A day of Rock climbing for beginners - May 2021
This is the third basic climbing course that we have organized, and it continues to be one of our most popular events. With C19 starting to subside and summer knocking on the door, it is time to head outside again. The date for this event had been set far in the past but so happened to fall on the warmest weekend of the year so far. Fortuna has blessed us once again! But with the weather forecast forcing everyone and their dog outside, we would not be the only ones with an urge for the outdoors.
After gathering everyone together at the meeting point, we realized soon that today was going to be a crowded day for the rock-climbing wall. As I always insist on starting early, we managed to be the second group arriving at the rock and still had our choice of routes, making sure to choose the easiest ones still available for our beginners.
The course started with a basic introduction to safety and the required equipment. We have now decided to train our new climbers on one safety device from the Joul family. It is cost effective, has an auto blocking feature, and also allows for more advanced climbing techniques for the ambitious climbers, as we would soon find out in our multi pitch course. Stay tuned for a report from that! The Joul also works well for beginners, since it is easy to use and has the built-in blocking mechanism providing additional safety.
Apart from understanding how the belay device works, the person climbing must know how to knot himself to the safety of the rope. This is done via the double eight-knot, the first thing taught before we even begin with climbing. After making sure everyone learned the first important knot, we finally started with the instructions around climbing.
The morning of the course is always dedicated to Top rope climbing. In this setup, the rope is hooked in at the top and dangles back down to the climber. This way, the belaying person can always keep full tension on the rope. A fall in this scenario is completely safe. The climber would only fall as far as the rope stretches. The setup provides the climber with a big sense of safety and is a great way to build trust with your belayer. Also, a climber in this setup does not have to worry about clipping the rope on the way up and can concentrate fully on the climbing experience.
Time flies when you’re having fun. And so, once everyone had climbed a route, lunch time had already arrived. We broke for lunch for about an hour. As no facilities are nearby, we had all packed our own lunches. Unless you go to a climbing gym, it is rare to have facilities nearby. If you plan to spend more than a few hours at the wall, make sure to bring at least a snack and some water.
Once refreshed, we were ready for the second part of the course, lead climbing! This is where the sport really starts! In this scenario, the rope is not yet fixed, and it is up to you to go to the top and fix it in. There are bolts in the route about every two meters, where, together with a quick draw carabiner, you clip the rope and secure your progress. However, from one bolt to the next, you are above the rope and do not have the convenience of just sitting in the harness. Between the bolts you really are relying on your own climbing skills.
However, since this is our first time on the wall, we make sure that the routes are easy enough not to cause any anxiety attack. But in case you do want to try some of the more difficult routes, there are plenty to choose from and nothing to stop you. You can always decide to exit out of a route by simply letting your belay buddy know that you’re done, and that he should lower you back down.
Lead Climbing really is the point at which you will know whether you are going to continue to climb or if this sport is not for you. We have had plenty of people who were happy to have joined the course to try and combat their fear of heights but who prefer to stick to indoor top rope climbing. This was their opportunity to try it out. Will you?
If you have caught the climbing bug, there are some important points to consider. First, you should go climbing again as quickly as possible. It doesn’t matter if indoor or outdoor. The point is that you get into a safe belay routine. The first time you are back at the wall you will have the rope in your hands and wonder, how did I do this know again? Go quickly, and go often, at least in the beginning! Lastly, if you do now already have it, invest in a belay device and a harness. If you plan to do a lot of climbing, the appropriate climbing shoes will make your life much easier as well.
Planning to go back to outdoor climbing. You will need some additional equipment as well. First and foremost, a rope. Depending on what other plans you have, you will need a different rope of different lengths. Make sure to go to a professional outdoor shop and ask for help. I do not recommend ordering this piece of equipment online unless you know what you’re doing. And stay away from secondhand ropes! You do not know what they have been through. You will also need a belay sling, along with quickdraws and a couple of carabines. But I am sure one of your new found climbing buddies will be able to help you pick out the right ones here 🙂
While we were the second group to the rock, we were the last to leave. The day was sunny and warm, and we made the best of it and spent as much time learning as possible. I made many new friends and climbing buddies this day. I am sure I will see some of them soon at the next rock-climbing wall. Maybe I will see you too!
If you want to join us in the future, make sure to follow our channel on Telegram where events are always posted first: https://t.me/alansevents
