BASCOOL Training L2

Top roping - Syllabus

– Basics of climbing, skills, gear, usage and safety
– Basic knots used in climbing
– Communication during climbing
– Belaying skills
– Climbing beginner routes

The Golden Era: Yosemite The 1960s. However, by the late 1800s, rock climbing began to evolve
into its own sport. There are 3 areas credited as the birthplace of rock climbing: 1. Elbe Sandstone
Mountains, Germany 2. Lake District, England 3. The Dolomites, Italy

UIAA (Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme)—International climbing association

founded in 1928 to ensure the safety of climbing equipment and oversee the climbing sport.

ANSI (American National Standards Institute)—Establishes and enforces industrial standards in

the United States.

CEN (European Committee for Standardisation)—Establishes the minimum safety requirements for
climbing gear. The organisation's stamp ("CE") must appear on all climbing gear sold in Europe.

EN (European Norm)—Designation is given to products that meet CEN standards. based on the
material. Type of material used for equipment making.

Top rope climbing

● New climbers prefer to take top rope for practice.

● When top roping, the climbing rope is attached to an “anchor” at the top of the climb, which
is designed to catch a climber’s fall, if they slip.
● This is different from lead climbing, in which the lead climber starts with the rope at the
bottom of a route and clips it into protection as they move upwards.
● Top roping is significantly less risky than leading
● Top repoing required a skilled belayer to wrest the fall of the climber
● It requires a set of equipment such as a harness, helmet, rope, belay device, carabiners.
● In this type one has to do a lead climb on route with the help of fixed bolts. One he or she
reaches the top anchor point, he or she will make a U off rope that means she or he will pull
rope up and put the middle part of rope in carabiners. In this case both ends will be on
ground. One is for climbers and second is for belayer.
● standard rope length is 50, 60, and 70 mar in Dynamic rope so top rope length is not more
than 20 to 30mtr. Alway half of climbing rope

Types of climbing
Bouldering
Top rope climbing
Free climbing
Aid climbing
Free solo
Deep water soloing
Speed climbing
Mixed climbing and dry tooling
Ice climbing

Facts about climbing

● Climbing is a full body workout

● Climbing can help you burn fat
● In a study, rock climbing has shown to be good for lower back pain
● There are three scientific studies that show rock climbing improves your overall mental
health- These three studies provide evidence that rock climbing helps relieve symptoms of
depression, can regulate emotional disorders such as bipolar (mood swings), and can combat
anxiety and improve self-confidence.
● It's helpful for developing physical abilities
● Top roping is beginner-friendly way to learn climbing
● Three-point suspension—The principle of moving only one hand or foot at a time, leaving the
other three on the rock for balance, as in a tripod.
● TDR (thermodynamic rubber)—A synthetic rubber commonly used to create sticky soles on
climbing shoes.

Different grading systems:

What You Need to Start Top Roping-
10 Types of Equipment Needed for Top-Rope Climbing

To safely and successfully top-rope climb, you will need several key pieces of climbing gear.

1. Climbing shoes: Need perfect size rock climbing shoes. One size less than regular shoes.

2. Climbing helmet: Climbing helmets are essential safety equipment.

3. Climbing rope: To climb up and rappel down a rock face, you need a climbing rope—ideally

a 9.5 mm to 9.8 mm static rope that doesn’t stretch, unlike dynamic rope.

4. Climbing harness: Choose a harness that fits you properly and comfortably.

5. Belay device: A belay device is essential to managing rope slack and tension. For top-rope

climbing, you’ll want a belay device with a locking carabiner.

6. Quickdraws: Quickdraws are two connected carabiners that allow you to attach your rope to

anchors, protecting you as you climb.

7. Locking carabiners: Carabiners connect pieces of climbing equipment, such as quickdraws,

climbing harnesses, and anchors. You will use four locking carabiners to set up and secure

your top anchor.

8. Cordelette: Also called an accessory cord, a cordelette is used for setting up anchors and

rappelling. Webbing can also be used to set up climbing anchors.

9. Personal anchor system (PAS): A personal anchor system connects a belayer to a rock face

and prevents them from being pulled away if their climbing partner suddenly falls. When

you are belaying another climber, your PAS must be girth hitched to your climbing harness.

