Climbing 101

Climbing 101 is Delhi Rock’s introduction to climbing safety and technique. At the end of this four-part course, students will have:

Gained a thorough understanding of the safety systems involved in climbing.

Been instructed in the basic technical movement principles climbing is known for

Part 1 is about explaining climbing to you, illustrating the things we intend you to learn, and do equipment analysis and discussion. You’ll finish Part 1 with some basic climbing and guided belay practice.

Part 2 is about doing lots of belay practice and climbing in the gym, carrying out a normal climbing session with oversight. You’ll learn about routes, grades, planning, and technical movement.

Both days you will be climbing with an experienced instructor at hand to give you practical and tailored feedback on your climbing.

After the two weekend classes, you can set up two further practice sessions, included in your fee, where you come in and practice your belay and climbing.

For details on pricing and timing, please see our main climbing webpage.

BELAY SAFETY BASICS

Climbing at a height or in remote locations entails undertaking objective risks. The consequences of a fall or other negligent behaviour can be severe injury or even death, so safety always comes first in climbing. As the safety system comprises equipment and its safe use and application, we focus on those aspects at Delhi Rock.

Safety is your responsibility at Delhi Rock. Once you’ve been trained in safe use, you are expected to be self sufficient, self aware, and conscientious in paying attention to safety. We reserve the right to revoke your climbing rights if we feel that you are not observing safe conduct.

There are three components to belay safety:

1) Safe equipment use

Harness fit should be snug, up at the narrowest part of your torso, not the hips/pelvis. Leg loops are tied where the butt meets the thigh. Adjust back straps accordingly.

Gear loops point down. Belay loop faces the front, and there should be no twists in any webbing. Buckles outside of thigh.

Ensure the harness cannot slip under the hip, particularly important for men. Ensure leg mobility, and no bunching of clothing.

If wearing an older style single buckle harness, check for doublebacking. Inspect for tears and other apparent damage.

Shoes should be super tight, toes crimped against the front, with the toebox full. Shoes should have minimal flex/articulation.

Return rental equipment after cleaning and spraying. You can use the blue medical spray to lightly spray harnesses and inside shoes.

2) Team work and communication

We use the rewoven figure eight to tie in at Delhi Rock, and the Mamut Smart belay device.

Partner check:
~ Check figure eight is tied neatly and correctly
~ Check harness buckles and carabiners lock
~ Adjust your partner’s harness if poorly fitted
~ Check rope is correctly led through belay device

We use the P.B.U.S. belay method (Pull, Brake, Under, Slide). This is the belay method advised by most climbing safety organisations. Climbers must be thoroughly acquainted with its use.

Use the correct commands:
~ Am I on belay?  |  Your belay is on
~ Climbing  |  Climb on
~ Slack  |  Partner feeds through slack
~ Tension  |  Partner takes out slack
~ Downclimbing  |  Downclimb on
~ Take  |  I’ve got you
~ Lower  |  Lowering

3) Situational awareness

Any deficiencies observed in the rope or anchors must be spotted and communicated to an instructor. Climbing on damaged rope or anchors puts both climber and belayer at risk

The correct rope should be used for the route, and led fair. It is the belayer’s responsibility to ensure that the climber does not wander off the route and set up a dangerous swing.

Belay with the right amount of slack. Too tight and you’re pulling your climber off balance. Too loose and the slack can be dangerous. Pay attention to your climber.

Never stand on the rope. Rope work is crucial in climbing. The rope is the single most important piece of equipment used in climbing.

Return the setup to its initial state; use a chain sinnet (aka monkey braid) to tie off excess rope so that it’s not in anybody’s way.

BOULDERING SAFETY BASICS

Always ask for a spotter, unless you’re traversing, or are very confident the route will not induce a disorienting fall.

Be courteous and spot others after being asked to.

Ensure that your route is well covered with crashpads. If not, please grab one of the available pads in the gym (lift, do not drag) and use those for extra coverage.

IN GENERAL

Be mindful of your energy and alertness levels. Accidents happen when you’re tired. Be self-aware and limit your session to the duration for which you are mentally and physically capable.

Please use our extensive warmup and practice area for a good warmup, conditioning and cool-down session. Preserve your body’s ability to work hard over a long period of time.

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