Overview
Introduction
 Types of Climbing
 Gear, Procedures, & Knots Overview
 The Outdoor Class
 Practice with Instructors

Who Are the Texas Mountaineers?
Formed 1978 as part of Sierra Club
 Separate Organization in 1988
 Nonprofit Organization




Conduct 2 Beginners and 1-2 Intermediate
Classes each year
Emphasize standardized instruction and
consensus Best-Safety-Practices
Instructors are a mix of highly experienced
(20+ years) climbers and more recent class
graduates
Types of Climbing

Hiking and Trekking- trails, scrambling on non-technical rock and snow

Classic Mountaineering - rock climbing to 5.6, snow to 40°

Bouldering - difficult rock climbing close to ground no rope protection

Gym Climbing - climbing on artificial walls

Crag Climbing - routes 1 to 3 pitches on difficult rock




Top roping - fixed rope (beginner climb)
Sport - fixed anchors and protection
Traditional “Trad” - placing protection cams, stoppers …
Bigwall - climbing bigwalls Yosemite Half Dome


Free climbing - No aid using traditional methods
Aid climbing - climbing on fixed pieces, Clean aid uses only cams, stoppers …
Texas Mountaineers Climbing
Scheduled (monthly Sep – May) trips to
local crags for top-roping, trad and sport
climbing (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas)
 Individual members organize longer trips
 New Classes for Sport Anchor Cleaning
and Sport Leading
 Trad Intermediate (how to second a
leader)
 Clinics for Anchor Building, Self-Rescue

Rock Climb Ratings
YDS
Description
5.0 – 5.4
Two hands & feet for every move.
5.5 - 5.6
Two hands & feet for every move,
not obvious to beginner
5.7
One hand or foot missing
5.8
Missing two, or missing one but
strenuous
Danger Factors
PG
Multi-pitch Grades
Falls not dangerous
I
Quick climb
R
Run out falls not serious
II
Two to three hours
X
Run out falls serious
III
Half day
IV
All day
S
Serious unprotected subgrade
Ex: 5.11 S9 runout 5.9 move on 5.11
protected crux
V
Two days
VI
Multiple days
Easy
5.9
Only one hand and one foot
5.10
No obvious hand or foot
Intermediate
Very Difficult
5.11
Minute hand or foot
5.12
Unfeatured vertical surface or
overhanging features
5.13 –
5.15
Overhanging surface with
increasingly smaller features
Extremely Difficult
Climb Ratings Around the World
UIAA Germany
France
USA (YDS)
I
II
1
III
2
5.2
5.3
3
5.4
HD
V-
4
5.5
MS
United
Kingdom
IV
V
4+
5.6
5.7
S
V+
5a
5.8
VS
VI-
5b
5c
510a
5.9
HVS
4c
VI
VI+
6a
5.10b
VII-
6a+
5.10c
E1
6b
6b+
510d
5.11a
E2
Alpine
8,9
10,11 12
13
F
PD
AD
D
L
WS
ZS
S
UIAA Germany
I
5.3
5.4
II
5.5
III
VIII
6c 6c+ 7a 7a+ 7b
5.11b 5.11c 5.11d
E3
5.12a
E4
IX-
VIII+
7b+
5.12b 5.12c
E5
15
16
IX
7c
5.12d
IX+
X-
X
7c+
8a
8a+
8b 8b+
5.13a
5.13b
5.13c 5.13d 5.14a 5.14b
E6
E7
6a
17 18 19
20
TD
5.7
5.8
IV
V-
V
5.9
V+
XI-
8c
8c+
9a
5.14c
5.14d
E8
22
23
24
25
26
XI
E9
XI+
E10
7b
6b
21
7a
27
28
ED
29 30
31
32
33
XD
ABO
V0
5.6
X+
6c
SS
VB
5.2
VIII-
5c
14
Bouldering
USA (YDS)
VII+
5b
5a
Australia
VII
V1
510a
5.10b
5.10c
510d
5.11a
VI-
VI
VI+
VII-
VII
V2
5.11b 5.11c 5.11d
VII+
V3
5.12a
VIII-
V4
V5
5.12b 5.12c
VIII
VIII+
V6
V7
V8
V9 V10 V11 V12
V13
5.12d
5.13a
5.13b
5.13c 5.13d 5.14a 5.14b
5.14c
IX-
IX
IX+
X-
X
X+
XI-
V14
5.14d
XI
XI+
Required Gear

Bouldering




Rock Shoes
Chalk Bag
Crash Pad ( optional bouldering only)
Top Roping




Climbing Harness
Belay Device / Locking Carabiner
Climbing Rope
Anchor webbing / static rope / 3 oval
Biners / 2 locker Biners
Climbing Shoes
Lace ups
Tight for regular shoe size
Toes should lie flat
Toes extend to very tip
Should be comfortable
Velcro
Advanced 1 to 1/2 size less
Hard Sole
Aggressive Sole
Climbing Harnesses
Belt extend 3” past buckle
double back buckle
auto locking buckle
Gear Loops
(always keep belay
device, biners, autoblock
on the harness)
Belay Loop
Leg Loops
Adjustable – metal buckle
Child Full Body
Ropes

Static Ropes – 3 to 4% stretch



Top rope, anchors, hauling
Typically 3/8” or 7/16” diameter
Dynamic Ropes 6 to 10% stretch; 50, 60 & 70m long

Single Ropes 8.9 to 11 mm dia.


