Before you even consider venturing out on to a crag
you really need to get a feel for climbing and exactly what you can and can't
do. The best way to do this is by starting with a little bouldering, which
if you're alone is best done in an indoor situation. You'll start to get a
feel of what your new rock boots are capable of, learn the basics of moving
around on rock, and get an idea of how far you can safely push yourself.
From there on in the great outdoors awaits. Getting a feel for different kinds
of rock and conditions is imperative. Simply playing about by walking around
on rocks, then moving on to light bouldering will give you a good feel for
real rock, something which cannot be truly replicated on an indoor wall.
Now
you have that basic grasp of conditions and a certain level of confidence
and skill it's time to start serious climbing, as a second climber of course.
But, hold on; before you go any further make sure that your harness is correctly
fitted; extra tight around the waste, not so tight around your legs, and double
fastened at the relent straps. Helmet and shoes on, krabs and belay plate
ready and it's time to learn the two basic knots that will required for climbing.
The figure of eight knot will usually be used to secure you to your climbing
rope, while a clove hitch will used in most other situations.
Check and cross check your fixings with your lead climber and prepare to belay
them up the crag. Your belaying must be precise, as you are responsible for
that climber and their safety on the route. Stay concentrated and keep the
rope taught when required and allow for more rope when called for. Once the
lead climber has fixed the ropes and anchored himself at the top/pitch then
it's your turn to climb. Be sure that you are safely attached, and make your
calls and commands clear to the climber above. When all is ready start climbing.
Notice that climbers tend to be quite skinny, which means they don't over
use their arms when climbing. Trust your feet, and use your legs to move upwards,
your arms should primarily be used to guide and secure you. Exposure will
be your biggest enemy on a crag, and it's something you will probably never
get used to, but remember that rock climbing is a relatively safe sport, and
that you are secured, so if you do happen to fall you won't go too far, trust
me!
Having scared yourself silly and pushed yourself beyond your own preconceived
limits you will scale your first crag with a huge sigh of relief and a grin
a mile wide, and will doubtless be hooked on climbing!
Our experts
When it comes to quality and knowledge of rock climbing and teaching people how to do things then the instructors at Plas y Brenin National Mountain Centre are about as hot as things come. For our introductory weekend we were lead competently by legendary big wall climber Mike, Twid, Turner, with personal scaring interjected by Gary and the rest of the rock crew.
Getting started, the kit bag
Starting out as a novice climber is a very inexpensive pleasure when compared to many other sports. To get yourself a basic introduction you'll generally do best to hire your gear from your local climbing wall or course providers. Once you've decided to make climbing a more regular thing you need to budget on spending around £125 to get yourself moving as a second. From there on in things do get more expensive as you start to build your "rack" and rope selection.
Rock shoes; even for early use on indoor walls rock shoes, or slippers, will be necessary. These are made of sticky rubber and canvas, and should be of a very snug fit. This combination is designed to help you "stick" to the rock, and to be able to get your feet in to cracks and crannies that you would not be able to in trainers or boots. A reasonable pair of shoes will cost around £50.
Harness; as soon as you move away from basic bouldering ropes come in to effect, which means that you will need a rock climbing harness. Your harness will cost around £30, and will be a crucial piece of kit. Not only will it be your personal lynch pin for attaching yourself to your ropes, it will also be home to your essential climbing gear.
Helmet; all sensible climbers now wear helmets. The main function of a helmet is to protect you from rock and debris falling from above, which is almost inevitable when other climbers are ahead of you. Needless to say it will also protect you from potential scrapes if you fall from the crag. A good helmet will cost around £30.
Gear; to start out on open rock as a novice/second climber your rack will not need to be too extensive. You will need a couple screwgate and snaplink krabs (karabibners), which are used to connect you to ropes and other gear, a belay plate, which is used for controlling the passage of rope when you belay and abseil, and as luxury a chalk bag (to dip in to when your hands get sweaty and your grip falters). This little lot should cost no more than £50 all in.
