Climbing

Equipment

For cliff, the equipment is made up basiquement of a Baudrier, of slippers, of a cord and Mousqueton S. the cord is attached to the cross-belt of climbing generally by a Nœud in eight, and is connected by snap hooks (or declad) to points of anchoring on the wall. The cord is maintained by a person who is charged to block the cord in the event of fall; this braking is done with a mechanical device connected to the cross-belt of the insurer: the system of assurage (for example: a chute in eight, a Node of half-capstan, or a Grigri, etc).

The insurer is located on the ground or in wall. In wall, the insurer is obligatorily connected to points of anchoring. The cord used must be imperatively a dynamic cord, i.e. equipped with a certain elasticity (contrary to the static cords) and with a great friction resistance. For the blocks, the “safety equipment” is composed of one or more pareurs (as in gymnastics for example) who will undertake in the event of fall to deaden the climbing one and to avoid the returns on the ground. One can possibly add one or more “crash landing-pad”, mattress of reception to double density which makes it possible to deaden a fall as well as possible and which are placed at the strategic places (stocks, stones, departure of block in cant or ceiling). In a general way, it is disadvised only practicing.

According to the conditions, the climbing one can have recourse to special equipment, for example Piolet S and Crampon S for the cascades of ice.

Classification

One distinguishes from many types of practice of the climbing, classified according to the nature of the ground, the method of rise and the type of protection.

By ground:

the climbing on rock is practiced on stiff rock grounds.
the climbing is one of the techniques of the Alpinisme.
the Cascade of ice is the climbing on structures of ice-cold water.
the climbing into mixed (or Dry Tooling) combines parts on ice, as in cascade of ice, and on rock grounds. It is practiced with cramps and ice axes.
the Escalade on block is practiced without cross-belt nor cord on blocks of rock or rock walls low height.

the Deep-toilets soloing (DWS) or Psicobloc is practiced without assurage where the rocks overhang water.
the urban Grimpe is the climbing on the frontages of the buildings.
the Escalade in room is the climbing on walls of climbing in interior; it is often used for the drive, in particular except season.
an artificial tower of climbing is a wall of climbing out of wood, plastic, concrete, cement, or steel used in outside.
the Via ferrata is practiced on cliffs equipped with scales, cables, etc
the Grimpe tree is practiced on the Arbre S.
the Grimper of cord is the rise timed on a suspended cord, by the only force of the hands.

By the method of rise:

Escalade in solo
In artificial Escalade all the possibilities of rise is used, of traction on the material with the rise on clamps placed on points of anchoring.
In free Escalade the climbing one uses only its hands, feet and other parts of the body for the progression. The cord and other equipment are used only for protection.

By type of protection:

the sporting Escalade is practiced on ways entirely or almost entirely protected by points from anchoring.
In Escalade in ground of adventure the climbing one must judge quality of the equipment which it meets and place itself of additional protections.
In moulinette, where the cord passes by an anchoring located in top of the wall.
the Escalade in solo is the climbing without partner. It can be realized with a cord like protection or without any form of protection (" solo intégral"). The integral solo is a very dangerous practice and very few people are tested there. The solo can be also practiced above a deep water extent, like protection.
the Escalade on block rests on the taking into account by the climbing one of the fall on the ground which must be without gravity (in opposition to the integral solo). A partner (carrying out a " parade") and a " Crash landing pad " to deaden the falls are often used. The climbing on block is practiced as well in interior as in outside.
the climbing or climbs with naked hand is practiced without safety equipment. It is reserved to the high level practitioners, on walls in lower part of their level.

Technical sides

To go up at the head

The first climbing climbing the wall. At each point, it hangs a Dégaine (two snap hooks connected by a strap) and there made pass its cord. The climbing one proceeds thus until arriving at the relay.

It should well be noticed that when the first of cord is found above the last hung point, the possible fall is more important than if it is in lower part. Indeed it will fall from approximately 2 times the distance cross-belt-point, plus the elasticity of the cord. For this reason, this 1st climbing is often the most tried out cord, and is classified 1 even 2 with the top of the level of the wall.

