Sport Climbing On Rock

The beginner course for sport climbing on rocks concerns sport climbing on rocks at organized sport climbing sectors of the island.

An organized sport climbing sector is considered to be any sector at which routes have been created using permanent bolts and anchors, and there is sufficient information about the routes, such as difficulty, length, anchor type, etc.

Aim of the course:

The basic aim of the course is to instruct and train the participants In the basic climbing and safety techniques, so they may climb autonomously, with the highest possible safety, at organized single pitch sport climbing sectors, with most of the attention focused on the safety of the climbing partners through the knowledge at all levels. An important target is the understanding of the environment at the climbing sectors and the dangers of rock climbing.
Furthermore, the creation of self-confidence and focusing will be emphasized, as well as the guidance and training for the improvement of each participant’s level.

Duration: 6 days + 1 day exam

Participants:

No prior experience or indoor climbers who would like to transition from indoor climbing to sport climbing on rock.

Curriculum

Theory:

1. Environmental topics.

• • • Where can we go climbing, and the diverse environments we will meet, with their particularities (mountain, seaside, riverside).
    • Legislation – where can we park, camping, fire, military compounds, rivers.
    • Protection of the environment, how can we minimize the impact related the human factor, e.g. Toilet.
    • Protection of birds inhabiting the rocks – nesting periods etc.

2. Analysis of Climbing.

• • • • Free – Aid: Differences and what each type includes.
      • What is Sport Climbing. Reference to and description of all types of climbing (Traditional, Bouldering, Roped Solo, Free Solo, Sport) and their difference to Sport Climbing.
      • The role of climbing in Mountaineering.
      • Via-Ferrata.

3. History of Sport Climbing in Cyprus and abroad.

4. Climbing Terminology.

• • • • Lead Climbing, Top Rope, freeing a route, red point, flash, on-sight.
      • Belayer, Climber, what is a single pitch, bolts, anchors, slack, down climbing, rappel/abseil.
      • Overhanging, slabs, vertical rocks.
      • Communication between climbing partners.
      • Grading in Sport Climbing, use of the grades by the climber.

5. Mountaineering/Climbing ethics.

• • • • We do not chip/alter existing holds or create new ones.
      • We do not interfere on already existing routes.
      • We respect wild life, and keep away from bird nests.
      • Respect the environment..

6. Equipment (Strength/Materials/Markings/Use/Safekeeping/Maintenance/Replacement)

• • • • Climbing Rope.
        • Kern mantle (Sheath and core).
        • Static and dynamic
        • Single, double, twin.
        • Dry / Wet.
        • UIAA / CE Certification (and meaning).
        • Strength.
        • Certification (EN 892 / UIAA 101 / ISO) and meaning.
        • Sheath slipping / sheath percentage and what it concerns us.
        • UIAA drop test (80 kg / fall factor 1.7).
        • Collecting and packing the rope, rope bags.
        • Rope middle – detection, marking from manufacturer.
      • Helmet.
        • Types.
        • Certification.
        • Wearing and adjusting.
        • Helmet replacement.
      • Climbing Harness.
        • Types/Certification/Production details.
        • Wearing and adjusting.
        • Use of the various points and strengths.
        • Replacement.
      • Slings and Cords.
        • Nylon Slings
        • Slings from synthetic materials (dyneema, spectra, etc.
        • Cords(materials, strengths, sizes).
        • Replacement.
      • Carabiners.
        • Locking and Non-Locking carabiners.
        • HMS, D-shape, Oval, special carabiners.
        • Strengths and use of each type.
        • When is their strength reduced (cross loads, wide loads, 3-way loads).
        • Maillon Rapide/Quick link. Markings, strength, choice.
      • Belay devices without brake assistance.
        • Tuber: all types.
        • Characteristics, advantages – disadvantages.
        • Tuber and HMS carabiner relevance.
        • Why we don’t use a D-shape carabiner with the tuber.
      • ABD Assisted Braking Devices.
        • THEY ARE NOT AUTO-BLOCKING.
        • GRI – GRI, SMART, CINCH, CLICK UP, and others.
        • Device and carabiner relevance. VERY IMPORTANT for correct functionality!
      • Climbing Shoes.
      • Quickdraws.
        • Types, analysis of each part.
        • Carabiner and Sling relevance.
        • Markings.
        • Manufacturing details and correct use.
        • Strength.
        • Wear from use and replacement.

