HowNOT2 Videos – Climbing Safety

HowNOT2 Videos – Climbing Safety

Byrichard

In scuba diving and aviation safety is a discussion that takes place before and after every dive or flight. It is discussed every time divers meet up. With climbing safety is important too but the focus is different. “This is how you should belay, this is how you should climb, this is how you should set up the top rope, and more.

With climbing I know what the safety rules are but I don’t necessarily know what the numbers mean. As an example, it’s because I read construction instructions for how to setup a Via Ferrata that I learned how safe they are.

It’s because I went with a VF maintenance crew that I learned about the safety steps to ensure that a VF is safe before the season begins.

I came across on Youtube and watched a few interesting videos yesterday. These videos have value because they test equipment, as it’s meant to work, and then when people make mistakes. It shows how different the performance on safety gear is.

In one video they show safety gear that is over a decade old. He mentions that it’s rated to 20km but when it is tested it lasts to just 13kn or so. The effect of age on that sling is clear.

A few years ago I belayed at an IFSC World Championship so I practised falling, and belaying. I learned how to catch a fall dynamically, rather than violently. Violently might not be the right term. The point is I learned to assist a fall, rather than give a hard stop.

Via Ferrata Safety

In climbing part of the fun is to push, and fall, but in Via ferrata the opposite is true. In VF you’re meant to stay within your comfort zone, and use a sling to rest. You’re not meant to fall. . When you do Via Ferratas the sling is there in case of emergency, to stop you from falling to your death. If you fall in VF you will fall to the next “queue de cochon”, pig tail in English. Your shock absorber will then deploy and you will smash against the cliff.

Falling Versus Safety

In climbing falling is part of the sport, so if you get used to falling without fear then you can push further. You can make progress with your climbing style and go up to more challenging grades.

With VF the kit is there in case you slip and fall. It will keep you in situ but you may be stuck. That’s why it’s good to be with others, but also why it’s good to know your limits.

In VF I have seen people get stuck two or three times. In both cases we needed to use ropes to get the person back onto the VF in one case, and beyond a challenging bit on a second VF.

And Finally

My reason for watching such videos is to get a better understanding of how safe what I am doing is, but also how dangerous mistakes can be. If you understand the risks you’re more likely to do things the right way.

It’s like the zip line I could have done a few days ago. I had everything I needed, but I haven’t done it for so long that I had to remember how to do it safely. You put the tandem speed on the cable. You attach your sling to the tandem speed and then you add the via ferrata set behind the tandem speed. You hold the top of the tandem speed, check that everything is in order and then . It’s a lot of fun, once you overcome your fear. In some places you can do them more than once. You can repeat the fun part. It also allows people to share their equipment.

When climbing and doing dangerous sports either get someone you trust to show you how to be safe or get a professional guide to guide you the first time.

My first VF was with a guide. So were my first climbs. It’s only when I understood the principles that I went with groups of enthusiasts.

Audiobookshelf and Driving
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Audiobookshelf and Driving

Byrichard

In an ideal world I would use Audiobookshelf when I’m driving tomorrow. In the real world I can’t, or at least shouldn’t. The reason for this is simple. There is no iOS app which, in turn, means that there is no car play app. Combined this means that if I want to use the app during a road trip I need to fiddle with the app’s website when one podcast ends and the next begins.

Focusing on the Road

At 120 kilometres per hour you do not do such things. At 120 kilometres per hour you want the app you’re using to switch from podcast A to B to C automatically. You want this when you’re walking too. This is especially of walks on rainy days.

Long Audio Books

In my experience it’s better to find books that are seven or eight hours long, if you listen to books. Longer books will eventually give me headaches as I focus on the road and the book at the same time. It’s good to vary what you’re listening too, for focus, and for endurance.

No Pause during Driving Directions

Usually I use the GPS in silent mode. During most drives you have plenty of time to see the display change, understand what you have to do, and do it, without audio guidance. In the cases where you get audio guidance you want it to pause the podcast or audiobook. It’s frustrating to miss ten to fifteen seconds just because of a driving instruction

Setting Up a Playlist

I tried setting up a playlist but that is very slow. You need to add each podcast manually to the list, without the option to bulk add, and it doesn’t seem to auto-play the next podcast anyway.

Podcast or Book

When I walk and drive I like to listen to podcasts and books, so today I’m considering whether I will listen to books, or podcasts. In the past I have listened to two books during that drive. Tomorrow I think that I will start with podcasts.

And Finally

The web interface works very well and I am very happy with the app. When I get onto the testflight version of the app I will gain access to that functionality and then I will be able to use that app for road trips. For now I have to use the Apple Podcast app.

If it wasn’t for traffic I would set off now but it’s better to drive when the roads are quiet. That’s why I drive on Sunday mornings.

A Call for More Cycling and Walking Paths

A Call for More Cycling and Walking Paths

Byrichard

I walk or cycle almost every day across five or six villages per walk, and more on bikes. During these walks and bike rides I see that there is a chronic lack of safe walking and cycling routes, if you want to go for any distance. Almost every village has five, six or more roads in and out of it, but there are no safe walking or cycling routes


We hear about how people want to make cities more cycle friendly but there is a problem in the countryside. If you want to walk from most villages to most other villages you need to walk along roads where nothing is in place for walkers. You are forced to walk into muddy fields, long wet grass and more.


