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ROCK CLIMBING INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Always have an instructor with at least 3 years climbing experience.
Please contact Karl on ijustlovetoclimb@gmail.com if you find any mistakes in this manual. Handy stuff to take with: hard-hat(helmet), cellphone, climbing shoes, suncream, harness, student card, WildCard, permits, water, chalkbag, caribiners, safety slings, bogroll, guitar, map/book, more slings etc. 

Top-rope sports-climbs: 

  1. First warm up your muscles to prevent them from tearing. Here are some great links for warming up: Geckogrips or climbing.co.za
  2. Both belayer and climber should wear hard hats(/helmets).
  3. If you can safely reach the anchor from the top, pull the rope through both loop-type anchors or through the single mallion of a modern anchor.
    or through 2 quickdraws around chain-anchor> (quickdraws must face in opposite directions = Spine-to-gate, gate-to-spine). 
    Or put the rope around the U-bolt if there is a U-bolt on the chain.
  4. Follow- through- figure- of- 8 with emergency knot should be used around correct part(s) of the harness. 
  5. Show belayer how to belay correctly and he/she must be alert at all times. Belayer must stand, he/she may not sit down.
  6. Belayer should have the gate of the caribiner facing away from the rock wall.  
  7. The climber may not put his finger through a bolt. One shouldn't hang onto or stand on bolts anyway, it's cheating and dangerous.
  8. Explain Emergency Falling Procedure (see below).
  9. (Climber should preferably not rest in the rope.)
  10. Belayer should always watch the climber (except when using the certain equipment) and keep in good communication with each other.

Lead-Climb sports-climbs:  

This may look complicated, but it's rather obvious. The more you climb, the more you would want to start lead-climbing.
Be warned though that incorrect clipping of quickdraws can result in serious consequences...

  1. Check rope and harness and equipment for wear.
  2. Check Number of quickdraws required for climb, take with chalk bag and a spare draw and slings
  3. Know the skill level of your partner
  4. The climber shouldn't be more than 25kgs heavier than the belayer.
  5. Tie rope onto your harness: Figure-o-8-follow-through with security-knot.
  6. Tie a knot at the other end of the rope in case the rope is unknowingly/accidentally too short for the climb.
  7. Attach to belayer  ("on-belay").
  8. Check harnesses -double-back  and check each other: Rope through caribiner of belayer and caribiner should be locked (but just half a turn loose).
  9. "Climb when ready./Belayer ready". "Climbing"
  10. When to clip: When you can reach the bolt AND you are in a good position where you can hold yourself with one hand.    (if not, downclimb.)
  11. How to clip: >> See picture!
  12. Quick-draws clipping:
    The slightly bent gate of the quickdraw is for the rope. Have the spine of it point towards the direction of the climb.
    Make sure that the quickdraw doesn't get opened by the rock pushing against the gate. Turn the gate away from the rock.
  13. Take the rope from your harness (without untying) & clip into quickdraw.
  14. Shout "Clipped!"
  15. Climb on.
  16. If you can reach the anchor safely, insert a quickdraw and clip the rope into it(i.e. do your last quickdraw clipping onto one of the chains.).


    17. Setting up anchor: (Also called cleaning an anchor)

    There are 3 different ways of setting up anchors (with 2 chains+rings).
    - Safest: Folding method (which we discuss below)
    - Old Traditional method: if rings are too small for the folding method)
    - Tail method: quickest method)

    Best webpage for this is here: http://taiwanrocks.net/climb-harder-safer-1-lowering-off/

    and: http://taiwanrocks.net/climb-harder-safer-1-lowering-off/



  17. Attach yourself (your harness) with safetyslings and caribiners to the top of the anchor-chains. (Not seen in drawings) (PAS Personal Anchor Systems can be a Sterling Chain Reactor/sewn daisy chain) ".and double-check.

  18. Shout "On safety!" and "Give slack!".
  19. Safest folding method: Take up about a meter of rope and 'Fold' the rope and put folded part through both new loop-type anchors (or through single mallion).
  20. Temporarily put the folded part into a normal/figure8/overhand-on-a-bight knot and attach with a spare locking caribiner to your harness (eg belay loop) (not your gear loop) and lock it.
    Loosen/untie your first figure of 8 knot (climbing knot), pull if out of your harness and pull the tail end(slack) out of the chainloops(anchor).
  21. Tie yourself back in again using Follow through figure of 8 with emergency knot.
  22. Double-check.

    23. Now you are ready to be lowered:
  23. Shout "On- belay" and "Tight-rope!"
  24. Belayer to shout back when "ready and on belay!".
  25. Remove safety draws and top quickdraw.
  26. "You may lower me!"Descend.
  27. Cleaning: Removal of lower quickdraws: Personal preference: First unclip from the bolt then the rope. 
  • (Old Traditional method

    Attach yourself with safety draws to the anchors.
  • Get a meter slack and tie a figure-8-byte knot below and use a caribiner to fasten the slack rope to your harness(or belayloop of harness) using a spare caribiner (do not attach to your gear-loops).
  • Untie your climbing knot (end of rope) from your harness.
  • Thread the rope through the chains and retie in with your figure-of-8 knot to your harness
  • Double-check.
  • Unclip and Untie the rope from your gear-loop.
  • "Tighrope!" Clean, "Ready to lower"


    • What to do when falling:  Falling shouldn't be allowed for any climb (wear on all equipment), but this can happen and is allowed for training once in a while. If a lead climber or top-rope climber decides that he/she cannot hold on or is about to slip off, (s)he must shout "FALLING!", so that the belayer can lock down. The belayer should not try to take up slack at this dangerous moment, (s)he must lock-down. 

    Falling procedure: Climber should push himself off the wall/rock so that he/she falls down with rope acting like a pendulum. (or he/she will get seriously scratched along the surface during the fall) 

    Multi-Pitching Sports-Climb:

    1. Both belayer and climber must wear hard-hats.
    2. Tie both ends of the rope to belayer and climber. Keep it like this until you reach the top. 
    3. I don't know from here ... please email Karl on: ijustlovetoclimb@gmail.com.

    If you have the procedure for multi-pitching or trad-climbing feel free to mail me at: ijustlovetoclimb@gmail.com