How Rock Climbing Works…In Detail

How rock climbing works? Rock climbing is no different from climbing, the rock climber uses his hands and toes to gain leverage and hold as the climber inch his way upward towards his ultimate goal – of reaching the top.

However, of the two conventional types of rock climbing, one rock climbing type uses artificial devices and tools to help him during his ascent.

How Rock Climbing Works Using Artificial Aids

Traditional rock climbing uses tools and devices to aid the ascent. These tools also provides safety to the climber, especially on endurance rock climbing (which for the most part, is).

In a typical traditional rock climb, it usually involves two climbers, one the leader and the other the belayer.

Yes, traditional rock climbing can also consist of only a single person, acting as both leader and belayer, but the fundamental principle taught to newcomers is always one for each role.

How rock climbing works start with the leading rock climber initiating his climb by looking for cracks or small openings in the rock face, and then temporary anchor points are then secured.

These anchor points –sometimes called climbing aids, artificial aids or protection –would include cams, tricams, hexentrics, nuts, and pitons, which would then serve as the lead climber’s toehold as he progresses to a higher vantage point.

To those protection points, the lead climber also secures the length of rope using carabiners. He then repeats the process, hunting for more cracks while standing on the aid he made earlier, securing the rope by carabiners.

The belayer remains behind. A length of rope connects both belayer and the lead climber. The belayer controls the slack of the rope, letting out a portion of the rope as the lead climber progresses.

How rock climbing works this way, you ask? The belayer’s main function is to secure the lead climber by the rope that connects both of them.

That’s why the belayer should be very attentive, checking out the progress of the climb. If in event the lead climber falls, the belayer must act quickly, arresting the fall by using several methods, including the belay device, the figure of eight…etc.

In any event, it’s also the lead climber’s job to notify of the progress, as such when about to fall, the lead climber shouts

All these are done as the belayer holds position on the “belaying station”, where if in case the lead climber falls, the belayer locks the rope so that the lead climber won’t fall very far.

The belayers purpose is to make sure the secure point is strong enough to withstand the weight of the falling climber.