As I was biking to work this morning, I began thinking of doing something
like this, so I quickly banged this in on the keyboard. My immediate
goal was to have something to give to a fellow I have begun taking on
climbs, but I thought I would pass it along to you net-folks in case it
might have similar utility to others, this is just a prototype, and I
am not sure it really merits being called an FAQ, but anyway, here it is:

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Introduction

	This little publication has been prepared as a condensed info
	sheet that I can give to beginning climbers that are interested
	in doing some climbing, following a few pitches, and learning
	more.  It is sort of a beginning climbers FAQ sheet, such as it
	is.  I am not trying to cover all aspects of mountaineering, nor
	am I a sport climber by any stretch of the imagination.

Disclaimers

	Obviously, a short thing of this sort cannot cover all aspects
	of technical rock climbing.  You owe it to yourself and those
	you climb with to get some of the reference books mentioned
	(see next section) and learn all you can about this sport.

	Even with the best instruction, and the best climbing partners
	things can still go wrong.  You can get hurt or killed and if
	you aren't comfortable with that, you shouldn't be climbing (or
	driving a car, or any number of other things).  Most of the time
	risk can be kept to a reasonable level, but there are no guarantees.

	Also, I should point out that this essay documents my way of doing
	things.  Other folks have their own opinions about how things
	should be done, and that is fine, but this info should still
	serve you well, unless you know better, stick strictly with
	this advice and don't be inventing better ways of doing things.

References

	For further reading, I heartily recommend the book "Freedom of
	the Hills" by the Seattle Mountaineers (or some such).  Especially
	read the chapters on knots, ropes, belaying, and rock-climbing.
	The whole book is superb tho with a safe and conservative philosophy
	and many years of experience behind it.

	Two other books are worth mentioning, these are by John Long.
	One is called "Face Climbing", the other is "Climbing Anchors".
	But don't bother with these till you have been thru Freedom of
	the hills a few times.

Equipment

	The basics are shoes and a harness.  If you can borrow or rent
	these at first all the better.  Initially you are best off
	climbing with someone else more experienced who has rope and
	all the other paraphenalia.

	For shoes, you might get by with a pair of too-tight tennis
	shoes, but this is pretty desperate on anything harder than 5.6.
	For a harness, you can do very well with 25 feet of 1-inch
	tubular webbing tied as a swami belt (I won't try to discuss
	how to tie this here, see Freedom of the Hills).  I have climbed
	with these for years and taken a few lead-falls on one with no
	problems.  Better to have a rig like this than a poorly fitting
	harness, but enough said.

	Also, think about bringing a bit of food and water, perhaps a
	windbreaker or sweater, some shoes suitable for the approach
	to the climb, and maybe a small pack.  Don't wear shorts, if
	you are climbing with me you will probably be bushwacking thru
	thickets of manzanita, getting sunburned, grinding your knees in
	some chimney.  If you insist on shorts, don't say I didn't warn
	you.  Also think about a hat (with a brim for sun protection), and
	if you wear glasses, something to catch them if they get knocked
	off is strongly advised.

Knots

	There are really just a very few that you need to know:
	A rethreaded figure-eight knot to tie the end of the rope to
	your harness, and a figure-eight loop to attach to the anchor
	and you are in business for now.  Get a short bit of rope and
	practice these and other knots at home.  Be able to tie a knot
	right in an instant and be able to tell by just glancing at
	a knot whether it is tied right (It is a good idea to ask if
	a knot is tied right the first few times, but in this and all
	other things you want to strive for self-reliance).  While I
	am at it, I might mention knowing how to tie a water knot, and
	know how to put on and secure your harness.  People have been
	killed due to improperly buckled harnesses and because they
	didn't tie into the end of the rope correctly.

	Hot tip:  When you begin fastening your harness or tying into
	the rope, don't get distracted, finish the job.  Several accidents
	have happened when someone began to buckle their harness and
	then someone asked them to pass the water bottle, and they forgot
	and never finished.  Or they passed the end of the rope thru their
	harness, but never tied the knot, then forgot and began climbing.
	Don't let it happen to you.

