Central Coast Climbing
Based in San Luis Obispo, CA
 
Gear Checklists, Signals, BUS Belay, & Top Rope Checklist (1MB)
Click Here to download the Gear Checklist. You'll need all these items if you want to start top roping. If you're ready to start leading "trad", you'll want the Gear Checklist for the Trad Climber.

Click Here to download the Climbing Signals.

Click Here to download a a flyer on the BUS Belay System.
Top Rope Checklist
If you are a beginning climber, already know how to climb, and are wanting to transition to independent top roping then download the Top Rope Checklist.
Get this Book! "Rock Climbing - Mastering Basic Skills" by Craig Luebben.
If you think that fear of falling might be holding you back, get a copy of "Rock Warrior's Way" by Arno Ilgner.
More Links!

Knots

YouTube Videos:

Tying a Clove & Munter Hitch

Tying a Clove Hitch

Flyer showing an easy way to tie a Munter (Muenter) Hitch

Lots of Cool Animated Knots by Grog (Fig. 8, Clove Hitch, Munter Hitch, Water Knot, Stopper Knot & much, much more!)
Want to Lead 5.10b? Go here or click on the pic of Kelly eating a draw to get a checklist of climbs that will get you there at Bishop Peak.
Climb Smart!
Want to know the Top 10 Ways to Kill Yourself Climbing? Click here the image below to learn what they are and how to avoid them.

Tech Tips
Anchor Series - Pics and info. on how to properly set up anchors. Click the links below to go straight to the blog post.

#1 - Trees (click below)
Installment #1 - Trees

#2 - Trad (click below)
Installment #2 - Trad

#3 - Bolts (click below)
Installment #3 - Bolts

"As far as I'm concerned, if someone eliminates the mental part of climbing, then we might as well all go play miniature golf."   Greg Opland.
LEARNING TO LEAD - A FEW KEY STEPS

Leading can be scary! But learning to lead doesn't have to be if you follow a few logical steps. Before leading, you should be already be SOLID when it comes to anchor building.

Step 1 - Following: Follow a more experienced leader on as many trad (or sport) climbs as you can. Test each placement as you clean it by pulling on it and think about the direction of pull when it falls. If you climb sport routes, you should know about the dangers of "back clipping". When you follow the climb, imagine yourself leading it. Ask yourself, "Where should I stand while making this placement and which hand should I use to clip?"

Step 2 - Leading on Top Rope: Bring 2 ropes and tie into both. "Mock lead" on one rope while your partner gives you a top rope belay the other rope. If you have an extra partner, have a belayer on both the top rope AND the lead rope. Once you've done your "mock lead", have a more experienced partner follow you and critique your placements. Be wary of the dreaded and potentially fatal "Zipper Effect".

The deadly "Zipper"


Step 3 - Falling! Before you begin "real leading", you need to get comfortable with the idea of falling. Rest assured, you WILL eventually fall. Knowing how to fall safely is both and art and a science. I recommend you get a copy of Arno Ilgner's "Rock Warrior's Way" and practice the falling lessons in his book. Until you can wrap your mind around the idea of falling, you will never be able to lead comfortably. See below for a few more tips I put together on falling.

Step 4 - Leading Sport or Pre-placed Gear: If you're feeling comfortable with the process so far, it's time to take on an easy lead. Find a well protected sport route that is at least 2 grades below your top rope comfort level and one that you've previously practiced on top rope. Have your partner pre-place the draws for you so all you have to do is clip the rope. Once you're comfortable with easy sport leading, have your partner lead a trad pitch and pre-place all the gear. After you lower your partner, pull the rope and lead the pitch using your partner's trad placements. Make sure it's not just well protected but OVER protected.

Step 5 - Build Your Pyramid: If you're still feeling comfortable with the leading process, then it's time to start building your pyramid. If you want to lead 5.10a, then you want to lead as many 5.7 and 5.8s as possible (10 or 12 would be good), then move on to 5.9s (5 or 6), then finally get on that 5.10a that you've always wanted to lead. Go here for some suggestions on how to build your very own 5.10a pyramid with climbs at Bishop Peak.

