introduction to abseiling &...

Introduction to Abseiling &

Rockclimbing

Learner Resource

September 2012 Version 2.4

Abseiling & Rockclimbing intro Handbook September 2012 V3.0

This symbol is used throughout these notes to indicate important safety

points. Please pay extra attention to these points.

Acknowledgments

Martin Worth WorthWild Pty Ltd Author and source material

ABLE NT Abseiling Skills Learner Resources February 2000, M. Jerram

Army Adventurous Training Centre Climbing Leaders Handbook 2

nd Edition 1992 S. Stephenson

Abseiling Skills/ Anchors Self Study Materials Professional Association Climbing Instructors 1998


CHAPTER 1 ABOUT ABSEILING .............................................................................................................. 5

‘Single-pitch’ and ‘Multi-pitch’ .................................................................................................................... 5

Artificial Surface & Natural Surface........................................................................................................... 5

Abseiling on single or double ropes .......................................................................................................... 5

CHAPTER 2 ABOUT ROCKCLIMBING ...................................................................................................... 6

Top-roped climbing ................................................................................................................................... 6

Artificial Surface & Natural Surface........................................................................................................... 7

CHAPTER 3 MINIMAL IMPACT PRACTICES ............................................................................................ 8

Choosing an activity site ( Natural Cliff) .................................................................................................... 8

CHAPTER 4 SAFETY ON SITE .................................................................................................................. 9

Responding to emergencies ..................................................................................................................... 9

Abseiling Hazards and Control Measures .............................................................................................. 10

Rockclimbing Hazards and Control Measures .......................................................................................... 1

CHAPTER 4 EQUIPMENT FAMILIARITY ................................................................................................... 6

Abseiling & Rockclimbing Equipment ....................................................................................................... 6

Descending and Belaying Devices ........................................................................................................... 9

Group Equipment .................................................................................................................................... 12

CHAPTER 5 PREPARING TO ABSEIL .................................................................................................... 14

Abseiling Technique ................................................................................................................................ 15

Belaying .................................................................................................................................................. 17

Bottom Belay (used under direct supervision of an instructor) ............................................................... 17

Top Belay (preferred method and used during training) ......................................................................... 18

CHAPTER 6 PREPARING TO CLIMB ...................................................................................................... 22

Rock Climbing Techniques Belaying ...................................................................................................... 23

Belaying .................................................................................................................................................. 23

Rockclimbing Techniques for the climber ............................................................................................... 27

Principles of movement on rock .............................................................................................................. 28

Cliff features ............................................................................................................................................ 29

CHAPTER 8 THE WEATHER.................................................................................................................... 31

Risk and the weather .............................................................................................................................. 31

Keeping an eye on the weather .............................................................................................................. 31

Observing weather patterns .................................................................................................................... 32

CHAPTER 9 CARE OF THE EQUIPMENT ............................................................................................... 33


Pre and Post checks ............................................................................................................................... 33

Isolating damaged equipment ................................................................................................................. 34

Scheduled Equipment Maintenance ....................................................................................................... 34

CHAPTER 10 EVALUATE THE SESSION ............................................................................................. 39

Logbooks ................................................................................................................................................. 39

Self-Assessment ..................................................................................................................................... 39

Abseiling & Rockclimbing intro Handbook September 2012 V3.0 5

CHAPTER 1 ABOUT ABSEILING

Abseiling is the term used to describe descending on a rope whilst controlling the speed and progress by friction against the rope. Abseiling originated as a way for climbers to descend to a climb or return to the start of a climb if no other way down was possible. It is also a common practice in other sports including caving, canyoning and vertical rescue. Many abseiling methods have been used over the years, originating with the classic abseil, involving the use of one’s body to provide friction, to the current use of friction devices on the rope to control ones decent.

The term abseiling is derived from a German word literally meaning "to go down rope".

Ab = to go down

Seil = rope

The term rappel means to "retrieve rope". Therefore, rappelling is to abseil on a retrievable system, i.e. twin strand rope.

‘SINGLE-PITCH’ AND ‘MULTI-PITCH’

Single-pitch means that the rope will reach safe ground in one length from the top of the cliff (i.e., the rope

always reaches a safe ground position with foot access).

Multi-pitch means that the rope does not reach safe ground. To understand this concept, it may be helpful to

think of the world’s highest mountain - Mt Everest. There is no rope long enough to reach the ground from

the top of Mt Everest! In this instance, you would need to abseil many rope lengths to reach the ground.

This repetitive process is known as multi-pitch abseiling.

Prior to attempting any multi-pitch abseiling, it is vital that you are skilled and knowledgeable in self-

rescue techniques.

ARTIFICIAL SURFACE & NATURAL SURFACE

Artificial surface is a term that relates to man-made structures including towers and indoor and outdoor

climbing walls. It may also relate to any other structure such as a building, silo, etc. The Artificial

environment is usually set up with attachment points or there are tie down points available (building

components, columns etc) which can be used for anchoring to. Although artificial surface is usually

completely vertical and may have its own hazards it is free of the hazards of ‘rock fall’ and loose debris

inherent in the natural cliff environment.

Natural surface relates to outdoor cliff environments. A cliff has been defined as a vertical or near vertical

drop in excess of 9 meters in height. It seems to not matter if the cliff was ‘mad made’ as in a quarry or other

excavation, nor whether there are installed anchors or not.

ABSEILING ON SINGLE OR DOUBLE ROPES

Most descending/belay devices will allow the user to descend with double ropes. Generally, auto-locking

devices (such as the Gri Gri) will only accept a single rope of a defined diameter. This generally makes auto-

locking devices unsuitable for lead climbing. As a general rule of thumb, “if you double the rope, you double

the friction”. Most people find that they can descend quite comfortably without gloves when using double

ropes. It is most common to descend on double ropes when using a retrievable abseil system.


CHAPTER 2 ABOUT ROCKCLIMBING

Rockclimbing is a popular adventure sport involving the ascent of cliff faces.

Specialised equipment is used in rockclimbing to safeguard the climber.

Such equipment includes harness, helmet, carabiners and a rope which is connected at one end to the

climber and at the other to the belayer. In simple terms, the belayer is the person who holds the top to

protect the climber if he/she should fall. Belaying is provided through the use of friction caused by the rope

passing through a belay device.

The sport of rockclimbing preceded the establishment of abseiling as an adventure activity. Abseiling was

regarded as simply the method used to return to safe ground on completion of a climb. Indeed in the early

days of climbing, ropes were used purely for descending the climb. Descent was (and still is in the true

context of mountaineering) regarded as the most dangerous part of the climb.

Lead climbing is now accepted as the standard and purest method of climbing a cliff or mountain. ‘Leading’

utilises a ‘ground up’ approach to climbing where the climber and their partner (or ‘second’) ascend the cliff

using removable and fixed protection on the rock face as attachment points into which the rope is clipped to

allow protection, from a ground fall. The leader (lead) climbs first whilst the second provides the belay.

Once the leader gets to a safe point and establishes a belay there, then the second climbs to that point

under belay from the lead climber. In this fashion a climbing team may go as far up the mountain (or cliff) as

they want.

This is process of ‘leap frogging’ up the mountain is called multi-pitch climbing (defined later on). The basis

of this course of study however is Single Pitch Climbing – Top-belayed.

So, let’s define these terms to get us started.

TOP-ROPED CLIMBING

Top-rope climbing involves the establishment of an anchor system at the top of

the selected climbing route before commencing climbing. The rope is

attached through carabiners so that it can pull through without restriction and

both of the rope ends reach the ground. The climber is attached to one end of

the rope and as the climbs; the belayer pulls the other end of the rope (the

‘belay’ end) through a belay device to apply friction to the rope to allow the

belayer to hold it ‘locked off’ in case of a climber fall. See the dinky diagram at

right!

So, a top-rope climbing set up requires a couple of things that a lead climbing set up doesn’t.

We require access to the top of the climb first.

We require suitable anchors at the top of the climb

We require a climb that is less than 25 meters in height, and

We intend only to climb one ‘pitch’(explained in next section)

‘SINGLE-PITCH’ AND ‘MULTI-PITCH’

A rope ‘pitch’ is definitively the length of the rope. Thus a single pitch climb is only as long as one rope

length and a multi pitch climb is many rope lengths long.

A standard rope length is 150 feet, or now, 50 meters long.

Only a lead climbing team can climb further than 50 meters on a mountain or cliff using the method

described above. A top-rope climbing team is limited to one rope pitch. In actual fact, if the belay is


conducted from the base of the climb as described then the top-rope climbing team is limited to less than a

half rope length of 25 meters.

If the climb is more than 25 meters then the belayer may belay from the top of the climb and thus allow the

team to climb a climb of up to 50 meters; one rope length which is defined as one pitch!

This is why sometimes top-rope climbing is referred to a ‘restricted’ climbing.

ARTIFICIAL SURFACE & NATURAL SURFACE

Artificial surface is a term that relates to man-made structures including towers and indoor and outdoor

climbing walls. It may also relate to any other structure such as a building, silo, etc. The Artificial

environment is usually set up with attachment points or there are tie down points available (building

components, columns etc) which can be used for anchoring to. Although artificial surface is usually

completely vertical and may have its own hazards it is free of the hazards of ‘rock fall’ and loose debris

inherent in the natural cliff environment.

Natural surface relates to outdoor cliff environments. A cliff has been defined as a vertical or near vertical

drop in excess of 9 meters in height. It seems to not matter if the cliff was ‘mad made’ as in a quarry or other

excavation, nor whether there are installed anchors or not.


CHAPTER 3 MINIMAL IMPACT PRACTICES

Increasing numbers of people are engaging in mountain sports, which take them into pristine and fragile environments. This increased use results in rising impacts on land, water, plants and animals- even entire cultures. Once damage is done it can sometimes be impossible to repair. Damaging the land and plant life can happen very easily. Creeks and slopes are eroded; scree slopes and vegetation are readily disturbed and wildlife is increasingly threatened by human incursions into natural areas and important habitats. Many animals are easily stressed by human contact and populations can be altered over time. The most common causes of stress to animals are approaching too closely, feeding, disrupting travel routes and poor waste management.

The following three simple environmental management practices can be utilised easily and should be common practice for outdoor recreation participants;

a. Avoid placing equipment across walking paths and in communal areas

b. Carry a rubbish bag and use it

c. Pick up litter / Use the rubbish bins

d. Keep to designated walking tracks

e. Interact kindly with other users

Other practices that are more site or activity dependant include:

Respect closures and rehabilitation areas.

When travelling off trails, avoid sensitive areas.

Respect private property, local policies and regulations.

When camping, use designated fire places or fuel stoves.

When abseiling or climbing use natural or removable protection whenever possible.

Consider local ethics.

Use slings or carpet to protect trees when rigging anchors.

Respect the rights of others, try not to dominate an area, remove gear when not in use.

Take all rubbish out with you; conduct a site inspection before leaving.

Use toilet facilities provided. If none are available, dig a ‘cat hole’ a minimum of 15cm deep and more than 100m away from water sources and camp sites.

CHOOSING AN ACTIVITY SITE ( NATURAL CLIFF)

Whilst planning is not an integral part of your course at this level, it is helpful for safety reasons to

understand some of the basic activity planning considerations. When choosing a Natural site for abseiling,

considerations need to be given to the suitability of the site for our purposes. The following acronym should

be used for site suitability:

S H A A P E T

S tability of the cliff area at the top, bottom and also on the face of the cliff

H eight of the cliff (vertical); to be called a cliff it must be greater than 9m high.

