Requirements and Standards for Specialized Rock Climbing Centers, and Individual Climbing Walls Edition 1, 2019

OVERVIEW

LocationThe following are the minimum acceptable requirements by the Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation (SCHF), regarding the building and designing of specialized rock climbing facilities, and designing and engineering artiﬁcial climbing wall structures. The Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation standards are intended to establish appropriate safety practices and minimize risk and danger during the operation of climbing walls. It is the owner/operator’s responsibility to follow these standards.

Contracts with rock climbing wall manufacturers stated in the list below will give the owner/operator the highest quality manufacturing standards with the highest levels of safety.

- Walltopia - Enterprises - Rock Werx - Climb Korea - Eldorado climbing walls - Impact Climbing Walls - Blocx

Supplying and installation from other than the suppliers/manufacturers above must be approved by the Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation prior to use. Failure to receive authorization from the SCHF prior to entering into a design/supply agreement with another company may result in rejection of the climbing walls and the inability to operate the facility. We therefore recommend that the SCHF’s approval be obtained before contracting with any other supplier.

CLIMBING FACILITY TYPE

Specialized Climbing Center in a Stand-Alone Building

Building Requirements - The width of the building must be a minimum of 6 meters, if it is a Rope Climbing center - The width of the building must be a minimum of 8 meters, if it is a Bouldering center - The internal wall height (clean height) must be a minimum of 10 meters, if it is a Rope Climbing center. - The internal wall height (clean height) must be a minimum of 5 meters, if it is a Bouldering center. - Climbing walls must be minimum 9 meters for Rope Climbing. - Climbing walls must be minimum 4 meters for Bouldering. - Only 50% of number of all routes can be designated for Auto-Belaying. - Size of the building must be a minimum of 320 sqm. Requirements and Standards for Specialized Rock Climbing Centers, and Individual Climbing Walls Edition 1, 2019

- Climbing Wall Area must be atleast 50% of the building space to be labeled as a specialized climbing center. - Actual wall structures of the building can be of any approved material by the local regulations for buildings. - The building must have a 2 meter wide access/exit to the designated climbing area.

Other Requirements - Toilets and Changing Rooms with lockers. - Storage space for climbing equipment, with minimal direct sun exposure and shall not be accessible by the public. - Warm-up area of a minimum of 16 sqm.

Specialized Climbing Center inside a Commercial Building

Space Requirements - The width of the space must be a minimum of 5 meters, if it is a Rope Climbing center. - The width of the building must be a minimum of 7 meters, if it is a Bouldering center. - The internal ceiling height (clear height) must be a minimum of 7.5 meters, if it is a Rope Climbing center. - The internal ceiling height (clear height) must be a minimum of 5 meters, if it is a Bouldering center. - Climbing walls must be minimum 6.5 meters for Rope Climbing. - Climbing walls must be minimum 4 meters for Bouldering. - Only 50% of number of all routes can be designated for Auto-Belaying. - Climbing Wall Area must be 60% of the rented-space to be labeled as a specialized climbing center.

Other Requirements - Lockers. - Access to common toilet facilities nearby - Storage space for climbing equipment, with minimal direct sun exposure and shall not be accessible by the public. - Warm-up area of a minimum of 8 sqm.

Individual Climbing Wall (Applies to Individual Rope Climbing walls within another commercial entity like schools, entertainment center, multi-purpose gym, etc.)

Space Requirements - The internal wall height (clean height) must be a minimum of 7.5 meters, if it is a Rope Climbing facility. Requirements and Standards for Specialized Rock Climbing Centers, and Individual Climbing Walls Edition 1, 2019

- The internal wall height (clean height) must be a minimum of 4 meters, if it is a Bouldering center. - Climbing walls must be minimum 6.5 meters for Rope Climbing. - Climbing walls must be minimum 3 meters for Bouldering.

GENERAL STANDARDS FOR CLIMBING WALL The following specifications apply to walls that are fixed-in-place and stationary while in use, including temporary installations. These specifications do not apply to portable climbing structures or inflatable climbing structures. It is the responsibility of the owner/operator of the walls to establish appropriate safety, health, and operational practices for the use of the walls.

