Online Manual of Rock Climbing Skills and Techniques
Trees like spikes, are great placements but not many climbers are experienced tree surgeons so it is difficult to be sure of them. First look up, the tree should look alive, with either leaves or in the mist of winter some fresh buds or healthy looking branches. Then look down to see if the roots … Read moreGear Placements – Trees
Back up in situ metal protection like spikes, pegs and bolts where possible with other protection. Metal spikes and pegs will be most corroded below the surface and whilst you can test to see if it’s wobbly there is little more you can do to check how sound it may be. Rust may appear superficial … Read moreGear Placements – Metal Spikes, Pegs and Bolts
The judgement we need to select a placements for Hexes and Tri cams is very similar to selecting a nut placement. First off is the rock secure than then you need to look at how well the device sits in the shape of crack. How they are placed is slightly different, as both Hexes and … Read moreGear Placements – Hexes and Tri Cams
Nuts, Rocks and Wires stem from the original running belay placement for cracks were simply small pebbles, rocks or stones placed by climber as chockstones and threaded with a sling; over time climbers started to drill out machine nuts and use them instead. In modern days various companies make a variety of different shaped and … Read moreGear Placements – Nuts, Rocks and Wires
There are lots of climbing knots and these are in no real specific order. This is currently a holding page to give you an idea of the content we are planning on developing over the coming months. Fig of 8 Overhand Clove Hitch EDK – Overhand rope join Double Fishermans Alpine Butterfly Bowline
As well as the ABC and IDEAS principles of belays you also need to be aware that are are some other areas when rigging top ropes, where things can either damage you equipment or the rock. What we need to do is arrange some form of edge protection as in either case we want to … Read moreTop Rope Edge Protection
In trad climbing we are often confronted with far from optimal anchors, and whilst they may never be dangerous, there is a moment of doubt in our minds. Or for the beginner it may simply be the lack of judgement over an anchor. Equalising Three Anchors help to combat these issues in a couple of … Read moreEqualising Three Anchors
To get you ABC and IDEAS right when it comes to the fundamentals of rock climbing belays you will need to understand how to equalise two anchor point with either a sling, a rope or both. There are many ways to go about equalising two anchors this, we are going to concentrate of the most common … Read moreEqualising Two Anchors
Top roping (or bottom roping) is how most people start out climbing and, in the context of this site, one of the most appropriate ways to repeat the exercises in safety. If done properly, it should be an very low risk activity. There are however several fundamental principles that you can learn whilst making basic … Read moreBasic Climbing Safety: Basic Belays
This may seem like teaching your grandmother to suck eggs, but taking time to increase our awareness of risk and safety is often overlooked. It’s common sense, when you look at a hazard (like being high off the ground) and the risk (of falling) you will consider ways to reduce the risk. Many of the … Read moreBasic Safety in Rock Climbing