7. Knots, uses and relevance to carabiners.

• • • • Figure of eight to tie in (follow‐through).
      • Figure of eight on a bight.
      • Ring bend tie in.
      • Stopper knot.
      • Clove hitch, with one or two hands.
      • Munter hitch, with one or two hands.
      • Mule knot.
      • Girth hitch.
      • Stopper knot.
      • Hitches – French Marchard for double direction, single direction.

8. Bolts and Anchors in Sport Climbing.

• • • • Bolts: different types, their characteristics, what the climber must look out for (rust, right placement, if the nut is tight, etc.).
        • Anchors:
          • The right use of the anchor by the climber, techniques for the longevity of the anchor by using a quickdraw for lowering, lowering slow (friction, temperature, higher wear-off).
          • Anchor types and their characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of each.
          • Time needed to climb the route.
          • Anchors with and without carabiner for lowering.

9. Ways to lower off on an anchor without carabiner. Τhe right equipment for the execution (introduction to tether). What is redundancy and what to do when there is none.

10. Forces in climbing.

• • • • • Measurement Unit NEWTON, what it means.
        • Constant weight, changing weight, e.g. Top rope and Newton.
        • Fall Factor.
          • Mathematical calculation, the values and what they mean.
          • When the maximum is and what happens in reality.
          • Forces in a single pitch environment.
          • What is the importance of Fall Factor 2?(Anchor)
          • What happens to our rope and what action we should take.
      • Measurement Unit NEWTON, what it means.
        • Anchors:
          • The right use of the anchor by the climber, techniques for the longevity of the anchor by using a quickdraw for lowering, lowering slow (friction, temperature, higher wear-off).
          • Anchor types and their characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of each.
          • Time needed to climb the route.
          • Anchors with and without carabiner for lowering.
          • Peak impact force. Meaning and what information we ca get from the values. Why it is good to know.

11. Technique, movement and practice.

• • • • • Technique on overhangs, vertical and slab rock.
        • Bouldering.
        • Strategy, tactic and goals in sport climbing.
        • Psychology – a very important parameter in climbing.
        • Pregnancy, nutrition, avoiding injury/rehabilitation.

Practice:

1. On an indoor climbing wall:

Climbing techniques and technique improvement. Correct hand, foot and body placement, techniques such as twist-loch, flagging and drop-knee, climbing in a dihedral, experiencing different holds – crimps, pinches, pockets, underclings and sloppers. How to use the climbing gym for their advancement.

2. Via‐Ferrata (introduction).

• • • • • Introduction to the basic principle of being tied in on two points.
        • Tethering to a rope (vertical, diagonal or horizontal) with or without a brake.
        • Passing a knot or a bolt/support structure.
        • Ladders.

3. Abseiling on permanent anchors/fixed single ropes.

• • • • • Approach and tethering to the anchor/abseil station.
        • Use of descender, rope placement in the descender and attaching the descender to the harness.
        • Abseiling on a single rope with supervision, back-up belaying by instructor.
        • Abseiling on a single rope with a brake (e.g. prusik, friction hitch). The instructor surveys and gives instructions, but the student rappels on his own. The descender is placed on the belay loop of the harness.

4. Climbing on a Top Rope.

• • • • • Climber – Belayer preparation.
        • Partner check/Self check.
        • Communication.
        • Climbing – movement on the rock and technique.
        • How to catch a fall in a top rope scenario.
        • How to take in slack in the system.
        • Lowering of the climber.
        • Top rope belaying with a non-assisted braking device.
        • Top rope belaying with a non-assisted braking device.
        • Top rope belaying with an assisted braking device.