Manufacturing and Construction

- Manufacturer must be specialized in climbing walls for more than 5 years. - Manufacturer must handle all wall design aspects and give a complete design and architectural plan of the walls for the designated space or center. - Manufacturer must handle all engineering aspect to meet the International and local standards for climbing wall constructions. - Installation of the climbing wall system must be made by the manufacturer, or an approved sub-contractor by the manufacturer with a minimum experience of 5 years in climbing wall installation. - The designs plans, engineering, and an owner’s manual must be supplied to the owner by the manufacturer.

Inspection and Maintenance

Inspection and Testing - The completed climbing wall must undergo a full complete final inspection by a trained supervisor representing the manufacturer and must be certified by the manufacturer that the finished product has been built in accordance with the approved installation drawings. - A certification of proof testing should be provided by the contractor and available for future inspection, when requested by SCHF. For anchors, this should include identification of all the individual components in place at the time of testing. - If the walls are attached to an existing building structure, a competent, licensed engineering design firm shall certify that the building structure can handle the loads of the climbing walls and the climbers, including shock loads of calling climbers. - Auto Belays must go through inspection and certification as per the manufacturer’s suggestions and requests to get recertified, with a minimum inspection of once per year. Requirements and Standards for Specialized Rock Climbing Centers, and Individual Climbing Walls Edition 1, 2019

Maintenance - The Climbing wall contractor must provide a training session for the wall operations staff, after the walls have been installed. Training must cover the following topics: 1. Climbing wall maintenance and periodic inspections. 2. Route-setting methods and managements. 3. Sample handhold installation and removal. 4. Climbing wall operations management. - Equipment logbook (digital versions acceptable): A log should be used to document systematic inspection and maintenance of the equipment within the center that has the climbing wall. The frequency of inspection, maintenance and repair should be determined by the equipment’s manufacturers recommendation and a risk management approach (please refer to the item’s manual that comes with it during purchase). Each piece of equipment within a system should be individually identifiable to allow recording of relevant information in the equipment logbook (manufacturer’s item serial number). Please note, that a representative by the Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation must have access to the logbook at any time within normal working hours. - Recertification inspections of the anchorage system for the climbing walls should be taken every 12 months minimum. Recertification is conducted by an assigned individual by the Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation.

Examples of some inspections: - Climbing equipment, which a rope passes through (such as carabiners, belay bars) must be checked monthly for any wear since the minimum internal curvature radius the rope goes through a device must be minimum 4.5mm. - Rope condition must be inspected on a weekly basis for any damage.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR CLIMBING WALLS

Required Space

- Minimum of 90cm behind the climbing walls for access and maintenance. - For Rope Climbing: A belay area of minimum 2 meters distance from the base of the wall, overhang, or climbing rope. - The floor of the area must be covered in ENERGY ABSORBANT foam, specifically made for use in climbing settings. (see Flooring Specifications) - For Bouldering: A jumping-off area of minimum 3 meters out of the wall or overhang. - The floor coverage of the area must be climbing specific ENERGY ABSORBANT matts. (see Flooring Specifications) - A minimum of 1 meter after the belay area to be empty with no restrictions. - The ceiling over the climbing walls must be clear of any a/c grids, lighting, or pipe lines (excluding Fire Sprinkler Piping System) Requirements and Standards for Specialized Rock Climbing Centers, and Individual Climbing Walls Edition 1, 2019

- The ceiling over the belay area must be clear of any a/c grids, lighting, or pipe lines (excluding Fire Sprinkler Piping System) - Internal wall height (Clean height) of the space must be minimum of 1 meter higher than the climbing walls.

Materials

Actual Wall o Certiﬁed wood panels: - Size: 18mm - Maximum Hand holds per square meter: 40 o Glass Fiber: - Size: 7mm - Maximum Hand Holds per square meter: 14 o Glass Fiber/Polymer: - Size: 11mm - Maximum Hand Holds per square meter: 12 Steel Structure - The Steel speciﬁcations should abide with the local requirements. - The steel support structure may rely on a component of the facility as its primary structure, or may be self-supporting. Flooring o For Rope Climbing: - 14cm thick foam padding (with or without carpet cover) o For Bouldering: - 30-40 cm foam mat. (with or without carpet cover)

Routes

- The number of maximum routes per linear meter on the wall must be speciﬁed by the manufacturer. - For Lead Climbing: 1. The ﬁrst hanger to be installed should be 3.6 meters above ground level. 2. The subsequent hangers must be spaced approximately every 1.2 meters.

