#ATC CLIMBING HOW TO#

Do as much research as you can before you go onto the route.Here are 7 things to do to plan ahead for your first multi-pitch climb: “Big-picture planning is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly when you’re moving to the multi-pitch world,” says Whewell. Maybe they didn’t bring the correct amount of equipment, or the correct shoes, or they didn’t bring a second rope to rappel.”

#ATC CLIMBING HOW TO#

“Maybe they haven’t done enough research about where the climb starts, or where the climb goes, or how to get off the climb. “People typically don’t plan well enough for their route,” he says. Preparation: How to Do Your Homework Properly to Minimize RiskĮric Whewell took special care to point out that much of the work in climbing a multi-pitch route has to take place before the climbing begins. Throughout the article, he’ll be providing the perspective and expertise of a professional. To make sure that we’re providing you with the best possible advice, I hopped on the phone with Eric Whewell, IFMGA-certified guide and Head Guide at Colorado Mountain School. Like much of climbing, these skills are not to be taken lightly. My first ever multi-pitch climb was this aptly-named ramble in Boulder Canyon. And if you happen to live in an area where there’s some approachable multi-pitch sport climbing nearby, lucky you - you have an easier, less-committing venue in which to learn. If you’re a competent single-pitch trad climber, you’re likely well on your way. Learning to place gear and build anchors is beyond the scope of a single article (despite a plethora of books on the subject, the debate on anchors continues to rage).

The majority of the multi-pitch climbing in the USA requires trad gear.

Find a way to practice the skills you need (more on this later). Understand your systems, your equipment, and your intentions well before you have to put them into practice halfway up a wall.

Reading and theorizing are all well and good, but they’re no substitute for practice and understanding.

Before We Begin, Two Important Things to Stress We’ll cover the basics of what you need to get going: how to prepare, what gear you’ll need, the step-by-step process of multi-pitch climbing, and other logistical issues. In most areas, multi-pitch climbing unlocks new cliffs and vast amounts of new terrain. One of the magical parts of climbing is that it takes you places where only the birds and the bugs normally go - and for the really tall stuff, you’ll need more than one rope-length to get there.

You’re ready to start multi-pitch climbing. You know what an anchor is, you’ve learned how to rappel, and you’re feeling pretty good about your single-pitch self.īut you’re seeing all these Instagram photos of climbers dangling hundreds of feet of the ground, rappelling off of giant cliffs, and topping out huge lines. If you are doing 290kts and climbing in excess of 4,000fpm the chances are that you will stray off course as the inertial system will not overbank the a/c.So you’ve learned to lead climb. For example MID3G from rwy 27L at Heathrow may (depending on your fp) require a large left turn at the SID exit point. However if you still have to make large turns in order to get on course it's not advisable as it may result in large bank angles or your inertial system having to make large corrections to keep you on course. Then you can initiate your normal rate of climb and speeds. Thereafter you are speed limited (typically 250kts-but often a chart will impose a different speed) for the rest of the SID unless ATC release you from the speed restriction. It depends! First of all you should in any case be following a noise abatement procedure. It is quite common for example at EGLL to be kept at the SID ceiling right up to the last moment.Īs for flying to the level as quickly as you want. If on the other hand you have not received any altitude clearance before you arrive at the SID ceiling you must level off and maintain that alt/FL until you do receive further clearance. During your departure you may receive another clearance to a higher altitude in which case obviously you continue your climb to that point with or without speed restrictions. If a SID is included in your take-off clearance you will be cleared to an altitude or FL which is the SIDs ceiling.

Atc climbing