VDiff SportClimbingBasics E Book June2019 PDF

Sport Climbing Basics
Sport Climbing Basics
E-Book Edition
© VDiff 2019. All rights reserved. This publication is the property of VDiff.
Writer and Illustrator: Neil Chelton
Photographers:
- Fraser Harle
- Alex Ratson
- James Rushforth
- Dan Lane
Front Cover:
Monte Sordo, Finale Ligure, Italy. Photographer: James Rushforth.
Frontispiece:
Koon Morris on Bad Attitude, Dumbarton Rock, Scotland. Photographer: Fraser Harle.
Warning: Climbing is Dangerous

Simply browsing this book will not cause you to suddenly become an experienced
sport climber. Mistakes are easy to make and accidents can be fatal.
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.
Contents
6 Introduction
18 Belaying
38 Leading
48 Anchors
64 Descending
76 Multi-Pitch
88 Technique
102 Knots
VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics 5

Introduction
Climb: Lynne Hempton in the Val Duron, Italy. Photographer: James Rushforth.
What is Sport Climbing?
Sport climbing is physical. down. However, there are many more

skills to learn before you make the
It’s a relatively safe form of rock transition from plastic to rock.
climbing in which you push the
boundaries of your physical It's important to take the time to
capabilities, often achieving goals that become competent at these basic
you previously thought were skills before you commit your life to
impossible. them at the crag.
The sport climbing routine is basically It won't take long, and with a solid
the same as leading at an indoor gym; understanding of these techniques,
clip the rope into quickdraws as you you'll find it easy to progress at the
climb, reach the anchor and lower sport.
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Who is This Guide For?

Sport Climbing Basics is intended to hopefully alter some bad habits.
help recreational climbers build upon
their sport climbing skills. This guide is intended for those who
already have a solid understanding of
The techniques described throughout the following basic climbing skills:
this book focus on safe, efficient - Tying in to the rope
climbing that give you the best - Wearing a harness
chances of avoiding an accident. - Lead and top-rope belaying
- Using the correct climbing calls
Beginners will build up an
understanding of sport climbing; If you are unfamiliar with these
intermediate climbers will expand upon techniques, or need a refresher,
their existing knowledge; and consider reading our beginner’s guide:
experienced sport climbers will Rock Climbing Basics.
reinforce their knowledge and
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VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Introduction 8

The Grading System
French USA Australian UIAA What This

Actually Means
Low-angled rock with

big, positive holds
Sport routes typically

start around this grade
Usually close to
vertical with good
holds
Requires a high level

of physical endurance
and good technique
You’ll probably need to

train for 10+ years to
climb this
Don’t even bother

What Gear do I Need to Sport Climb?
Rope
You’ll need a ‘single-rated’ rope for length with a diameter of between 9.5
sport climbing. These are marked with – 10.2mm will suit most beginners
a symbol on their ends. A 70m and last well into your climbing career.
leeeeeeee
Things to Consider when Buying a Climbing Rope
Diameter Maximum Impact Force

Climbing ropes come in many different Ropes stretch to absorb energy. The
diameters. Basically, thinner ropes are more energy a rope can absorb, the
lighter, whereas thicker ropes are more lower the force on your protection.
durable. Be aware that the diameter of
your rope may affect which belay This isn’t much of a concern for sport
devices you can use with it. Some climbing, where protection is always
devices are not compatible with very bomber bolts.
thin or very thick ropes.
However, for trad climbing, a rope with
Single rated ropes can be as thin as a low impact force will generate less
8.5mm, making them great for alpine force on your gear, making it more
routes. Skinny ropes are safe – they likely to hold the fall. Lower impact
pass the UIAA lab tests. But at the forces are better. Consider this if you
crag, they are more susceptible to plan to use your rope for trad climbing
abrasion on rough rock or being cut too.
over a sharp edge. For high-use
situations (e.g: working a sport route or After a big fall, let your rope ‘rest’ for
top-roping) a thicker, more durable five minutes to recover its elasticity. If
rope is much better. you get straight back on the rock and
then fall immediately, the impact forces
Your rope is your most critical piece of will be much higher.
gear – it’s better to carry a bit more
weight than to skimp on safety.
Rope Type
Single-rated ropes are the only
suitable type for sport climbing.
Be aware of half ropes and twin ropes

(marked with and symbols).
These are designed to be used as a
pair.

Dry Treatment Remember that if you shorten your
Some climbing ropes are made with a rope (such as to remove a frayed end),
special treatment which helps to the middle marker will no longer be
prevent water being absorbed into correct.
them. Untreated ropes can soak up
more than their own weight in water
during a storm, which dramatically Number of Falls
increases the impact force in a fall. Every climbing rope is rated for a
certain number of falls. This is the
The treatment also helps to stop dirt number of falls using a specific UIAA
and sand getting into the rope's fibres, test which indicates how many falls a
which means the rope will run across rope can take before it breaks.
the rock and through carabiners with
less friction than if it was untreated. Every UIAA certified rope is tested far
more severely than you are likely to
It's worth the extra cost for a dry experience when climbing, so you
treated rope if you plan on climbing in don’t need to retire your rope just
wet/snowy environments. because it’s rated to six falls and
you’ve taken seven.
Middle Markers In real climbing situations, a rope will

Most ropes have some kind of mark withstand hundreds of falls. They don’t
on their sheath to identify the middle. fail unless they run over a sharp edge
This is useful in many situations such of rock, which cuts it, or if they have
as gauging how much rope a leader been stored with sharp objects or
has left, or when setting up an abseil acidic chemicals such as bleach or
where you need the rope to be leaking batteries. They do, however,
perfectly centred at the anchor. Some wear out over time, especially if you
ropes even have a different colour or take a lot of falls, so make sure to
pattern on each half to identify the inspect your rope regularly (see page
middle. 16).
Belay Device
Sport climbers usually belay with an
assisted-braking belay device such as
the Petzl GriGri.
If the rope moves quickly through the

device (e.g: if a climber falls) a cam
inside it rotates and pinches the rope.
This makes it easier to hold the fall.
You can also belay with a standard

ATC.

Harness
Sport climbing harnesses are built to
be light. To save weight, they have
minimal gear loops and padding.
If you plan to use your harness for trad

climbing too, you should consider
getting an all-round harness which has
more gear loops and a padded waist
belt.
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 Waist Belt

Harnesses either have fixed size or The waist belt should fit around the
adjustable leg loops. They should fit smallest part of your waist, above your
closely around your thighs without hips.
hindering movement.
It needs to adjust small enough to fit
Adjustable leg loops are useful if you tight over a t-shirt, with enough
plan to climb in cold environments adjustment to get it on easily or wear a
where you'll need to wear thicker jacket underneath too.
pants, or if the fixed size options just
don't quite fit.

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.
Quickdraws
Any type of quickdraw will work,
though sport-specific draws are often
lighter. They also usually have a bent-
gate carabiner at the rope-end which
is held in place by a piece of rubber.
This makes the draw more rigid, and
quicker to use.
Quickdraws with ‘keylock’ gates are

less likely to get stuck in an incorrect
orientation on bolts than the hooked Keylock Hooked Nose
nose style (see page 45).
10-12 quickdraws will be enough for

most routes. For longer routes, you
may need 15 or more. It’s also useful
to have a few extendable quickdraws
for bolts which are far to one side or
underneath a roof.
Rope Bags and Tarps

Rope bags or tarps provide a clean
space for your rope if there is dust or
mud at the base of a climb. They are
very convenient for single pitch sport
climbing if you frequently move
between routes.
next route and you’re ready to go. You
You never need to coil your rope – can buy a specifically designed rope
simply stack it into the tarp and roll it bag, but a heavy-duty IKEA bag works
up. Then unroll it at the base of the just fine too.
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Shoes
For beginners, the right climbing shoe
is one that fits your foot and your
wallet the best. Look for discounts,
and get a general use shoe. A
beginner with sloppy foot technique
will wear out this first pair of shoes
fast. For your second pair of shoes, it
largely depends on what type of
climbing you will be doing.
For slabs, a shoe with a soft sole and

a low-cut upper works well. For steep
routes, you’ll be better with a tight-
fitting shoe that has a pointy toe, good
lateral support and a very low-cut
upper for ankle flexibility.
Many climbers have their shoes
Different brands favour a wider or resoled when the rubber has worn
narrower foot, so make sure to try down, instead of buying new shoes. If
them on before you buy. Only shop you plan to get a resole, do so before
online if you’re certain which type and the rand (the band of rubber around
size you need. Whichever shoes you the shoe, above the sole) starts to
get, your foot should not rotate, nor wear. It will become more expensive
should your toes be painfully crushed once this wears through.
up in the toe-box. A good fitting shoe
is more important than one designed Remember to air your shoes out after
for the style of climbing you want to use and store them in a cool, dry
do. place.
Chalk
Chalk soaks up finger and hand
sweat, therefore increasing your grip
on the rock. However, too much chalk
on holds can actually make them less
grippy. Many climbers carry a brush to
scrub these holds clean. An
excessively chalked route can be an
eyesore. It also reveals all the key routes tend to stay sheltered and so
holds, making the route much less the chalk remains through all but the
exploratory for the next climbers. windiest storms. In some areas, you
must use specific rock-coloured chalk.
Rain usually cleans away chalk marks Consider your impact on the
from exposed rock. Overhanging environment before you ‘chalk up’.
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Anchor Kit
To set up a top-rope at the anchor, or
to prepare for abseiling you’ll need:
* 4 spare screwgates
* 2 short slings
* A cordelette/ long sling
Helmet
At many sport crags, it is rare to see
someone wearing a helmet. The main
reason is that sport crags tend to be
overhanging, making both the leader
and belayer safely sheltered from
rockfall. Although it’s possible to injure
your head in a leader fall, this rarely
happens on steep, overhanging rock
because the leader will fall into
‘space'.
However, you should wear a helmet at

a sport crag if:
- There are any signs of loose rock
above
- There are people directly above you
(e.g: on a multi-pitch)
- You are leading a vertical or slabby
route
In these cases, it is better to be safe

than fashionable.
Buying Used Gear
You'll probably begin climbing using depends on (e.g: ropes, harness,

other people's gear but at some point carabiners) should be bought new. You
you’ll have to invest in your own. Be can save money on other gear (e.g:
prepared though – climbing gear is shoes, chalk bags) by getting it used.
expensive. With your own gear, you will know
the history of it and therefore know it's
Pieces of equipment which your life reliability.
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Looking After your Gear
It’s important to inspect your climbing Exposure to battery acid or acid fumes
gear frequently and replace anything will significantly reduce the strength of
which shows significant signs of wear. nylon. Keep your rope out of the dirt.
Frayed or faded slings, or any metal Grains of rock and sand can cut tiny
gear which has been dropped off a cliff fibres inside it. Wash your rope
should be replaced. occasionally in lukewarm water and
allow it to dry in the shade.
Nylon gear (ropes, slings and
harnesses) degrades over time and Store your climbing gear in a cool, dry
should be replaced every five years, place out of direct sunlight. If any gear
even if you’ve barely used it. UV gets wet, let it dry completely before
radiation from direct sunlight will speed you store it away.
this time up.
How to Inspect your Climbing Rope