Markings

- All walls must be durably marked (on the wall) in a clear, visible location, with the name, trade name, or Logo of the manufacturer. - The following information must be displayed (near the walls): 1. The name or trade name of the manufacturer including address and telephone number. Requirements and Standards for Specialized Rock Climbing Centers, and Individual Climbing Walls Edition 1, 2019

2. The name or trade name of the importer or supplier including address and telephone number, if different from manufacturer. 3. The name or trade name of the installation company including address and telephone number, if different from manufacturer. 4. The installation date, including month and year. 5. The maximum number of climbing routes on the walls that can be used simultaneously. 6. The types of climbing the walls are designed for, or any restrictions for use. (example: Top Rope Climbing Only, Bouldering only, No Roped Climbing Allowed, No Bare Foot Climbing) 7. Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation Affiliation Certification and Membership number, including date of expiry. 8. Auto-Belay certification from the Manufacturer, if applicable. 9. General Safety Guidelines for climbers to follow on the walls.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF INSTALLED HARDWARE ON CLIMBING WALLS

Handhold Fasteners

- Handhold fasteners (T-Nuts) must be accessible for any repair and/or replacement behind the climbing wall. - T-Nuts must have a diameter of minimum 9.5mm with heavy duty steel material.

Protection Anchors for lead climbing

Bolts - Bolts must be UIAA approved with minimum Grade 5 Hex Bolt and with minimum diameter of 9.5mm - Length to be sufﬁcient enough to extend through the structural fame and through a backup lock nut. - The bolt to be secured with a backup locknut behind the hardware. Hangers - Hangers must be UIAA approved - Hangers must protrude from the walls by more than 40mm and have the minimum radius of 9.5mm, with 30kN capacity. Lead Belay Anchoring - Anchors must be comprised by two separate and independent Lead Anchors with minimum 2 (see Protection Anchors for lead climbing speciﬁcations), and both attached to the climbing rope by two non-locking carabiners with minimum Major Axis strength 15kN for belaying. Requirements and Standards for Specialized Rock Climbing Centers, and Individual Climbing Walls Edition 1, 2019

- The internal angle of separation between the two Lead Anchors must be a maximum of 60 degrees. - Minimum horizontal distance between the two lead hangers must be 6 inches. Top Rope Belay Anchoring - Anchors must be comprised by two separate and independent Lead Anchors (see Protection Anchors for lead climbing speciﬁcations), and both attached to the climbing rope by two Screw-Gate carabiners with minimum Major Axis strength 22kN for belaying. - The internal angle of separation between the two Lead Anchors must be a maximum of 60 degrees. - Minimum horizontal distance between the two lead hangers must be 6 inches. - If installing a Top Rope Belay Bar instead, bar must be polished and with minimum outside diameter size of 8.9 cm installed along the top of the climbing wall only.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR EQUIPMENT USED ON CLIMBING WALLS

Ropes

- Ropes must meet the UIAA safety requirements. - Ropes installed for Top Rope climbing must be ﬁxed and installed by the owner/operator. Participants must only use the pre-ﬁxed ropes. - Ropes must Single Dynamic Ropes with a minimum of 10mm in thickness for Top Rope Climbing. - Rope length must be double the wall height, plus 3 meters minimum. - For Lead climbing, participant has the choice to use their own rope or use provided rope by the owner/operator.

Carabiners

- All Carabiners used must meet UIAA Standards. - Connection of the climber’s harness to the rope, must be a figure-8 knot. If connection should rely on a single screw-gate carabiner for fast connection, then it must include a back-up connection such as a figure-8 knot. - Only locking gate carabiners (Screw-gate or Auto-lock) to be used with belay devices or rope. - For Top Rope climbing, all carabiners must be fixed and provided by the owner/operator.