A-ccess to the site both top and bottom for ease of rigging and walking back to the top

A-vailability of suitable anchors to use for rigging such as trees, rocks or attachment points

After assessing the composition of the site, the following must also be considered:

P-ermission needs to be sought from land owners or appropriate authorities before entering a site.

E-nvironmental considerations of the site, including likely weather, sun direction and environmental impact

issues or cultural aspects of the site should be assessed in your planning.

T-echnical requirements of the site; the site must not outstrip the ability of the participants or the capability of

our available equipment


CHAPTER 4 SAFETY ON SITE

It is our duty to ensure your safety on site, whist abseiling, belaying and watching our training and demonstrations of techniques. For this reason we implement safety measures to limit the activity risks. You are required to adhere to these safety rules and to obey the direction of instructors at all times to ensure your safety.

Although relatively easy to accomplish correctly and safely, abseiling is potentially hazardous statistically. An abseiler is often exposed to great heights and potential of a fall make them totally dependent on their anchor system and the ability to use their equipment correctly. Constant practice can develop good technique but can also lead to overconfidence and carelessness. Exhilaration can also encourage hazardous technique.

RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES

If, during the session, you notice that something isn’t safe or someone is in danger you should take reasonable action to rectify the situation.

Shouting or alerting people to danger works well if there is an imminent threat such as rock fall or any other emergency that requires an immediate response to move away from the danger. But, when working at height, this can sometimes be counterproductive. For example, shouting to alert someone that they are at the cliff edge and not on a safety line may alarm them and create a panic situation that may lead to them tripping or actually falling.

Always consider the REACTION that your ACTION may cause before you respond to an emergency.

You will need to adopt different responses (drills) and ways of thinking to enable you to be a safe activity leader. For instance I once watched an instructor sitting on a ledge, at height, on a mountain, who knocked their drink bottle over and as it rolled towards the edge and fell off the ledge just called out ‘below!’ to alert anyone below rather than chase it and endanger themselves by possibly stumbling after it!

When at height or near a drop, our first thought must always be to ‘make safe’, firstly to check that you are safe and then to consider the safety of the other party. Check out the following ‘MAPS’ protocol

M)ake safe A)ssess P)rioritise S)tabilise

Always observe the safety rules and ‘control measures’ listed in the next section: Are you wearing a helmet (in the rock fall area)? Are you, on belay and/or attached to a safety line, if at height?

As a novice, we expect that your best course of action should you notice a safety breach or hazard is to alert the instructor who will take the necessary steps to make safe.

As you study the course and become competent in activity techniques and proper responses to emergencies you will be able to respond appropriately to rectify situations without causing alarm or incident.

Incident Occurs

Make Safe

Victim

Group

Self

Assess

Situation

Victim

Resources

Prioritise

Tasks to effect rescue and

recovery

Stabilise

Rescue/Treat victim

Group to safe ground


ABSEILING HAZARDS AND CONTROL MEASURES

Control measures are safety guidelines, actions that we take to minimise the possibility of injury occurring. The following actions should always be adhered to. Like a drill, remember them and train yourself in responding with the appropriate action without thought. That’s how we keep safe!

Here is a list of the general hazards that exist in abseiling & rockclimbing and (following each) is a safety guideline that we employ to ensure you are not injured:

Fall from height -

1. You must always attach to a safety line when standing at the top of the cliff so you don’t fall off!

2. And, we never abseil unless you’re on belay (that means we have another person protecting our descent), to stop you falling if you lose your balance or let go of the rope

Injury from rock fall

3. You must wear a helmet while abseiling & / or

4. When standing within 4 meters of the bottom of the cliff

5. Move away from the cliff as soon as you can to minimise the time that you are susceptible to rock fall

6. Shout ‘ROCK’ if you see a rock falling/or dislodge a rock

Burns from the rope

7. Wear clothing that covers your midriff to prevent the rope running on your bare skin

8. Wear gloves to protect your hands

9. Abseil slowly at a controlled pace

10. Keep your gloves on when you remove the Figure 8 from the rope after abseiling

Exposure to Hot Weather Sunburn and dehydration

1. Wear sun-smart clothing and a hat and sunscreen (We recommend you wear a light weight, long sleeved, collared shirt in the heat)

2. Drink water throughout the session

Exposure to Wet or Cold Weather

1. Wear warm clothing that van be ‘layered’, and always bring a raincoat or jumper (just in case)

2. Take care on wet tracks

Becoming entangled in the ropes

3. Avoid wearing shorts that have a drawstring at the waist, as the string can become entangled in the descending device

4. Don’t wear loose clothing or jewellery that might become snagged in the rope.

5. If you have long hair, you must tie it back so it can’t get caught in the descending device

To ensure your harness and all of your equipment is correctly fitted

6. You must do a six point check EVERY TIME before you abseil

To ensure people respond appropriately to key actions

7. Always use the correct safety calls

Injury from slipping or falling as you ascend the walking trail (or ladders)

1. Take care on the trail

Be cautious of ladders and inartificial structures be particularly careful of:

1. Banging your head on the ladder cage or on the trap door

2. Not falling down an open trap door and

3. Don’t lean or sit on the banisters at each level (you might fall off!)


4. Artificial structures easily become home to stinging wasps and bees and other insects……be particularly careful of unwelcome bugs!

THREE CRITICAL SAFETY RULES

Whilst learning abseiling, the following three CRITICAL safety rules will maximise your safety:

1. Never, approach the edge unless you are attached to a safety line.

2. Never, detach your own safety line; let the instructor do that until you are fully qualified to complete your own checks.

3. Always keep an eye out for your own and others safety and look after the equipment; as if your life depends on it.

STANDARD ABSEILING CALLS

Safety calls are used as a protocol that allows an appropriate response to a situation by using key words.

The call ‘ROCK!’ is used no matter what is actually falling off the cliff because it will solicit the correct

response: that people below move out of danger! You should always use the calls so that like a drill, you

remember them and train yourself in responding with the appropriate action without thought. That’s how we

keep safe!

SAFETY CALL MEANING ACTION

”Below” or “Rock” Debris or other matter has been dislodged from the cliff

Stand clear! Take immediate steps to protect yourself from being struck.

”Rope” or “Rope Below” I intend to deploy my rope. Move away from the fall zone.

“On-Belay” I am ready to stop you if you slip. Abseiler commences descent.

“Abseiling” I am about to commence my descent On bottom belay; Hold rope slack in both hands and be prepared to arrest an abseiler’s fall.

“Slack” I want you give me more slack in the belay rope

Belayer cautiously feeds some slack

“Take in” I want you to make the belay a bit tighter Belayer tightens the belay rope

“Hold” I want you to hold the belay tight to prevent me falling

Belayer locks off the belay

“In control” I have become stopped on belay and

I am ready to resume abseiling under my own control

Belayer checks that the abseiler has hold of the control end of the rope and is in the correct stance. ONLY THEN gently eases control to the abseiler

”Rope Clear” or “Off Rope” I have disconnected myself from the abseil rope

The next person may now prepare to descend.

“Safe” I have reached the ground. Disconnect belay system.

ALTERNATE COMMUNICATION METHODS

There will be times when calls will not be the most efficient method of communication eg; the cliff could be too high for effective verbal communication or the wind may be blowing too hard to allow voice communication. Some alternate methods of communicating include:

UHF radios

Hand Signals Whistles or ‘Tugs’ on the rope


ABSEILING 6 POINT CHECK

In the abseiling session, you will be taught to use the five point safety check. Before you abseil you should always complete the safety check and repeat it OUT LOUD so that your instructor knows that you are remembering it fully and correctly.

Here are the main points which will become clear when you attend practical training.

Anchors: Confirm that anchors are connected and equalized.

Buckles: Confirm harness buckles are adjusted correctly and back threaded.

Carabiners: Confirm that the carabiner gate is screwed shut and won’t open and that the ‘pointy’ end of the carabiner is facing forward with the gate up.

Descending Device: Confirm the descending device is not crossed and that the ‘smiley face’ is up!

Everything else: Confirm helmet / gloves are on, long or loose clothing tucked in, hair secured and that you are confident and prepared for the decent.

Friend – check your belayer your belayer checks you.

NOTE: If you are controlling a top-rope belay then extend the above drill to cover BOTH the abseiler and your own harness, carabiners and belay device.

ROCKCLIMBING HAZARDS AND CONTROL MEASURES

Control measures are safety guidelines, actions that we take to minimise the possibility of injury occurring. The following actions should always be adhered to. Like a drill, remember them and train yourself in responding with the appropriate action without thought. That’s how we keep safe!

Here is a list of the general hazards that exist in Climbing and (following each) is a safety guideline that we employ to ensure you are not injured:

Fall from height

11. Never commence climbing unless you’re on belay (that means we have another person protecting our descent), to stop you falling to the ground

12. Do a “pre climb” check before you climb to make sure our harness and all of our equipment is

correctly fitted

13. Use climbing safety calls to ensure that the climber and belayer are in communication throughout the

climbing sequence.

Injury from rock fall

14. You must wear a helmet while climbing & / or belaying and

15. When standing within 4 meters of the bottom of the cliff

16. Move away from the cliff as soon as you can to minimise the time that you are susceptible to rock fall

17. Shout ‘ROCK’ if you see a rock falling/or dislodge a rock

Burns from the rope

18. Lower the climber slowly at a controlled pace

Exposure to Hot Weather Sunburn and dehydration

8. Wear sun-smart clothing and a hat and sunscreen (We recommend you wear a light weight, long sleeved, collared shirt in the heat)

9. Drink water throughout the session

Exposure to Wet or Cold Weather

3. Wear warm clothing that van be ‘layered’, and always bring a raincoat or jumper (just in case)


4. Take care on wet tracks

Becoming entangled in the ropes

10. Avoid wearing shorts that have a drawstring at the waist, as the string can become entangled in the belaying device

11. Don’t wear loose clothing or jewellery that might become snagged in the rope.

12. If you have long hair, you must tie it back so it can’t get caught

To ensure your harness and all of your equipment is correctly fitted

13. You must do a six point check EVERY TIME before you climb

To ensure people respond appropriately to key actions

14. Always use the correct safety calls

Injury from slipping or falling as you ascend the walking trail (or ladders)

2. Take care on the trail

Be cautious of ladders and inartificial structures be particularly careful of:

5. Banging your head on the ladder cage or on the trap door

6. Not falling down an open trap door and

7. Don’t lean or sit on the banisters at each level (you might fall off!)

8. Artificial structures easily become home to stinging wasps and bees and other insects……be particularly careful of unwelcome bugs!

SAFETY WHILST CLIMBING

There are some safety considerations that need to be applied when climbing. (What more!!!....). Climbing

is also about falling. You will miss a move or get tired and fall from the climb. It’s not about falling to the

ground; your belayer will hold you on the rope, but it’s about coming off the climb and dangling around

until you regain the rock or get lowered down!

1. Avoid straying too far left or right from the climb.

This will avoid a potential dangerous pendulum swing.

2. Keep the rope between your arms whilst climbing.

If the climber fell and the rope was outside their arms it could cause the climber to loose balance and lead to injuries, sometimes pulling the shoulders one way and the pelvis the other way due to the tension on the rope. Avoid falling with the rope behind your shoulder or arm.