You should check your rope for A slightly fuzzy sheath isn’t a problem.
damage frequently. Starting at one However, severe fuzzing may make a
end, feed the rope through your hands, rope unsafe.
looking and feeling for non-uniform
sections. Look out for: As a general rule, if you can see a
- Cuts rope’s inner core, the sheath has worn
- Burns too thin and you should retire the rope.
- Flat or soft spots Make a nice rug out of it, or use it as a
- Sheath bunching up over the core washing line.
Climbing Etiquette
There are different rules when you - Stick to recognized trails to avoid
venture outside of the climbing gym. trampling vegetation
When you go to a new climbing venue, - Keep pets on a leash or leave them
ask the locals if there are any special at home
considerations. Generally, it all comes - Don’t alter the natural environment
down to being polite, respecting other (never chip holds)
climbers and having common sense. - If other climbers arrive at a route
Here are some basic etiquette before you, they get to climb first
guidelines: - If you’re moving slow on a multi-
pitch, it is polite to allow faster teams
- Avoid making excessive noise to pass – if you have plenty of time
- Keep your stuff in a small, tidy pile and there is no danger of rockfall
- Take your litter and human waste
home

Bolt Quality
Bolts are either adhesive or If you choose to bolt, or re-bolt, a

mechanical. Adhesive bolts are glued route, make sure you fully understand
into the hole with specially formulated how to do it. We recommend joining a
epoxy. UIAA approved course to learn how to
bolt safely. All bolts should abide by
Mechanical bolts work either by the UIAA Standard 123 regulation.
expansion or compression, though
expansion bolts are most common on Don’t trust bolts that are:
sport routes. The bolt is placed into a - Rusty or corroded
drilled hole and tightened. This - Smaller than 3/8 inch (approx 10mm)
expands the rear part of the bolt into in diameter
the hole. - Loose (e.g: the hanger can spin
around)
Both types of bolt are incredibly - In bad rock
strong. A new, well-placed bolt will not - Have an obviously home-made
break or fall out in a normal sport hanger
climbing situation. However, many
sport climbing areas have no The same goes for anchor chains or
regulations on what type of bolt must lowering rings. It is your responsibility
be used. There are also no as a climber to inspect every bolt and
qualifications needed to bolt a route. anchor that you clip. If you come
This has led to some areas being across a badly bolted route or a worn
poorly bolted. out anchor, consider downclimbing to
the ground instead of lowering.
Finding a Climbing Partner
It takes two to climb! There are a few abilities, have a staff member test you
different ways to find a climbing both on belaying and lead skills before
partner, including: you climb together. Progress to a
- At the indoor climbing gym single pitch crag after the gym. Inspect
- On a climbing course the quality of their equipment and their
- At a climbing club anchor building techniques carefully
- Through friends before you move on to more
- On internet forums committing multi-pitch routes.
However you find a partner, it’s Don’t blindly trust someone with your
important to assess how safe they are. life until they have proven themselves
A good ‘first date’ is to climb at the trustworthy. Stop climbing with
gym. Be upfront and honest about your someone who does strange or
skills but be aware that some people dangerous things. Instead,
will exaggerate their abilities in order to recommend that they take a course, or
impress. If you are unsure of their read this book, or both.
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Belaying
Climb: The Octopus Garden, Smoke Bluffs, Squamish, Canada. Photographer: Alex Ratson.
Assisted-Braking Belay Devices
Belaying at the crag is more difficult and pinches the rope. This makes it
than belaying indoors. Uneven ground, easier to hold the fall. It also requires
falling rocks, strong sunlight, wind, much less effort to hold a climber
insects, stray children and dogs are while they rest for a few minutes.
just some of the factors which
complicate the task. GriGri's are not auto-locking – you still
have to hold the brake rope at all
Any type of belay device can be used times, just like you would with a normal
for sport climbing, though using an belay device.
assisted-braking belay device (such as
the Petzl GriGri) is the most common. This is especially true with thinner
ropes, very light climbers or if there is
The GriGri functions like a car seat rope-drag on the route.
belt. You can pull rope through slowly
without it catching, but if the rope GriGri’s are safe belay devices, but
moves through quickly (e.g: if a climber accidents have happened due to
falls), a cam inside the GriGri rotates improper use.
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GriGri's are designed to work with the GriGri+

following rope diameters. Make sure
you're using the correct rope for your GriGri 2
device.
GriGri 1
Other assisted-braking belay devices
have different specifications. Check Rope
Diameter
the manufacturer's instructions before
(mm) 8.5 8.9 10 11
you use them.
VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Belaying 20

Attaching a GriGri to Your Harness
Step 1 Step 2
Open the device and feed the rope in Close the GriGri.
as shown. (diagrams for rope
installation are engraved on the
interior and exterior of a GriGri).
Rope to
Climber
Brake
Rope
Step 3 Step 4
Clip a screwgate carabiner to your Clip the GriGri to the carabiner and
belay loop. fasten the gate.

GriGri Belay Techniques
Taking In Lowering
Simply pull rope through the GriGri as Lock the rope with your brake hand,
you would with a normal atc-style and slowly pull the handle back until
device, making sure to keep hold of you feel resistance. This will
the brake rope. disengage the locking mechanism
slightly. With a little practise, you
should be able to find a ‘sweet spot’
where you are able to slowly lower the
climber. Make sure to keep hold of the
brake rope as you do this. To stop
lowering, simply let go of the handle.
It's important not to pull the handle all
the way back. This will completely
disengage the locking mechanism,
making it very difficult to keep control
of the device.
Locking Off
If the climber falls, lock off downwards.
The GriGri’s camming action will hold
most or all of their weight. Pulling the Giving Slack Slowly
brake rope down also helps the cam to To give slack slowly, pull rope up
engage rapidly. through the GriGri as you would with a
normal atc-style device, making sure
You should keep in the locked-off to keep hold of the brake rope.
position whenever you are not taking
in or giving slack.

Giving Slack Quickly
If you try to feed slack through too is trying to clip a quickdraw. To avoid
quickly, the cam will engage and lock this happening, use the following
the device: not ideal when your partner technique instead.
Step 1 Step 2
Hold your index finger out while Place your index finger under the lip
gripping the brake rope tightly with on the side of the GriGri.
your other three fingers.
Step 3 Step 4
Put your thumb over the back edge of As soon as you've pulled out enough
the handle and push it down. This rope, go back to the primary belaying
temporarily disengages the locking position. If the climber falls when you
mechanism. At the same time as doing are disengaging the locking
this, pull out slack rope with your left mechanism, immediately remove your
hand. thumb and continue to hold onto the
brake rope.
It's important to perform these steps

quickly.

GriGri Belaying – Common Mistake
A bad habit while giving slack is to
keep the handle held down without
holding the brake rope.
If the climber falls when you are in this

position, you will not be able to quickly
lock-off the rope (or lock-off at all).
Lazy belaying can kill your partner. If

you hold the handle down to give
slack, even just for one second, make
sure to keep hold of the brake rope
and release your thumb straight away.
Belay Techniques
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. could disengage their belay device, or
the extra rope could cause the leader
There are many situations when a to hit a ledge or the ground. Watch
dynamic belay is unsafe. A lightweight your partner carefully and learn to
belayer might be pulled upwards into a recognize how much of a dynamic
roof or into the first quickdraw which 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 rock 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 to a ground anchor with enough slack
technique, however, reduces the to move around and give a soft catch
belayer’s ability to move around the if needed, but not so much slack that
base of the route and give a soft you would be pulled into the first
catch. A good compromise is to attach quickdraw.
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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.
Runout Routes
On sparsely bolted ‘runout’ routes
where a fall onto a ledge or the ground
is possible, the belayer can run
backwards away from the route if the
leader falls. This takes rope out of the
system far quicker than pulling slack
through a belay device, which means
the leader will fall less distance.
Remember to keep both hands on the

rope in the locked-off position as you
run back, and look out for trip hazards.
It results in an uncomfortable, abrupt ground. Routes like these, however,
fall but is far better than hitting the are best avoided.
vvvvvvvvvv
How to be a Better Belayer
Just as people pick up bad habits after have learned the basics. Here are
they pass their driving test, climbers some tips to keep your climbing
often get lazy with belaying once they partners alive.
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Stay in Position
You should stand in a position fairly
close to the wall where you can take a
few steps forward or backward to give
slack or take in while still locked off.
Don't sit down, lie down, or face in the
wrong direction.
If the climber is to the left of the first

quickdraw, you should stand to the
right to avoid being hit by rocks,
dropped gear or their feet.
Don't Let Go of the Rope

Sounds obvious, but it's amazing how
many experienced climbers let go of
the brake rope for a brief moment
while belaying.
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.
This is a common problem with The Bottom Line

assisted-braking belay devices, where Your partner's life is literally in your
it is easy to get comfortable using hands. If they fall while your hand is
them and forget they do not always loose or off the rope, you probably
auto-lock. won’t catch the fall.

Watch and Listen
Keep an eye on the climber so you
can give slack at the exact same time
as they clip a high quickdraw or brace
yourself if they fall. If you can’t see the
climber, listen for commands from
them and watch for movements in the
rope.
Pay special attention when the leader

is clipping the rope into a quickdraw.
The extra bit of slack you have out
makes the leader vulnerable to a
longer fall if they slip just before
making the clip.
You cannot give complete attention to

the climber if you are talking to
someone else. Likewise, avoid starting belaying, and walk well around them
a conversation with someone who is so you don’t compromise their belay.
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Keep an Appropriate Amount of Slack

When lead belaying, the rope should
always travel outwards and upwards
from your belay device to the first
quickdraw. Lazy belayers often give
too much slack so they can wait longer
before having to deal with the rope
again. This can be incredibly
dangerous for the leader. Take and
give slack as your climber moves to
maintain the correct arc in your rope.
When top-rope belaying, keep the

rope fairly tight for the first few moves
so the climber doesn’t hit the ground if
they fall.
Be Ready and Inform

You should stand in a 'ready' position, any dangers or mistakes they are
so that if your climber falls or needs making. Look out for back-clips, if their
help, you can react quickly to the leg is around the rope or if they should
situation. Let the climber know about extend a quickdraw.
aaaaa

Close the System
If you are not certain how long a pitch
is, or how long your rope is, the
belayer should tie into the bottom end
of the rope. This closes the system.
When the climber is tied to one end,
and the belayer is tied to the other, it is
impossible to lower the climber off the
end of the rope. Alternately, tie a knot
in the free end of the rope.
Check
Make it a habit to check yourself and
your partner before each climb.
Rope runs
through the
correct two
points of
harness
Waist belt
and leg loop
buckles
fastened
Stopper knot
Correctly
tied knot
Rope to
climber
(live rope)
Waist belt
and leg loop
buckles
fastened
Screwgate
fastened
Rope to ground
(brake rope)
Correctly set up
belay device

Communicate
At a busy crag, the climber and to be taken off belay. The problem with
belayer should call each other by this method is that it is possible to
name. This confirms that any shouted mistake a leader’s jerky movements or
commands are actually meant for tugs for slack as the off-belay signal. If
them. You won’t always be able to see there’s rope drag it can be even more
or hear your partner very well. Shout difficult to decipher these movements
the climbing commands loudly to be in the rope.
clear.
Keep the climber on belay until you’re
You and your partner should have a certain they are safe. When you feel
pre-arranged signalling system for the same signal repeated many times,
situations where you can’t hear each you’ll know what the leader is trying to
other. One common method is for the say.
leader to give three sharp tugs on the
rope to signal they are off belay. The The Bottom Line
belayer then gives three sharp tugs Never take someone off belay until
back to let them know they are about you’re sure they are off.
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Belaying from the Top
For most sport climbs, you will belay to lower from or abseil, or if you intend
from the bottom – just like you would to walk off the top. First, you’ll need to
at the indoor gym. However, you equalize the anchor with a cordelette
should belay from the top of the route and screwgate carabiners as
when the anchor is in a poor position described on pages 50-52.
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Belay Position
You'll need to attach yourself to the Central Optimal
anchor in a way that you can see your Anchor Belay
partner as they follow the pitch and Point Position
brace yourself if they fall.
Once you are tight to the anchor, make

sure you are positioned in a straight
line between the central anchor point
and the climber. You shouldn’t be
pulled sideways if the climber falls.
The most common attachment and
You'll often need to extend your belay methods are described on the
anchor to get into the optimal belay following pages. With practise, you
position. There are many ways to do should develop the ability to adapt and
this, each with their own advantages combine these methods to suit every
and limitations. belay situation.