5. Lead Climbing.

• • • • • Learning the correct placement of quickdraws on bolts and rope to the quickdraws. Consequences of wrong placement.
        • Evaluating the route’s dangers – falling, rope position relative to the climber’s legs, length of the fall depending on the distance of the climber to the last quickdraw, landing spot after a fall. Role of the rock’s face and angle on this subject.
        • Tying in to the rope by the climber.
        • Climber preparation – placing of the necessary gear on the harness.
        • Communication.
        • Partner check/Self check.
        • Climbing – movement on the rock and technique, placing quickdraws on the bolts and rope in the quickdraws.
        • Placing the rope in an anchor with a carabiner (with gate).Or placing a quickdraw instead of using the carabiner, in order to reduce the wear to the anchor’s carabiner.
        • Communication and preparation to be lowered to the ground using a tuber.

6. Belaying the lead climber.

• • • • • Spotting position.
        • The first three bolts and the dangers. Special precautions to take.
        • Dynamic belaying and correct braking/catch of a fall.
        • Weight difference between climber and belayer, problems and solutions.
        • Communication.
        • Belaying the lead climber with a non-assisted braking device.
        • Belaying the lead climber with an assisted braking device.
        • Lowering the climber with a tuber, lowering speed, heat and wear on the anchor..
        • Experience – knowledge and skills the belayer needs to master.
        • Severity of the belayer’s role.

7. Abseiling on permanent anchors/fixed double ropes.

• • • • • Abseiling on permanent anchors/fixed double ropes.
        • Opening and preparing the rope/throwing the rope or alternatively hanging it on the gear loops of the harness (and when must the latter be done)
        • Using the descender and the brake.
        • Using the descender and the brake with a nylon sling (advantages/disadvantages) or using a specialized tether.
        • Checking the system and the brake.
        • Moving the weight from the tether to the descender.
        • Executing the abseil/rappel.

8. Retreating from a route.

• • • • • Retreating from a glue-in bolt or expansion bolt.
        • Redundancy matters of retreating from a single bolt and solutions.

9. Learning to pass the rope through and anchor with a closed carabiner gate.

• • • • • When the rope fits double.
        • When the rope doesn’t fit double.

10. Procedure for a Top Rope placement.

• • • • • Matters of double safety/redundancy and wear of the anchor.
        • Placing a top rope with a locking carabiner on the anchor.
        • Placing a top rope with a locking carabiner on the anchor.
        • Placing the top rope through two opposite facing quickdraws, one on each bolt of the anchor.
        • Placing a top rope on an anchor resulting in high friction and how to eliminate it. If this isn’t possible then top rope climbing is bad for our rope and possibly even dangerous.
        • Placing the top rope on traversing or overhanging routes. Safety matters for climber and belayer.

11. Passing the rope through the anchor at the end of a single-pitch climb and abseiling to the ground.

• • • • • Place a quickdraw on one bolt on the anchor and clip the rope through it.
        • Tether to the other bolt.
        • Connect the two anchor bolts (if they aren’t connected).
        • Procedure of passing the rope through the anchor with a sealed carabiner.
        • Procedure to find the rope middle.
        • Knots on the rope ends.
        • Abseil procedure.

12. Unlocking and locking the belay device in different situations when belaying the climber.

• • • • • Learning to lock and unlock the belay device.
        • Learning to solve the problem caused by a knot in the rope while belaying.

In order to obtain the certificate the student must be tested on the following subjects by an examiner recognized by KOMOAAP:

• • • • • If he/she is comfortable and able to be at a multipitch climbing sector.
        • If he/she knows the right use of the gear/equipment and takes care of their correct maintenance and safekeeping.
        • If he/she knows and applies all the correct procedures, in order to ensure the safety of the climber/belayer while lead-climbing a chosen route.
        • If there is correct communication between the climber and the belayer.
        • To answer 10 out of 12 given written questions correctly.
        • The examiner will ask to execute three (3) of the six (6) units [parts 7 to 12] of the curriculum.