Grading system
The same grading system is used at indoor
walls and sport climbing crags. A direct
comparison cannot of course be made
between rock and an artificial surface, so
drop your grade on those first climbs as
you get used to the rock. When climbing
outside, it is common to find routes
on varied terrain, with easier climbing
interspersed with short harder sections.
1. C
lip into the lower-off with quickdraws or slings
attached to your central loop. Clip into both
anchors or the central ring joining them.
2. Thread a loop of rope through the lower-off and
tie a figure of eight in it.
3. Attach this to the central loop of your harness
with a screwgate karabiner.
4. Untie the original tie-in knot.
5. Check that the rope passes from your belayer,
through the lower-off, to the knot clipped into
your harness.
6. Call to your belayer to take in and check that
you are tight on the rope. Once happy you
are securely attached, unclip the slings or
quickdraws attaching you to the anchor.
7. Call to your belayer to lower you to the ground.
15
8.
Traditional climbing
Traditional climbing, or
trad climbing, offers an
unparalleled sense of
freedom. Mastering the
skills opens the door
to climbing adventures
around the world.
Go small
The granite tors of Dartmoor, the gritstone
cliffs of the Peak District and Yorkshire and
the sandstone edges of Northumberland are
just some cliffs offering short single pitch
climbs. Most mountain crags and sea cliffs
offer climbs completed in stages, known
as multi-pitch climbs. These are more
committing and not best suited for novices.
Great benefits of single pitch climbs
include ease of communication between
climbers, the ability to lower to the ground
if necessary, and ease of descent once the
climb is completed.
Read a guidebook
Crag_Name
Lower Tier
Upper Tier
Twelve fine
climbs in the
lower grades
on the Roaches
anchor
runner
16
77
runner
belayer
The Roaches
belayer
Skyline
leader
runner
www.thebmc.co.uk/leadtradclimb
Some cliffs have seasonal restrictions placed upon them, often to protect nesting
birds from disturbance. Always check your desired crag for restrictions using the
online BMC Regional Access Database (RAD). Ignoring restrictions jeopardises
future climbing access. Android and iOS RAD apps are available for free.
www.thebmc.co.uk/rad
17
Get inspired
From small crags to mountain climbs and towering sea cliffs, the BMCs Rock
Climbing Essentials DVD shows you the very best of British trad climbing. A range
of technical chapters will help supercharge your skills.
www.thebmc.co.uk/hex
www.thebmc.co.uk/cam
18
www.thebmc.co.uk/rockessentials
19
Equipment
Before doing your first
trad climbs you will
need to get kitted out
correctly. Choosing
the right equipment
will help you enjoy
your climbs.
Slings
Two or three 120cm slings will
complement any first rack. They can
be worn around the body with the two
ends connected by a krab. Slings can
either be placed over spikes as a form of
protection or used to equalise a belay.
Belay device
A belay device allows you to control the
rope without the full weight of the climber
going through your hands. Read our
free leaflet for comprehensive advice on
choosing a belay device.
www.thebmc.co.uk/belay
Quickdraws
Quickdraws connect the gear you have placed
in the rock (e.g.nuts and camming devices) to
the rope, therefore reducing the distance you
would drop were a fall to be taken. For a first
rack 12 quickdraws is a good amount. Aim for
a mixture of short, medium and long lengths.
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21
Equipment
Screwgates
Screwgates allow for additional safety.
Ensuring that they are done up will prevent
accidental opening and the karabiner being
loaded gate open. Get yourself two
medium size and one big.
Nut key
An essential piece of kit. Occasionally
wires can get stuck in cracks if they have
been placed too firmly. In this scenario a
nut key is used to help remove them.
Organising equipment
Hexes on krabs
The largest form of protection carried, due to
their strong and robust nature they are popular
as part of a solid belay. Three will be sufficient
(one small, one medium and one large).
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23
Using equipment
Good nut
placement in
narrowing crack
Well-placed
hex
24
Well-placed:
evenly cammed
Mental approach
Sling threaded
around block
Poorly placed
over cammed
www.thebmc.co.uk/hex
www.thebmc.co.uk/cam
25
Building belays
If belaying off a
single anchor make
sure its big!
Clove Hitch
Useful for tying on to anchors due to its simplicity and adjustability (1, 2 & 3).
slide right
loop behind
left
1
Independent AND Equalised
NOT equalised
NOT independent
load rope
26
Attached to a sling
with a clove hitch
27
Attaching to anchors
clove
hitch
www.thebmc.co.uk/oneanchor
2 D shape
karabiners
2 clove hitches
on a big HMS
www.thebmc.co.uk/oneanchor
WATCH: How to attach to two anchors
out of reach at the top of a climb
clove hitch
on screwgate
on central
rope loop
www.thebmc.co.uk/twoanchors
clove hitch
on screwgate
on central
rope loop
clove
hitch
clove
hitch
28
3 Anchor
essentials!
Attaching to two
anchors is simple
when climbing with
double ropes
1 Anchors
equally loaded
2 Anchors
independently
tied off
3 Angles between
anchors 60o
or less
29
Climbing grades
Climbing grades
While indoor and sport climbs use the French
grading system, trad climbs use the British
grading system. Though the two look similar,
both using figures such as 6a, 6b, 6c, they are
not equivalent, a regular point of confusion.
Belaying off
the rope loop
Belaying off
the central
loop
30
UK adj.
www.thebmc.co.uk/grades
French sport
M
D
F1
VD
F2
4a
F3
HS
4b
F4
VS
4c
HVS
5a
E1
F4+
5b
F5
F5+
F6a
F6a+
F6b
E2
5c
E4
F6b+
F6c
E3
6a
F6c+
F7a
F7a+
E5
6b
E6
E7
F7b
F7b+
F7c
6c
F7c+
F8a
E8
Climbers often describe themselves using
adjectival grades, such as, Im a VS leader,
meaning theyre happy leading pretty much
any VS graded climb.
UK tech
7a
E9
E10
F8a+
F8b
F8b+
7b
F8c
F8c+
E11
F9a
31
Falling off
The ultimate goal
of a successful lead
climb is to reach the
top without falling
off. If you do slip
unexpectedly do
not attempt to grab
any protection. You
could badly hurt
your hand or worse.
You could even
pull the piece of
protection out, and
so fall further.
Check Or Deck!
Multi-pitch trad climbing
take time to
check your
knot
9.
Practice at
ground level
32
1
Check the
Anchors
Anchor failure is not an
option if in any doubt always
leave extra gear behind.
Check the rope is properly
threaded through the anchor.
Check the abseil device is
correctly attached to both you
and the rope.
Use a Prusik
The consequences of
abseiling off the end of a rope
are usually fatal. Tying a big
enough knot in the ends of
all ropes should prevent this
from happening.
Abseiling
How to tie
a French
Prusik
www.thebmc.co.uk/abseiling
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10.
Emergency procedures
Make a plan
Stay calm and assess the situation. Consider
what should be done immediately to safeguard
everyone. Try to determine your position and
consider the options for walking down, sending for
help, or finding shelter.
Only minor injuries should come within the scope
of treatment and self-evacuation. For all other
cases make the casualty safe, start first aid, and
send for Mountain Rescue.
First Aid
Many climbers do not consider the importance of
first aid training until standing next to an injured
partner. First aid courses tailored for climbers and hill
walkers are available. Book yourself on one!
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BMC INSURANCE
I N S U R A N C E
Y O U
C A N
www.mountainrescuescotland.org
www.thebmc.co.uk/insurance
0161 445 6111
Some rescues
require helicopter
evacuation.
T R U S T