I frequently have cars at 70-80km/h passing me, more often than not they do not deflect to the opposite lane, to pass safely. They drive at 80km/h half a meter from you. This is deeply unpleasant, and in a time of global warming awareness, and environmental consideration this must change.


Walking between villages, to avoid using the car, and to enjoy what the local landscape has to offer, shouldn’t be an unpleasant and scary experience. I say scary but it’s actually anger. Anger that car drivers show no empathy for cyclists and walkers, that if a person walks along a road they are an idiot for doing so.


Thousands of hours have been spent discussing how to make cities more friendly for pedestrians and cyclists but in my experience that is not where the problem lies. That’s just where it’s most attractive to talk about.


The place where we should resolve the lack of pedestrian and cycling routes is the countryside because that is where it is pleasant and rational to walk. The routes I walk are seven to ten kilometres. If I walk where it is safe for pedestrians I’d be walking two kilometre routes. That’s too short. Every village and town should be connected by safe walking, and cycling paths. If they have the space for four roads then at least one should be for pedestrians and cyclists only.


I often cycle and walk along agricultural roads but in my experience they are more dangerous than roads, because cars overtake unsafely. They squeeze you off the road, they don’t bother to slow down. They just force their way through, and if they hear you yell abuse at you, they threaten to beat you up.


“Oh, but you shouldn’t yell at strangers”. I argue from the other angle. Stop making pedestrians feel unsafe, by the way you drive. The more you walk along roads, and the more you cycle, the more toxic the behaviour of drivers becomes. Scuba diving is considered an extreme sport, and so is climbing. I am beginning to think that walking and cycling between villages and towns is an extreme sport too. If you’re a cyclist you often feel cars pass too close and too fast. Drivers rarely slow down, and despite no traffic coming from the opposite side, they insist on squeezing us.


I do have one trick, when cycling. Turn around regularly and keep fixing cars. I have found that if I behave as if I am a scared, paranoid cyclists cars slow down, and give more space. It’s tiring and boring to do, but it does drastically affect my sense of safety.


What I want is not complicated. I want farm roads to ban cars. I also want paths to be built that connect every single village to every other village, so that pedestrians can walk safely from one to the other, without walking along roads. I want it to be pleasant to walk as pedestrians, or cycle, from every village or town, to every other village or town.


We need to encourage people to feel safe to walk from village A to village B, without being endangered by discourteous drivers. We need to make drivers walk by the road side, to experience what it feels like to have a car coming towards them at 80 km/h. We need car drivers to show empathy towards cyclists, and walkers, hikers and more. We need to change the culture that pedestrians and cyclists have no right to use roads.


I would cycle more, if it wasn’t an extreme sport.

Improved Belaying – perfecting our technique
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Improved Belaying – perfecting our technique

Byrichard

Belaying is a core climbing skill. With good belaying a climber can climb as fast as he is comfortable to climb, as if without a rope and yet have his fall cushioned at be safe at all times. The belayer needs to be active. He needs to observe and be attentive. I first learned to rock climb with a rope about ten years ago on the Italian side of the Alps and at the time I enjoyed climbing more than I enjoyed belaying. I then spent several years climbing via ferrata instead. The advantage with via ferrata is that it’s a simplified form of climbing.

Over a year ago I started climbing indoors daily as I finally found a group with which to climb. My interests and skill in belaying improved. Yesterday I assisted a short belaying perfection course in anticipation of the Villars IFSC climbing event. During this session we were reminded of a few key points.

Pre-climb check

As part of the pre-climb check we check that the rope is threaded through both loops on the climbing harness. We then check that every knot on the figure of eight knot is double. Once this is done we run through the rope and put it in a theoretical basket to check that there are no knots.

Initial part of the climb

Before the first clip as a belayer we are there to assist and direct the climber should they fall. We guide them towards a good landing until they get to the first clip. Once they are clipped in we make sure that they have enough rope to progress without feeling a pull downwards. We keep one hand to feed the rope and the second is always below holding the brake end of the rope. If they fall we are ready to stop and block the fall for the first four clips. From the fourth to the sixth clip we have a choice of either absorbing the fall or absorbing the fall and letting them descend to the ground. Once above the sixth clip we are feeding rope and ready to slow the fall and then lower the climber to the ground.

A dynamic movement

When you’re belaying you keep your legs so that one is forward and the other is behind. You’re ready to step forward to quickly provide more rope and ready to step back to tension it. If they fall we are in a good position to react to slow down the fall and lower the person back to the ground.

Lowering

When lowering the climber both hands are on the brake side of the rope. One can feed the rope a little faster and the second one is providing resistance as the rope slides through the system. Gloves that protect palms are recommended that are cut off so that fingers still have a tactile feel for the rope.

Learning to fall

During the training we took it in turns to belay and then to climb. When we were climbing we learned to be confident enough to fall and trust the belayer to slow down and then lower us. As a result of this part of the climbing training I was able to push my climbing to a higher grade and be confident enough to fall a number of times. This was a pleasant part of the climbing training because it allowed me to open up more challenging climbs.