10. Climbing chalk and chalk bag: These will help improve your grip on the rock face.

Safety Tips for Top-Rope Climbing

A top-rope rock climb requires good judgement, teamwork, physical strength, and confidence.

● Plan and research. Multi-pitch climbs require considerably more preparation than single
pitch scrambles up a crag. Select well-established routes and read as much about them as
you can.
● Practice your knots. Rock climbing requires sturdy knots to ensure safety. Perfecting your
overhand knots, figure-8 follow-through knots, and stopper knots will make you a better
climber and belayer.
● Use high-quality gear. Invest in high-quality equipment for maximum safety. If you are
relying on a hanging belay, shop from reliable, consumer-reviewed companies rather than
new or no-name brands.
 ● Communicate at all times. Communicate with your belayer whenever possible to ensure
maximum safety.
● Rest people stay away from the wall. You will get a good view of the climber. You will stay
out of any rock fall danger. Do rope knot practice.
● Use quad anchors. To ensure safety, your top-rope anchor should be a quad. This means it
uses a minimum of two anchor points (three is even better), each with two sets of locking
carabiners. Attach to these anchors using quadruple-thick cordelette tied in a loop using a
double fisherman's bend at the end of the rope.
● Avoid jagged edges that can snag your rope. Survey your route to make sure your climbing
route does not have any jagged edges, overhangs, or spikes that could snag your climbing
rope. Although climbing ropes sold at top outdoor retailers are incredibly strong, you do not
want to risk compromising their integrity.
● Rely on experienced climbing friends. The climbing community is close-knit, and
experienced climbers are the best teachers. The first few times you go top-roping, bring
along experienced friends to help you with every step. Only experienced climbers should go
up a rock face first to set up the top-rope anchor.

Decide where to Go

● ask your team leader. About location, grade of route, trekking distance if there.
● Get all the necessary information from him.
● Prepare yourself for adventure.
● Make a travel plan, food, and contingency plans.

Climbing Knots
How to Tie Climbing Knots, Hitches and Bends

Few skills are as fundamental to climbing as working with rope.

Knot – a knot is tied in a rope or piece of webbing.
Hitch – a hitch connects a rope to another object like a carabiner or even another rope.
Bend – a bend is a knot that joins two ropes together.
Bight – a bight is a section of rope between the ends.
Standing end – the standing end or part of the rope is the side that’s not being used during knot
tying.
Working end – the working end or part of the rope is the side that is being used during knot tying.

Essential Climbing Knots, Hitches and Bends

There are many knots worth knowing as a climber, like securing the rope to a harness, rappelling,
and building anchors:
 Figure 8 Knot (Rewoven Figure 8 Knot/Figure
8 Follow Through Knot)

Clove Hitch

Girth Hitch

Double Fisherman’s Knot (Grapevine Knot) :

for joining coed ends

European Death Knot (Overhand Bend) -

Rope joining

Climbing Knots on a Bight

These knots let you form a loop in a rope. They are “on a bight” because they’re tied in the middle of
the rope and not on the end.
 Figure 8 Knot on a Bight

Overhand Knot on a Bight (Overhand Loop)

Overhand Knots for Climbing

These knots are a variation on the simple overhand knot. They allow you to create a secure stopper
knot in the rope.

Barrel Knot (Triple Overhand Knot)

Stopper Knot (Double Overhand Knot)

Bends for Climbing

Bends offer options for connecting two ropes, or creating a loop out of cord or webbing.
● Figure 8 Bend (Flemish Bend) rope ends joining
● Water Knot (Ring Bend) Tape knot

Additional Climbing Knots, Hitches and Bends

Though not listed as essential, these knots, hitches and bends are commonly used while climbing,
especially for intermediate and advanced techniques:

● Bowline Knot

How to Belay
The key steps in learning how to top-rope belay include:

● Gearing up
● Set-up
● Communication
● Technique: Backup belayer ( 2nd person will hold the rope)

Gearing Up to Belay
Need rope, belay device, carabiners, harness, helmet, if possible shoes on rent.

