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‘Fingerwrecker’, HVS 5c – steep granite climbing at the Pass of Ballater

INTRODUCTION

This book is aimed, quite simply, at anyone who wishes to climb. Although billed as an introduction to rock climbing, it will be relevant for anyone who wishes to extend or improve his or her technical skills for single- or multi-pitch routes, whether wanting to second, lead or top-rope.

Rock climbing has become a huge participation sport, and the number of people taking to the crags increases substantially every year. Many climbers – including me – were initially self-taught; some have been mentored by friends; a few will have learnt their skills on a formally instructed climbing course. The intention of this book is that the techniques described will appeal to everyone who likes to climb, enabling the reader to learn new skills or to consolidate those already acquired. The chapter order, moving from basics through to skills – such as ropework and runner placement – and finally to climbing, leads the novice in a logical progression. Individual sections can be referred to as and when necessary. Several chapters cover subjects or techniques that can be practised at home, such as those on knots and the mechanics of belaying.

The book will also prove a handy reference for anyone starting out and being mentored by another climber, as it clearly demonstrates current best practice in a number of the disciplines. This is essential if you are going to be able to tie on, belay and second effectively, paving the way to learning more as you progress through the grades. Many people are introduced to climbing by a friend, and most will enjoy the experience to the extent that they will want to take it further. Leading a route is often the main focus, and it is useful to have written information to hand on the most important aspects of gear placement and on how to adjust your mind to the leading process. There is, of course, nothing to compare with getting out on the crag and practising for yourself; even better if this can be done in conjunction with an experienced friend and a good work of reference.

A good number of climbers take up the sport after attending sessions at a climbing wall, and will often be capable of climbing to a high grade indoors. This book covers all the skills required for a safe transition to climbing in the outdoors. It is very unusual for someone who is capable of climbing, say, 5c indoors to climb anywhere near that grade outside initially. This is due to a number of factors. On a climbing wall it is easy to spot the next hold, work out how to get there and proceed up with the minimum of fuss – as long as the hold is any good! However, outside there is no colour coding of the rock, and as a consequence finding holds will take a lot longer. We cannot just launch up and reach for whatever is obvious – it may be just a sloping ledge or a blind pocket. We must take time to look around for holds and try some out, searching with our hand whilst holding ourselves in balance, before deciding on which one to use.

The process of finding suitable holds outdoors – which takes around five times longer than on a climbing wall – usually means that the technical difficulty of the route will go down. If it takes six minutes to climb a route indoors it may take as long as thirty minutes outdoors. You will get more tired on the longer route, and your overall grade will tend to be lower than you are used to. This does not matter, however, and I would encourage everyone to climb easy grades until they are happy and safe before progressing up the grade scale.

Placing gear on the lead

It is interesting to note that a good number of people attending climbing courses have climbed in the past and stopped, often quite a long time ago, then decide to take up the sport again. Usually this seems to be down to family commitments, or another diversion such as working abroad. Such people tend to choose an instructional course in order to get back up to speed. Those who, perhaps, don’t wish to go on a course will also find this book invaluable. The information contained herein will act as a prompt to those previously learned techniques that may have become a little rusty. Current best practices will also be observed, as techniques, equipment and views may have changed over the intervening years.

Courses are an excellent way of learning the basics from scratch, or for progressing through to intermediate or even advanced level. Attending a well-run, low-ratio course with a qualified instructor is the best way to learn the skills necessary to keep you safe and to give you an enjoyable time climbing rock. Referring to a good reference book long after the course has finished will be good revision of the course content. It is easy to attend a number of sessions with an instructor and feel swamped with information; such a book will help you to sort out the wood from the trees. Photographs and the presentation of various ideas and tips on how to get the job done effectively and safely will further consolidate the lessons learnt. Taking notes during the course is a very good idea, as these can be cross-referenced with the book and a satisfactory answer to technical questions easily found.