Belaying from the Top – Attaching to the Anchor
Method 1 – Clip Directly
Clip your belay loop into the central
point directly with a screwgate
carabiner.
Advantages
- Simple.
Disadvantages Best Situation to Use this Method

- No dynamic aspect to the anchor - If extending the anchor with the rope
(using the rope is much better. See would put you in a bad position to
methods 2-4). belay.
- Very difficult to adjust belay position.
Method 2 – Tie to the Central Point

Tie your rope to the central point using the clovehitch – just shuffle rope
a clovehitch. You can use other knots through and pull it tight. The rope
but the clovehitch has the advantage between you and the central point will
of being super easy to adjust. Fine- need to be fairly tight.
tune your belay position by adjusting
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Advantages
- Only uses a small amount of rope.

- Belay position must be close to the - If the central point is within
central point. reasonable reach of your belay
position (up to two meters or so).

Method 3 – Loop Through the Central Point
Clip the rope through the screwgate on your rope loop and then clovehitch the
the central point, then walk to your rope to it.
belay position. Attach a screwgate to
ssssssss
Advantages
- You can fine-tune your belay position
without moving back to the anchor.

- Uses more rope and one extra - If the central point is out of reach
screwgate than method 2. from your belay position.
Method 4 – Attach Directly to Bolts
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3

Attach the rope to one Clovehitch the rope to Clovehitch the rope to
of the bolts with a the other bolt, leaving a your rope loop with
clovehitch. little slack between the another screwgate.
two.
Best Situation to Use this Method Disadvantages

- If you forget to bring a sling/ - Must be close to the anchor in order
cordelette. to fine-tune your belay position.
- The central point is created at your
Advantages belay loop. This means that you must
- Equalizes two points. belay directly from your harness (you
- Doesn’t require using a cordelette. can't use guide mode).

Belaying from the Top – Belay Methods
Method 1 – Redirected Belay
Clip a spare screwgate carabiner to
the central point and run your partner’s
rope through this, then down to your
belay device. You'll be able to belay as
you normally would on a top-rope. Your
belay device will need to be at least
1.5 meters away from the central 1. 5
point. This reduces the chance of you me
t er
being pulled into it if your partner falls. s
Also, make sure that the rope isn't
rubbing against your attachment knot
at the central point.
Advantages
- Most of the weight of a falling climber
is transferred to the anchor, not your
harness.
Disadvantages
- It's possible to get pulled into the
central point if your partner falls,
particularly if they are heavier than Best Situation to Use this Method
you. In this case, there is a real - When you have a nice ledge to stand
danger of losing control of the brake on and the central point is just above
rope. your head.
Method 2 – Directly from Harness

Attach your belay device to your belay In most situations, the weight of a
loop. This can be set up so the brake falling climber will pull down from you,
rope comes out of either the top or not up. Because of this, you will need
bottom of the belay device – choose to lock off upwards not downwards.
whichever way is easier to lock off the
brake rope.
Rope To
Climber
Spare
Rope

Advantages Best Situation to Use this Method
- You can use this method for almost - If you have used your rope to
every belay situation. equalize the anchor.
Disadvantages
- If your partner falls, it's possible that
their weight will pull uncomfortably on
your harness or over your legs.
Method 3 – Directly from Anchor (Guide Mode)

Some ATC-style belay devices have a
'guide mode' function – they can be
Main
set up in a way which locks
Anchor
automatically if a climber falls. They Point
can be used as a normal belay device
too. You can set up guide mode as
shown, with one rope or two.
Simply pull the brake strands through

as the climber moves up. If they fall,
the device will lock by itself almost
instantly. Even though guide mode
belay devices are auto-locking, you
should always keep hold of the brake Ropes
rope. To
Climber
Advantages
- The weight of a falling climber isn't
on your harness, which is much more
comfortable!
- You can bring up two climbers at the
same time (on two different ropes) –
great if climbing as a team of three. Belayer’s
- Because you are not directly Tie-in
attached to your belay device, it is Point
easier to detach yourself from the
system in an emergency. Best Situation to Use this Method
- When it is unlikely that you will need
Disadvantages to lower the climber (e.g: climbing an
- Time-consuming to lower a climber, easy slab route).
even a short distance. - When climbing as a team of three.

Lowering a Climber in Guide Mode
Before you use guide mode, you must Note: The belayer's anchor
understand how to lower a climber. attachment has been omitted from the
following diagrams for clarity.
Lowering a Short Distance

If the climber only needs a few inches
of slack, you can wiggle the belay
carabiner as they weight the rope.
Carabiners with a perfectly round
cross-section are not so effective at
this.
Lowering a Long Distance

There are a few different ways to do
this, some are faster and some are
safer. The following description is a
safe way to do it.
Step 1 Step 2
Redirect the brake strand(s) through a Girth hitch a sling through the small
high point of the anchor with a hole on your belay device. Newer
screwgate carabiner. Then tie a prusik devices have a big enough hole to clip
knot around the rope and clip it to your a carabiner. If yours does, you can clip
belay loop. a sling to it with a carabiner.
Harness
Belay
Loop

Step 3
Redirect the sling through a high point
of the anchor with a carabiner, then
fasten the sling to your belay loop with
another carabiner. This will allow you
to use your weight to release the belay
device. You could also stand in the
sling to release the belay device,
though it's often easier to control when
clipped to your harness.
You are now able to lower the climber

in a controlled manner. Remember to
slide the prusik knot as you continue
lowering.
Warning! Tying-Off
Never weight the belay carabiner as If you need to go completely hands-
shown. free while belaying in guide mode,
you can tie-off the device. Simply tie
This will disengage the device and an overhand loop in the brake strand
cause the climber to fall. and clip it to the rope as shown below.
Be aware that if the knot jams up into

the belay device, it will be difficult to
lower the climber without belaying
them up a few inches first. Consider
this before you tie them off.

Method 4 – Directly from Anchor (GriGri)
You can belay directly from the anchor
with an assisted-braking belay device
in a similar way to the guide mode
technique. This method can be very
dangerous if used incorrectly (see
below).
Set the device up as shown. Make

sure the device is orientated so the
handle is away from the rock. If the
handle is pointing into the rock, it
could get jammed if the climber falls.
This means it will not catch the fall.
This technique is useful only when

there is absolutely no chance of the
handle catching on something or
getting pressed into the rock, such as
on an overhanging belay.
Lowering a Climber with a GriGri

To lower a climber, use a re-direct on a
high point of the anchor. Failure to do
this will make it extremely difficult to
lower a climber in a controlled manner.
The manufacturers of assisted-braking

belay devices recommend against
belaying directly from the anchor due
to the chance of the handle pressing
on the rock in a fall.
If you are not completely certain that

your anchor is suitable for this type of
belaying, you should use another
method instead.

Where to Put the Spare Rope
There are basically two options. Either
stack it into a neat pile somewhere or
stack it through a sling.
For the sling method, start by pushing

a long loop of rope through the sling.
Continue doing this, making smaller
loops each time (bigger loops are
more likely to get tangled into each
other when you are belaying the
leader on the next pitch).
However you choose to stack the

rope, make sure it is within reach and
that you can do it one-handed – you'll
need to belay at the same time!
Rope Loop or Belay Loop?

You can belay either from your belay climber onto the anchor, rather than
loop or from your rope loop. In some having their weight pulling on your
situations, using the rope loop can be harness. If you are unsure, just use
more comfortable – it can allow you your belay loop.
to transfer the weight of a fallen
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Using the Belay Loop Using the Rope Loop

Leading
Climb: Jake Oughton on Quien Malonda, Costa Blanca, Spain. Photographer: Dan Lane.
Leading
Leading a sport climb is similar to

leading at the indoor wall, but with a
few more factors to consider.
Quickdraw Ends
Quickdraws have a bolt-end carabiner
and a rope-end carabiner. The rope-
end carabiner usually has a curved Bolt End
gate and is held in with an elastic or
rubber loop.
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
if you swap them over. It is
recommended to use quickdraws with
different coloured carabiners so it’s Rope End
easy to identify them.
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.
VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Leading 40

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.
Another way is to steady the carabiner

with your middle finger and then flick
the rope through with your thumb.
Make sure you're comfortable clipping

quickdraws with both hands, in either
direction.
Reducing Rope Drag

You should use the correct length of If the route wanders a little, use longer
quickdraw on each bolt so your rope draws on the bolts which are furthest
runs as straight as possible without from the center line.
creating unnecessary fall potential.
This keeps your rope running straight
If the bolts are in a fairly straight line, and therefore reduces rope drag.
use short draws to limit your fall
potential.

If a bolt is far to one side
or underneath a roof, use
an extendable quickdraw.
When to Clip
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.
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.
It is often safer to do one more move

and then make the clip.

Rope Position
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.
Stick Clipping
If there are hard moves with a bad
landing before the first bolt, consider
using a stick clip to clip the first bolt.
Make sure it isn't back-clipped when
you attach it.
An alternative is to treat this first

section as a boulder problem. Use a
bouldering pad and get your belayer to
spot you.
Quickdraw Orientation
If you will be traversing far to the left
after clipping a draw, it’s better to
orientate it so the rope-end gate faces
right, and vice versa.
If the gate faces in the same direction

as you, there is a greater (but still very
small) chance of the gate opening in a
fall.

Back-Clipping
The rope needs to be clipped through Rope to Climber

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
Belayer
If you clip it the wrong way

(known as back-clipping),
the rope could snap
through the carabiner's
gate during a fall.
Belayers should pay

attention to this too. Inform
the leader if they have
accidentally back-clipped a
quickdraw.
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 big fall.
A common cross-loading situation is

when the rope-end carabiner moves
out of position. The rubber attachment
is designed to stop this – check your
draws to make sure the rubber is still
intact.