3. Be aware of the ‘danger zone’; this is a distance between the climber and the ground or a ledge that is less than the anticipated stretch of the rope.

A dynamic rope is designed to stretch to absorb the forces associated with a fall. This stretch is approximately 5% of the total rope length between the climber and the belayer. So, if there is 40 meters of rope out (5% of this is 2 meters). Then the danger zone is any time that the climber is within 2 meters of the ground of a ledge.

4. If (when) you fall during a climb, adopt a ‘cat-like’ stance (arms and legs bent and out in front of the body) and push away from the cliff.

This will allow you to fend off the rock and avoid falling directly down and onto any protrusions in the cliff face.

5. As a climber, never hold onto the rope during a fall.

This will encourage your body to spin around and may result in injuries from hitting the cliff face. During a fall the belayer should hold the person till the climber has stopped moving. Once this has


occurred the climber can make the decisions if they wish to complete the climb or be lowered to the ground.

6. When the climber gets to the top of the climb

Belayers; when lowering a climber, firstly check that the rope is not twisted. At this stage the belayer should remove all the slack from the climbing rope and hold the belay in the locked position. Once the climber has signalled they are ready to be lowered, lower them slowly whilst maintain 2 hands on the control end of the rope.

When lowering a climber you must lower slowly and carefully; go slowly so that the climber can ‘find their feet’ and NOT swing or feel like they are falling. This is the most dangerous part of the climb, the climber’s full weight is on the belayer and the belayer must control the device to ensure a steady safe descent for the climber. It is at this time that you should ensure the instructor is standing by until you gain confidence in your technique.

Climbers; before you let go, to be lowered back down by your belayer; always stop and check that your belayer is ready to take your weight.

THREE CRITICAL SAFETY RULES

No surprise then that our main 3 main safety for climbing are about falling!!

4. Always, keep the climbing rope between your arms. If the rope runs over your shoulder and

you fall, you could twist your spine

5. Be aware of the ‘danger zone’. While climbing, even with the belay held tight, the climbing

rope will stretch when the climber falls; approximately 5%, so about 1 to 2 meters with the

rope out fully.

So, whenever the climber is within 1 or 2 meters of a ledge or the ground the belayer must be

extra vigilant to hold the fall to stop the climber landing on the ledge or ground.

6. Do not climb too far either side of where the rope is anchored at the top of the climb so that

you avoid a ‘pendulum swing’ if you fall from the climb.

CLIMBER 6 POINT CHECK (THE “PRE CLIMB CHECK”)

Before climbing we always perform a cross-check between the climber and the belayer to ensure that the equipment is set properly and both parties are safe and ready to climb. This is commonly known as the cross-check and completed by both parties as follows;

You should always complete the safety check and repeat it OUT LOUD so that your instructor knows that you are remembering it fully and correctly.

Here are the main points which will become clear when you attend practical training.

Anchors: Confirm that anchors are connected and equalized.

Buckles: Confirm harness buckles are adjusted correctly and back threaded.

Carabiners: Confirm that the carabiner gate is screwed shut and won’t open and that the ‘pointy’ end of the carabiner is facing forward with the gate up.

Descending Device: Confirm the descending device is not crossed and that the ‘smiley face’ is up!

Everything else: Confirm helmet / gloves are on, long or loose clothing tucked in, hair secured and that you are confident and prepared for the decent.

Friend – check your belayer your belayer checks you ;


Climber – Is checked by belayer;

Wearing Helmet

Harness done up

Tied in to rope correctly

No twist in the rope

Belayer – Is checked by climber;

Wearing helmet

Harness done up

Tied down to belay point

Belay assembled correctly

No twist in the rope

CLIMBING SAFETY CALLS

CLIMBING COMMENCEMENT SEQUENCE OF CALLS

Although the climber and belayer are usually standing right next to each other at commencement of climbing

we still engage a sequence of safety calls prior to commencing climbing. This sequence is common to top-

rope climbing and lead climbing and is designed to ensure that;

The climber doesn’t commence climbing before the belayer is ready to arrest a fall.

The sequence is as follows;

CALLER CALL MEANING / ACTION

1. Climber calls ‘ON ROPE’ I’m tied to the rope

2. Belayer then pulls rope tight on the climber

3. Once the rope is

tight on the climber

the cClimber calls

‘THAT”S ME’ The rope is tight on me to my satisfaction (some

like the rope tight, others a bit loose)

4. Belayer checks the belay is assembled correctly

5. Belayer calls ‘ON BELAY’ Belay is connected and belayer is ready to

belay

6. Climber calls CLIMBING Climber is commencing ascent

7. Belayer calls CLIMB AWAY Acknowledges that belayer is aware that the

climber is climbing

ALTERNATE COMMUNICATION METHODS

There will be times when calls will not be the most efficient method of communication eg; the cliff could be too high for effective verbal communication or the wind may be blowing too hard to allow voice communication. Some alternate methods of communicating include:

UHF radios

Hand Signals Whistles or ‘Tugs’ on the rope


CLIMBER, COMMUNICATION CALLS

Throughout a climb, the climber may wish to advise the belayer of particular circumstances. For instance, if

the climber is about to fall, he’ll call ‘Take in’ or ‘watch me’!!!

Sometimes the climber needs the rope to be slack and sometimes the climber might dislodge a rock and

need the belayer to watch out! Standard calls are used to avoid confusion. Like any drill or code word,

these become second nature and thereby are a safe and efficient means of communication.

You should learn these calls and use only them to communicate your immediate needs whilst climbing.

Climber call Meaning

TAKE IN or UP

ROPE

Pull the rope tight

SLACK Give me some slack on the rope

WATCH ME I’m probably going to fall, prepare to hold me

HOLD I’m falling off ! Lock the belay

ROCK or BELOW Look out! You are in danger of being struck by a rock or another falling

object.

SAFE I’m OK now

OFF ROPE I’m disconnected from the rope and no longer need a belay


CHAPTER 4 EQUIPMENT FAMILIARITY

Abseiling equipment is constructed using the highest standard of materials available; often these materials are the product of leading edge technology. All abseiling equipment has a limited useable lifespan.

As a general rule: the abseiler should have tight fitting rather than loose fitting clothes. All clothes should be tucked in under the harness to minimize the chance of becoming caught in the device. Thick clothing like jumpers should be put on after the harness is fitted correctly.

The following items are considered PERSONAL EQUIPMENT; that used by each individual abseiler

PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

There is no specific PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) that is designed for abseiling. Common sense however and Occupational Health & Safety dictates that we should dress appropriately for the hazards that we might expect to find onsite.

A long sleeved, collared shirt is recommended for outdoor activities to minimise your exposure to the sun. Also, ensure that you midriff is covered so that the rope doesn’t run on your bare skin.

A hat is advised while you are watching lessons, (but not under your helmet).

Try to avoid wearing shorts that have a drawstring at the waist, as the string can become entangled in the descending device.

Long hair, jewellery, loose earrings, chains and necklaces can all get jammed in descending devices. Ensure all these things are removed before abseiling.

If you have long hair, you must tie it back so it can’t get caught in the descending device

Comfortable, closed, lace up footwear is recommended, such as running shoes or hiking boots.

ABSEILING & ROCKCLIMBING EQUIPMENT

GLOVES

Leather gloves are recommended as they reduce the chance of friction burns from the rope and improve comfort.

HELMETS

Recommended more for rock fall protection than for accidentally hitting your head on the cliff during the activity – helmets are sometimes met with disdain. The problem is that if you sustain a blow to the head, you’d wish you were wearing one. Think about it! Use helmets whilst abseiling or standing at the base of the cliff.

When selecting a helmet, try and choose a helmet that fits comfortably and does not sit too high or low on your head. The helmet should allow adjustment so there is no movement from side to side and have a chin strap to secure it from moving excessively forward or back on the head.


HARNESSES

There are numerous kinds of harnesses. For abseiling / climbing, those that are based on a belt and leg loop system are recommended. Most modern harnesses are designed to leave a climber in a `sitting’ position after a fall. This can only be guaranteed in all situations however, if the harness is used in conjunction with a chest harness.

On attaching to the rope it is imperative that you tie-in through both the waist band and leg loops of the harness. Additionally, due to the slip ability of nylon on most other materials, it is essential that straps be doubled back on themselves at buckles and fasteners.

Some harnesses are designed with self-locking buckles. These buckles are designed so there is no need to double back the buckles. On purchasing a harness clarify the type of buckles on the harness with the supplier before use.

FOOTWEAR

The climber should have tight fitting rather than loose fitting clothes. All clothes should be tucked in under

the harness to minimize the chance of becoming caught in the device. Thick clothing like jumpers should be

put on after the harness is fitted correctly.

Comfortable, closed footwear with ankle support is recommended. Shoes with grip are most suited.

Specialist climbing shoes are very common now and most people, even beginners, use climbing shoes.

With flat ‘sticky rubber’ soles and a tight fit, climbing shoes allow us to use footholds that any other footwear

does not. You can use small ‘knobbles’ as secure holds, even stick to the flat face of the rock utilising a

method called ‘smearing’.

I personally advocate learning to climb low grade climbs in ordinary shoes prior to progressing to climbing

shoes. But, that’s only my opinion.

Here are a few hints regarding shoe selection;

Style

There are some really extreme climbing shoe styles. Some which force your foot down and in like a ballet

dancer; there are great for highly technical climbing – not for you (you are a beginner otherwise you wouldn’t

be reading this book)

There are shoes with Velcro instead of laces. Get ones with laces. Velcro can wear out.

Get a ‘beginner’ shoe. Don’t be put off by the term as a beginner shoe is a great all rounder that will do

everything that you want at this stage of your climbing career.

Belay Loop


Size

Climbing shoes are designed to be tight. So, you don’t need to purchase a pair that is ‘two sizes smaller than

your normal shoes’, as is often advised. All shoes will vary in size according to the design of the shoe and

climbing shoes vary quite a lot between styles and manufacturers so, here’s how to pick the right size.

Back the laces off completely and put your foot into the shoe. Push your toes right up to the end and, if there

is a small amount of space at the back of the shoe between the shoe and your heel then you have the right

‘length’ or size of shoe in that style/brand.

Now, if your toes are totally scrunched up the shoe is too narrow for you. These shoes will cause you pain

and suffering. Shoes don’t stretch in length, only in width. In this case go to another brand or style.

Width

If your toes are held firmly in the shoe then do up the laces. With your foot held firmly there should be about

a centimetre (or more) of exposed tongue between where the lacing holes are. Any less than this and when

the shoe stretches (sideways) you won’t be able to do it up.

Heel cup

Now, our last measure of suitability is the heel cup. Some climbing shoes have a deep heel cup some a

shallow heel cup. As everyone’s heels are slightly different then you’ll need to find a heel cup that suits your

foot size.

If the heel cup is too deep then you will have space between your heel and the shoe which will make the

heel squishy and affect your climbing. You will also, in the case, probably get the top of the heel cup digging

into your Achilles tendon and causing blisters etc.

If the heel is too shallow, the shoe may pull away from the bottom of the arch of your foot and cause

squishiness there. This will also affect your climbing.

So, a shoe that fits your foot lengthways doesn’t cramp your toes and forms around your heel and arch like a

glove is the one for you.

CARABINERS

A carabiner is a metal link or shackle that allows rapid connection of ropes into climbing/abseiling equipment. Note that the gate is spring loaded and should snap closed under its own force.