Belaying

	This is really pretty simple once someone shows you how to
	use a belay device.  Just remember that someone elses life is
	literally in your hands.  The cardinal rule is to *never* take
	your braking hand off the rope, even for an instant.  Practice
	will make belaying automatic, but it is easy to get sloppy, don't!

	Hot tips:  If the leader is taking a long time, don't let your
	attention flag, keep alert -- and if someone else is around,
	keep the chat to a minimum, someday you will be on the sharp end
	of the rope.  Strike a balance between giving the leader a big
	loop of slack and keeping the belay so snug that the leader gets
	yanked by the rope every move he makes.

Rope Signals

	There is an almost universaly accepted set of signals that you
	should know and follow religiously.  Sure, this begins to sound
	dorky after a while, but stick with the program anyway.
	The exchange when you are starting to climb goes like this:

	Leader: "are you ready" (this is unofficial and optional)

	Belayer: "belay on"  (this means you have everything rigged and
	    from this point on you are taking responsibility to catch
	    the leader should he fall.  You are only relieved of this
	    responsibility when the leader tells you "belay off").

	Leader:	"climbing" (basically this acknowledges that he heard
	    you and is launching into action.)

	Leader:	"slack" (the leader wants you to pay out rope so he can
	    clip into something, or perhaps so he can make a move without
	    fighting the rope.)

	Leader:	"up rope" -or- "rope"	(the leader wants you to take in
	    rope, probably because he has downclimbed a bit, or for who
	    knows what reason)

	Leader:	"off belay"  (the leader has reached the end of climb, is
	    in a safe spot and will soon be belaying you up.  This
	    indicates that you can stop belaying him and should remove
	    the rope from the belaying device.)

	Leader:	"watch me"  (this is unofficial)  This often comes after
	    a bit of a pause.  It means that the leader is trying something
	    where there is a very real possibility (in his mind at least)
	    that he will be falling off in the process.  He wants your
	    full and undivided attention.

	Leader:	"falling"  (official)  This may be accompanied by screams
	    and scraping sliding noises, as well as a amazingly hard jerk
	    on the rope.  Take appropriate action.

	Leader:	"rock"  (official)  This means that the law
	    of gravity has taken control of some object and that it is
	    more or less heading your way.  Take evasive action (looking
	    up to see what it is, may or may not be a good idea).
	    You can in general judge the size of the object by the
	    amount of emotion in the warning (but this depends on the
	    leader).  A casual "rock" probably indicates a pebble and is
	    just being said to ward off complaints by those below.
	    Repeated hysterical cries of "rock", "rock" ..... mean that
	    something really big is coming your way.
	    Also, if you drop a piece of gear, it is best to immediately
	    yell rock as well.

	    Hot tip: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
	    A lot of rockfall can be prevented by a bit of care, courtesy,
	    forethought, and common sense.  Watch for loose things and
	    be careful not to boot them off if there are folks below.

	Belayer: "belay off" (this should be done only after you have
	    removed the rope from the belay device.  This tells the leader
	    that you heard him yell "off belay", and also indicates that
	    he is free to haul up any slack rope.)  Do stay tied into
	    the end of the rope.

	Belayer: "that's me!" (yell this when the rope comes tight --
	    in general the leader can feel this, but sometimes the
	    rope is just snagged, so if he feels the rope tighten up
	    but doesn't hear you yell, he will know this.)  Note that
	    you are not necessarily on belay at this point.  In general
	    the leader will haul up all the slack, then put you on belay.

	Leader:	"on belay" (Now the roles have reversed and you can go
	    up to the beginning of this section and use all the signals
	    designated for the Leader.  Start by yelling "climbing",
	    in general the leader will respond with "climb" to let you
	    know he has you in his capable hands.)

	    Hot tip:  be careful not to confuse the signals "slack" and
	    "rope".  "Slack" means give me some slack, such as when you
	    step down to a rest spot.  "Rope" means that you want the
	    belayer to pull up the rope so you won't fall so far if you
	    slip.