Carabiners can also be cross-loaded Use a longer quickdraw to avoid this.
over an edge of rock.
Hooking-Up
Hooking-up is when the
square edge of a bolt
hanger gets caught in the
hook of a carabiner’s nose
or the recess between the
gate and the nose.
A hooked-up carabiner is
extremely weak and could
break during a fall. Recess between
gate and nose
A carabiner with a hooked
nose design, a shallow
angled top bar or a recess
between the gate and nose Shallow
is more likely to get stuck angled
Hooked top bar
in this orientation.
nose
Check you have clipped

each bolt correctly and
avoid using carabiners with No recess between
these features. gate and nose
Steep
angled
Smooth
top bar
nose

Sticky Gates
Make sure the carabiner's gate has
snapped shut after you've clipped the
rope through it. If it stays open, the
rope will most likely fall out. The
carabiner is just as weak as when
cross-loaded.
This could also happen if the gate is

resting against a rock edge. Use a
longer quickdraw to avoid this.
Double Up
If clipping a critical bolt (e.g: when
accidental unclipping would result in
serious injury), it’s a good idea to clip
two draws into the bolt, if they’ll fit.
Clip the longer draw on top so it won’t

be loaded unless something goes
wrong with the other one.
Alternatively, you could have a

dedicated ‘critical quickdraw’ which
has screwgates on either end.
Nylon on Nylon
Never clip the lead rope through a
carabiner which has a sling, cordelette
or other nylon item attached.
If you fall, the rope will rub over the

sling. This will damage the sling and
also your rope.

Retreating
If a climb is too difficult or dangerous, carabiners. If a bolt is dubious, clip a
and you can’t reach the top, the third too. Lower down and remove the
easiest and safest way to bail is to rest of your quickdraws.
leave carabiners on the top two bolts.
It’ll cost you a couple of carabiners but
Simply replace your quickdraws on the it is far safer than lowering from a
highest two bolts with single single bolt.
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Runout Routes
Sport climbs are not always bolted as routes when you’re starting out.
well as gym routes. Outside, bolts tend
to be less evenly spaced, and further Be aware that some bolted routes are
apart. designed to be supplemented with trad
gear to make them safe. You may also
Unfortunately for beginners, the easier need trad gear to build an anchor at
routes at a crag are sometimes the top of these routes. These are not
sparsely bolted. This is because they ‘sport’ routes.
are considered as warm-ups and
therefore the leader is unlikely to fall Make sure you know what you’re
off. Try to stay away from runout climbing before you leave the ground.
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Anchors
Photographer: Alex Ratson.

Anchors – What to do at the Top
Many climbs have bolted anchors at thread it through. After that, you can
the top. This is the standard for sport either abseil, or have your belayer
climbs worldwide, but is also common lower you down.
at many North American trad climbing
venues. It’s important to learn how to do this in
the correct order. If you thread an
These bolted anchors will usually be anchor incorrectly, you could drop your
equipped with maillons (quick links) or rope and be stranded at the anchor, or
lowering rings, sometimes connected even become completely detached
with chains. If you want to set up a top from the bolts.
rope, you’ll need to use your own gear.
You won’t be able to simply clip your

rope through this type of bolted anchor
like you would at the gym. Instead,
you’ll need untie from the rope and
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Setting Up a Top-Rope
With the security of an anchored rope they will only fall a few inches. Top-
above, top-roping is the safest way to roping is great for beginners, large
climb. A top-roped climber can rest on groups or for experienced climbers
the rope whenever they are too tired to who want to push their physical limits.
continue, safe in the knowledge that
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VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Anchors 50

Setting Up a Top-Rope After Leading
You Will Need Best Situation to Use this Method
* Four screwgate carabiners. - If the next climber will top-rope the
* A cordelette/ long sling. route.
Step 1 Step 2
After leading up to the anchor, clip a Clip the sling or cordelette to both
screwgate carabiner directly into each carabiners. Pull it down in the middle
bolt. They will usually be better so both strands are equal.
orientated if you clip them underneath
the lowering rings.
Step 3 Step 4
Tie an overhand knot in it. This Clip two screwgate carabiners to the
creates a central point. central point with their gates facing in
opposite directions.

Step 5 Warning – Connecting Quickdraws
Clip the rope through the carabiners Never connect quickdraws together
from the back so the rope is coming like this.
out towards you. Ask your belayer to
take you tight. You are now ready to If you need to extend the anchor for
lower and the top-rope is set. lowering or any other reason, make
sure to use a sling or cordelette
instead, as described on the previous
pages.
Setting Up a Top-Rope from Above

At some crags it is possible to set up a Make sure to double up the slings or
top-rope by walking to the top and cordelettes which extend the anchor
equalizing anchor bolts or trees. over the edge. An old piece of carpet,
foam pads or garden hose pipes
Be careful when walking around the (without metal lining) make good
top of a crag un-roped. You may need padding.
to make an anchor further back from
the cliff edge and then be put on belay Even if your anchor is bomber,
while you set up the top-rope anchor. extended and well padded, it is wise to
check it periodically if it is being used
If the bolts are set back on a ledge, or repeatedly. Setting up a trad anchor
situated in a place which causes the using trees or other trad gear is
rope to rub over an edge, you should explained in Trad Climbing Basics.
extend the anchor and pad the edge.

Attaching to the Anchor
The Top Shelf

To free up space at the central point,
you can clip in to the top shelf of the
cordelette.
This is useful when:

- Belaying in guide mode.
- Using a redirected belay.
- There will be more than one other
climber attaching to the central point.
Step 1
Cinch the cordelette tight and attach a
screwgate to the central point. This
ensures the knot cannot roll.
Step 2
Clip each individual loop of the
cordelette with another screwgate as
shown.
Step 3
Attach yourself to this screwgate.

Warning!
Make sure you have clipped through shown. If one part of the anchor fails,
each cordelette loop individually. It is you will become completely detached.
dangerous to clip around the loops as
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Slings, PAS's and Daisy Chains

Personal Anchor Systems Daisy Chains
A Personal Anchor System (PAS) is a Daisy chains look and function in a
series of very short sewn slings similar way to the PAS, but they are
connected in a chain-link-style. They only full strength when clipped end-to-
are designed as an idiot-proof anchor end. The stitching between daisy chain
attachment. loops is very low strength. If you
connect to an anchor by clipping a
Once girth hitched to your harness, carabiner through two consecutive
any part of the PAS can be clipped to loops, the stitching could break,
an anchor to provide a full strength causing you to become completely
attachment. detached from the anchor.

Adjustable Daisy Chains Slings
Adjustable daisy chains are not full Slings are designed to be used with a
strength (usually rated to around 5kN) dynamic rope in the system to lessen
and should never be used as your the impact on them. Much higher
primary anchor attachment. forces can be generated when they
are used alone.
Moving Above the Anchor

It's only safe to attach yourself to an
anchor with a sling, daisy chain or PAS
if you won't be moving above it (such
as when setting up an abseil).
If you fall when above an anchor (even

if you are only 30cm above), unusually
large forces will be generated. This is
because slings (especially those made
of Dyneema) do not absorb much
energy – think of it as similar to falling
when attached to a length of steel
cable. You can damage internal
organs with just a 10kN force – falling
onto a sling directly is likely to be
much higher than this.
It could also break the sling, or the

anchor. If there is any chance that you
will move sideways or above the
anchor, make sure to attach to it with
the rope.

Common Mistakes
Tying Clovehitches on Snapgates
Part of the clovehitch could easily
snap through the gate, making the
knot useless. Never tie clovehitches
on snapgate carabiners. Use a
screwgate, or two opposite and
opposed snapgates (see next page)
instead.
Clipping Snapgates Together

A slight twist can cause the carabiner’s
gate to open.
Instead, use a quickdraw, sling or

screwgate depending on the situation.
Non-Equalized Anchor Attachment

If one bolt fails, everything will swing
onto the other bolt. This presents a
real danger of losing control of the
belay.
Always make sure your anchor is

equalized.
Too Many Knots on one Carabiner

This is bad because:
- If the blue rope is weighted, it will be
impossible to remove the green rope.
- If the green rope is a climber’s
attachment point and you open the
gate to remove the blue rope, the
climber will only be attached by an
open carabiner – this is very
dangerous.
If you need to attach more than one

knot to an anchor, use a separate
screwgate for each.

No Screwgates?
If you need a screwgate but don’t Warning!
have one, you can use two ‘opposite This is a common incorrect carabiner
and opposed’ snapgates instead. This alignment. If one carabiner flips
is useful in situations such as around, both gates could be pushed
attaching to an anchor. open at the same time.
Cleaning a Sport Anchor
Cleaning a sport anchor means Which you choose depends on the

removing all of your gear from it. Three type of anchor and whether you plan
of the main ways to do this are to lower or abseil.
described on the following pages.
Method 1 – Feed a Bight of Rope Through

You will remain on belay during this Best Situation to Use this Method
whole process until you’re back on the - When you are the last person to lead
ground. the route.
- When the anchor has a central point
You Will Need which is big enough to feed a bight of
* Two spare quickdraws. rope through.
* One screwgate carabiner.

Step 1 Step 2
Clip your rope through a quickdraw on Clip another quickdraw into the other
one of the anchor bolts. anchor bolt and clip it directly to your
belay loop. Rest your weight on this
quickdraw.
Step 3 Step 4
Pull up a little slack and push a bight Tie a figure-8 on a bight and clip this to
of the rope through the main anchor your belay loop with a screwgate
point as shown. carabiner.
Step 5 Step 6
Untie from the end of the rope. Pull the end of the rope through the
main anchor point.

Step 7 Step 8
Remove the quickdraw which isn’t Rest your weight on the rope, then
holding your weight. Ask your belayer remove the other quickdraw. You are
to take you tight. now ready to lower.
Method 2 – Feed the End of the Rope Through

Sometimes, you won’t be able to push Best Situation to Use this Method
a bight of rope through the anchor. - When you are the last person to lead
This depends on the thickness of your the route.
rope and the type of anchor. - When the anchor has a central point
which is too small to feed a bight of
As with method 1, you will remain on rope through.
belay during the whole process.
You Will Need
* Two spare quickdraws.
* One screwgate carabiner.
Step 1 Step 2
Clip two quickdraws into the anchor Pull up some slack rope and tie a
bolts; one clipped through the rope figure-8 on a bight. Clip this to your
and the other clipped directly into your belay loop with a screwgate carabiner.
belay loop, just the same as method 1.
Rest your weight on the quickdraw.

Step 3 Step 4
Untie from the end of the rope. Feed the end of the rope through the
main anchor point(s).
Step 5 Step 6
Tie in to the end of the rope. Remove the screwgate carabiner and
untie the figure-8 on a bight.
Step 7 Step 8
Remove the quickdraw which isn’t Rest your weight on the rope, then
holding your weight. Ask your belayer remove the other quickdraw. You are
to take you tight. now ready to lower.

