Rock climbing may be scary at first. If you are a beginner, there are some tips you may use to make sure that you will have a pleasant experience. These tips also ensure your personal safety and the safety of the people around you.
Your Route
Before you hit the route, you should get to know it a bit. Find a route that you already know or that others of your level climbed. If this is not an option for you, you should learn to read a route from the ground. Gather some information about the rating, the gear you will need, and the techniques you will have to use.
Backclipping
The truth is that instructors often have to explain backclipping even to the more experienced climbers. This is a real threat. If you are using bent-gate biners there is always the possibility for the rope to slip out of its gate and so you have to be prepared for situations of this kind.
Belayer
One of the most important aspects to think about is to have a capable belayer. Even if you think you can climb the highest mountains you have to ask yourself whether your belayer is quick enough to save you if you fall. Are they able to support you when you feel like you are ready to give up?
Focus on Climbing
There is always the possibility for you to fall, but if you know the route and your belayer is capable, there should be no problem if you do fall. If you aren’t sure, you should try it. Warn the belayer before letting go. Once the rope catches you, you will realize that it’s not that bad.
The Gear
There is nothing worse than running out of gear while climbing. This is why you should always take more than you need. This is especially important if you don’t know whether the most gears will be on the left side or the right side. You can find professional gear at The Epicentre.
Failure
You should always have a plan for the scenario when you can’t finish the route. That doesn’t mean that you aren’t good at what you’re doing. Usually failure means that you weren’t well prepared enough and that you have to practice some more before you try climbing that route again.
Before you start climbing you should talk to an instructor to see whether you are really prepared for the climb.
Photo Credit By: skylark-ma.co.uk