Types of belay devices: Your belay device is used to manage rope slack/tension, catch a fall
and lower your climbing partner. The two main belay device types are tubular and brake
assist.
Tubular Belay Devices
Best for: Multi Pitch trad climbing, sport climbing, gym climbing

Advantages of tubular belay devices:

Compact, light and easy to use

Work with many rope diameters and can accommodate single or double ropes

Ropes don’t twist or kink

Can be used for rappelling on two strands

Drawbacks of tubular belay devices:

Some people, especially lightweight climbers, find tubular belay devices to be slow for rappelling

Assisted-Braking Belay Devices : Self locking, self breaking, auto blocking or auto locking device
Best for: Sport climbing, gym climbing, multi pitch trad climbing

Advantages of assisted-braking devices:

​ Help the belayer to stop the climber's fall

​ Feed rope smoothly
 ​ Assisted-braking devices with camming mechanisms make it easy to lower the climber
in a controlled manner

Drawbacks:

​ Don’t work with all diameters of rope, so be sure to check the manufacturer’s
specifications
​ Assisted-braking devices with camming mechanisms tend to be heavier than other
devices
​ Some only allow rappelling on a single strand
​ Devices with camming mechanisms are not recommended for use with wet or icy
ropes
​ Its require proper training
​

Figure 8 Belay Device

Best for: Search and rescue, caving, rappelling

Advantages of figure 8 belay devices:

​ Efficient and smooth for rappelling

​ Dissipate heat from friction efficiently
​ Can be used with just about any rope diameter

Drawbacks:

​ Require more attention and more force from the belayer's hand than other belay
devices
​ They put a twist in the climbing rope, which can make rope handling difficult

Setting Up the Belay

B: First step Close the system - belayer need to open rope from end to end, tie barrel knot at the end
of rop

C: climber will attached himself with follow through figure of 8 knot

B: When the climber is much heavier than you, also consider tying in to a ground anchor. Ground
anchors are worth considering, too, whenever you’re forced to belay in a place that is less than ideal:
where you have an obstruction between you and the wall, for example.

B:Set up the belay device - follow belay device manual for how to put a rope from device

B: Attach a locking carabiner, attach belay device at belay loop only, make sure you have attached
rope with carabiner.

Performing the Safety Check

Before climbing, the climber and belayer always double-check each other’s setup:

● Knots: Is the climber’s figure 8 tied correctly and did the belayer close the system correctly
with a stopper knot?
● Buckles: Are both harnesses snug with buckles securely fastened? Whether it’s inherent in
the buckle design or (on older harnesses) the climber must perform the task, straps must
double back through buckles to secure them.
● Belay Device: Is it properly threaded? Does the carabiner pass through the rope,
belay-device cable and harness belay loop? Is the carabiner locked?
● Command Check: Because terms can vary, run through your communication to review
terminology and to be sure you agree on every term you will use.

Belay Communication
Be loud with these, because miscommunication can be as consequential as any other type of
climbing-system failure. Review commands initially to be sure you and your partner are on the same
page.

Here are the common commands:

Climber: “On belay?” (Are you ready to belay me?)
Belayer: “Belay on.” (Slack is gone and I’m ready.)
Climber: “Climbing.” (I’m going to climb now.)
Belayer: “Climb on.” (I’m ready for you to climb.)
Climber: “Slack!” (Pay out a little rope.)
Belayer: (Pay out rope and pause to see if the climber asks again.)
Climber: “Up rope.” (Pull in rope slack.)
Belayer: (Pull in slack and pause to see if the climber asks again.)
Climber: “Tension.” (I want to rest by hanging on the rope now.)
Belayer: (Remove all slack and hold tight.) “Gotcha.”
Climber: “Ready to lower.” (I’m done climbing.)
Belayer: (Reposition both hands to brake.) “Lowering.”
Climber: “Off belay.” (I’m standing securely on the ground.)
Belayer: “Belay off.” (I’ve stopped belaying you.)
The “take” command: Many climbers use this rather than “tension” when they want the belayer to
remove slack and take the weight of the climber on the rope. The argument for using “tension”
instead is that “take” can be confused with “slack,” and confusing those commands would be a very
bad thing.
Naming names: Start every command with your partner’s name. On a crowded crag or in a busy
gym, voices are hard to distinguish. One sure way that your partner will know that the command
came from you is to add your partner’s name to it.
Other Important Commands: If you hear these shouted by a climber, with or without a name, ready
yourself.