Arrived at the relay, the first of cord can choose to go down immediately or to make assemble second climbing the, obligatory one for a way several lengths. In the case of the descent, one of the procedures is called “moulinette”

To go up as a second

As soon as that which goes up at the head reached the relay, it there “cow”: it clings to the wall using a strap. It ensures of in top that which goes up as a second. The cord can be more or less tended according to the wish of the second. Progressively of his progression, the second recovers declad them whom the first posed to ensure its progression. Arrived at the relay, the second can then connect over the following length, which it will then climb in first (progression into reversible). He can also remain with the relay to ensure his companion. This second solution, which is essential when the second is not tested enough to manage a length at the head, presents the disadvantage of many operations to the relay: to plaster the cord, to return declad them with the first, management of the “cows” (straps). All that takes time and can be crippling for the longest ways, it is climbs it as a fixed leader.

To go up in moulinette

This time the cord passes by the relay in top of the way. The person is constantly ensured, the slightly tended cord. The insurer is with the foot of the way. Can be a way of beginning the climbing by limiting fear from the fall, but induced the appearance of bad reflexes. Indeed as of the appearance of difficulty the climbing one in moulinette tends to sit down in its cross-belt, thus leaving its climbing. This reflex once installed it is then very difficult to get rid some, the passage to the climbing at the head is some largely complicated.

Movements

Competitions

The competitions are generally held in room on walls of climbing dedicated but also sometimes on external, permanent or provisional walls (As for the world cup of Difficulty/speed with Chamonix (France)). They are generally held in three turns: qualifications, semi-final and finale, with possibility of super-finale in the event of ex-aequo in the first place. There exist three principal disciplines:

Difficulty: the competitors climb the same way the ones after the others, at the head. The winner is that which reaches the most point of the way, under only one test. A way is made a success of (counted " TOP") when the last Declads way was mousquetonnée. For the classification, one also takes account of the way in which the last catch was used. Climbing which will have developed this catch (initiated a movement towards the following catch) will be classified in front of that which will have simply held it, which itself will be classified in front of that which would only have touched it before falling. The duration of rise, except exceptional case, is never taken into account for the classification. Time limits (generally between 5 and 10mn, according to the type of way) however are granted each climbing to finish its attempt. At the end of this period, the candidate is stopped in his progression and the height measured for the place of this stop. The competitions of difficulty can also utilize several ways at the time of the turn of qualification. The classification is then obtained by carrying out the average of the classifications obtained on each way. At the conclusion of the qualifications, 26 the best for the semi-final are retained. At the conclusion of the semi-final, there remain nothing any more but the 8 classified better. In the event of equality on a lathe, the competitors are decided between according to the results of the turns précédents.
Most of the time, the climbing ones must climb the way at sight . That means that they are not authorized to see the other climbing ones on the way (otherwise the climbing ones could see the easy ways or the errors of climbing having preceded them, which would give them an enormous advantage), nor to receive councils of other climbing, and do not have that a time limited to observe the way with its pied.
Sinon the climbing ones climb the way flash , after having been able to observe the techniques and sequences given by the opener of the way, which carries out a demonstration, then by the other climbing ones.

Speed: on two identical ways, the competitors reach the top of the way as fast as possible. The winner is that which carries out best time. The climbing ones which falls before arriving at the top of the way are disqualified. At the time of the qualifications, each climbing generally carries out two tests. The classification is carried out according to the best two times or the two times total carried out (in particular when the two ways are not rigorously identical). According to the number from better classified candidates, the 8 or 16 reach the final turn which is held in the form of direct elimination. 1st is opposed to the classified last, 2nd with the last but one, etc Each one of these duels is held under two tests, with change of corridor between each test. Climbing the swiftest manages to exceed the 5m/s (20km/h).