When we attach the descending device to our harness we use an ‘offset D’ locking carabiner, which is designed so the gate can be locked with a screw mechanism (see diagram). This feature provides greater security and prevents the carabiner from being accidentally loaded while the gate is open.

There are other types of carabiners that are used in different applications. You will become familiar with these as you progress with your course.

The lifespan of a carabiner is limited only by how well it is cared for and maintained. Dropping a carabiner is one way to cause its early retirement! Steel carabiners are much stronger than alloy and can withstand more abuse, although this is not an excuse to mistreat them.


Carabiners come in many different shapes and sizes.

Carabiners can be purchased in either Steel or Alloy. As Steel carabiners are much more resilient than Alloy carabiners they are used when there is a possibility of high wear (such as in top-rope climbing rigging) or danger dirt or dust getting in the gate parts (such as the carabiner at the end of a safety line). Alloy is resilient enough for most applications and is much lighter and is therefore better to carry. We use alloy carabiners almost exclusively in recreational abseiling and climbing.

Above you will see the range of common carabiner shapes all of which can be obtained in either ‘plain’ gate (non-locking) and screw gate (locking) types.

We always use locking carabiners when the connection is a part of our rigging or ‘life support’.

‘Non locking’ or Plain gate carabiners are rarely used outside of lead-climbing applications except as ‘accessory biners’ to hang gear off on your harness.

The carabiner has a ‘Major Axis’ the long axis along the spine (back) of the carabiner and a ‘Minor Axis’; the length normally measured from the gate opening to the spine.

All manufacturers are required to mark the various strengths on the major axis of the carabiner. Note that the markings represent the ultimate breaking strength and not the safe working load. The strengths appear

present; one representing the gate closed strength and the other with the gate open. Gate closed strengths should be at least 20.5 KN (most have at least 21KN) to pass UIAA/CEN criteria.

Markings found on carabiners are interpreted in the following manner:

L or N = Tested under the ‘light’ criteria / tested under the ‘normal’ criteria.

6KN ↕ = Rated strength when loaded across the minor axis (i.e., cross-loading).

25KN ↔ = Rated strength when loaded along the major axis (with the gate closed). In this case, the rated strength is 25 KN or approximately 2500 Kg.

10KN = Rated strength when loaded with the gate open. In ںthis case, the rated strength is 10KN or approximately 1000 Kg.

F0897 = Serial number. This ensures the product is traceable and is a requirement under CEN.

A carabiner achieves maximum strength when it is loaded along the major axis with the gate closed and locked. The weakest part of a carabiner is the gate. If the carabiner is loaded across the gate, there is a danger of it failing.

DESCENDING AND BELAYING DEVICES

To enable a person to perform an abseil descent (or belay a climber) in a controlled and purposeful manner, the rope must feed through a mechanical ‘break’. This device, a descending/belay device creates friction by feeding the rope through narrow slots or bends incorporated into the design thus allowing us to slow our stop our descent with little or no strain. Descending/belay devices can be classified according to their principle design and shape:


Generally, descending devices can be classified into 5 categories:

1. Circular (e.g. Figure 8, Harpoon).

2. Planular (e.g. Stitch Plate).

3. Tubular (e.g. ATC, Pyramid, Bug).

4. In-Line Adjustable (e.g. Whale Tail, Gold Tail, Rack).

5. Auto or Self-locking (Gri gri)

6. Auto-Locking (e.g. SRT Double Brake, Petzl Stop, Gri Gri).

Note- If a belay device or a carabiner is dropped from height it MUST be retired. This is because

the alloy may fracture and the device become dangerous to use.

The most common type used by abseilers is the circular (i.e., ‘ring’) design. It also has the common name of figure 8 (because it has the shape of an 8). Unfortunately, the figure 8 tends to twist the rope and it does not dissipate heat very well. The planar and tubular designs are well suited for abseiling and climbing since they can accommodate two ropes, are light weight and dissipate heat rapidly.

Characteristics of descending devices

Type Weight Heat Dissipation

Relative braking power

Primary use

Circular or Ring Light Poor Adequate Abseiling

Plate Light Good High Climbing/Belaying

Tube Light Good High Climbing/Belaying

Auto Locking Heavy Good High Abseiling / Climbing / Industrial

Inline Heavy Excellent Variable Abseiling / Caving


Note- It is important to monitor the wear on devices. Devices will wear as the rope rubs through them, eventually the device will become so worn that it will not apply sufficient friction to the rope to prevent a fall or hold your weight. It will not always noticeable that a device is worn, so monitor your devices for wear on surfaces that contact the rope.

The most common type of descending device used by abseilers is the figure 8 device (so named because it has the shape of an 8, see picture). The figure 8 tends to twist the rope and it does not dissipate heat very well but it has adequate breaking capability, is easy to use and very robust making it ideal for novices. Other designs are well suited for abseiling and climbing since they can accommodate two ropes, are light weight and dissipate heat rapidly.

We also recommend the Figure 8 as a top-belay device primarily as can be rigged to have less friction than the abseiler’s device and thus not drag at the rope and slow the abseiler’s descent. Despite this, the device is still easy to lock off, manage in an emergency and hold a fall

A range of tubular and planar devices are

shown here. The top left and the red device

are very popular (ATC and ‘bug’

respectively) whilst the top right and bottom

left are an more advanced type of device

that are modified to enhance their abseiling

capability with the top right hand device

being also usable as a rope ‘break’. The

bottom right hand side device is a ‘spring

sticht plate’ (planar device) an early model

not so common these days as the tube

devices are easier to manage.

Note- It is important to monitor the wear on devices. Devices will wear as the rope rubs through them, eventually the device will become so worn that it will not apply sufficient friction to the rope to prevent a fall or hold your weight. It will not always noticeable that a device is worn, so monitor your devices for wear on surfaces that contact the rope.


GROUP EQUIPMENT

The following items are considered GROUP EQUIPMENT; that shared and used by everyone

ROPES

Modern ropes are made from synthetic material (nylon). With its superior strength and elasticity, nylon provides the security and reliability that today’s abseilers / climbers take for granted.

A kern mantle rope is a design containing two elements, the kern (the core or interior) and the mantle (the sheath or outer). The core is the main load bearing element. The primary function of the sheath is to protect the core and to provide resistance to abrasion damage.

Modern climbing/abseiling ropes must pass stringent performance criteria to ensure quality and safety.

There are two main types of ropes available for climbing and abseiling purposes:

STATIC and DYNAMIC

Static ropes are the preferred choice for abseiling and rescue applications because they do not stretch very much and as such allow for a steady and predictable descent.

Static ropes can become stiff and unmanageable thus making them less preferable in belay situations.

Dynamic ropes on the other hand are best suited to climbing as they are designed to stretch when the climber falls and thus provide a ‘cushioned catch’ by absorbing the impact force created when the climber is ‘caught’ by the rope. Dynamic ropes are also softer to the touch, easier to tie and handle much better than static ropes.

For these reasons dynamic ropes are often used for top-belay of an abseiler as they run more smoothly through the belay device and are easy to tie and untie.

The life expectancy of a rope depends on usage and how well it is cared for and maintained. With diligent care and maintenance they may last up to 5 years (used most weekends).

Rope Category

Primary Use Characteristics Typical Length/ Diameter

Static Abseiling.

Rescue.

Tightly woven sheath.

Low elasticity.

Stiffer than dynamic.

Dense, parallel core element

Provide a fixed and stable anchor point.

Standard length = variable.

Standard diameter = 11mm (other diameters are available).

Dynamic Climbing. Loose weave sheath.

High elasticity.

Supple (good handling).

Standard length = 50m (55m and 60m ropes are now available).

Variable diameter (7.8 – 11mm).


Twisted or braided core element.

Absorb repeated shock loadings.

The exact diameter to purchase will depend on your climbing objectives.

SELECTING A ROPE

When purchasing a rope for any activity you must consider the following:

1. If the rope has the appropriate approvals eg UIAA or CEN.

2. The type of rope either static or dynamic.

3. The rope is the appropriate diameter.

4. The rope is long enough to reach safe ground (single pitch applications).

EDGE PROTECTION

Edge protectors are used to wrap around the rope protect the abseil and belay lines from dirt and rock abrasion as the ropes move over the edge of the cliff, they also reduce friction. Edge protection can come in various forms including: edge rollers, canvas rope sheaths, edge protection racks, sacks, bags and pulleys.

SLINGS

Slings are used to attach the rope to the anchors and are also used as safety lines. Slings can be constructed from nylon, spectra or kevlar. Slings are used to connect between anchors and rigging, to attach you to a safe point when belaying or to an anchor point if on a multi pitch climb.

`Sewn’ slings are a good idea, where the sling is of a fixed length and is sewn using special thread, and is actually much stronger than a sling of the same material that has been tied with a knot, as below.

You can also construct your own slings by tying a tape knot in nylon climbing tape. If you do make your own slings, be sure to undo the knots after each use as dirt and grit will work its way into the knot and damage the tape.


CHAPTER 5 PREPARING TO ABSEIL

In preparation for abseiling, you will need to fit and adjust your

Harness

Helmet

Figure 8 and Locking Carabiner

Put on some Gloves and do a ‘6 point check’!

HARNESS

Every harness made/brand is different. Here is an overview of what to watch out for when you put the harness on.

Your harness has a material loop that joins the leg loops to the waist band. This loop is called the belay loop. (See the picture in the previous section). IF you pick up the harness by the belay loop you will be able to locate the waist band and leg loops and check them before you commence fitting the harness.

When you pick up your harness, make sure it’s not twisted or ‘inside out’. Make sure that the waist band is not twisted and that it’s is threaded through the buckle.

Check that the harness is not damaged; ie that there are no tears in the webbing and that the buckles are functional.

Make sure the leg loops are adjusted out to maximum size and that they are not twisted and that the buckles are on the outside.

The harness should be worn with the waist band at navel-height and just as tight as a normal belt. Do the waist band up first while the leg loops are loose as this will make fitting easier.

The leg loops must be fitted tightly. It is the leg loops that support your weight and if they are loose you may find that the harness will ride up a squash your stomach!

HELMET

The helmet is worn to protect you from rock fall, whilst abseiling and whilst at the base of the cliff (within 4 meters of the rope is taken as being the rock fall danger zone). You must wear your helmet at all times whilst abseiling or standing in the danger zone.

The helmet has a ‘nape strap’ at the back that you can adjust to your head size once you have it on. The chin strap should be tight enough to stop the helmet falling off if you tilt you head back, but not too tight so as to make it uncomfortable.

FIGURE 8 (DESCENDING DEVICE) AND CARABINER

You will use a figure 8 for most of your abseiling. The figure 8 is a robust device that allows you to abseil, belay, and perform rescues. Although there are many other devices, (you will use several as well), it is the figure 8 that we will use for this course.

We connect our carabiner through the harness, leg loops and waist band, just to the right of the belay loop. We ensure that the gate of the carabiner is to the front and opens at the top

Connect your carabiner to the harness and clip your figure 8 into it by the small end.

GLOVES


Gloves are not mandatory but are highly recommended as they will help to lessen the risk of your getting rope burn to your hands.

ABSEILING TECHNIQUE

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Starting an abseil is usually the most difficult part, not only

psychologically but also physically.