Method 3 – Attach Directly and Abseil
Best Situation to Use this Method You Will Need
- When you are the last person to * A belay device with a screwgate
climb the route. carabiner.
- If the main anchor point is showing * A prusik cord with a screwgate
some signs of wear. carabiner.
- If your rope would rub over rough * Three spare carabiners (two of these
edges while lowering. must be screwgates).
* Two 60cm slings.
Step 1 Step 2
Girth-hitch both slings through your Pull up some slack and tie the rope to
belay loop and attach them to the a carabiner. Clip this to your belay
anchor bolts with screwgate loop. You don’t necessarily need to
carabiners. use a screwgate carabiner here, and it
doesn’t matter too much what knot you
You can now tell your belayer that you use. The point of this is so you can’t
are ‘off belay’. accidentally drop the rope during the
following steps.
Some climbers clip this to a gear loop,

since it will not be weighted. This is
okay, but it’s possible to break your
gear loop if the rope gets stuck on
something, meaning that you would
end up stranded at the top of the climb
without a rope.

Step 3 Step 4
Untie from the end of the rope. Feed the end of the rope through the
main anchor points. Tying a knot in the
end of the rope stops it from zipping
through the anchor if you accidentally
let go of it during the next step.
Step 5 Step 6
Remove the carabiner from your belay Attach your belay device and prusik to
loop and untie the knot. Pull the rope the rope (as described on pages 70-
down so that both ends are on the 72).
ground. Some ropes have a
convenient middle marker to make this
easier. Ask your belayer to confirm that
the ends are down. If the ends are
only just down, or if you’re abseiling to
an exposed ledge, you should tie
knots in both ends of the rope. These
knots stop you from accidentally
abseiling off the end of the rope.

Step 7
Weight your belay device to check the
setup. Then remove the slings. You
are now ready to abseil (learn how to
abseil on page 70).
Cleaning Anchors – Top Tips

* Always double-check the setup * It’s important that you don’t add wear
before you untie each knot. A mistake on the anchor rings by top-roping off
could be fatal. them. Make sure to use your own
screwgates and slings for top-roping
* Make sure to communicate with your so any wear is on your own gear
partner so they know if you plan to rather than the rings.
lower or abseil. If you plan to lower but
your partner thinks you will abseil, they * Always inspect the quality of the
will take you off belay! Be clear about anchors and the surrounding rock
what you are doing. before trusting your life to them.
* Look out for sharp edges beneath * Never thread a rope directly through
the anchor. Consider abseiling, rather a bolt hanger. The square edges are
than lowering, if your rope could run likely to damage or cut your rope. Only
over a sharp edge. thread your rope through round-edged
metal.

Descending
Climb: Tarrier, Dumbarton Rock, Scotland. Photographer: Fraser Harle.

Lower, Abseil or Walk Off?
There are basically three ways to If the next climber is going to top-rope
descend; walk off, lower or abseil the route, you should make an anchor
(rappel). You will either lower or abseil from your own gear and lower down
to get down from most sport routes. from that.
Your choice largely depends on the
type of anchor, how it is positioned and If you are the last person to climb the
what you plan to do after the climb. route, you’ll need to clean all your gear
from the anchor before you descend.
Lowering from a sport anchor is
quicker than abseiling. It’s also much For anchors which are in a poor
easier to retrieve gear on your way position for lowering or abseiling (e.g:
down when lowering. However, far back across a ledge), it is much
abseiling puts much less wear on the better to belay your partner from the
rings and your rope. This could be the top of the climb (see page 29). You
best option if the rings are already can then walk off.
showing signs of wear.
Walking Off
When walking off is a common

descent method, there will usually be
an established trail back to the base.
Make sure to always be securely

connected while cleaning the
anchor. You will often have to do a mini
pitch in order to reach safe walking
terrain. If you plan to walk off, make
sure to bring a couple of long slings so
you can make an anchor (such as
slings around a tree) for this purpose.
VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Descending 66

Best Situation to Walk Off
When the anchor is situated in such a
way which means lowering or
abseiling would be difficult or
dangerous (e.g: far back from the top
of the crag or on a ledge covered in
loose blocks).
Lowering
This is the simplest method of Warning!
descent. Only lower down like this if you are
leaving your quickdraws on the bolts in
You Will Need the pitch for someone else to lead
* Two spare quickdraws. next. The highest lead quickdraw acts
as a back-up in case your anchor
Best Situation to Use this Method draws unclip as you descend. It is
- When someone else will lead the dangerous to lower down or top-rope
climb after you. from only two quickdraws. If you want
- When you plan to leave all your to remove the quickdraws on your way
quickdraws on the bolts for the next down, you’ll need to either set up a top
climber. rope anchor (see page 50) or clean
the anchor (see page 57).

Clip a quickdraw into Clip the rope through the Ask your belayer to take
each bolt. Make sure the quickdraws from the you tight. You are now
rope-end carabiners back so the rope is ready to lower.
have their gates facing coming out towards you.
outwards. If there are
chains or rings on the
bolts, clip your
quickdraws underneath
to put them in a better
orientation.

Removing Quickdraws
If you have cleaned the anchor, but
your quickdraws are still in the route,
you’ll need to retrieve them on your
way down.
This is easy on a straight-lined,

vertical route. Simply lower down and
unclip them from the bolt and the rope.
The belayer will need to stop lowering

you at each bolt so you have time to
do this.
Overhanging Routes
Removing quickdraws is
more difficult on overhanging
or traversing routes. To
make it easier, clip one end
of a quickdraw to your belay
loop and the other end to the
rope. This ‘lowering
quickdraw’ keeps you in the
same line as the route while
you descend.
On your descent, unclip the

lead quickdraws from the
rope and then from the bolts.
Removing the Last Quickdraw

Be careful when removing the last
quickdraw. If you remove it in the same
way as the others, you’ll swing out
from the rock and pull your belayer
with you.
Step 1
If it is a safe swing (i.e: you wouldn’t hit
anything or anyone), unclip your
lowering quickdraw from the rope and
attach it directly to the bolt. Then allow
your weight to hang on this quickdraw.

Step 2
Remove the other quickdraw from the
bolt and the rope.
Give your belayer time to take in the

extra slack which is created.
Step 3
Remove the last quickdraw from the
bolt. To make this easier, use holds on
the rock to pull yourself in. Be ready to
swing out!
If it isn’t a safe swing, one option is to

lower to the ground, and then boulder
up to retrieve it. This works best if you
have a bouldering pad and the first
bolt isn’t very high.
Another option is for the belayer to be

anchored to the ground. In this case,
you can keep your lowering quickdraw
attached until you’re on the ground.
Clipping into Quickdraws

If you have top-roped an overhanging
or traversing route, and someone else
wants to top-rope after you, you’ll need
to clip the rope to some of the
quickdraws on your way down as
‘directionals’. These directionals stop
the next climber from swinging wildly
across the rock if they fall.
Simply clip your rope into the

quickdraws as you lower. Depending
on the route, you may need to clip
them all, or just a couple.

Pulling the Rope Down
Untie any knots from the rope before
you pull 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 quickdraws (if you
are leaving them in). This will slow it
down and make it safer.
Rope!
Abseiling
The following description is for Best Situation to Abseil

abseiling with one rope where the - If the lowering rings are already
descent is less than half of your rope’s showing signs of wear (abseiling puts
length. For longer abseils, you’ll need much less wear on the rings than
two ropes. lowering).
- If your rope would rub across rough
edges when lowering.
Attaching Your Belay Device and Prusik

Step 1 Step 2
Attach yourself to the anchor and feed Clip your belay device to your belay
the rope through the main abseil point, loop with a screwgate (don’t lock it
as described on pages 61-62. yet).

Step 3 Step 4
Pull up about a meter of both strands Push the ropes through your belay
of rope. It will be heavy, so stand on it device making sure it is orientated the
to create slack so it’s easier to clip in. correct way up.
Step 5 Step 6
Clip both of the ropes and your belay Lean into the anchor and pull any
device through the screwgate slack rope through your belay device.
carabiner and fasten it.
Holding the ropes in the lock-off
You don't need to remove the position, sit back and apply your
screwgate from your belay loop when weight to the belay device. This allows
doing this; you are more likely to drop you to easily check the setup.
it if you do.

Step 7
For most abseils, it's wise to backup
with a prusik knot (see page 111). A
correctly tied prusik will auto-lock if
you let go of the ropes.
Clip the prusik to your leg loop. The

prusik will slide down the ropes if you
hold it close to your leg loop and lock
around the ropes if you let go. Test
this before you abseil.
If it doesn't lock, take it off and re-tie it

with an extra wrap around the ropes.
Abseiling – Check the System

Before you unclip your attachment
point from the anchor, check:
Rope threaded Both ropes

Solid through main through
anchor point of anchor belay device
Prusik knot
Holding
both Knots
ropes added
beneath to rope
belay ends
device

Abseiling – The Descent
Step 1 Step 3
With one hand holding both ropes in While keeping a firm grip, lean your
the lock-off position, unclip your slings weight back and allow some rope to
from the anchor. You can clip them out go through your belay device,
of the way on the back of your remembering to slide the prusik down
harness. as you go. Continue feeding rope
through as you lower yourself down.
Step 2 It takes a little practise, but you'll soon

Put your other hand over the prusik. be able to figure out how fast to feed
Your hands should be in the same the rope while staying in control.
position as they would to lower a
climber while belaying.
Belay Loop
Leg Loop

Step 4 Step 5
Sit back in your harness and keep Remove your abseil device, unfasten
your body in an L shape with your feet any knots from the ends of the rope
wide apart. Walk backwards down the and pull down on one side.
rock, making sure to look behind to
see where you're going. Move Keep an eye on the other end of the
smoothly down the ropes. Don’t rope as you do this to make sure it
bounce, jump or swing around – this doesn't go up with a mysterious auto-
puts much more force on the anchor knot fastened in it.
and is likely to damage your ropes if
they pass over rough edges. When the ropes are about to fall down,
shout ‘rope’ to warn people who are
To abseil past a roof, plant your feet on nearby. Be aware that the falling rope
the lip and lower your body down. may bring down loose rock with it.
Once your body is below the roof, cut
your feet loose to avoid hitting your
head. Keep going until you've reached
the ground.
Abseiling – The Fireman's Belay

If a less experienced climber is
worried they may not be able to
control the abseil, they can be given a
fireman’s belay. The more experienced
climber descends first, then holds the
ropes while the other climber
descends. A simple pull on the ropes
will lock their device.
This is also useful if one climber has

forgotten their prusik – they can
abseil last with a fireman’s backup.

Abseiling – The Extended Belay Device
Sometimes it can be useful to extend Advantages
your belay device with a sling before - You can use a prusik with less
you abseil. chance of it getting stuck in your
belay device.
Best Situation to Use This Method - Your prusik will be centred, making it
- If you don't know where the next easier to use than if you attach it to a
abseil anchor is on a tricky multi- leg loop.
pitch descent.
Disadvantages
- Takes longer to set up.
Extending with a 60cm Sling Extending with a 120cm Sling

Simply girth-hitch a 60cm sling through Alternatively, you can use a 120cm
the hard points of your harness (the sling in a similar way.
same points that your belay loop goes
through) and clip your belay device to Feed the sling through the hard points
this sling. It's better to use thicker (and of your harness, tie an overhand knot
therefore more durable) nylon slings in it and then clip both ends of the
rather than thin Dyneema for sling to your belay device.
extending your belay device.
Abseiling – Top Tips

- Be aware of where your rope is - If your rope is stuck, stop just above it
(above and below you). Make sure it and allow your prusik knot to tighten.
isn't rubbing over loose rock or sharp Make sure to keep hold of the ropes
edges. with one hand while you untangle them.
- Look out for ledges, trees, chimneys - You can only abseil half of the total
or anything you might abseil into on length of rope that you have, so keep
your descent. this in mind before climbing up.

