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July, 2006
SPORT CLIMBING 101
Jon Tierney
IFMGA Licensed Mountain Guide
Sport climbing is a great way for climbers to venture into the realm of lead climbing. After an apprenticeship of bouldering and gym climbing, many climbers in the modern era turn to sport climbing as the next step in their development. A sport climb is a rock climbing route that is protected by hangers that are permanently bolted to the rock rather than by gear placed into cracks that can be removed. The climber protects herself by clipping the rope into the hanger as she moves upward. Sport climbing requires a competent belaying partner, a rope and an investment in quick draws.
Belaying the leader
The first rule of sport climbing is that both the belayer and the climber should tie in to the rope. In this way two sets of eyes can check everything before starting. Tying in also gives the option of anchoring to a tree or rock if desired. Finally, it prevents the all too common accident that results from the belayer dropping the climber by lowering the end the rope through the belay device if the rope is too short.
A solid understanding of belaying is essential to belay a lead climber on a sport climb. The belayer should seek a good position to stand and be well practiced at catching falls. An anchor should be considered. This ideal position is flat where the belayer can't mistakenly slip backward and pull the lead climber off.
Getting to the first bolt is often the most exposed time for the lead climber. It's wise for the belayer to spot the climber until they have clipped the initial bolt. Stick clipping is another way to protect the initial moves. This involves taping a carabiner and a quickdraw (with the rope pre-placed in it) to a long, sturdy stick and then using the stick to clip the bolt. In this way, the lead climber has a top rope belay until they pass the first bolt.
During the climb
As they climb, the lead climber needs to be aware of the position of the rope they are trailing and try to keep it off to the side of the body or between the legs. It's important to not let it run behind the leg which would not only invert you if you fell but also leave a nice little rope burn across the calf. When clipping the next bolt try to climb high and clip the bolt at waist or chest height rather than pulling up a bunch of slack and clipping it way over your head. If the leader falls, this will significantly reduce the length of the fall. Finally, pay close attention to the direction of the quickdraw and the way the rope is clipped in. The rope must feed from the back to the front through the lower carabiner. Otherwise it can easily unclip itself during a fall. If the climb is diagonal then the spine of the carabiner should be toward the direction of travel as well.
Getting down
All right. The climber has reached the anchor bolts at the top. Next the climber should secure themselves to the anchor bolts with quickdraws or runners. If other members of the party want to climb the route on a top rope then simply clip a couple quickdraws into the bolts or equalize them with a cordellette and lower down. It is considered poor form in many areas to feed your rope through the anchor bolts and then to belay or lower through them as this wears out the costly hangers much more rapidly. The other option is to rappel down (read on).
When it's time to pull down the rope it's best to rappel down from the bolt anchors for the reason noted above. At the top, the climber should again secure himself to the bolts with quickdraws or runners. Reach down the rope a few feet and tie a figure eight on a bight in the rope. Clip this to the belay loop with a locking carabiner. This will prevent dropping the rope and provide additional protection. Next, untie from the rope and feed the rope through the bolt hangers. Lower the rope end to the ground making sure that both ends reach. Attach a rappel device and backup friction hitch from the harness to the rope. Check everything twice, unclip from the bolts and rappel to the ground. Now the rope can be retrieved rope by simply pulling it through the hangers. Make sure all the knots are out or there will be a new problem to solve.
Get out the guidebook and find another climb!
Related skills to learn:
Retreating without leaving gear
Escaping a belay
Backing up a rappel
Evaluating bolt quality
Ascending
DISCLAIMER: This article is not a substitute for proper instruction. Climbers should seek out instruction from a qualified climbing school or guide.
Jon Tierney is an internationally licensed IFMGA guide, paramedic and owner of Acadia Mountain Guides and Alpenglow Adventure Sports located year round in Orono and in Bar Harbor during the summer season. He has been guiding and instructing mountain skills, wilderness medicine and outdoor leadership since the early 1980s. He is also a lead instructor for Wilderness Medical Associates.
Email nick [at] noumbrella [dot] com with your questions, comments and concerns.
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