If you are heading out to try outdoor rock climbing for the very first time in your life, your head must be flooded with a lot of questions. The last thing you may want to do is to be rude or unsafe. Climbing entails a lot of risks, but with right knowledge and attitude it can be fun as well. Here is a list of do’s and don’ts you must follow to be a safe and responsible outdoor rock climber as suggested by escalade Montréal.
- Do your due diligence
Refer to the local guidebook to find out about the crag you are about to visit. You may also need to check the weather to avoid rains. When you meet the locals, you engage with people at the crag. Locals are friendly and could be quite resourceful. They will enlighten you about the best routes for warm ups, sketchy routes and which days are not best for rock climbing. And if you are offered some advice, always be open about it. It could keep you on a safer side.
- Use the best climbing practices
If the crag is crowded, ensure to ask around to check what routes people are waiting for instead of setting the rope bag down and beginning to tie in on a climb that has a few people waiting in line already. Always put your rope bag aside and make new friends. Additionally, you can always leave quickdraws on a route you are taking. Usually, newbies don’t do this and they believe that the gear is free to take. If you are not sure about it, leave it as it is. This is true for carabiners as well. Never top rope directly off the hardware. This very hardware can be used for clipping the top of a route which is not cheap and is not durable as well. Always bring your own top rope anchor for clipping the anchor points and then lower the hardware. Never leave a rope hanging, always climb your pitch and move along.
- Consider others too
There are many climbers with doffs but know that not everyone is dog friendly so always keep them leashed and out of the way. For most of the climbers, climbing is more about the nature and less about listening to your favorite song. No matter what your musical taste is, your songs may distract others. And you may also end up making new friends at the crag, so be as friendly and fun as possible. Additionally, climbing is more of a personal pursuit, so if you see someone struggling, don’t assume they always need help. If you really want to advice, give away some pointers.
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