If the abseiler is right-handed the rope should run down the

right side of the body. The right (back) hand is used for

braking. The left hand should rest lightly on the rope above

the descender or on the abseil loop. The hand should be kept

away from the abseil device, however, to avoid the possibility

of fingers becoming caught.

(NOTE: we recommend that left-handed persons abseil ‘right-

handed’. If you are left-handed please discuss this with your

instructor who with advise our reasoning)

FIRST, do a six point check!

Then walk slowly back towards the edge. There will be

maximum friction at this stage so lean your full weight back on the rope. That will make it easier to move

when over the edge.

STOP & GO!

Check your ability to ‘lock’ the rope by holding it against your hip. This is the STOP position and will allow

you to stop descending. Now lift the rope up and you will be able to move backwards.

THE EDGE

Your feet should be spaced wide enough apart to enable good balance as you work your way towards the

edge. The legs should not be bent.

Move over the edge: position the feet on the very edge of the cliff; Lean out to commit body weight to the

rope. If there is a ledge to step down on to, step onto it. This will make it easier for you get over the edge

and will allow you to sit in the harness.

POSTURE

Lean back until your legs are at the 4 o’clock position; (Imagining the body as a clock, the waist would be the centre of the clock, the head would point to the direction of 12 o’clock and the feet would point to 4 o’clock). Once you adopt this position your feet will be flat on the rock, your heels are on the cliff and you will have maximum friction with the rock!

Remember, your legs should be straight, not bent.

Keep your feet about shoulder width apart to maintain balance and slowly and carefully walk down the cliff face.

Co-ordinate foot movement with the feeding of the rope so as to maintain the ‘4 o’clock position.

To slow down or stop, pull the right hand down firmly and hold at the hip for maximum friction.

You should try to abseil at a slow, steady pace.

The best way to maintain balance when crossing obstacles such as ledges, slippery rocks, bollards, etc is to maintain full weight on the rope, position the feet wide with legs at right angles to the rock and soles of the feet in contact. If you have to negotiate an overhang then you might need to leap out from the cliff as you

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allow some rope to slide through the descending device. If you do this, ensure that you clear the overhang fully and don’t hit your head!

RECOVERY

Take a direct line (i.e. fall line) when abseiling. Avoid walking to the side. Gravity will dictate to take you straight down and if you try to go to the side; a pendulum effect may result causing you to fall back to the centre.

If you should fall to the side or whatever, don’t worry, you’re on belay and your instructor will prevent you from falling.

Just regain your correct posture and hold the rope in the locked position. Once you’re ready to recommence your descent, tell your instructor “In Control!” And they will ease you back on the rope so you can commence abseiling again!

OBSTACLES

If the cliff is slippery, uneven or if there is a ledge or an overhang you will need to take care to maintain your correct posture as you abseil.

SLIPPERY Cliff face If the cliff is wet and/or slippery then just make sure that you keep your heels down and the whole sole of your shoe flat on the rock. Maintaining the 4 o’clock position will allow this, and keep your weight pressing on your feet to increase the friction. Keep your feet apart to maintain sideways balance and abseil cautiously.

UNEVEN Cliff face Your best action is to walk down the cliff slowly, rocking from side to side as you place your feet, alternately, on stable points. Maintain the correct posture and do not overstep! Use the friction generated by the correct posture (as above) to keep you from slipping and manage your balance as you walk through the uneven section.

LEDGES Treat these just as you would treat a new cliff top. Stand on the edge of the ledge and lower yourself until your heels press against the rock. This is easy, actually easier than the start, because you will have a high departure angle

OVERHANGS The main danger of an overhang is that you might swing in below it and hit the lip of the overhand…..so caution is required. Here’s how to easily manage an overhang:

Place your feet right on the lip (feet apart for balance)

Lower yourself down (without moving your feet)

As soon as your head is a little lower than your feet your feet will naturally come away from the lip of the overhang and you’ll swing underneath it!

Just make sure you hold the rope tight as you swing below the lip.

GETTING OFF THE ROPE!

Once you reach the bottom of the cliff, take a minute to celebrate!

First thing is to disconnect the belay line by untying the knot. Once this is done call out, “CLEAR!’ so the instructor can pull the rope back up.

Then, disconnect the rope from the descending device by taking the device out of your carabiner and removing the rope. (it is important NOT to just pull the rope through the descender as, in opening the carabiner, you will prevent it the gate from jamming). Clip the descender back into your carabiner so that you don’t lose it and then,

Walk away from the rock fall ‘danger zone’.

The figure 8 (descending device) will be hot, as it has built up friction as you abseil. WEAR YOUR GLOVES when you take the device off the rope and make sure the device doesn’t come into contact with your skin until it cools.


BELAYING

Belay means to safeguard another person (or yourself) against a ground (impact) fall.

At this level of instruction, there are two categories of ‘belaying’; bottom belay (anchor or brake belay) and top-belay

In either system, it is imperative that the belayer keeps watch on the abseiler throughout the descent. Particularly when on bottom belay as it is only by the anchor person pulling the rope that the abseiler can be protected.

SAFETY CALLS FOR BELAYING

Use the calls, ‘on belay’ and ‘abseiling’, between belayer and abseiler. And, use ‘In Control’ when the abseiler is ready to take back control from the belayer after a fall.

It is necessary to communicate using the calls even on top-belay even though they are standing in front of you.

On bottom belay when there is more than one rope in use, it is necessary to call out the rope number with the call to ensure that the belayer has control of the correct rope. Ropes are numbered from left to right, looking up at the cliff from below. So when the abseiler calls ‘Abseiling Line #’ the belayer picks up that rope and shouts ‘On belay Line #’.

BOTTOM BELAY (USED UNDER DIRECT SUPERVISION OF AN INSTRUCTOR)

One method of belaying an abseiler is with a person at the bottom of the abseil, holding the end of the abseil line. If a slip occurs, or control is lost by the abseiler, the person below has only to pull down on the rope to STOP the abseiler from descending.

By pulling tight on the rope, the belayer, replicates the fully locked position as if the abseiler himself had locked the rope. See diagram.

As long as the belayer keeps the rope under tension, the abseiling device no longer slips, and the abseiler is held into position. When the abseiler has regained control and adopted the correct posture and is holding the rope in the ‘locked’ position, the tension in the rope can be gradually relaxed by the belayer and the abseiler can continue the abseil. The major hazard with a bottom belay is the potential exposure to rock fall for the belayer. So, when bottom belaying, it is important to move away from the direct path of the abseil and to wear a helmet to protect your head.

Do not coil the rope around your body….this will only impede your ability to pull the rope tight. And, in this position you have to walk backwards to tighten the rope: a dangerous action that may cause you to trip and lose control of the belay.

HOW TO ARREST A FALL ON BOTTOM BELAY:

If the abseiler requests you to ‘hold’ them in place or they slip, you should pull the rope tight by pulling down on the rope. Do not step backwards as you may trip. Remain stationary and pull the rope tight.

In bottom belay practice it is important to hold the rope LOOSE enough to enable easy descent of the abseiler yet TIGHT enough so that you can pull the belay on quickly in case of an emergency. This ‘fine line’ can be learned by practice. You will easily learn to feel that the rope is the right tension. Tighter is better than not, (as it errs on the side of safety). The abseiler will always tell you if you are pulling too tight!

Only give control back to the abseiler only when you can see that

they are in the correct (4 o’clock) posture

have control of the abseiling rope (held in the locked position)

and they use the safety call, ‘in control’


respond by calling, ‘on belay’.

One more tip for bottom belayers: PLEASE DON’T TREAD ON THE ROPE! Despite the problem of grinding dust into the rope, quite often there can be glass or other debris in the dirt that might cut the rope. Please tread carefully.

TOP BELAY (PREFERRED METHOD AND USED DURING TRAINING)

This method involves the use of a second rope anchored to the top of the cliff. This second (belay) rope passes through a belay device which can be locked off to stop the abseiler from falling by the belayer, who is positioned at the top of the cliff.

Top belay is more effective and safer than bottom belay as allows more direct control and the abseiler cannot slip without the belayer noticing the movement in the rope.

The benefits of using top belay are;

1. That it generally makes it easier for the belayer to maintain control of the abseiler.

2. Utilised as a group control measure, one leader can look after a small group of inexperienced abseilers without the assistance of another leader. (As they only abseil one at a time under direct supervision)

3. Gives more reassurance to an inexperience abseiler because they have 2 ropes attached to their harness.

4. Ease of rescue capability.

The disadvantages of top belay are;

1. Requires more equipment for the leader.

2. Often more experienced abseilers feel like they do not have full control.

3. More time consuming for each abseiler.

From the picture you can see;

1. The abseiler has a second rope connected to them that is controlled by the instructor.

2. The instructor has attached the belay rope to their harness (to keep the belay device both up off the ground and close at hand)

3. The belay rope is tied into the abseiler, well clear of the abseil line on his ‘off hand’ side.

Some institutions prefer to teach to top belay without connecting the top-belay to their harness. This is common practice. As you are not actually ‘in the system,’ the rationale behind this is;

1. If the abseiler’s weight is taken by the belay so the abseiler’s weight is not placed onto the belayer.

2. You can easily ‘escape’ the belay if need be

The disadvantages are:

1. The belay device will drag on the ground as the abseiler descends over the cliff edge, and will become dirty and possibly damaged

2. Eventually (as the rope stretches) the belay device may become out of reach of the belayer (if this occurs the belay device may become locked and prevent the abseiler descending)

3. The belayer does not have immediate control of the belay device


4. You cannot easily respond to rescue an abseiler who has become stuck on the rope (this is explained in the Vertical Rescue module but our preferred system of top-belay means that the belayer is poised to affect a rescue immediately without the necessity of any additional equipment.

POSITIONING THE BELAY

Using a top belay efficiently requires training. When we top belay we do not want to have the belay device too tight as this will in effect cause us to “lower the abseiler to the ground” rather than allowing them to abseil under their own control. We want the abseiler to abseil but maintain enough control on the belay rope that if the abseiler needs to be stopped it can be done swiftly.

The attachment of the belay device must allow for the device to be within easy reach of the operator yet far enough towards the cliff that the operator cab see clearly to the bottom of the pitch whilst operating the system.

Ordinarily, the top-belay will be rigged to the left hand side of the abseiler. This is the correct position when belaying a right-handed abseiler. Left-handed abseilers are encouraged to abseil right handed to save re-rigging the top belay for them. Usually this isn’t any bother, but if a person is nervous and unwilling to abseil right-handed, you may need to compensate for them.

The delay device is attached to the top belay rope using an alpine butterfly knot that you can learn from the appendix (or Google ‘Animated Knots by Grog’ on the internet who have a great web site for learning knots). While you’re there look up the ‘bowline’ and ‘double fisherman’s knot’ as well because that’s the knot we use to tie the rope to the abseiler.

SAFETY TIPS FOR UTILISING A TOP BELAY

1. DO NOT WEAR GLOVES. The use of gloves, as a belayer, will allow you to let the abseiler

descend much more quickly than is safe! Remember, if the abseiler is going fast enough to burn your hand then they are going too fast.

2. It is common to want strain against the belay line and to pull back from the cliff: DON’T do this. Instead let the device do its job, fully supported by the rigging.

3. Position yourself so that you can see over the edge of the cliff but NOT be balanced precariously over the cliff.

4. You must be attached to your safety line and ensure that the safety line. Then, if you have to disconnect from the belay system, you are still attached to your safety line.