Clothing; when climbing you need to be comfortable and not restricted. Lightweight trousers without too many pockets will be ideal. For your upper layers the same applies, though bear in mind that once your harness and gear are on then it's not so easy to change your clothing around, and it can be breezy and exposed once you get on to a crag, so think windproof.
Basic safety
· Always wear a helmet at the crag.
· Avoid walking on wet grass with rock shoes,
and dry any wet shoes before you set foot on a crag.
· Make sure that your harness is correctly fitted
and tightened before you climb.
· Check and cross check your gear, harness and ropes with your climbing partner
before you start to climb.
· Be clear and precise with your commands and
confirmations when climbing, it's crucial.
· Don't climb beneath other climbing parties, the risk of falling climbers
or debris is potentially fatal.
Jargon buster
· Crag; the rock formation its self.
· Wall/gym; and artificial indoor climbing facility.
· Bouldering; low level climbing on small rocks/boulders, without ropes and
gear.
· Rack; the selection of hardware used to secure you to the rock face and
ropes when climbing.
· Abseil; a method of descending a rock face/crag using ropes.
· Belay; the use of rope to secure a climber to a rock face, and/or the of
passing rope through "a belay plate" which regulates rope length and the speed
at which it moves for climbers moving around on a rock face.
· Gear; hardware such as karabiners, screws, nuts etc used in rock climbing.
· Anchor; the tie on method of securing a climber to the rock face.
· Multi/single pitch; the number of stages used to climb a rock wall.
· Lead; the first climber in a partnership, who climbs ahead attaching gear
and ropes to the crag.
· BMC; British Mountaineering Council, the controlling national body for climbing.
· Smear; a sideways foot grip used when footholds are minimal or non-existent.
· Spotting; where another climber follows close behind, acting as support
in case of a fall, and also helping to show a route, usually performed in
bouldering.
Where to climb
For novice and expert climbers alike indoor walls and rock gyms provide great year round accessible climbing and bouldering opportunities without the need to travel too far, have a partner or carry excessive amounts of gear. Many towns and cities now have such facilities. For detains check out the BMC website on www.thebmc.co.uk. As for outdoor rock climbing and bouldering then the classic UK areas must be around Llanberis in Snowdonia, The Lake District, Torridon, Skye and Glen Coe in Scotland, the Peak District. Almost all areas will have accessible climbing or bouldering of some sort. The best way to find out about local crags is either via the BMC, or by getting hold of the relevant guidebook, for which Cicerone are the leading publisher's www.cicerone.co.uk.
Want to know more?
Getting started as a climber is best done with some basic instruction and in competent company. Local climbing walls are a great way of getting your basic skills and knowledge up to the mark and level required to become competent enough to go out with experienced climbers and to climb as a second (secured by rope and following the lead climber up a route). Many of these centres run introductory courses, which are almost essential if you want to progress beyond bouldering. An even better alternative would be to get yourself along to Plas y Brenin and to sign up for an introduction to rock climbing course. The courses run over 2 days and you get to learn all of the basics needed to become a competent second climber. You also get the chance to learn from some of Britains finest climbers and instructors and to climb some of the countries best crags. You really cannot beat this option! For details check out www.pyb.co.uk.
Climb grading
All recognised climbs are graded, usually by whoever
was first to ascend the route, or by the author of the relevant guidebook.
These gradings not only determine the overall severity of the climb, but also
take in to account the difficulty of certain manoeuvres required on the route,
and of other considerations such as the exposure factor and danger encountered.
Gradings start with Moderate, then progress through Difficult to, Mild Severe
and Very Hard Severe before reaching the Extreme, or E grade. From here on
grading progresses from E1 upwards to E9. The difficulty of gymnastic and
technical manoeuvres are graded after the overall rating in ascending numerical
and letter form, VS1a, or to go to extremes E96c. Star ratings often follow
gradings in guidebooks; these usually indicate the plum routes in a certain
area/crag.
For more in depth grading and general info Plas y Brenin publish a Rock Notes
booklet costing £5, available from www.pyb.co.uk.