Multi-Pitch Climbing
Climb: Mina Leslie-Wujastyk on Rainshadow, Malham Cove, England. Photographer: Fraser Harle.
Multi-Pitch Climbing
A multi-pitch route is one that is split Due to the length and complexity of
into two or more pitches. multi-pitch routes, you should develop
your problem solving and self-rescue
This may be because it is longer than skills before embarking on this kind of
your rope, or it could be a wandering adventure. This is covered in detail in
route that would involve a lot of rope The Trad Climber’s Guide To Problem
drag if climbed as a single pitch. Solving.
What to Bring
On long multi-pitches, it's wise to bring Extra Climbing Gear
the following equipment in addition to You’ll need two anchor kits for a multi-
everything you would normally take on pitch route. Make sure you bring:
a single pitch. - Two cordelettes/ long slings
- At least six spare screwgates
- Two belay devices
Food and Water
If your multi-pitch is likely to take more If the descent from your route involves
than a few hours, consider bringing abseiling, make sure to bring ATC style
food and water to snack on at the belay devices and prusik cords.
belays. Many routes have luxury belay
ledges, so if you're not in a rush, why
not have a vertical picnic? Route Description
On a single pitch, it's easy to
remember where to climb. However, on
Headlamp a multi-pitch you may have forgotten
Headlamps are essential on long the details by pitch six, particularly if
multi-pitches. Finishing a climb, or two different routes branch off the
trying to descend in the dark can be same anchor. A route description (or
incredibly difficult and dangerous. topo), neatly folded in your pocket, will
help show you the way.
VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Multi-Pitch 78

Clothes moisture, but the feathers will clump
Any comfortable all-cotton clothes will together in a storm and you’ll freeze.
suffice for single pitch cragging, They also tend to rip very easily on
especially venues with a short rock.
approach. For multi-pitch routes, or for
any climbs with a long approach,
wearing synthetic clothing is a better Extra Rope
choice. Synthetics insulate much You’ll need to bring a second rope if
better than cotton in wet or cold your route involves an abseil descent
environments. where the anchors are more than half
of your rope’s length apart (i.e: you
If you expect cold temperatures, bring can only abseil 35 meters with a 70
a pair of gloves so you can belay with meter rope).
warm hands and then take them off to
climb. A thin hat that fits under your You will also need a second rope if
helmet is a very lightweight way of climbing as a team of three (see page
keeping you warm too. If the descent 82).
is long, it's nice to bring a pair of
approach shoes.
Backpack
A warm jacket, or even a thin wind- All this stuff can be put into a small
proof layer, can make multi-pitches backpack and carried by the second.
more comfortable when it gets windy Depending on the route and your
and the sun disappears, especially for tolerance of suffering, you may not
the belayer. Down jackets are a poor need any of it. For routes that are
choice unless you’re climbing in dry difficult to return to the base, you'll
climates below freezing. Most down need to bring everything up the route
jackets will repel a small amount of with you. Plan before you go.
mmmmmmmm
Belay Changeovers
Efficient belay changeovers will speed Swinging leads is the most efficient.
up your ascent, making you less likely The rope is already stacked with the
to get benighted or stranded in a new leader’s end on top and the
storm. quickdraws from the previous pitch will
be racked on their harness.
Sometimes the more experienced
climber will lead every pitch. Other It’s much better if both climbers can go
times, each climber will choose which hands-free during the changeover.
pitches they prefer. A common tactic is How you do this depends on who will
to swing leads (lead alternate pitches). lead the next pitch. Two methods are
Be aware that easier pitches may be described on the next page.
runout.

1) Tie-Off Your Belay Device 2) Attach to the Central Point
If alternating leads, the easiest If the same person is leading every
method is to tie-off your belay device. pitch, the second will have to attach to
Tie a simple knot (such as an the central point when they finish
overhand) in the rope beneath your following the pitch. They can do this in
belay device. If the climber falls, the the same way as the leader.
knot will jam into the belay device and
stop them. Use separate screwgates to attach the
second's rope to the central point(s).
When the leader is ready to climb, When they are attached, they can be
simply unfasten the knot and they will taken off belay.
be on belay immediately.
Remember - The leader will need to be
This works well if there is a small put on belay before they detach from
ledge to stand on. If not, the climber the anchor.
may also prefer to attach to the central
point with a sling.
Leader Second
Leaving the Belay

It's a good idea for the leader to clip
an anchor bolt as their first piece of
protection. This eliminates the chance
of a factor two fall.
It's also much easier for the belayer to

hold a fall this way.

Rope Management
Stacking or coiling the rope neatly so it
doesn’t tangle is important on multi-
pitches. If the belay ledge has a flat
area, simply stack the rope onto it in a
place where it won’t slide off.
If there isn’t a suitable area to put the

rope, you can stack it in neat coils
across the rope which goes between
your harness and the anchor (lap
coils).
Alternatively, stack it through a sling.

Either way, the first coils should be the
longest, with progressively smaller
coils added on top. This ensures the
rope feeds out well on the next pitch.
If it is windy or there are bushes or

loose rock below you, make sure to
keep the coils short enough so they
don’t get stuck.
Time Budget and Retreat options

Make a realistic estimate of how long Be conservative with your estimations
the route might take. Figure out what – it’s much easier to lose time than
time you need to have finished the gain it.
route (to avoid thunderstorms or
darkness etc..) and then work As part of your time budget, it’s smart
backwards from there. to figure out places where you can
switch to an easier route if you are
Break the climb down into pitches and running low on time, or places where
figure out how long each one will take. you could easily descend without
Remember to add time for leaving most of your slings and
approaching and descending the route carabiners behind.
and for belay changeovers.

Teams of Three
In most situations, a pair of climbers is some of the harder pitches.

faster than a team of three. But having
someone to chat with at the belay There are many ways to connect three
makes climbing as a three more social. climbers to the rope. Two popular
methods are described on the
It also means you have an extra following pages, both of which require
person to help carry the gear and lead two ropes.
ckkkkkcccc
Caterpillar Style
The leader climbs a The second climber When the second
pitch with one rope. unclips the quickdraws climber has reached the
from the first rope and anchor, the third climber
clips them to the second is put on belay on the
Step 2 rope beneath. This second rope. They
The second climber ensures the third climber remove the quickdraws
follows on that rope, is protected from a as they follow.
but trails another rope swinging fall if the pitch
(both ropes are tied traverses. If the pitch is
into the harness tie-in straight up, the second
points). climber could remove
the quickdraws.

Double Rope Style
Step 1 Step 2
The leader climbs with both ropes. The second and third climbers follow,
They clip alternate quickdraws to each keeping around five meters apart from
rope. The leader can be belayed by each other, while the leader belays
both climbers with a GriGri each, or by them both at the same time. It is highly
one climber with an ATC. recommended to belay with an auto-
blocking belay device directly from the
anchor, such as an ATC in guide mode
(see page 33).
When communicating, finish the

command with the rope colour, so the
belayer knows which rope you mean
(e.g: slack on red rope!).
Common Mistake
Clipping both ropes into a carabiner If you need to clip both ropes to a bolt
causes the ropes to rub against each (e.g: to protect both followers on a
other if a climber falls while leading or traverse), use two quickdraws of
following. This could damage your different lengths as shown. These
rope or even cut through the sheath. quickdraws are then removed by the
third climber.

Multi-Pitch Abseils
Attaching to the Anchor

Attach to each anchor with two slings
as described on page 61.
You can attach to the chains or the

bolts to save space for your partner.
If there is only space for

one climber to attach, the
other climber can clip
directly into their partner’s
screwgates as shown.
However, this means that

the climber who descended
last must descend first on
the next abseil.
Removing Your Belay Device

Once securely attached to the next Step 2
anchor, you can remove your belay Re-clip the cable. This ensures that
device as follows. you can’t drop it.
Step 1 Step 3
Unfasten the screwgate. Unclip the Pull the ropes out of the device.
device’s cable and both ropes from it.

Threading Ropes
Thread the rope through the next Alternatively, tie the rope to yourself so
anchor and tie a stopper knot in it it cannot be dropped.
before you pull it down. Tie the stopper
knot big enough so that it cannot fit
through the main abseil point. This
ensures that you cannot lose your
ropes.
Abseiling with Two Ropes

If your descent requires two ropes, use the overhand knot described
you’ll need to tie them together. A below.
simple and safe way to do this is to
uuuuuuuu
Step 1 Step 2
Thread the end of one rope through Put the ends through the loop to make
the anchor. an overhand knot.
Then hold one end of each rope

together and make a loop at least
60cm from the end.
60cm

Step 3 Step 4
Pull each strand of rope very tight on Back it up with another overhand knot
either side of the knot, making sure immediately next to it. Pull that tight
the knot is neat. too. You should have at least 30cm of
rope left after the knots.
30c
m
Throwing Ropes
You should throw your ropes down in a something. The following is a simple
way that they are unlikely to get method of reducing your chances of a
tangled together or stuck on stuck rope.
ssssssssssssss
Step 1 Step 2
Tie knots (such as the triple barrel or Prepare to throw the ropes down. It's
overhand) in the bottom end of both better to do this one rope at a time.
strands of rope. This stops you from Starting from the end, stack one rope
accidentally abseiling off the end. in coils over your arm.

Step 3 Step 4
Shout ‘rope’ to anyone who may be in Stack the other rope and throw it down
the area below. When you are certain in the same way.
that no-one could get hit by your
ropes, you can throw them. If there are climbers below, either wait
for them to finish climbing, or ask them
Take the first half of the coils in one if you can slowly lower the ends of
hand and the second half in your other your ropes down. This may cause your
hand. Throw the second half of the ropes to snag on features, but will be
coils down, closely followed by the much less dangerous for the person
first. Keep an eye on the ropes at the leading up.
anchor. With all the weight on one
side, the rope could zip through the
anchor at this point.

Technique
Climb: Martin McKenna on Artemisia, Italy. Photographer: James Rushforth.