ATTACHING TO THE ABSEILER

The top belay is connected directly to the belay loop of the abseiler’s harness on the ‘off hand’ side and thus is well away from the abseiling rope so that it cannot become jammed or get burned by running against the abseiling line. We tie the belay rope directly onto the abseiler’s belay loop with a bowline knot that is secured by a ‘half double fisherman’s knot.

NOTE: Connection to the abseiler is sometimes made by clipping a carabiner, in the end of the belay rope, into the belay loop. This can introduce potential danger into the system – if the carabiner becomes undone – and as the carabiner is left attached to the belay rope when it is pulled back up the cliff, the carabiner may become damaged or get snagged in a crack on the cliff.

BEFORE THE ABSEILER DEPARTS

You must do a ‘6 point check’ on the abseiler’s gear and on the belay equipment.


‘RESETTING’ THE BELAY

As the belayer pulls the belay rope back up after the abseiler has untied it, all of the lose rope is coiled behind the instructor’s right hip. This allows the rope to come away cleanly from the coil as the abseiler descends the cliff without getting tangled in itself or around the belayer.

HOW TO ARREST A FALL USING TOP-BELAY

If the abseiler requests you to ‘hold’ them in place or they slip, you should respond by holding the control end of the rope tight, just as you did to stop yourself when abseiling. Make sure though that the belay is braced against the anchors and that you are prepared to take the weight of the abseiler if they let go of their rope.

Only give control back to the abseiler only when you can see that

they are in the correct (4 o’clock) posture

have control of the abseiling rope (held in the locked position)

and they use the safety call, ‘in control’

respond by calling, ‘on belay’.

ESCAPING THE BELAY

If the abseiler becomes trapped on the rope (jammed belay device for instance) then the belayer may affect a rescue only IF TRAINED TO DO SO. At this level of training you are not expected to affect a rescue. If an emergency occurs, the course instructor will step in and direct you or take over the belay.

If this happens you will have to ‘escape’ the belay. Escaping the belay is the term used to describe the process of removing yourself from the belay system whilst maintaining the safety of the abseiler.

The objective is to take all of the slack out of the belay line. So you need to drop slowly down whilst taking in rope. Once you have the belay locked off in this position you can disconnect from the system and, KEEPING control of the top-belay rope, move aside for the instructor to step in.

TOP BELAY EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS;

You will be shown how to set up a top-belay in the practical session.

It is important to note that the following equipment is required in addition to the standard personal abseiling equipment;

A top- belayer operator will need:

2 x offset D carabiners

A belaying device – often the figure 8 is used because it is easy to manage and does not lock on the rope

A safety line

It is preferable to use a dynamic rope when top belaying. This makes it easier for the belayer to manage the rope and belay device. And, it is easier to tie and untie from the Abseiler. A Dynamic rope – long enough to reach the ground after setting up the anchors – will be rigged ready for you to connect to.


KNOTS USED IN TOP-BELAY

Recommended website http://www.animatedknots.com

Alpine Butterfly knot

Bowline knot

http://www.animatedknots.com/


CHAPTER 6 PREPARING TO CLIMB

In preparation for climbing, you will need to fit and adjust your

Harness

Helmet

Shoes

Belay Device

and do a ‘pre climb check’!

HARNESS

Every harness made/brand is different. Here is an overview of what to watch out for when you put the harness on.

Your harness has a material loop that joins the leg loops to the waist band. This loop is called the belay loop. (See the picture in the previous section). IF you pick up the harness by the belay loop you will be able to locate the waist band and leg loops and check them before you commence fitting the harness.

When you pick up your harness, make sure it’s not twisted or ‘inside out’. Make sure that the waist band is not twisted and that it’s is threaded through the buckle.

Check that the harness is not damaged; ie that there are no tears in the webbing and that the buckles are functional.

Make sure the leg loops are adjusted out to maximum size and that they are not twisted and that the buckles are on the outside.

The harness should be worn with the waist band at navel-height and just as tight as a normal belt. Do the waist band up first while the leg loops are loose as this will make fitting easier.

The leg loops must be fitted tightly. It is the leg loops that support your weight and if they are loose you may find that the harness will ride up a squash your stomach!

HELMET

The helmet is worn to protect you from rock fall, whilst belaying or climbing and whilst at the base of the cliff (within 4 meters of the rope is taken as being the rock fall danger zone). You must wear your helmet at all times whilst belaying or climbing or standing in the danger zone.

The helmet has a ‘nape strap’ at the back that you can adjust to your head size once you have it on. The chin strap should be tight enough to stop the helmet falling off if you tilt you head back, but not too tight so as to make it uncomfortable.

BELAY DEVICE AND CARABINER

You will use a ‘bug’ or a sticht plate for most of your belaying. These are a robust device that allows you to abseil, belay, and perform rescues. Although there are many other devices, (you will use several as well), it is these devices that we will use for this course.

We connect our carabiner through the harness, by clipping it onto the belay loop (that’s what it’s for!).

You will be told how to connect the rope and how to belay when you do your first climbing lesson.

SHOES

The sole of a climbing shoe is made from ‘sticky’ rubber. If this rubber gets dirty or dusty then it will not be effective. Please only wear the climbing shoes when you are about to climb and take them off when you have come back down.


ROCK CLIMBING TECHNIQUES BELAYING

BELAYING

To belay means to safeguard another person (or yourself) against a fall using a system that provides friction to a rope. This system is usually in the form of a mechanical belay device through which a rope is threaded.

There are a number of belay techniques commonly used, however, regardless of the technique there are two important rules

1. The ‘brake or tail’ side of the device should always be held and

2. should be held in the ‘locked off’ position (held down on you hip) whenever you are not pulling the rope through.

Belaying is a five part sequence as per the following diagrams:

START POSITION

(Maintained at all opportunities)

The ‘take-in’

The ‘reset’


THE CORRECT BELAY TECHNIQUE

It is extremely important that the belayer utilise a sound belay technique. On this course, you will be

taught the ‘five step’ belay. As shown in the following diagram;

Commencement;

Left hand on top rope (ready to pull rope in

as climber climbs)

Right hand on belay end of rope holding in

locked off position

The belayer is holding the rope ‘tight’ on

the climber and has the rope locked in the

belay device.

Pulling the rope in;

As the climber climbs, the belayer pulls the

rope towards them with their left hand and

simultaneously pulls the rope through the

device with their right hand.

At this point the rope is in the fully free

position and a fall from the climber will NOT

be held.

So it is essential to ; Lock the right hand down immediately!!

This is the most dangerous phase and

should be performed quickly to bring the

rope back into the locked position

Holding the rope like this allows the rope

to move freely through the device

The rope is safely locked off but at this

point to belayer is unable to pull anymore

rope through until they ‘reset’ heir hand

position to the ‘commencement’ position

as at top.

Reset the hand position;

With the rope held in the locked position with the right hand.

Move the left hand to grab the belay end of the rope. To allow the right hand to slide up towards the device to held it locked off.

Then move the left hand back to the top rope as in figure one at the start.

This move allows control of the belay end

of the rope whilst the belayer ‘resets’ the

hand position to be ready to take in more

rope as the climber climbs.

Note-Until you are fully proficient at belaying you should always use a backup belayer. This is a second person who holds the loose end of the rope (the end coming from your belay hand) and by holding it will cause the rope to lock off (in event of a fall), even if you make a mistake.


BELAY FROM THE BOTTOM OR TOP OF THE CLIFF

There are 2 positions where a belayer may be positioned to safeguard a climber, these being the bottom or the top of the cliff.

Belay at the top of the cliff is an essential skill as, if you are climbing a cliff which is higher than half of your rope length, your rope will not reach the ground and a ‘bottom’ belay is therefore impossible.

1. Belaying from the bottom

Safeguarding from the bottom of the cliff is the more common method. The belayer is attached to a suitable anchor and the climbing rope passes from the climber through to carabiners located at the top of the climb and back down to the belayer and belay device.

The advantages of this method being;

Communication is easier

That it is generally more comfortable for the belayer to belay from the bottom opposed to the top

The belayer is in a better position to provide advice on holds and moves to the climber

The climber is in visual contact of the belayer in most situations

Easier change around of climbers

Disadvantages being;

The maximum height of climb cannot exceed half of climbing rope length

Belaying from the top

2. Safeguarding from the top of the cliff is the second method. This involves a person going to the top of the cliff and establishing a belay point and lowering the rope to the person at the base of the cliff.


Can attempt climbs up to length of climbing rope

Saves time establishing a full top rope anchor system

Belayer can maintain awareness of anchors during climbing session

Minimal equipment required


Hard to maintain awareness of climber

Verbal communication can be difficult

Advice on climbing move can be difficult

Harder to change over between climber and belayer

BELAYING FROM YOUR HARNESS OR THE ANCHOR

In addition to belay from the top or bottom we can also consider belaying directly from our harness or directly from the anchor.

1. Harness belay is when the climber attaches the belay to the belay loop of their harness. The belayer is an integral part of the belay system and is positioned to maximise effectiveness of the belay



The belayer has better feel for the movement of the climber

Rope is fed out from the belay easily and quickly


The body may absorb some or all of the force of a fall

It is harder to ‘escape’ the belay in the event of an emergency

2. Direct anchor belay is where the belay device is attached directly to the anchor system. The belayer is positioned beside the device and feeds rope into and out of the belay device.


The belayer remains free of the belay

A climber can easily be held and lowered without discomfort to the belayer

Forces of a fall are applied directly to the anchor

It is easy to ‘escape’ the belay in the event of an emergency


Less ‘feel’ of the climber on the rope

As a general rule, when belaying from the base of the cliff, use harness belay and when belaying from the top of the cliff use a direct anchor belay. However regardless of either position you must always ensure that;

the belay is tied correctly,

the belay method is correct

the belayer is prepared to hold a climber fall at all times

if belaying from the bottom, the belayer is clear of anticipated rock fall

ESCAPING THE BELAY

There may be times when you will need to remove yourself from the belay system and step aside. Of

course your primary concern is for the safety of the climber, so they must be ‘locked off’ before you can

move aside.

There are several reasons why you might need to escape the belay:

If the climber has become ‘stuck on the rock and there is a necessity to complete a rescue (covered

in Vertical Rescue)

If the instructor needs to step in and take over the belay.

You will learn Vertical Rescue techniques after study of Knots & Rigging so, the only time you will need to

escape a belay is at the request of the instructor who will manage the steps with you..

The procedure is simple particularly if you are on an anchor belay, you simply:

Communicate with the climber and inform them what is going to happen

Take all of the slack out of the climber’s rope and tie off the belay device – usually done by passing

the ‘control ‘ end of the rope through the belay carabiner and tying it off around the climber end of

the rope, just at the top of the belay device.


And, move aside

If you are belaying off your harness, then you will need to set up an anchor belay by attaching a belay

device and carabiner to a sling (or loop of rope) that is attached to a solid anchor.

Before you set this up – perform the two steps above, so that you have protected the climber before you

start to assemble the second ‘anchor’ belay.

If you can’t reach the equipment to assemble the anchor belay then you’ll need someone else to do this for

you, which will save you having to tie off your device.

If the instructor is taking over the belay, then connect them to the rope via their belay off their harness.

Either way, once you have set up and secured (tied off or have someone else control) the second belay, you

can disconnect yourself from the belay and step aside.

