Rock Climbing Basics - VDiff Climbing

Rock Climbing Basics
The Beginner's Guide
Fourth Edition. January 2018
£ Donation Only

Contents
Introduction 4
Preparation 10
Top Rope Climbing 25
Lead Climbing 39
General 53
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The Climbing Harness
Gear Loops
These are for clipping gear
to, such as quickdraws.
This way, you can take
gear with you as you climb.
They're not strong enough
to hold your weight, so
never clip the rope into
them.
Buckle
These can be used to
adjust the size of your
harness for a comfortable
and tight fit. It's important
that they are fastened
correctly (see page 12).
Waist Belt
This fastens around the
smallest part of your waist.
Elastic
These stretchy pieces of
fabric help to stop your leg
loops from sliding down at
the back. They can be
adjusted too.
Leg Loops
These fasten around the
top of your thighs.
Belay Loop
This super strong loop
connects the waist belt to
the leg loops. You use it to
belay from (more on this
later).
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How To Tie In To a Climbing Rope
You'll need to tie the end of the rope to
your harness before you climb. The best
way to do this is using a rethreaded figure
of 8 knot.
It's really important that you do it correctly,
as this knot is what connects you to the
whole climbing system and keeps you
safe.
Step 1
Make a loop about a meter
from the end of the rope.
Wrap the end of the rope
around the base of the
loop, then push the end
through the loop.
Step 2
You should end up with an
'8'. Make sure the knot is
around 90cm from the end
of the rope. The exact
length varies with ropes of
different diameters, but
you'll soon get used to it.
Step 3
Pass the end of the rope
through both of the two
points on the front centre
of your harness – the
same ones your belay loop
runs through. It is
important that the rope
goes through your harness
in exactly the same way as
your belay loop does.
90cm
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15

25cm
Step 4
Use the end of the rope to
're-trace' the figure of 8
knot. Follow the twists of
the rope starting from
where the rope joins your
harness.
Step 5
Continue following the
twists until you end up
back at the start of the
knot.
Pull the whole thing tight.
Step 6
Make sure the end of the
rope is around 25cm long.
If it is shorter, you'll have to
untie and start again. After
this, you will need to tie a
'stopper knot'. Loop the
short section of rope
around the main length.
VDiff – Rock Climbing Basics > Preparation and Technique
16

Step 7
Do this twice, with the
second loop closer to you
than the first.
Step 8
Push the end of the rope
through these two loops,
away from you.
Step 9
Pull this tight too (make
sure it's pushed right up
against your figure of 8
knot).
If you didn't have enough rope left to tie a
stopper knot, you'll need to retie the figure
of 8 so that you do.
It takes a bit of practise to judge just the
right amount of rope from the start, but
you'll get used to it soon.
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17

Climbing Calls
'Climbing calls' are certain words that
climbers use so that everyone knows
exactly what is happening, a bit like 'copy'
or 'over' on a two-way radio.
These calls may seem a bit excessive
standing
when you're standing next to each other at
the wall, but they help to avoid any
confusion when you're starting out. Once
you're 50m away from each other outside
and the wind is howling, you'll see why
they're essential!
When the climber is ready to climb, they
tell the belayer to 'take in' the slack rope.
The belayer pulls the rope through the
belay device until it is tight on the climber.
When the rope is tight, the climber tells the
belayer 'that's me'. This lets the belayer
know that the rope is tight on to the climber
and not twisted or stuck anywhere else.
When the belayer is ready to belay, they
tell the climber they are 'on belay' and they
can 'climb when ready'.
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29

As a final check the climber tells the
belayer they are 'climbing'. But the climber
doesn't leave the ground until they hear
'OK' from the belayer. Everything's good to
go!
If the climber wants a rest, they can tell the
belayer to 'take'. The belayer holds the
rope tight with both hands and replies 'OK'.
If the climber wants to be lowered down at
any point (or if they reach the top), they tell
the belayer to 'lower'. The belayer replies
'lowering'. They then lower the climber
down.
VDiff – Rock Climbing Basics > Top Rope Climbing
30

Good Belay Technique
Ready to take in, give
slack or lock off
Rope fairly tight
Hands correct distance
away from belay device
Tight grip on rope
Holding the brake rope in
the correct downwards
direction
Warning: Keep Hold Of The Rope
When you belay you need to keep at least
one hand on the brake rope all the time. It
is this that stops the climber from falling to
the ground.
Letting go of the brake rope is like letting
go of the steering wheel while driving on a
fast country road.
It's incredibly important that you pay
constant attention when belaying and
never let go of the brake rope!
VDiff – Rock Climbing Basics > Top Rope Climbing
38

Rock Climbing Basics:
Lead Climbing
Photographer: Sam Simpson

Warning: Back-Clipping
The rope needs to be clipped through the
quickdraw so that the end of the rope
attached to you comes out of the front side
of the quickdraw. If you fall, the rope will
stay clipped through the carabiner.
If you clip it the wrong way round, the rope
could snap through the carabiner's gate if
you fall. This would unclip the rope from
the carabiner. This is known as 'back
clipping'.
If you're belaying a leader, keep an eye out
for them accidentally back clipping, and let
them know if they have!
Warning: Cross-Loading
Make sure your carabiners do not become
'cross loaded' when you climb (loaded
sideways). Also make sure the carabiner's
gate has snapped shut after you've clipped
the rope through it. Either of these will
make your carabiner much weaker.
Learn more about carabiner strength
ratings:
www.vdiffclimbing.com/basic-biners
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43

Clipping The Top Anchor
Once you get to the top of the wall, you'll
need to clip the rope through the top
anchor.
Different walls have different systems for
this – some have two snapgate
carabiners, some have one or two
screwgate carabiners that you'll need to
unscrew first. Ask one of the staff before
leading if in doubt!
It's important to make sure that the anchor
you clip does not have another rope
already running through it. Having 2 ropes
through the same anchor can damage
them.
Once you've clipped your rope through the
top anchor, you can be lowered down in
the same way as if you were top roping.
However, if you've attached your own
quickdraws on the way up, you'll need to
collect them on the way down.
Simply lower down, unclipping them from
both the bolt and rope and then clipping
them back to your gear loops. The belayer
will need to stop lowering you at each bolt
so you have time to do this.
Pulling The Rope Down
When you're pulling a lead rope down,
shout 'rope' before it falls, so that everyone
around you is expecting it – a falling rope
in the head hurts!
Make sure to pull the rope through so that
the falling end drops down through the
clipped quickdraws – this will slow it down
and make it safer.
VDiff – Rock Climbing Basics > Lead Climbing
44

Get the Full Version
The full version of this e-book is available
on a pay-what-you-want pricing system,
starting at £0.
You can download it for free, or show your
support with a small donation.
Get your copy here:
https://gumroad.com/l/VDiff
Learn How To:
- Use basic climbing gear
- Tie into the rope
- Belay (lead and top rope)
- Climb efficiently
- Understand fall potential
Plus much more.
Further Information:
* Perfect for those who want to start rock
climbing.
* 100+ accurately drawn, full-colour
illustrations.
* Strong emphasis on climbing safety.
* 63 information-packed pages.
* Updated December 2017