Block: The traditional formula proceeds on a circuit at sight from 4 to 8 blocks. On each block, the starting catches to be used with the hands and the feet are imposed, as well as the catch of arrival which must be held with two hands. Intermediate a catch known as " bonus" will be also materialized. Each candidate has a fixed time (generally 6mn) to observe and try to make a success of each block, by carrying out several tests so necessary. Between each block, it profits one period of rest of the same duration.
Pour each turn, the candidates are classified according to: The number of successful blocks, in decreasing order, then the sum of the numbers of tests to make a success of the blocks, by order ascending, then the number of catches no-claims bonus held, in decreasing order and finally the sum of the numbers of tests to hold the catches no-claims bonus, by ascending order.
La formula " contest" sees all the candidates of the same category having a common time, generally 2 to 3 a.m., to try to come to end from the greatest number of possible blocks among several tens which to them are proposed, in the order that they choose. The number of tests is not taken into account. Each successful block pays to final the 1000 points divided by the number of times where it was successful (the climbing one which is alone to succeed a block receives 1000 points, if 5 climbing succeeds about it another, they receive each one 1000/5=200 points). The winner is that which will have obtained the greatest total of points.
La formula contest is reserved for the first turn qualifier of the competitions of block (sometimes the single turn).

Levels

See also: Quotation (climbing)
The level in climbing depends on the type of climbing. Generally, in France, the difficulty of the ways (quotation) is announced by a figure (3 - 9) and a letter of has with C or a + or a - if the old notations are used. For example,… < 3a < 3b < 3c < 4a <… <9a. Some topos and the mountain dwellers use Roman numerals (IV, V+…). Sometimes one adds one + to mean that the way is a little more difficult without to be higher level (6b < 6b+ < 6c); one can also give two quotations (5c/6a), for example if the catches are difficult to reach for the small ones. In practice, quotations generally start to the 4 even 3, the 1 correspondent historically at the horizontal station in the spirit of the inventor of this scale, Willy Welzenbach.
There exist other scales of quotation, in particular in the United States, in England and Australia. The English marking system proposes two quotations per way, making it possible to note the difficulty and engagement, because the majority of the English ways are not equipped, and sometimes difficult to protect.
Quotation in block also differs from the cliff climbing, to see for example the particular cases of Fontainebleau (6b, 7a) and of Annot (B6, B7…).
A quotation is subjective, varies for the same level according to cliff, the country, the continent.

Safety

Risks
The climbing, like the majority of the sports, presents risks. Those are mainly of two natures, fall of climbing or fall of objects.
The fall of climbing, relatively frequent in climbing, generally does not involve wounds because it is deadened by the chain of assurage (insurer, device of assurage, cord, points of progression, cross-belt). Nevertheless, of the failures in this chain can cause a long fall, a violent fall (falls of factor 2), even a return on the ground. The most frequent failures are a careless mistake of the insurer, bad encordement, a misuse of the device of assurage, even a rupture of not of progression (especially in artificial Escalade). From the very strict standards posed on the material, the human errors dominate over the failures of the material.
In the natural sites, falls of objects can occur: unstable rock, block of ice (in Cascade of ice), material lost by the cords located above, or even objects launched by unconscious individuals located in top of the ways. In order to protect itself some, the port of the Casque is highly recommended.

Material

Since any failure in the Matériel of climbing can have consequences mortals, the manufacturers of the latter must respect some standard S. These standards define the material characteristics of the equipment, their quality control, and the information made to the users on this equipment. Are aimed in priority the protective gears individual. In Europe, the European Committee for Standardization establishes, in dialog with the actors concerned, of the directives and any material sold in the European Union must respect these standards and carry marking EC (In conformity with the Requirements).
To make respect these standards, of the organizations, entitled in France by the ministry for industry, carry out regular controls. Any irregularity with respect to these standards leading to a physical injury constitutes an aggravating circumstance for the manufacturer.
These standards or the other similar ones are respected in many of other countries apart from Europe. UIAA also defines a label. The adherent manufacturers at this worldwide association must respect a precise schedule of conditions to profit from this label.

Framing
To acquire knowledge making it possible to evolve/move in full safety in practice of the climbing, one framing qualified is necessary. In France the titular monitors of climbing of a B.E.E.S option climbing are formed to frame and teach the climbing in all its dimensions. They are also entitled to frame and teach the Canyonisme. The guides of high mountain, formed by ENSA, also have these competences. In the associative medium the dependant sporting clubs in the middle of the mountain, affiliated with CIF or FFME, give trainings of Moniteur, more exactly of initiator climbing. These initiators climbing will then be entitled to frame groups of climbing voluntarily.

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