NOTE: if the climber’s weight is on your belay it might be hard to take your device off the rope. However,

the dynamic properties of the rope usually allow for some slack and with caution, this isn’t a hard task to

complete safely.

In vertical rescue you will learn how to use prusiks to ‘make safe’ a belay, in this course you are expected to

be working with a third party (the person who set up the ropes for you….)

ROCKCLIMBING TECHNIQUES FOR THE CLIMBER

TYING IN

The first thing that a climber needs to do is to be able to tie into their harness. We use a figure eight knot,

with a ‘stopper’ knot tied in through both leg loops and waistband of the harness. Here’s how it looks;

THE PRE-CLIMB CHECK

Don’t forget: the belayer checks the climber and the climber checks the belayer (before you commence

climbing). Review the check in Chapter 3.

CLIMBING CALLS

Next we perform our climbing call sequence. Review the climber sequence calls in Chapter 3.

Tie a stopper knot

above the figure

eight


PRINCIPLES OF MOVEMENT ON ROCK

A good climber will seem to glide over the rock smoothly with little apparent effort. This style can only be developed with practice, but remember the following points:

1. Stand upright on the rock, with your weight directly above your feet.

2. Avoid overstretching with your arms.

This tends to make you lean in towards the rock and reduces your ability to see ahead, upsets your balance and tends to cause your feet to slip.

3. Try to stand with your weight entirely on your legs.

This will help to stop your arms from tiring. However this is not always possible on steep rock or where holds are in inconvenient places. When arm strength is used, move as quickly as possible to gain a less strenuous position.

4. Try to climb rhythmically.

Study the moves in advance and use whatever holds are available, rather then taking large steps between the biggest holds. When taking large steps try and move quickly in a co-ordinated movement.

5. In general, try to maintain 3 points of contact with the rock.

Move only one hand or foot at a time.

6. When footholds are small your legs may shake involuntary.

This is mainly caused by inactivity of the muscle while under tension. To counter this try and change positions so different muscles are bought into use (i.e. when standing with the heel raised, press down on your heel).

CLIMBING A ROCK IS LIKE CLIMBING A LADDER

The rungs are not so obvious, but the rhythm of movement is the same.

3. Place your hands on easy hand holds that are in reach.

4. Move one foot up onto the next logical foothold.

5. Transfer you full body weight onto this (lead) foot

6. Move your centre on mass over the lead foot

7. Stand straight up and straighten your lead leg

8. Rest

CLIMBING TECHNIQUES & HOLDS

You’ll hear a lot of jargon;

Jugs – large easy holds

Chossy – loose friable rock

etc

But, here are the climbing holds that you will need to master as you learn to climb.

FOOT HOLDS


Edging is the technique of using either the inside or the outside edge of the boot against small edges to create footholds

Smearing is a foot hold in which you place the boot on a sloping foothold to allow fiction to support the weight of the climber for a short moment. By keeping the heel low and as much of the boot rubber in contact with the rock will increase the security and time of the hold.

HAND HOLDS

Pinch grips are gripping with the fingers on one side and thumb on the other.

Under clings are used when a grip can be made by lifting upwards from under a hold with the palm facing towards the climber. Friction is generated by pulling upwards. This technique is effective when the climber is trying to gain more height in reaching holds.

Side-pulls or layaways, are holds that can be gripped by pulling from a sidewards direction. These holds are often good in maintaining balance during a move

WHOLE BODY HOLDS;

Jamming is a technique used for climbing cracks. Parts of the body are jammed into the cracks in various configurations lodging them secure enough to bear weight. Can be a hand, an arm, a foot, a leg or a whole body!

Bridging technique employs the use of one hand and one foot on each wall using friction, where spreading the weight across the two walls allow a stable position. This technique can also be used on slab and wall climbs if there are footholds in suitable positions sloping towards each other

Layback is used when a corner has a crack with a sharp edge. Use the feet and arms in opposition; arms pulling against the edge of the crack and the feet forcing the far wall of the corner, with the body in an inclined position. The technique is very strenuous, but most laybacks do not last for more than a few moves. The technique can be used for a single move, using a good side hold to overcome a bare section of rock. Holds for the feet reduce the strain on the arms.

Mantle shelfing is used when climbing on to a ledge when there are no holds below it. Place both palms on the ledge and heave the body upwards; push the arms down vigorously until they are straight raising the body until the thighs are at the level of the hands. Finally swing one foot onto the ledge. Mantel shelf manoeuvres must be co-ordinated, and made swiftly. It’s like getting out of a pool – up and over.

RESTS

Before you start a climb you should try and anticipate where the rest positions will be. These could be large ledges where one could stand comfortably or a position with good feet holds enabling to one to stand on their feet and rest the arms. Whilst resting try and study the next section of the climb and anticipate the moves

CLIFF FEATURES

An arête is an outside edge or corner of rock, sometimes as large as a mountain ridge.

A chimney is a crack of sufficient size to accept an entire body

A Corner is where two walls meet enclosing a right angle which you can climb inside

A fissure in the rock is called a crack

A flake is a thin slab of rock attached to the main wall or lying against it.

A ledge is a flat area on the face of a cliff. It can be anything from a few centimetres to a few meters wide.


A roof is a section of rock that extends out an above your head, (like a ceiling).

Overhangs are a section of rock similar to a roof but are more vertical and generally not as deep.

A pinnacle is a detached feature rather like a church steeple.

Scoops are an indentation in the rock face.

A slab is a section of rock of gentle angle (inclination), often a relative or offset in reference to a part of a vertical wall.


CHAPTER 7 THE WEATHER

Light rain or patchy weather is acceptable for abseiling and does not mean that we might cancel a session, but ‘set-in’ rain, extreme heat or high winds may necessitate that we re-schedule. So as we are not talking about staying out in extreme weather conditions (not in this module anyway), what are the considerations for patchy rain and general adverse conditions?

RISK AND THE WEATHER

We will ordinarily cancel an activity if it is raining on site, too hot (above 35 degrees Celsius) or track conditions are likely to be slippery or very muddy.

There are two major considerations regarding weather:

1. Damage to the equipment

2. Enjoyment of the session

Thirdly we need to access the risk of injury. The risk is that in bad weather conditions deteriorate and;

people may become less aware

visibility may decrease

severe weather will impact our ability to participate and stay safe

It is unlikely that anyone will become injured whilst actually abseiling in wet weather. We can abseil down waterfalls (canyoning) so a bit of water is not a serious safety issue. Is it fun? Canyoning, Yes! But abseiling can be arduous if the cliff is slippery and the clients are getting wet and cold.

So abseiling isn’t the danger; becoming wet and hypothermic is though! Get out of the wet and keep your group warm. The rock may become slippery, which is more than likely to cause a foot slide and possibly abrasions but a belay and sensible clothing will prevent that. Tracks can become greasy and slippery, resulting in a possible twisted ankle.

Heat is more of a danger to participants but can be managed by keeping up fluids and encouraging people to keep in the shade between abseils, take care on the way back up and to take their helmets off when not within the rock fall zone or actually abseiling.

It is important to consider the effect of exposure to the weather –is there shade from the sun and is there potential shelter from rain and wind? Adverse weather conditions will have an immediate debilitating effect on the group. Their ability to follow your instructions will diminish considerably as their personal comfort levels decline in response to the conditions. This can be immediate for instance in the event of a storm or high winds or may develop slowly in response to cold or hot weather affecting the individuals in the group. Be quick to get your group out of adverse conditions before accidents occur.

High wind is simply off-putting to novice abseilers and unenjoyable for most people.

KEEPING AN EYE ON THE WEATHER

So, be aware!

1. Remember that it might be fine/raining where you are but it might be the opposite on site. Have a local number that you can call to get conditions on site: a service station or local store is a good option as they are usually open early and seven days a week!

2. Get to know the weather patterns at sites that you visit regularly. For instance, there are some sites that we do not use after November or before February because of the extreme heat of summer and exertion of walking into the cliff.


3. Review the weather reports, constantly and especially before you leave for a trip. Combine the weather report with your knowledge of local weather patterns and observe conditions on site….

OBSERVING WEATHER PATTERNS

1. Keep an eye out, during the session for the weather patterns that indicate a change coming.

2. Seeing weather moving in from afar is an advantage of being up high on a cliff

3. Feeling the drop in air pressure that is indicative of a front moving in

4. Watching clouds forming that indicate rain building

As an outdoor leader you will become accustomed to watching the weather and will get better at predicting conditions with practice.

Damage to the abseiling equipment and ropes due to wet, muddy conditions is certain:

1. Mud, dirt and dust will wear the rope and stick in the carabiners increasing friction wear and damaging fibres

2. When a rope becomes wet friction is increased causing increased wear and slower descents

It’s not fun walking off a mountain with sodden ropes that weigh a lot more than when dry and to have to go and wash them all back at the office!

You will learn more about the weather in later modules, but now how about equipment maintenance when it does get wet….


CHAPTER 8 CARE OF THE EQUIPMENT

All of the equipment that you use has been inspected and maintained to industry standards. You will notice that the equipment is kept in ‘kit’ bags and that each kit has a tag that identifies the components of equipment that are kept together.

An Assistant Activity leader has responsibilities regarding equipment maintenance. Following are the basic

considerations

PRE AND POST CHECKS

The aim of equipment inspections is to ensure that equipment is in serviceable and safe condition and that unserviceable equipment is isolated from use.

Equipment is to be inspected;

before and activity as it is laid out and

after an activity as it is packed away

when it is subjected to dirty, muddy or dusty conditions and in much the same way as a car is serviced regularly

All equipment gets a wash and thorough check;

at set intervals as determined by manufacturer’s specifications and at no longer than 6 monthly intervals.

Ropes and rope kits will be maintained (washed and checked);

when it is subjected to dirty, muddy or dusty conditions and

every 1200 units of use**

** a unit of use is determined by ‘meters abseiled’; basically the Number of Abseils x the height of the cliff. This is why it’s absolutely necessary to count how many goes people have on the ropes and to

record it at the end of the session

Rope use is recorded in a ‘rope log’ that details when a rope is used, how many abseils it has on a day and at what height. Any maintenance checks are also recorded clearly on the rope log with the date of maintenance (or washing) recorded chronologically in the log.

AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SESSION,

Once you have completed your initial training, you will be tasked to set up the gear. You may be given a kit that is for your personal use for the lesson.

In all instances you are advised to check that the kit that you are using is complete as soon as you remove it from the vehicle: check that all components are there and that everything is in working order. If anything is missing or appears damaged or faulty, report this immediately to your instructor.

DURING THE SESSION

If you notice item of equipment that has become damaged or that is being used incorrectly then report this immediately.

Look after each item of equipment that you have been issued and keep it on your person throughout the sessions. Don’t leave your helmet or gloves laying around between abseils otherwise you’ll find yourself having to go and look for then before you can have your next abseil!

If you should drop a figure 8 or carabiner, TELL YOUR INSTRUCTOR, as these devices can become fractured if dropped. Your instructor will be able to ascertain whether the item should be retired.

If you have been issued a rope rigging kit, keep all of the components in the kit bag and don’t mix kits together unless you have been advised to do so by the instructor. Mixing kits is the best way to misplace items of equipment.

AT THE END OF THE SESSION,


All equipment that you have been issued with must be inspected before it is put back into its kit bag. Use the check list on the bag to ensure that you have put all the items back in the kit and leave the bag open for your instructor to check before its loaded back into the car.