Parenthood results in a lot of wrinkles! I have two daughters and will always try to take an interest in what they do. They both enjoy climbing, and have been able to benefit from my experience and to learn various climbing skills in a safe and appropriate manner. Concerned non-climbing parents often ask me how best to tackle the fact that their son or daughter has taken up the sport and seems to be enjoying it. Obviously, the answer will be to encourage them as much as possible, and see to their outdoor safety needs by sending them on a suitable course or out with experienced friends who can teach them what they need to know. When this is impossible – perhaps the family has no climbing contacts – some parents take it on themselves to learn the skills, with the intention of then teaching their offspring. Simply having the ability to arrange a safe top or bottom rope not only means that the son or daughter can climb safely, but also opens up a whole new realm of joint activities for the family at weekends or on holidays. Everyone wins: the parent wins as they have a grasp on what their son or daughter is getting up to on the crag; the child wins as they get safe conduct and tuition; the family as a whole wins as all members take part in a challenging sport together.

Climbing, in all its forms, takes time to learn properly. Obtaining experience is essential in progressing through the grades and technicalities that make this sport so challenging. Make sure that you work out a sequence of skill development that suits your aims and aspirations. If you are new to climbing, for instance, wanting to lead from day one will not be a good idea. Building up a solid base of seconding experience would be the way ahead, and consolidating the knowledge learnt before getting on to the ‘sharp end’ of the rope yourself.

So – you have seconded, led, climbed multi-pitch routes and abseiled back down, all very safely. What next? Building up a base of experience will be essential to becoming a safe, all-round rock climber. Sometimes you may need that little extra ‘something’ to help maintain your interest but also to enhance your own knowledge and help you progress further. Attending a course will be one way of doing this, providing you ensure that the instructor is qualified to the correct standard. A well-run course will often be on a 1:1 or 1:2 basis, allowing you plenty of time to learn and practise the skills that are demonstrated in a very controlled manner.

Protecting a traverse

Watching DVDs can also help you make progress (although they can never match the benefits of the ‘personal touch’). However, the information they contain can recall forgotten skills, and if well made will inspire you to get out on the rock. There are a few instructional DVDs available, together with a myriad of global bouldering and hard-rock-climbing ‘pump-fests’. The latter will either supply you with lashings of intent, or merely deflate you as you see climbers in need of a good meal gracefully elevating themselves across seemingly hold-less terrain, often upside down, on sun-kissed rock in beautiful locations around the world!

Maintaining personal fitness – climbing and general – is also important. Diet becomes a consideration when climbing at the higher levels, but fitness training is relevant to everyone, and essential if you wish to progress through the grades. Several books give advice on the best way to train, and sessions are available at climbing walls and with individual instructors. Nutritional information can be accessed through publications and via the Internet. A visit to a climbing wall during the winter months, or whenever there is an enforced lay-off due to bad weather, will help to keep your climbing fitness levels high. It is also a great way to meet people and make contacts, useful for finding partners and arranging car-shares to more distant crags.

If you are interested in taking your climbing forward, you may like to work towards a formal qualification. A very popular award in the UK is the Single Pitch Award (SPA), which trains and assesses candidates at a level of competence based on a well laid-out syllabus, and looks at personal skills as well as those needed for taking others climbing and abseiling. As there is no formal requirement in the UK for such a qualification when taking people climbing, many who go through the SPA process do so for their own personal benefit and to get themselves assessed at the national standard – a great boost to their confidence. Other countries around the world have similar schemes, and details of these can be obtained from their relevant mountaineering governing bodies.

I hope that you find the contents of this book useful. Although it covers many techniques, you will probably come across alternatives when climbing with other people. Make sure that the skills demonstrated are both safe and relevant to you and your style of climbing, and beware of ‘quick fixes’ which may appear to save time but may be either inappropriate or just downright dangerous. If in doubt, stick to what you know.

Above all – be safe and have fun.