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Of bolts, belayers and ways not to hit bottom: Some climbing terms
By Melissa J. Bloyer
Sport climbs are bolted, which means that someone has already put bolts into the rock and chains at the top of the climb. They usually do this from the top of the climb, having someone lower him or her down. The belayer usually uses a belay device. Although there are many belay devices, the most common device in Logan Canyon is probably an ATC (Air Traffic Controller) with a Gri-Gri at a close second. The important thing is that these devices cause friction in the rope taking the weight of the climber off of the belayer. The end of the rope is tied to the climbers harness, usually in a figure-eight knot. The rope is then treaded through the belay device, with enough slack between the climber and the belayer for the climber to make it to the first bolt. The climber then proceeds to climb to the first bolt, which is usually about 7 to 10 feet off of the ground. The climber is not protected by the rope at this point so the belayer acts as a spotter. When the climber reaches the first bolt, a quick draw is placed on the bolt and the rope is placed in the quick draw. A quick draw is two carabiners hooked together by a 6-inch piece of webbing. The carabiners are aircraft aluminum grade, oval shaped with a gate on one side. One of the carabiners is hooked to the bolt and the other is hooked to the rope. The belayer pulls any slack remaining and the climber is now protected. The climber then proceeds to the next bolt and places another quick draw. This process is called "leading." Leading can be dangerous. If the climber gets 2 feet above the last bolt and falls, she will fall 4 feet because there will be an additional 2 feet of slack in the rope. There is a proper way to fall to avoid injury. If the climber knows he is going to fall, he should push off the rock with his feet so that he will not slide down the rock. This will also help him to land on his feet instead of slamming into the rock with his whole body. When the climber reaches the chains, which are at the top of the climb, he hooks one end of a safety device on the chains and the other end on his harness. When he is secure he unties the rope and threads it through the chains then reties it to his harness. He signals the belayer when the rope is secure and the belayer proceeds to lower him. He now has the choice to "clean the climb" and gather the quick draws on the way down, or he can leave them and the next climber can top rope the climb. Top roping is much safer than leading. The end of the rope is tied to the climber and the other end is threaded through the belay device. As the climber ascends the climb the belayer pulls the slack. Because there is no leading involved, if the climber were to come off the climb, she would only fall if there were slack in the rope. Usually there is a little, but not enough to cause any injury.
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Archived Months:
September
1998 |
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