From Quarry to Crag
Taking a scarred piece of land & developing it into something beautiful & useable again
CLIMB LOCAL!!
What is a Sport Route?
Sport routes have a fixed line of bolts, placed on the rock face by the first ascent party who drilled holes in the rock, hammered the bolts into the holes, and then attached a bolt hanger. These bolts are used to protect the climber on the route. At the end of the climb, a sport climber can expect to find a belay anchor consisting of, at least, two bolts with rappel rings that he/she uses to build an anchor.
Top-rope vs. Lead Climbing
A top-rope climber is a person who has a rope running from his or her harness, up to an anchor at the top of a route and then back down to a belayer at the base. At a sport climbing crag, to set-up a top-rope climb, one climber must first lead the climb.
Lead climbing is a technique used to ascend a route where the climber attaches him or herself to a length of dynamic (slightly stretchy) climbing rope and ascends while periodically attaching the rope to fixed protection (bolt) on the route with a quickdraw until the top anchors are reached. The lead climber is belayed by another person at the base of the route. Once the rope is attached to the top anchors the belayer can then lower the lead climber back to the ground and the route is then set-up for top-roping.
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Climber Responsibility
It is highly recommended that you learn from a climbing instructor either in your local climbing gym or, better yet, out on the rock. Learning from your experienced friend is OK, but a professional instructor will be able to critique you without compromising any friendly relations and will most likely have important safety tips that your friend may not mention. Leading IS dangerous, and when you take to the sharp-end, you are agreeing to a certain amount of risk. Take responsibility for your climbing, your safety, and your life. Know how to use the gear, make sure your climbing partner knows how to use it, and know how to lead and belay safely. It is YOUR responsibility, as a climber, to use gear appropriately and to climb safely.