Introduction
This chapter introduces the most much more subtle on rock. Often a
common foot, hand and body positions foothold is just a slightly lower angled
used in rock climbing. dimple, or a series of tiny edges that
require precise foot positioning.
How you grip handholds or stand on
footholds depends on their shape, size Finding holds will get easier once
and position. How you position your you’ve learned to ‘read’ real rock. With
body depends on the location of these practise, you’ll be able to use all kinds
holds and the angle of the rock. of weird rock features quickly and
efficiently.
Practising in a climbing gym builds
strength, endurance, flexibility and Watching experienced climbers or
technique, but to climb well on real hiring a climbing coach will help. But
rock, you’ll need to actually climb on ultimately, improving your climbing
real rock. Brightly coloured holds in a movement requires plenty of real rock
gym are obvious to find, but they are practise.
ooooooooooo
Footwork
Beginner climbers often concentrate your arms, making the climb much
on looking upwards for something to easier. There are basically three ways
grab with their hands, forgetting to look of using footholds; smearing, edging
down for footholds. Having good and hooking. These are described on
footwork takes an enormous strain off the following pages.
yyyyyyyyy
VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Technique 90

Smearing
Smearing is a technique used to stand
on poorly-defined, sloping features.
The aim is to have as much surface
contact between the sole of your shoe
and the rock as possible, therefore
maximising friction. Focus on pushing
your foot against the rock with your
weight concentrated over your big toe.
Over time you will develop the ability to

find tiny irregularities on the rock.
Smearing on a dimple which is just a
couple of degrees lower in angle can
make a big difference.
Keep a high heel if smearing on small

scoops. This keeps the pressure on
the front of your foot. Keep a low heel contact and therefore more friction. It
if smearing on a uniform slope. This also puts your calf muscles in a more
gives more shoe-to-rock surface relaxed position.
dddddddd
Edging
Edging means placing the very edge
of your shoe on a pronounced edge of
rock. Although any part of the shoe
can be used to edge, you normally do
so with the inside front part of the
shoe, beneath the big toe.
With a good edge on vertical or

overhanging terrain, you can pull in
with your toe as well as push down.
This moves your lower body closer to
the wall and reduces the strain on your
arms by keeping more weight on your
feet.
For tiny pockets and edges, you can

edge on the front point of the shoe.
This positions you neutrally so you can
turn your body in either direction for
the next move. It also gives you a little
extra reach if you stand up on your
tiptoe.

For techniques such as back-stepping,
it is necessary to use the outside of
the shoe (normally beneath the base
of your little toe) to edge.
The outside edge is also useful when

stepping past your other foot on a
traverse.
Heel and Toe Hooking

Heel hooking is the technique of using
the foot as a ‘third hand’.
By hooking your heel over a flake or

edge, you are able to pull with your leg.
This allows you to move more fluidly
and controlled through what would
otherwise require a ‘dyno’.
On overhanging terrain, a crafty heel

hook often helps to pull you into the
rock, stops you from swinging out and
provides extra reach.
You can also employ a toe hook in a

similar way to a heel hook.
A ‘foot cam’ can work in the same way

too. Be aware that you may break your
ankle if you fall with your foot in a
really good heel-toe lock.

Footwork Tips
* Push your feet in opposite directions * When you’ve found the best hold,
(stemming) to keep the weight off your visualize how your foot will be
arms. positioned on it. Don’t move your foot
until you know exactly where it’s going.
* With marginal smears or edges, it is
important to keep your foot in the * When you step from the ground to
exact same position while your body the rock, make sure to wipe the dirt
moves up. Use your ankle as a hinge and gravel from the soles of your
to absorb your movements. Any shoes.
disruption to your foot position will
probably cause you to slip off. * If you’re not sure whether to edge or
smear, remember that you can smear
* To minimize strain on your upper an edge, but you can’t edge a smear.
body, use foot holds which are directly
beneath your hands.
Handholds
The weight on your arms increases as The challenge, therefore, is to use the
the rock gets steeper and the lightest possible grip to make each
footholds get smaller. Beginners often move. There are endless ways of
over grip the rock and burn out their gripping holds, but four basic types are
forearms too soon, making it described on the following pages.
impossible to hold onto anything.
The Crimp
Crimping works best when the thumb
is held over the index finger. This
closes the crimp and makes the
position stronger. This is because your
thumb is much stronger than your
fingers in this position.
If the hold is too small to fit all your

fingers, give priority to the middle
finger (the strongest), followed by the
ring finger, the index and finally the
pinky. Be careful when crimping sharp
edges. If you slip off suddenly, you’ll
probably slice your fingertips.

The Open Grip
The open grip is mainly used to hold
onto large or rounded features. Search
for the best position on the hold and
then pull.
If the hold isn’t incut, you will rely on

friction between your hands and the
rock to hold on. For this reason,
having more surface contact gives you
more grip.
smearing. In the long term, the open
An open grip on sloping holds works in grip puts less strain on the joints and
a similar way to your shoe when tendons than crimping.
ssssssssss
The Pinch
You pinch a hold in the same way as a
crab pinches it’s claws.
An effective use of the technique is to

pinch a hold between your thumb and
the side of your index finger.
Pockets
To hold onto a pocket, you essentially
use an open hand or crimp but with
less fingers.
If you can fit two fingers in the pocket,

it’s often better to use the middle and
ring fingers, rather than a middle and
index finger combo. This balances the
load on your fingers much better.
If the pocket is only big enough for pocket, you are effectively grinding
one finger, your middle finger will be your finger tendons over that sharp
strongest. edge. A common injury is to strain or
break the delicate ligaments in the
Be careful – the edges of pockets are fingers due to excessive crimping and
often sharp. When you pull hard on a pocket pulling.
lllllllllllllll
Other Common Moves
Dynamic Moves
‘Dynos’ are probably the most
spectacular climbing move. It is a way
of using momentum to reach between
distant hand holds. It is almost always
more efficient to move statically
between holds, but if a hold is too far
away, a dyno may be the only way.
Get your feet up high and focus your

attention on the hold. In one fluid
motion, push up with your legs, pull
with your arms and move your hand
quickly towards the hold. Grab onto
the hold when your body reaches its
apex.
A dyno is much easier if you can keep you cannot be sure how good the hold
your feet on the footholds. This way, is until you’ve committed to it. And
most of your weight is still on your feet committing is the most important part
when you grab the hold. of the dyno. If you make a half-hearted
attempt, you’ll be unlikely to stick the
The disadvantage of dynoing is that hold.
cccccccc
Sidepull
It’s impossible to pull straight down on
a vertical crimp. Instead, these types
of holds are used as sidepulls.
Lean from the sidepull and use your

feet to oppose the force. This counter-
pressure keeps you in balance while
you use your legs for upward
progress. Sidepulls often give you
more reach than a horizontal hold.
You can sometimes turn a sidepull into

a pinch if there is a catch for your
thumb. This will create more inward
pulling power if you need it.

Gaston
A gaston is the opposite of a sidepull.
It is a way of using a vertical crimp
which is directly in front of your face or
chest.
Push outwards on the hold with your

elbow pointing away from your body.
Palming and Stemming

Palming is similar to an open grip but
you use your palm instead of your
fingers. You can push yourself into a
corner by palming on both sides of it.
To stem, smear your feet on either

side of the corner. The opposing
pressure of pushing inwards with your
hands and feet keeps you in balance.
Stemming in the slightest corner can
provide your arms with a great rest.
Underclings
Underclinging relies on the counter-
pressure between your hand pulling
out from a hold and your feet pressing
onto the rock. This technique is often
used to keep a climber in balance
while searching for a better hold
above.
On consecutive undercling moves,

such as traversing under a flake, try to
use footholds as much as possible
and keep your arms straight. This
takes the strain off your arms.

Mantling
Mantling is the technique of pool without using the stairs). The
surmounting a ledge when there are following is a common mantling
no holds above it to help with this method, though many variations exist.
(imagine getting out of a swimming
ssssss
Step 1 – Step High Step 2 – Pull and Press

A high, well-placed foot is the Pull up and switch your hands to a
foundation of the mantle. With your palm down press. Search above the
hands on the ledge, walk your feet up ledge for any hand holds. Leaning
to the highest possible foothold. You forward and pulling yourself in with one
may even be able to heel hook the hand makes the next step easier.
ledge.
Step 3 – Foot Up Step 4 – Rock Over

If your foot isn’t already on the ledge, Shift the weight onto your high foot
you can probably put it there now. You and stand up. Try to avoid using the
may have to shuffle your hands to knee, as this will make it more difficult
make space for your foot. to stand up.

Rock Steepness
Slab Climbing
Climbing slabs (rock which is less than on. To climb a friction slab, you must
vertical) requires less strength and rely on the surface contact beneath
more balance than steeper angles of your palms and feet. Small steps are
rock. generally more efficient. High steps
tend to disrupt the delicate balance
Your body should remain in the same needed to stop you from sliding off.
upright position as when you’re
walking. With gravity forcing the weight On sustained slab climbs, where most
onto your shoes, you have more of your weight is on your feet, it’s
friction on the rock. Essentially, you will common to get ‘calf pump’ or ‘disco
hold onto features for balance while leg’. Rest on any good footholds by
pushing up with your legs. standing with your heel on the hold
and your leg straight, so that your
Friction slabs are generally devoid of center of gravity is over your heel.
any positive features to crimp or edge
ssssss
Climb: Patrick Deacon on The Marmolada, Italy. Photographer: James Rushforth. 98

Vertical Rock
It is invariably more strenuous on the other. Known as back-stepping, this
arms to climb a vertical rock than it is allows you to use footholds on either
to climb a slab of the same grade. side of your body with either foot.
It’s much more efficient to keep the Take advantage of any rests.
weight off your arms as much as you Opposing your feet against each other
can. This is done by pushing your hips across a corner (stemming) allows you
and chest close to the wall and by to keep the weight off your arms. If you
using the minimum amount of energy can’t get a two-hands rest, then
to complete each move as possible. alternately shake out your arms when
Remember that your feet provide the you find a good handhold.
upwards thrust, while your hands
primarily pull you into the rock. It’s often better to do a series of small
moves, instead of a long one. Being
Keep your hips perpendicular to the stretched out tends to disrupt your
rock by standing on the inside edge of balance and often makes the next
one foot and the outside edge of the move more strenuous.
kkkggggkkkk
Climb: Lynne Hempton on Mondviole, Frea, Italy. Photographer: James Rushforth. 99

Overhanging Routes
To climb efficiently on overhanging but even the poorest footholds will
rock, you need to keep your hips close help ease the strain on your arms and
to the rock and your arms straight give you something to push from.
whenever possible. Bent arms will tire
out much faster.
Core Strength
One way to do this is to use the Your core is the area between your
dropknee. Place the outside edge of lower chest and your mid-thighs.
your shoe on a hold and twist your Engaging the core while climbing
knee downward. Be careful though, keeps you in control. Without a tight
dropknees put a lot of tension on the core, you are likely to ‘sag’ beneath
ligaments in your knee. your arms, causing you to lean out
from the rock, butt first.
As with other angles of rock, it is more
efficient to pull yourself into the rock Think of your core as something which
with your arms and push yourself up dictates the movements of your arms,
with your legs. This is much more rather than something which you are
physically demanding on steep routes, simply dragging up the crag.
Climb: Tim Rankin on Moby Dick, The Fin, Scotland. Photographer: Fraser Harle. 100
Summary
Climbing is like a dance. The aim is to you will soon begin to develop your
choreograph these different types of own style and move on to more
holds and moves into one fluid advanced techniques.
movement.
After climbing each route, review the
It is much more efficient and enjoyable techniques that you used. Ask yourself
to move up fluidly, methodically and in what worked, what didn’t and what you
balance. Frantic, jerky movements are could do to climb the route in better
clumsy and will tire you out faster. style. Practise makes perfect!
Once this becomes second nature,
nnnnn

Knots
Photographer: Alex Ratson.