IF THE EQUIPMENT GETS WET

Never ever put wet equipment in with dry equipment.

Carabiners, whether alloy or steel, will rust (oxidise) if left in kits with wet gear.

Wet gear can be placed in the back of the car, away from other dry gear. Often , once the sun comes out, the wet gear (particularly carabiners) will dry adequately. Wet ropes and slings however will need to be washed as they are likely to become not just wet, but also muddy if it rains during a session.

If the gear gets wet (or muddy) during an activity;

‘Chain up’ all the carabiners together and hang them in the back of the car

Don’t worry about folding up the tapes and slings; just unknot them and place them in a ‘daisy chain’ in the car away from any other gear. Daisy chaining the slings means that they can be placed straight into the wash on return to the office/shed.

Coil the ropes singularly (not double) as they will need to be soaked and washed.

Make sure though that you count all of the gear a usual so that you don’t lose anything. If it’s raining; it’s likely that gear will become lost and although it’s inconvenient you must still check in all of the gear.

Gloves and harnesses can be placed in the car away from other dry gear (do not ‘bag’ them up’

Harness carabiners and figure 8’s etc must be hung up to dry in the car

Any other wet gear, first aid kits etc should be dealt with under instruction from the leader on site.

ISOLATING DAMAGED EQUIPMENT

If an item is damaged, it is imperative that it is removed from service and isolated so that it does not get used. It is common to put a quarantine tag on damaged equipment and, if the item is from a kit, then tag the kit unserviceable on packing up the gear.

If a tag is not available a ‘short term’ fix is to clip the item onto the OUTSIDE of the kit bag. If you ever see an item clipped to the outside of a bag it generally means that it is faulty and awaiting replacement.

All equipment that is damaged must be reported so that it can be replaced. The faulty item can be noted on the activity summary form so that maintenance staff can attend to its replacement.

All equipment that is damaged must be reported so that it can be replaced. The faulty item can be noted on the activity summary form so that maintenance staff can attend to its replacement.

Any damaged or suspected damaged item of equipment must be reported to the instructor who will:

Place a quarantine tag on the item

Keep the item out of general use pending repair of disposal

Report the damage on the activity sheet

SCHEDULED EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE

Institutions and commercial operators are required to log rope use to ascertain maintenance intervals. It is

usual to record the distance abseiled or climbed and the number of abseils/climbs undertaken at this height.

This data can be used to calculate ‘standard units’ of use. (When you study equipment maintenance in

detail you will be given more information on this).

Equipment inspections must also be logged as these constitute a record of maintenance practice that meets

OH&S requirements and allows organisational traceability of equipment use and may provide valuable data

on equipment costs or even patterns of use and misuse over time.

ROPE LOGS


Rope use is recorded in a ‘rope log’ that details when a rope is used, how many abseils it has on a day and at what height. Any maintenance checks are also recorded clearly on the rope log with the date of maintenance (or washing) recorded chronologically in the log. A rope log will typically state

The purchase date of the rope

The In service date of the rope

The rope ID numberthat identifies this rope from others in use

The rope length

The dates that the rope was used and washed

Rope use will stipulate the number of climbs/abseils and at what cliff height for each entry

A rope log also keeps track of the total units

Per activity

Since last washed

For the entire life of the rope

ROPE CARE

Keep your rope clean – mud and dirt particles can work their way between the fibres and abrade them.

Simple procedures such as laying your rope on a ground sheet will protect your investment. Don’t step on a

rope as it forces particles of dirt into the sheath causing damage.

Keep your rope away from acids (particularly watch out for leaking battery acid).

Avoid rigging over sharp edges, and use a rope protector.

Take precautions when your rope is wet. A wet rope becomes more susceptible to abrasion; its weight will increase and it will stretch more and has a lower ultimate breaking strength.

Check your rope for damage every time you set it up for use or pack it away. The rope must be retired if any

of the following are apparent;

Exceeds recommended lifespan. Manufacturers vary on the actual lifespan of a rope. It was taken as 5 years although may be more or less depending on individual circumstances and usage. Your new rope will have manufacturer’s recommendations listed on the tag

If the rope is 5% longer than original length it may indicate that the internal core of the rope has become damaged

Sheath cut to expose the inner core

More than 50% of sheath fibres damaged. This usually manifests as a ‘fuzzy’ worn spot on the rope. The measure of a worn spot can be ascertained by bending the rope over at the point of abrasion and if you can flatten the rope out at this point to the point so that it has no inner radius then it is taken that the sheath is sufficiently damaged to retire it. A healthy unworn rope will always present a radius if you try and flatten it.

Rope sustained a severe impact force. A severe impact would normally only occur in a lead climbing scenario and if you do lead climb then research this point. If in doubt, wash and measure the rope and apply point 2 above.

Exposure to acids or corrosive substances

Flat spots & Kinks: sometimes the inner core may become damaged. This is apparent if the rope sheath is loose and moves independently of the core or there are flat spots in the rope (feel like a ‘bean’ bag at that point) or you can feel kinks in the rope where the core has twisted independently of the sheath.

You will feel the above damage as you run the rope through your hand when you coil it up.


WASHING YOUR ROPE

Washing your rope periodically will remove dirt particles and extend its life expectancy. If the rope is for

‘institutional’ or commercial use, you will be familiar with the ‘standard units’ formula for logging rope use, I

recommend washing your rope at 1200 standard units (more detail in later lessons).

With recreational usage patterns, a once or twice yearly wash will be required.

In either case, the duration between rope washing/inspection should not exceed 6 months.

I recommend soaking the rope for 24 hours in a mild detergent some people recommend only mild soap

flakes.

After soaking, use a rope washing brush to clean the rope and then place the rope through a gentle spin

cycle in a washing machine. If you don’t have a rope brush then you will need to hand wash the rope.

Daisy chain the rope (double) to prepare it for the washing machine, whether spin or full cycle. This will keep

it from getting tangled. Only put 50 meters of rope in a standard machine otherwise you might get the rope

riding up along the top of the tub and getting damaged. A front loader machine is better as this can’t

happen.

Dry your rope in the shade and coil it before it is 100% dry otherwise it will be quite stiff.

Check for any damage while coiling the rope.

Once dry; measure the rope. If the rope is more than 5% longer than its originally recorded length, suspect it

as faulty as you can suspect inner core damage from shock loading. It’s important to measure the rope

before you use it to ascertain the original length. You must wash the rope first though because ropes are

generally stretched onto the drum or coil when they are packed for sale and an accurate measurement can

only be ascertained after washing the rope.

Store your rope in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight.

SLINGS AND TAPES

Slings, tapes and kit bags can be washed the same as ropes. I recommend washing and inspecting

equipment at the same time that you wash the rope that you use the gear with. This ensures that more

frequently used equipment get inspected more frequently.

Inspect each item for abrasion or cuts.

A Sling or tape must be retired if;

Exceeds recommended lifespan. Manufacturers vary on the actual lifespan of a rope. It was taken as 5 years although may be more or less depending on individual circumstances and usage.

More than 50% of sheath fibres damaged. A generally fuzzy overall appearance indicates that it’s time to retire your sling or tape.

There is a ‘nick’ in the sling or tape or worn spot that appears to be all of the way through the material or bad enough to be noticeable.

Sustained a severe impact force or used to tow a vehicle.

Exposure to acids or corrosive substances

CARABINERS AND DEVICES

‘Devices’ refers to descending devices, belay devices, jumars etc.


A carabiner/device must be removed from service if:

there is any excess movement in the gate or the gate doesn’t close fully

the spring is lose or broken, the pins are not secure or the circlip is loose or missing

there is excessive pitting or corrosion or deformation of the carabiner body

dropped from more than five meters

excessive wear on the cams or friction surfaces

Devices may show wear on the cams or device body if device locking cams are worn then it is recommended that you retire it as the friction generated to control a fall may be much less than required

Figure 8s generally show rope wear marks but, if the wear mark has worn to less than 10mm thick it must be retired

The wear marks on a belay device may not be apparent. As devices are used, the friction of the rope passing through then can cause enough wear that the device will become less effective. Monitor the wear on your belay and descending device closely and if you notice that it is becoming

harder to ‘lock off’ the device, retire it.

The following faults may be fixed:

If the gate or moving parts do not close fully or screw up and down fully and freely it can sometimes be fixed by cleaning

sharp points (pitting caused by knocking against the rock) can be sanded down with a light ‘wet and dry’

Sometimes if a carabiner gate won’t close properly cleaning the spring might fix this

Maintaining carabiners and devices

1. Use a small amount of shellite or methylated spirits to wash gate parts to flush out any dirt or grime in the working parts (wear gloves for this!)

2. The carabiner will dry by evaporation of the solution

3. After the carabiner is dry polish it with a clean cloth

4. Use may use a very small amount of “CRC, WD40 or SILICON LUBE” in to the moving parts of the carabiner but only a small amount!

5. Wipe the carabiner to make sure there is lube left on the body that may contaminate ropes or tapes.

HELMETS

A helmet must be removed from service if:

1. the exterior of the shell has any cracks or non-manufactured holes

2. the harness of the helmet has any splits or fraying

3. the buckles are broken

4. comes into contact with solvents or harsh chemicals

5. is dropped from more than 5 meters

Repairs may be affected if

the stitching is coming undone

straps or buckles can be replaced.


MAINTAINING HELMETS:

After checking the helmet, use warm soapy water and a scrubbing brush and scrub the exterior to remove all

dirt embedded in surface scratches.

NOTE: The straps and harness of helmets must be sprayed with disinfectant after each use.

HARNESSES

A harness must be removed from service if:

the fabric is frayed badly enough to be noticeable

there are melted spots (caused by rope burn)

there are cuts in the fabric

buckles are broken or damaged

comes into contact with solvents or harsh chemicals

Repairs may be affected if

the stitching is coming undone

MAINTAINING HARNESSES

Harnesses may be soaked and washed on a washing machine.


CHAPTER 9 EVALUATE THE SESSION

After you have completed the session and stored all of the equipment for transport it is recommended that you go over the relevant aspects of the abseiling activity to seek feedback on your performance and to discuss areas for improvement.

LOGBOOKS

As an Outdoor Leader student you are required to keep a logbook of each of your activity sessions for assessment. You should record relevant details of the session in your student log book.

Aspects to consider including in your log are:

1. Did you manage to satisfy the objectives of the session? Are there aspects that you want to practice or do better next time?

2. Did the instructor look after you throughout the session or, if you planned the activity yourself as a part of your Leadership Assessment, did YOU plan the activity appropriately and satisfy the requirement of your customers?

3. What did you think about the

a. instructional content

b. instructional technique

c. assessment technique

d. directing techniques used by staff

4. How about the activity site? Were there any points of note?

5. How was the weather?

6. What do you have to say about your

a. equipment selection

b. clothing selection

c. food selection

7. Was there any group feedback?

8. Where any rescue techniques employed?

SELF-ASSESSMENT

It is a required part of your assessment that you note aspects of the session did you do well at and where can you improve.

Your assessment of the session is an important aspect of your training as a leader. Recording details of the session will help you to notice aspects that may otherwise pass without merit. As you develop you own leadership style, even as a recreational abseiler, you will benefit from the hindsight of actively participating and recording the result of the activity debrief.

A simple note book will be adequate to record details in. But, please remember; your log book is an assessable part of the course and is required to be assessed before you can gain credit for the course. You should keep you logbook;

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