● "Rock!" This is for anything, natural or manufactured, that gets loose. When you hear this,
look down (not up) so your helmet can protect you.
 ● "Watch Me!" This means a climber thinks a fall is likely.
● "Falling!" Means exactly what you think it means.

Belay Technique

● The following are universal belay principles:

● Always keep your brake hand(s) on the rope. ALWAYS.
● Only slide a hand when the rope is firmly held in the braking position.
● Always orient brake hands in their strongest natural position.
● Always maintain attention on your climber, and be watchful for any hazards in your
surroundings.

Proper Belay Stance

● Athletically, that means your non-dominant foot is forward, your knees are bent and your
whole body is relaxed yet ready.
● Geographically, that means you’re not too far from the wall. To avoid impact from the
climber or a rock, you’re also one step away from being directly under the climber’s route.
● Organizationally, that means that any rope on the ground is neatly stacked so that it won’t
get tangled up as you’re belaying.

Proper Hand Position

● Brake hand: Place your dominant hand about six inches below the belay device and firmly
grip the rope. Thumb and forefinger are up, not down.
● Guide hand: Place your opposite hand on the climber’s side of the rope. Grab it slightly
above your head at a height that’s comfortable to reach.

PBUS (Pull, Brake, Under, Slide) Technique

● Pull: Pull your guide hand downward while also lifting the firmly gripped brake rope out and
up. This takes in slack as your partner climbs.
● Brake: When the guide hand nears the belay device, flip the brake rope back down to lock
the rope in the device.
● Under: Move the guide hand to the brake rope, placing it underneath the brake hand. Grip
the rope firmly to create a new temporary brake hand.
● Slide: Loosen the grip, but don’t unwrap the fingers of your original brake hand. Slide it up to
its original position, six inches below the belay device, and grip the rope firmly.
● Repeat: Move your guide hand back to its original position and you’re ready to go again.
Generally, short quick PBUS sequences work best.

Catching a Fall
Whether it’s because you hear the climber yell “Falling!” and/or you spot the fall because you never
take your eyes off your climber, you must react quickly. That’s why your athletic belay stance is so
important.
 ● Pull your brake hand down as you tighten your grip.
● Use your body, harness, rope and belay device to absorb the force of the fall.

Your body is acting as a counterweight to the climber’s body. If you’ve been removing slack
consistently during the climb, both the distance the climber falls and the resulting force you are
catching will be relatively modest.
Note that climbing ropes are designed to stretch a little, which helps absorb the force of the fall and,
in turn, lessens the force on the climber's body during the fall.
Holding a Climber Who Pauses (rest stop)
Whenever a climber wants to pause for any reason—to rest, consider a move or is at the top of the
climb, for example—the command is "Tension!"

● Remove any slack in the rope

● Pull your brake hand down
● Lean back to maintain rope tension
● Yell “Gotcha!”

Lowering a Climber
When the climber has completed the route, asks for tension and you’ve got them, the climber will
lean back into a sitting position and yell, “Lower me!”

● Bring your guide hand under your brake hand

● Keep both hands on the rope
● Yell “Lowering!”
● Let the rope slowly feed through the belay device, lowering the climber
● Maintain a steady pace, adjusting speed if the climber requests it
● Pause to let the climber see and negotiate obstacles like a rock outcrop, a roof or an
overhang
● Slow down near the ground to allow the climber to touch down with good footing

When the climber is standing on the ground, safely balanced on two feet, the climber yells “Off
belay!” You respond by paying out plenty of slack and yelling “Belay off!”

How to calculate fall factor - length of fall / length of rope

Example- fall length is 5ft / rope length from belayer to climber is 5ft= fall factor will be 1
Fall length is 10ft / rope length is 5ft = fall factor will be 2
Fall factor 2 is more dangerous than 1