	Some final general advice.  Sometimes the wind picks up and
	makes it very hard to hear anything.  First off, minimize all
	chatter and stick only to essential signals, wait for those
	moments when the wind abates for just a moment.  Be aware that
	you may be belaying in a sheltered spot, while the leader is in
	the midst of a hurricane.  In some cases, you just have to go
	by the seat of your pants -- the leader will yell "off belay"
	several times, and after getting no response will just haul up
	the slack and put you on belay - When I am forced to do this, I
	usually haul vigorously on the rope, figuring that my partner
	will see the rope get pulled up rapidly and then feel my pulling
	and know he is on belay.  At this point climb with care, and
	observe to see if the rope is being pulled up in a reasonable
	manner.

Following (Cleaning)

	As the second, your job is to remove all the gear that the
	leader placed to protect himself, and to be sure not to drop it!
	Begin with the gentle approach, look at the nut and decide which
	way to push it (usually up) to get it into a wider part of the
	crack.  Don't just jerk on it -- in general this accomplishes
	nothing apart from getting a nut that would have been easy to
	remove really stuck.  Think!!  Often a quick poke with a nut-tool
	will loosen a nut, then you can maneuver it out of it's spot.
	Finesse, patience, and determination will save the day.  Yanking
	usually produces stuck nuts, shredded knuckles, and chipped glasses.
	Sometimes the nut-tool itself can be used to maneuver a nut that
	insists on rotating and getting stuck.  Nasty cases may require
	that the leader hold you on tension while you use both hands
	to work on the piece.  In some cases, you can use a giant hex
	or anything else that offers itself as a hammer to beat on the
	end of the nut-tool.  With friends, avoid pushing them into a
	tighter part of the crack where they will be harder or perhaps
	impossible to remove.  A nut-tool can be used to pry on the cams
	of a friend one by one while you pull on the stem.  When you
	are working on a tough case, keep the nut-tool, the stuck nut,
	and anything you are using as a hammer clipped in to avoid dropping
	them.  And watch those wired nuts, especially more than one on a
	carabiner, to make sure the wire doesn't hold the gate open.
	Don't loose my gear! It is expensive.  Also, do a big of cleanup
	so you don't have nuts on long slings dragging near your ankles.
	Often you can pop out a nut and let it dangle on the rope till
	you get to a stance where you can more neatly rack it (and catch
	your breath).

Climbing tips

	Use your feet!  If you get to the top of a 5.6 or 5.7 with
	your arms blown you are doing something wrong.  Pick your
	rest spots, learn to eye the route and know when you are
	going to begin a strenuous sequence that you cannot dilly-dally
	on.  Look and feel around.  Consider using a tiny intermediate
	hold rather than cranking your foot up next to your armpit.
	Don't overlook vertical edges and cracks to jam in that won't
	hold your weight, but are all you need for balance as you step
	up.  Read John Longs book "Face Climbing".  Use your feet!

	Don't forget to enjoy yourself, look around now and then and
	enjoy the view!

Rappeling

	Read the chapter in Freedom of the Hills.  Speed is not the
	object here.  Make sure you know how to rig your rappel, many
	climbing accidents have happened rappelling.  Lock those carabiners
	or use them doubled and opposed.  Figure-eight devices are the
	pits, invest in something else.

The Future

	Watch the leader and learn things.  Think about the nuts
	you pull out and imagine yourself leading and what you would
	have done in the same spot.  Ask why he put a sling on this
	nut or not on that one.  Learn from the leaders mistakes.
	Why did this nut fall out? Why was there such bad rope-drag
	over this bulge?  Why did the leader get off route and climb
	this nasty unprotected section?

Political Correctness

	Notice that I have used the masculine pronoun throughout, there
	is a reason for this, beyond general laziness and the awkwardness
	of doing anything else, and my general disdain for "political
	correctness."  Climbing is a man's sport! :-)
-- 
	Tom Trebisky	ttrebisky@as.arizona.edu