Double/Half Ropes - 8.1 to 9 mm dia.



top rope, sport, trad, bigwall
two ropes alternately clipped
tied together for long rappels
Twin Ropes 8.9 to 11 mm dia.


must be clipped together
tied together for long rappels
Webbing, Accessory Cord, Slings,
Quick Draws
Accessory Cord
5 or 6 mm Prusik
or Autoblock
Tubular Webbing
Slings
TR Anchors
Rappel Anchors
Sewn Sling
Slings
Trad Runners
Belay / Rappel Devices
Screw Gate
ATC
Reverso
Guide
Auto-Locking GriGri
Large Locking
Mini Screw Gate
Anchors

SRENE
 Solid: Tree, Bolder, Bolt, Trad
Protection
 Redundant: more than one
component
 Equalized: each component shares
the load
 No Extension: a failure does not
shock load the rest
120°
80°
40°
20°
1000 lbs
1000 lbs each
700 lbs each
540 lbs each
500 lbs each
Other Anchor Pneumonics


SERENE
Safe Equalized REdundant No Extension
New AMGA acronym
ERNEST
Equalized, Redundant, No Extension, Strong, Timely
Belay Procedure

Before Climbing
 Belayer checks climber is tied in through harness
with figure 8 follow through
 Climber checks belayers rope is through belay
device and locking biner and locking biner is
locked
 Climber: On Belay (Are you ready to belay?)
 Belayer: Belay On (The system is setup properly
and I’m ready)
 Climber: Climbing (The climber is actually
stepping on the rock)
 Belayer: Climb (Final confirmation the Belayer is
ready)
Belay Procedure Continued

During the climb
 Belayer Never has hand off the belay brake side of the rope
 Climber: Up Rope (Belayer has let a loop of rope hang below
the climber, climber would like less slack, belayer takes
up the rope (removes the slack))
 Climber: Take (climber is going to weight the rope,
belayer tightens rope)
 Climber: Slack Loosen the rope slightly.
 Climber: Lower (Used only when top roping) Means lower
me to the ground. Both hands on the brake side

Other Commands
 Climber: Off Belay On the ground or anchored at the
top of the climb
 Belayer: Belay Off
 Rock (Used to warn anyone below of falling objects)
 Climber: Watch Me Extra belayer attention required
due to hard move – Belayer make sure belay is
locked off
 Climber: Falling (climber is falling)
Always Perform a Safety Check
Check the belayer
Harness straps doubled back
.. has attached the
rope, belay device
and carabiner clip
in the correct place.
Check the ‘live’ end
of the rope is above the
‘dead’ end.
and always check
the screw gate on
the carabiner has
been locked tight.
Always Perform a Safety Check
Check the climber
Harness doubled back
.. has
threaded the rope
through the correct
holes on their
harness
and always check
the knot has been
tied correctly.
THE BELAY SEQUENCE
Start
Make
a
“V”
Hand
down
to the
knee
One
Two
Three
Knots

Figure 8 follow through


Double fisherman’s (grapevine)


Tying rope to your harness
Tying ends of rope or cord
Water Knot

Tying ends of webbing
Knots

Prusik

Friction knot tying into rope


Auto block (Shown)


Ascending/Descending rope
Backing up Rappel
Clove Hitch (intermediate)

Tying into Anchor
References
Mountaineering
: The Freedom
of the Hills (8th
Edition)
How to Rock
Climb!, 5th Edition
(How To Climb
Series) by John
Long
Climbing Anchors
Field Guide (How
To Climb Series) by
John Long and Bob
Gaines
The Outdoor Class

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge





Speed Limits Strictly Enforced 45/35 night
NO ALCOHOL (vehicles subject to search)
Wild Animals have Right-Of-Way
Do not bring your pets on this outing.
The Refuge is for the animals. Human
recreation must not interfere. Climbing
permitted only as long as climbers act
responsibly.
The Outdoor Class

Tent Camping at Camp Doris







Can arrive anytime Friday PM
Directions on Web Site
(texasmountaineers.org)
Can stay in Lawton
Breakfast in Camp
Assemble at Group Parking Lot at 8:00 AM
Identify groups
Leave Group Parking Lot at 8:30 AM
The Outdoor Class – Day One
Hike into Charon’s Gardens approx. 1 mile
 Bring everything you need for the day






Rain gear/cold weather gear
Food and water (3 Liters min/person, more if
hot)
Climbing Shoes, Harness, Carabiners, Cord
Help Carry Club Gear (ropes & webbing)
Leave No Trace


Take out everything you bring in (ALL trash)
Disturb as little as possible
Outdoor Class – Day One


Anchor Set-up Demonstration by Instructors in
Small Groups
Top-Roping






Climbing and Belay Practice
Slab, Crack, and Face Climbing
High-Angle Rappel
Group Rotates through 5-6 climbing stations
Break down climbs and hike out with your Group
Dinner – Restaurant in Lawton
Outdoor Class – Day Two
Break Down Camp
 Breakfast Options




Cook at Camp Doris
Drive to Ann’s Café near Mount Scott (leave
camp about 7 AM)
Drive to the Top of Mount Scott about
8:30 AM



Hike down to the climbs
Parking lot is easily accessed from crag
Do as many climbs as you like, leave at your
discretion
Practical Instruction
Questions?
 Break into Small Groups