Leading is Not for Everyone! Caution - not everyone can lead or wants to lead. Leading can be too scary for some people and you can get seriously hurt or killed if you fall! Never push someone into leading when they aren't ready for it.  

LEARNING TO FALL - GET OUT AND PRACTICE!

Thinking about practicing falling? Most climbers spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about falling. If you know how to fall safely, you can climb a lot better and with more confidence. Arno Ilgner is the expert in this department and I highly recommend buying his book and the exercises in the back.  Here are a few tips if you want to get out and practice some falling.


  1. Solid Bolts - Make sure you have a solid bolt (preferably placed by me!) and more than 1 in case the top one blows. You can also backup the bolt with trad gear (either above or below). If you backup the bolt with gear from above (preferred), equalize the gear/bolt and create an “anchor” at the point you intend to fall from. If that sentence doesn’t make sense to you, then don’t do it! Use locking carabiner’s throughout.
  2. 60’ of Rope – Bring your favorite rope and be sure you have at least 60’ of rope in the system. Falling is hard on the rope (no surprise). After 5 or 6 falls, flip the ends of the rope to give your rope a chance to “recover”. It actually needs 30 or 40 minutes to recover. Bring 2 ropes if you want to practice more than a dozen times.
  3. Start Slowly – You can get seriously injured if you fall wrong. And you can die if your bolt/anchor fails. Think about where your feet are relative to the rope and be sure you can’t get caught in the rope & flipped upside down. I’ve seen it happen at Cracked Wall and P-Wall! Start with your waist directly at the bolt or even a few inches below the bolt. Slowly work your way up to 15’ falls. You’ll fall about 15’ if you’re 5’ or 6’ above the bolt – assuming your belayer is giving you the “soft catch” you need (see below).
  4. The Belayer – I would not tie in the belayer unless there is a risk they would be pulled into the wall or off a ledge or there is a big (30+ lbs) weight difference. You need your belayer to get lifted about 5’ or 6’ off the ground so give them some slack and tie them down at the belay loop NOT the haul loop. They need to be careful they don’t get pulled into the wall and break their knee cap! Many accidents happen because the belayer smashes into the wall and lets go of the rope! You might consider tying a “backup knot” in the rope a few feet behind the belay device. Just in case!
  5. Locations – Some suggestions for good routes to try this on. P-Crack (Bolt #1 - have your belayer at the base not at the mid-point to get more rope in the system), Direct Exposure, Knee Surgery (bolt #3), Epidural (bolt #6), Shadow (Bolt #3 - #5), and Pump Floyd (bolt #3 backed up by bolt #4). Find a nice vertical to overhanging spot to practice from.

CAUTION! Falling is serious business. You can easily get hurt or killed even if you do know what you're doing! Know the risks and take precautions. Never, never be afraid to back off if it seems too dangerous. The rock will be waiting for you when you're ready.

Click Picture to go to Central Coast Climbing YouTube Channel
The pic above shows the infamous "Chicken Clip". Basically, it's just a dogbone with two locking carabiners. I constructed this one with a Black Diamond Dogbone (about $5) and two BD Vapor Lock carabiners (about $8/each). Total cost is just over $20. I use the Chicken Clip to pre-clip high first bolts on routes I would like to lead (but don't want to die trying!). To pre-clip - climb a neighboring route, rappel down to the high bolt, clip the "loose" end to the bolt, clip the "tight" end to the rope, lock both carabiners, finish your rappel, then pull the rope. If you pull the correct end, the rope will fall perfectly and will allow you to do a mini-top rope to the first bolt. The Chicken Clip, when paired with an identical clip, makes a quick and easy top rope anchor for sport climbing. If you carry one or two of these around, you'll find plenty of other uses for them as well.
Washing your Climbing Rope: I seem to get asked about washing rope all the time. Most people think it's a good idea but few people agree on how to do it. I've put together some info. that might help you. Click the image below for a full description.