ROCK CLIMBING, ROPEWORK & RIVER CROSSING Chapter 13 ROCK CLIMBING, ROPEWORK & RIVER CROSSING Why Do we Need to Climb? The ability to rock climb is an important basic mountaineering skill with which an individual can become both confident and competent in his or her movement through steep and exposed terrain. It also instils technical knowledge of ropes, karabiners and all the paraphernalia associated with steep ground rescue and is therefore an essential element of Mountain Rescue Team training. Rock Climbing Equipment - “the Gear” To the rock climbing beginner we often appear to use a vast and confusing array of equipment when climbing. However, the basic ethic is that we climb the rock face using our skill and ability only. When confronted with a problem on a rock face we overcome it by using our experience, judgement, skill and strength alone. So why do we need such an assortment of specialist equipment? The answer is that it is there as a reserve, just in case our judgement, skill or strength are not up to the problem; or perhaps we suffer a moment of plain bad luck. In case we fall in other words. If correctly used and understood, the gear can provide a safety net, preventing any serious injury. To keep the risk within those limits that we consider to be acceptable, we must have a good knowledge of the capabilities of the gear that we use and of how to use it properly. The Rope Improvement in rope design is one of the main factors responsible for the huge increase in climbing standards which has occurred over the years. In the “olden days”, ropes were relatively weak for their size and weight; could not stretch and being made of natural fibres, were prone to rot. The old climbing adage that “the leader must never fall” was in those early days a pre-requisite for survival. Nowadays climbing ropes are light and strong and easy to handle and are specifically designed to absorb the energy which a falling climber gathers as he plummets earthwards. The ropes which we use for climbing within the Mountain Rescue Service are of kernmantel construction (see FIG:112). This means that they are made of a central “kern” or core, consisting of several thousand single, stretching fibres, which are as long as the rope itself. This kern is surrounded by an outer “mantle” or sheath of braided nylon, designed to protect the kern and give the rope an acceptable feel. Depending on its particular size and make, the rope gains 75% of its total strength from the kern, with the remaining 25% coming from the mantle. The rope is an essential piece of climbing equipment and therefore deserves very careful looking after. FIG:112 Kernmantel Climbing Rope Construction 13-1 ROCK CLIMBING, ROPEWORK & RIVER CROSSING To look after your rope: a. Never stand on your rope, or allow anyone else to do so. b. Examine your rope before and after use and every 6 months. Keep a record. c. Keep your rope clean, to prevent small particles of rock entering into the easily damaged kern and weakening the rope from the inside. d. Finally, take care not to expose your rope to any corrosive chemicals, solvents and oils, or to prolonged sunlight, all of which can cause severe damage. A rope should be scrapped if: a. It has held a major fall (more than Fall Factor One). b. It has been in use for more than 5 years. c. It has sustained damage which results in any “lumpy” feel or narrowing to the kern. d. The kern itself has become exposed through the mantle. If you look after your rope, when the day comes that it has to look after you, it will be up to the job. Remember * Keep your rope clean. * Inspect your rope for damage before and after every use and every 6 months. * Avoid any exposure to contamination or prolonged sunlight. Rope Sizes Climbing ropes used in the Mountain Rescue Service are normally 50 metres long; however, 2 weights of rope are used - full and half. A “half rope” (normally 9mm diameter) has considerable advantages over the “full rope” (normally10.5mm or 11mm diameter) in terms of weight, handling characteristics and the way in which they can be used to avoid rope-on-rock friction (rope-drag) on steep, long and technically difficult climbs. However, a single half rope is not designed to absorb a leader fall and therefore must never be used on its own. The term “double-rope technique” is used to describe the way in which we use 2 half ropes when climbing. “Full ropes” are designed to be used singly and can be useful on short climbs. They are, however, susceptible to rope drag and are generally considered too heavy for double-rope technique. Coiling your Rope Climbing ropes are coiled so that: a. They are easy to carry, manage and store. b. Ropes do not become tangled or twisted whilst being carried or transported. c. They can quickly be made ready for use. 13-2 ROCK CLIMBING, ROPEWORK & RIVER CROSSING A rope that becomes tangled is very frustrating and can be dangerous, so practice to become adept at coiling and uncoiling your rope. Two methods of rope coiling are used; these are “mountaineers coils” and “alpine coils” (see FIGS:113 and 114), both of which require considerable practice if you are to become proficient. Each method has advantages, although the alpine coil is generally more popular. You should inspect your rope for damage each time it is coiled after use. In addition to obvious cuts and abrasions, any “lumpiness” which could indicate more serious internal damage, should be checked for while running the rope through your fingers. The same procedure should be followed while the rope is being uncoiled at the start of a climb. In this way time can be saved by carrying out before and after-use inspections as the rope is being coiled and uncoiled, thus ensuring that our ropes remain in a safe condition and up to the task of protecting life. Knots A number of knots are used to attach ropes and slings to our climbing harnesses and belays. It is important that team members can tie these knots faultlessly, first time every time and in all weather conditions. Lives will depend on this skill. It is equally important that team members learning to tie a new knot also gain an understanding of how that knot works, when to use it, when not to use it and what its weaknesses are. FIG:113 COILING YOUR ROPE - MOUNTAIN COILS. The rope is coiled either around the neck and shoulders, or by holding the rope in the palm of the hand. When the rope is fully coiled the free ends are secured by a single whipping of about 6 turns. The ends may be further secured by a Reef knot. 13-3 ROCK CLIMBING, ROPEWORK & RIVER CROSSING FIG:114 COILING YOUR ROPE - ALPINE COILS. The rope is laid in folds across the palm of the hand, leaving the last 4m free. The free ends are whipped around the centre of the folds and a bight of rope pushed through the hole with the ends pulled through the bight to finish. The remaining tails can then be used to carry the rope securely as illustrated. The correct tying of knots can be difficult to learn from a book and is often best taught practically and then practised to perfection. It should be remembered that most knots, by their nature, form a weakness in the rope. To make the knot as safe as possible, it should be correctly “laid” (ie neat) and “set” (tight). The most commonly used knots are: The Overhand Knot. Although the simplest of knots, the Overhand still has many uses and is the basis of many other more complicated knots FIG:115a. The Figure of Eight Knot. This knot, either rethreaded or on a bight, is used in a number of climbing and rescue scenarios and is often the chosen method of attaching the rope to the climbing harness. It is a good knot in that it: * is very strong * is quite easy to tie * does not slip It can be difficult to undo, especially if it has been heavily loaded. FIG:115b. The Figure of Eight on a Bight. A bight is a loop of rope which can be formed anywhere along a rope’s length. The Figure of Eight on a Bight will therefore give a secure loop wherever needed and is a very useful and often used knot. Care should be taken to ensure that the loaded rope lies on the outside of the first bend to gain maximum strength from the knot. FIG:115c. 13-4 ROCK CLIMBING, ROPEWORK & RIVER CROSSING A loop may also be formed at the rope end by tying a single Figure of Eight and then threading the end back through. This version is one of the methods used to tie on to a climbing harness. As there is a risk that the rope end could work loose, this knot should always be finished with a Stopper knot when used to tie onto a harness. FIG:115d. The Bowline. The Bowline is another very useful knot which is also frequently used to tie the rope on to the harness. It is a good knot because it: * is very strong * is easy to adjust * is easy to undo, even when it has been heavily loaded. It is however dangerous if incorrectly tied and can slip, so should always be finished off with a Stopper knot.