Trad Climbing Basics
ÂŁ By Donation
Second Edition. December 2017
Contents
VDiff – Trad Climbing Basics
Introduction
5
Trad Gear
16
Trad Anchors
57
Ropework
85
Next Steps
110
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Can I Trad Climb? Yes! Learning to trad climb is similar to learning to drive a car. It takes time, effort and commitment. It can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing, or very safe once you become competent. This guide focuses on the physics behind trad gear and the reasons for using ………..
different rope techniques. This is so you understand why each technique is used, and therefore you'll be able to adapt them for any situation. So, learn the skills and practise them safely. Start with small adventures to build up your problem solving ability before you move on to anything bigger. And remember to have fun!
Peak District, England. Climber: Lucy Creamer. Photo: Jamie Moss (see more here).
Trad Climbing Basics Using Trad Gear
Assasin, Gogarth, Wales. Climber: Lee Roberts. Photo: Jethro Kiernan.
Trad Gear: Cams Cams are reliable and versatile pieces of trad protection that are designed to be placed in parallel sided cracks, where nuts won't work. A cam has three or four lobes mounted on an axle. Each lobe is shaped according to a mathematical logarithmic spiral, so the angle between the lobes and the rock is always the same, no matter how retracted the cam lobes are. This means that the cam will work at any point of it's size range (more on this later). When a cam is weighted, the lobes are forced apart, converting the downwards force into a huge amount of outwards pressure on the sides of the crack. It is this outwards pressure which holds the cam in place. When you place a cam, its springs keep the lobes pressing out on the sides of the crack, creating just enough friction to keep it in place. Because cams rely on this friction to stay in position, make sure to only place them in clean, dry cracks. Mud, water or ice reduces the friction and can cause the cam to slide out during a fall.
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Cams Part 1: The Placement Step 1 Pull the trigger to retract the cam lobes and slot it into the crack.
Step 2 Release the trigger to allow the lobes to open up and make contact with the sides of the crack. If the lobes open up all the way, try a bigger size.
VDiff – Trad Climbing Basics > Using Trad Gear
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A Good Cam Placement All lobes retracted evenly
Cam is in the middle section of its range of movement
Fits completely inside the crack without being too far back
Each lobe makes contact with a smooth, straight-sided part of the crack
Stem points in the direction of loading, usually down and slightly out from the rock
Rock is clean, dry and solid
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Cams Part 2: Size Correct Size This is the ideal cam size for the crack it is in. The strongest and optimal placement is within the middle section of the cam’s range of movement. You should aim to place every cam like this.
Too Big This is 'over-cammed' and will be very difficult to remove. Use a smaller cam if possible.
Too Small This is 'tipped out' and will be very unlikely to hold a fall. During a fall, cam lobes often slip down the crack very slightly before being pressed outwards. In this case, at least one of the lobes is likely to open completely to it's maximum range, causing the cam to slip out of the crack. Use a bigger cam.
VDiff – Trad Climbing Basics > Using Trad Gear
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Cams Part 3: Flared Cracks A flared crack is one which becomes narrower or wider at one side. Cracks can be flared in any direction.
Upward Flares The placement in this slightly upwardflared crack is very good. If the cam slips down slightly during a fall, it will remain securely in the crack.
Warning When a cam is placed in an extremely upward-flaring crack, as shown below, it could easily 'walk' upwards.
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This means that it will either wiggle out of position or be impossible to retrieve. This is caused by movements in the rope as you climb above.
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You can reduce the chance of this by extending the cam with a sling or quickdraw. An alternative would be to use a nut or a hex instead.
Downward Flares The downwards flare of this crack is too great for the cam to hold. In the event of a fall, the lobes will continue opening until they reach their maximum, at which point the cam will fall out of the crack.
Cams can hold in very slightly downwardflared cracks, but it is best to look for parallel-sided or slightly upward-flared cracks.
VDiff – Trad Climbing Basics > Using Trad Gear
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Cams Part 4: Horizontal Cracks Cams can be placed in horizontal or diagonal cracks. In these types of cracks, placing your cam with the outer lobes on the bottom makes the placement more stable.
Flexible stemmed cams will bend around the edge of the rock and maintain their strength. Rigid stemmed cams will lever over the edge, causing damage to the stem.
Cams Part 5: Passive Protection Certain types of cams can be used passively (like a nut). However, in this situation nuts wedge into place better. So unless you've just dropped them all, you'll probably be better placing a nut instead.
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Cams Part 6: Removal To remove a cam, simply pull the trigger and slide it out. Sometimes you may need to wiggle it around constrictions in the rock.
If your cam trigger is unreachable, use the hook on the end of your nut tool to pull it.
Cams Part 7: Racking An efficient way of racking cams is to put them in size order on your harness with their own separate colour-coded carabiners. If you have small cams on a front gear loop and bigger cams further back, they'll be less annoying as you climb.
VDiff – Trad Climbing Basics > Using Trad Gear
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Method 5 – Attaching to Two or More Points Step 1 Clip the rope through the furthest away point, then walk to your belay position.
Step 2 Attach a screwgate to your rope loop and then clovehitch the rope to it, just the same as method 3.
Step 3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the second point.
Step 4 Tie your rope to the third point using a clovehitch, as described in method 2. You can fine-tune the clovehitches to equalize the three points.
Advantages - You can use this method to equalize as many points as you need. Just keep repeating steps 1 and 2 until you've equalized all your pieces.
Best Situation to Use This Method If you arrive at a belay with no slings or cordelette.
Disadvantages - Uses up a lot of rope. - You must belay directly from your harness.
VDiff – Trad Climbing Basics > Trad Anchors
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How to Attach a Prusik to the Rope Step 1 Wrap the prusik around both ropes a few times and then clip the ends together with a screwgate carabiner. More wraps will create more friction around the ropes, ……..
though four wraps are generally enough. Pull the knot tight, make sure it is neat and the double fisherman's knot is away from the ropes.
Step 2 Clip the prusik to your leg loop. The prusik will slide down the ropes if you hold it close to your leg loop and lock around the ropes if you let go. Test this before you abseil. If it doesn't lock, take it off and re-tie it with an extra wrap around the ropes.
Harness Leg Loop
If your prusik loop is too long, it's possible that it could jam into your belay device during the abseil. If this happens, it can be difficult to control your descent. To avoid this, you can extend your belay device with a sling (see page 105). VDiff – Trad Climbing Basics > Ropework
100
Abseiling Part 6: Check the System Before you unclip your attachment point from the anchor, check:
Solid anchor
Rope threaded through main point of anchor
Correctly tied abseil knot 30 cm
Prusik knot
Both ropes through belay device
Knots added to rope ends
Holding both ropes beneath belay device
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Get the Full Version The full version of this e-book is available on a pay-what-you-want pricing system, starting at ÂŁ0.
You can download it for free, or show your support with a small donation. Get your copy here: https://gumroad.com/l/VDiff-Trad
Learn How To: - Place cams, nuts and other trad gear - Build trad anchors - Use different belay methods (including guide mode) - Equalize and extend gear effectively - Understand forces on climbing gear - Abseil safely (including using a prusik) - Climb with half ropes - Test rock quality - Prepare for your first trad lead Plus much more.
Further Information: * Perfect for those who want to start trad climbing. * 200+ accurately drawn, full-colour illustrations. * Step-by-step climbing techniques explained in a beginner friendly way. * Updated December 2017