Fixed Quickdraws

Must meet the UIAA Standards with the below sizes: - Quicklink: 9.5mm - Carabiners: Stainless Steel, wire or bent gate, 23KN major axis. - Sling: 10.1cm sling Requirements and Standards for Specialized Rock Climbing Centers, and Individual Climbing Walls Edition 1, 2019

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR EQUIPMENT USED ON CLIMBING WALLS

Belay Devices

- Belay devices must meet UIAA Standards. - Top Rope Climbing must use an assistant-breaking belay device (example Gri-gri) pre-ﬁxed on the rope by owner/operator with a locking-gate carabiner, also provided by the owner/operator. - For Lead climbing, participant has the choice to use an assistant-breaking belay device or Tube belay device (ATC, Reverso), and use their own device or provided by the owner/operator.

Harness:

Should comply with UIAA Standards for climbing harnesses and must be replaced as per manufacturers recommendation, or as soon as any visible wear or damage can be seen.

Auto Belays

Auto Belays from the following manufacturers are accepted and recertification must be done by the manufacturer: - TruBlue: Annual Recertification is required. - On Belay: 5 years Recertification is required. - Walltopia Self Belay: 5 years Recertification is required. - Perfect Descent: 2 years Recertification is required.

OPERATIONS

Staff for a Specialized Climbing Center with 160 square meters designated climbing area or above Center with Rope Climbing - A minimum of 2 certified climbing instructor by AMGA or IFMGA, holding Climbing Wall Instructor (CWI) Certification and must have a valid Indoor Climbing Instructor license by the Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation. - A minimum of 1 experienced climber as an assistant (Lead Climbing Grade 6a or above) with a valid local CPR Certification. - A minimum of 1 experienced route setter. (Instructor or assistant can be the route setter if he/she has the qualifications). Note: Only instructors with a valid Indoor Climbing Instructor License by the Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation can hold climbing courses on a climbing wall with ropes.

Center with Bouldering Only - A minimum of 1 experienced climber with route setting experience (Climbing Grade 6a or above) with a valid local CPR Certiﬁcation. - A minimum of 1 experienced climber as an assistant (Climbing Grade 6a or above) with a valid local CPR Certiﬁcation. Requirements and Standards for Specialized Rock Climbing Centers, and Individual Climbing Walls Edition 1, 2019

Staff for a Specialized Climbing Center with less than 160 square meters designated climbing area

Center with Rope Climbing - A minimum of 1 certified climbing instructor by AMGA or IFMGA, holding Climbing Wall Instructor (CWI) Certification and must have a valid Indoor Climbing Instructor license by the Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation. - A minimum of 1 experienced climber as an assistant (Lead Climbing Grade 6a or above) with a valid local CPR Certification. - A minimum of 1 experienced route setter. (Instructor or assistant can be the route setter if he/she has the qualifications). Note: Only instructors with a valid Indoor Climbing Instructor License by the Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation can hold climbing courses on a climbing wall with ropes.

Center with Bouldering Only - A minimum of 1 experienced climber with route setting experience (Climbing Grade 6a or above) with a valid local CPR Certiﬁcation.

Staff for Individual Climbing Walls (within a commercial space such as schools, entertainment center, multi-purpose gym, etc.)

Climbing Wall with Ropes - A minimum of 1 certiﬁed climbing instructor by AMGA or IFMGA, holding Climbing Wall Instructor (CWI) Certiﬁcation and must have a valid Indoor Climbing Instructor license by the Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation.

Climbing Wall with only Auto-Belays - A minimum of 1 experienced climber with route setting experience (Climbing Grade 6a or above) with a valid local CPR Certiﬁcation.

Bouldering Wall - A minimum of 1 experienced climber (Climbing Grade 6a or above) with a valid local CPR Certiﬁcation.

Note: Only instructors with a valid Indoor Climbing Instructor License by the Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation can hold climbing courses on a climbing wall with ropes. Requirements and Standards for Specialized Rock Climbing Centers, and Individual Climbing Walls Edition 1, 2019

SAUDI CLIMBING AND HIKING FEDERATION CLIMBING WALL LICENSE

Duration 1 year Fees o Per Square meter of wall: 7 riyals o Per Square meter of designated ﬂoor: 1 riyal

Beneﬁts - Climbing Wall Membership with the SCHF - Logo of the center in our website. - Could be a training venue for certain SCHF courses and events. - Early bird registration for all SCHF Events - Once a year inspection of the anchorage system for the climbing walls for certiﬁcation. - Twice a year inspection of the Log Book (equipment for inspections to be provided by owner/operator).