Knots
This chapter introduces the most Diameter, Flexibility and Surface

commonly used knots for sport Friction
climbing. The examples given in this book
assume that you are tying identical
Every climber should be able to sections of cord or rope together.
recognize, tie and untie the following Knots work best when every rope
knots without having to think about it. involved is of the same diameter,
Remember that you may have to tie flexibility, elasticity and surface
them in situations which are far from friction.
ideal and you will trust your life to
each knot. Minor differences are fine. For
example, tying a 9.5mm and a
10.2mm dynamic rope end-to-end for
Dressing abseiling is safe. But tying a 6mm tag
After tying any knot, it is important line to a 10.2mm rope with the same
that you dress it correctly. This means knot will probably result in that knot
tightening each strand and adjusting falling apart.
the loops and twists so they are
perfectly aligned. Your knots should Likewise, a knot joining an old, stiff
look exactly like the diagrams in this static rope to a slick, flexible dynamic
book. A knot which isn’t well dressed rope is likely to slip, even if they are
could slip or fail. the same diameter.
Figure-8 Tie In
Uses
The figure-8 is widely accepted as
being the safest knot to tie-in with.
VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Knots 104

Make a loop about a You should end up with Pass the end of the rope
meter from the end of an '8'. Make sure the through both of the two
the rope. Wrap the end knot is around 90cm points on the front
of the rope around the from the end of the centre of your harness
base of the loop, then rope (the exact length – the same ones your
push the end through varies with ropes of belay loop runs through.
as shown. different diameters). It is important that the
rope goes through your
harness in exactly the
same way as your belay
~90cm loop does.

Use the end of the Continue following the Make sure the tail of
rope to re-trace the twists until you end up rope is around 25cm
figure-8. Follow the back at the start of the long. If it is shorter, you'll
twists of the rope knot. have to untie and start
starting from where it again. After this, you will
joins your harness. Pull the whole thing need to tie a stopper
tight. knot. Loop the short
section of rope around
the main length.
25
cm

Do this twice, with the Push the end of the Pull this tight too (make
second loop closer to rope through these two sure it's pushed right up
you than the first. loops, as shown. to your figure-8 knot).
Figure-8 on a Bight
Uses
- Attaching the rope to an anchor. - Creating a master point in a
cordelette or sling.

Take a bight of rope Push the end of the Pull it tight.
and form an ‘8’ shape rope through the top
as shown. part of the 8.

Stopper Knot
When tying a figure-8 in the end of a
rope, make sure to add a stopper
knot.
Warning!
Figure-8’s should only be end-loaded
(pulled along the line of the knot).
If you load the loop in two opposing

directions, the knot can roll over itself
and lose strength or fail completely.
For this reason, you should never use

the figure-8 to join ropes for abseiling.
Clovehitch
Uses
- Attaching yourself to the anchor. - Attaching ropes, cord or slings to
carabiners.

Make two identical Clip a screwgate Pull it tight and fasten
loops in the rope. Put carabiner (never use a the screwgate.
the rear loop over the snapgate carabiner)
top of the front loop. through these two
loops.

Overhand Loop
Uses
- Creating a master point in a
cordelette or sling.
Step 1 Step 2
Clip the sling to both bolts and pull the Pull the bottom of the sling around to
strands down so they are equal. form a loop.
Step 3 Step 4
Push the end of the sling through the This forms two small loops beneath
loop as shown. Pull the knot tight. the overhand knot. Clip a screwgate
through both of these loops to form
the central point.

Girth Hitch (Lark’s Foot)
Uses
- Attaching slings to your belay loop. - Fastening a sling around a tree.
- Attaching slings together. - Connecting a sling to a carabiner
without opening the gate.
Step 1 Step 2
Feed a sling through your belay loop. Put one end of the sling through the
other.
Step 3 Strop Bend

Pull it tight. You can also link two slings together
using these same steps.
Arrange the girth hitch as shown

below to create a strop bend. This is
basically a neater version of the girth
hitch.

Double Fisherman’s Bend
Uses
- Tying two ends of cord together to
make a prusik or cordelette.
Spare
Step 1 cord
Loop one end of the cord around
twice as shown to create two loops.
Then push the end through these
loops.
Step 2
Pull it tight and do the same with the
other end of the cord.
Step 3
Pull it all tight so that the two knots
jam together. Make sure the tails are
at least 10 times the diameter of the
cord (e.g: 5cm tails for a 5mm prusik
cord).
Triple Fisherman's Bend

Add an extra coil to make a triple
fisherman’s bend.
Some slippery cords (such as

dyneema) require a triple so they
don’t slide apart under load – check
the manufacturer’s recommendations.

The Autoblock (French) Prusik
Uses:
- To back up an abseil. tied prusik will auto-lock if you let go of
the ropes. Different types of prusik
Prusiks can be made with a 1.2m have advantages in certain situations.
length of 5mm cord tied together with These are detailed in The Trad
a double fisherman’s bend. A correctly Climber’s Guide To Problem Solving.
ggggggg
Step 1
Wrap the prusik neatly around the
rope a few times as shown.
Step 2
Clip the ends together with a
carabiner. More wraps will
create more friction around the
ropes, though four wraps are
generally enough.
Make sure the autoblock is neat

and the double fisherman's
bend is away from the ropes.
Step 3
Pinch the knot to loosen it. This
allows you to move it down the rope.
Weight the knot to lock it. The

autoblock locks in both directions, but
the double fisherman's bend tends to
wrap itself into the prusik when the
direction is switched, making it much
less effective.

Double Bowline
Uses
- Securing the end of a rope around a - Could also be used to tie the rope to
large object such as a tree. your harness.
Step 1
Wrap the end of the rope
around a tree or other
suitable object. Form two
loops in the rope as shown.
Step 2
Push the end of the rope up
through the two loops and
around the back of the
main strand. Then push the
end of the rope back down
through the loops.
Step 3
Pass the end around the
back of the knot and push it
up through the new loop as
shown.
Step 4
The double bowline is now
tied, but needs a stopper
knot to be complete. Pass
the end of the rope around
the main strand twice.

Step 5
Finish the stopper knot to
complete the double
bowline.
Warning!
The double bowline is great
for tying around a tree or
boulder as part of a top-
rope anchor.
Some climbers also use the

double bowline for tying in
because it’s easy to untie
after multiple falls. However,
it has been known to untie
itself, especially if the rope
is stiff. This is due to lots of
movement in the rope as
you climb. The figure-8 is
recommended as a much
safer alternative for tying
into your harness.

Want To Trad Climb?
Once you’ve mastered leading sport Many people want to start trad
routes, you may be wondering what’s climbing but don’t know where to start.
next.
Take a Course Read Up

Consider hiring a guide or joining a Visit www.vdiffclimbing.com for huge
group session for a good introduction amounts of free information about trad
to trad climbing. Your local indoor wall climbing.
should be able to give you more
information about this..
Photographer: Alex Ratson. 114

Other VDiff Titles
Having the knowledge of safe

climbing skills is the lightest and most
useful equipment you can take on any
climb.
Learn before you go. Don’t actually Available as paperbacks or e-books.

take these books up there with you! For more information, visit:
www.vdiffclimbing.com

Index
abseiling, 61-63, 70-75, 84-87 handholds, 93-94

anchor kit, 15 harness, 12
anchors, 48-63 heel hooking, 92
attaching to the anchor, 53-57 helmet, 15
assisted braking belay devices, 20-24 hooking up, 45
autoblock prusik, 111
knots,
back-clipping, 44 autoblock (French) prusik, 111
belay device, 11 clovehitch, 107
belay loop, 37 double bowline, 112-113
belay position, 29 double fisherman’s bend, 110
belaying, 18-37 figure-8 on a bight, 106-107
bolt quality, 17 figure-8 tie-in, 104-106
girth hitch (lark’s foot), 109
chalk, 14 overhand loop, 108
cleaning an anchor, 57-63
clovehitch, 107 quickdraws, 13, 40-46
core strength, 100
crimp, 93 lark’s foot, 109
cross-loading, 44-45 leading, 38-47
lowering, 67-69
daisy chain, 54-55
descending, 64-75 mantling, 97
double bowline, 112-113 maximum impact force, 10
double fisherman’s bend, 110 middle marker, 11
dry treatment, 11 multi-pitch, 76-87
dynos, 95
open grip, 94
edging, 91 overhand loop, 108
equalizing, 56 overhanging rock technique, 100
etiquette, 16
extended belay device, 75 palming, 96
extending the anchor, 50-53 partner, 17
personal anchor system (PAS), 54
figure-8 on a bight, 106-107 pinch, 94
figure-8 tie-in, 104-106 pockets, 94
fireman’s belay, 74 prusik, 111
footwork, 90-93
French prusik, 111 rappelling (see abseiling)
ratings, 9
gaston, 96 re-directed belay, 32
girth hitch, 109 rope, 10-11, 16
guide mode, 33-35 rope loop, 37
grading system, 9 rope protector, 52
GriGri belaying, 20-24, 35-36 runout routes, 25, 47

shoes, 14 threading ropes, 85
slings, 55 throwing ropes, 86-87
sidepull, 95 toe hooking, 92
slab climbing technique, 98 top shelf, 53-54
smearing, 91 top-rope, 50-53
soft catches, 24
stemming, 96 underclings, 96
stick clipping, 43 used gear, 15
tarp, 13 vertical rock technique, 99

teams of three, 82-83
technique, 88-101 walking off, 66-67
weight differences, 25

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What are some safety precautions mentioned in the document?

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What are the different sections covered in the book?

What are the different sections covered in the book?

Sport Climbing Basics

Sport Climbing Basics

Writer and Illustrator: Neil Chelton

Warning: Climbing is Dangerous

This book is intended to be supplemented with practical instruction from qualified

VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics 5

Sport climbing is physical. down. However, there are many more

Who is This Guide For?

VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Introduction 8

French USA Australian UIAA What This

Low-angled rock with

Sport routes typically

Requires a high level

You’ll probably need to

Don’t even bother

VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Introduction 9

Things to Consider when Buying a Climbing Rope

Diameter Maximum Impact Force

Be aware of half ropes and twin ropes

VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Introduction 10

Middle Markers In real climbing situations, a rope will

If the rope moves quickly through the

You can also belay with a standard

VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Introduction 11

If you plan to use your harness for trad

Select a few harnesses that fit

The leg loops should hold most of your

Leg Loops Waist Belt

VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Introduction 12

If the rise is too short, you won't be

Quickdraws with ‘keylock’ gates are

10-12 quickdraws will be enough for

Rope Bags and Tarps

For slabs, a shoe with a soft sole and

VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Introduction 14

However, you should wear a helmet at

In these cases, it is better to be safe

Buying Used Gear

You'll probably begin climbing using depends on (e.g: ropes, harness,

VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Introduction 15

How to Inspect your Climbing Rope

VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Introduction 16

Bolts are either adhesive or If you choose to bolt, or re-bolt, a

Finding a Climbing Partner

VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Introduction 17

GriGri's are designed to work with the GriGri+

VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Belaying 20

VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Belaying 21

VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Belaying 22

It's important to perform these steps

VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Belaying 23

If the climber falls when you are in this

Lazy belaying can kill your partner. If

To soften a fall, belay with your knees

VDiff > Sport Climbing Basics > Belaying 24