Belay-Climb Test Review

 Feet must stay below Red Line (4 ft.)  Have a spotter when necessary.  Never go upside down.  “SOS “ when falling off wall (Step off safely)  Report loose holds immediately.  Stretch often!!  Be aware of your surroundings.

Carabiners & ATC– ATC causes friction on the rope Carabiners come in different styles for different a purposes Never weight across the gate Set down; don’t throw All Climbing equipment should be rated to hold at least 5,000 lbs or 23kn. Belay - Belayer should always focus on climber…no distractions. First 10 feet are the most difficult to belay – less reaction time before fall. The strongest belay technique is the two hand slide. Never take your break hand off the rope A tail on a knot needs to be 4 fingers long, but shorter than a hand spread Belayer is in charge of climb – keep slack out of the system.

Cues: Take in the rope (slack from climber) Brake the rope with two hands down. Slide top hand up. Slide bottom hand up. Belay System: all the components which make the belay effective; climber, belayer, backup, rope, points of protection and hardware in use.

A rope should be rated for 5,000 lbs/23kn or more. Use a Dynamic Rope for a climb with the potential of any fall greater than 5 feet Inspect rope daily before use. Keep rope away from acid, oil, urine, sharp objects (do not step on rope.) Retirement: Normal life of rope is around 5 yrs. for light use, 3 yrs for weekend use and 1 yr or less for heavy use. When the core of a rope is showing = retired right away. Always know the history of your rope…keep a log of climbs.

Safety Checks Done before Climbing!! 1.Rope Check – Check rope condition. 2.Self Check – Harness, helmet, hardware and human 3.Team Check – 4 H’s on Belay/Climb Team 4.Sit Check – Belayer in brake position; Belayer & Climber Sit – test the system.

Helmet – Helmet is buckled and fitting correct Harness – Sits above the hip cinched snugly (doubled back if required). Hardware – ATC & Carabiner set up correctly. Gate is locked (3 squeeze) & knot is tied correctly Human – Everyone is attentive, no loose clothing, hair tied up, jewelry removed (earrings) The 4 “H’s” of the Self/Team Check

Safety Belay Commands On Belay? Sitting? Climbing Tension Slack Loading the rope Off Belay Rappelling Belay on. Sit on. Climb on. OK-take in slack. OK –give out arms length rope. Load on. Belay off. Rappel on. Emergency Commands Rock! Move into the wall Stop! Lock off and respond “OK”

Belayer responsibilities during the climb… 1.Keep tension on rope/climber. 2.Take in slack as climber ascends. 3.Brake the fall with two hands below ATC. 2 things to check before lowering climber. 1.Both hands below ATC. 2.Climber off the wall.

Knots *Tail of knot should be at least 4 fingers long and less than a span (thumb to pinky). Figure 8 follow-thru Double Fisherman (Grapevine) Figure 8 on a bight Stopper Fig. 8 Overhand on a bight

Climbing Technique Good climbing technique is more important than strength. Communication, skill and trust all work together. Feet / Legs should do most of the work. Climb Rating System Easy Intermediate Hard Expert Elite + means closer to harder climb - Means closer to easier climb

 ATC is setup incorrectly.  Carabiners are left open.  Sit Check is not performed before climbing.  Brake hand comes off ropes!!  Slack is not taken in quick enough.  Belayer begins to lower before climber lets go of wall.  Small belayer is not anchored correctly for large climber.