I Climb, I Live

Mistake number 4 - Runners falling out
錯誤四 - 扁帶繩脫出

Injury Potential – varies from embarrassment to death or serious injury
Likelihood – often
Avoidance – not easy, a lot to learn, but with experience the chance of embarrassment becoming death is vastly reduced
潛在危險 - 從困窘到死亡或重傷
發生頻率 - 經常
避免方式 - 不簡單，很多要學，靠著經驗可讓困窘變成死亡的機會大幅減少



My record is fifty feet, ripping out six runners and landing on the shoulder of my belayer on the stretch of the rope, he subsequently gave up climbing, other climbers have not been so lucky. This is the nub of trad climbing and is what makes it so rewarding.
我的紀錄是五十呎，解下六條扁帶繩，在我的確保者肩上落地，他接著放棄不爬，別人可沒那麼幸運，這是傳統攀登的重點也是讓它如此值得的地方。

•Choose sound rock - There is seldom a perfect placement and choosing sound rock is not as easy as it first appears especially when leading a climb.
•選擇穩固的岩塊 - 要先峰攀登時，很難有完美的放置點，而挑選穩定的岩塊不像第一次看起來那樣簡單。

•Scan the rock, look for cracks that create a loose area.
•快速看過岩塊，尋找岩質較鬆有裂縫的地方。

•Place one hand on the rock and bang it with the palm of the other hand. If vibration is felt try to kick or pull the rock.
•一隻手放在岩塊上，用另一隻手的掌心撞它，若感覺振動，試著踢一踢或拉一拉石頭。

•When pulling be careful that it does not suddenly come out and disappear over the cliff edge with you hanging on to it.
•掛在峭壁邊緣的岩塊上時，拉岩塊要注意它會不會突然掉出來或不見。

•Look for soft rock and crystals inside cracks that could wedge a runner but snap easily in a fall Sea cliff limestone and slate provide the least reliable of all runner placements, because the rock has a thin, easily crushed, weathered layer. Granite is a harder substance and provides placements that are generally more reliable.
•看看裂縫裡面有沒有軟的岩塊和水晶，墜落時這些會讓扁帶繩卡住並容易拉斷。在海邊峭壁的石灰岩和板岩上綁扁帶繩最不可靠，因為岩塊有一層薄薄的容易擊碎的風化表面。花崗岩則是更為堅固的物質，放置上面一般而言更為可靠。

•Worry about the quality of the rock not the strength of the equipment.
•擔心岩塊的質地不要擔心裝備的強度。

•Do not blindly trust well-worn runner placements they may not be as good as wear and tear suggests.
•別盲目信任磨損的扁帶繩，它們可能不像建議的那麼耐磨。

•Place protection deep into the crack because the rock is more likely to break on the outside of the crack. However take care not to embed them so deeply that they cannot be retrieved.
•固定點要放進裂縫深處，因為岩塊可能在裂縫外面破裂。不過注意別放太深而收不回來。

Mistake number 3 – Rockfall
錯誤三 - 落石

Injury Potential – Severity will depend on many factors but could easily be brain damage or death
Liklehood – High, especially on sea cliffs and alpine routes
Avoidance – Take simple precautions
潛在危險 - 嚴重性依不同因素而定，但容易有腦部傷害或死亡
發生頻率 - 高，尤其在海邊懸厓和山徑
避免方式 - 簡單注意一下

The easiest way to be hit by rockfall is to sit at the bottom of an abseil in Pembrokeshire and not wear a helmet. It must be popular because there are two dead climbers to prove it. Remember the steeper the route the less chance there is of hitting rock and being hit by it.
最容易被落石打中的方式就是坐在Pembrokeshire的垂降點下方而沒有戴岩盔。這一定很多人喜歡，已經有兩位死去的攀爬者證明了。記得越陡峭的路越不會有砸人的石頭且被打到。

Falling Objects
掉落物體

Should anything fall down the crag, do not look up to see where the rock is coming from, it is likely to be closer than you would wish. Instead, when you hear a shout, run in towards the cliff. Falling objects do not normally fall straight down the rock face, they usually bounce out a few feet.
若是有東西從峭壁滾下來，不要抬頭看石頭哪來，它可能比你所希望的還靠近，當你聽到喊叫，跑近岩壁。掉落的物體正常不會直直落下，它們通常會彈開幾呎遠。

There is one less obvious way to increase your chances of being hit by falling rock: Tie the belayer to the ground - they will then be fixed in the line of fire.
有個較不明顯的方式可以增加被落石擊中的機會：把確保者綁在地上 - 他們就會碰上麻煩。

I do not tie a belayer down unless one of the following applies:
以下情況我才會把確保者綁住：

•The leader is more than fifty per cent heavier.
•先鋒攀登者比我重一半以上。

•There is a drop that the belayer could fall off or something dangerous that they could be pulled into e.g. an overhang.
•確保者會掉下去或是像overhang這種危險事情使確保者被拉走。

•There are boulders to stumble on.
•有大圓石會絆倒。

•The climb starts at the base of a sea cliff and is threatened by waves.
•在海邊懸崖底起攀，受波浪的威脅。

The logic behind this is that the upward movement of the belayer during a fall helps to absorb some of the forces and having freedom of movement allows the belayer to move away from falling objects. An attentive belayer can also save a climber from hitting the ground by taking the rope in and running backwards. However, this increases the forces on the top runner by adding your weight to the force created by the falling climber. It also results in a more jarring fall for the climber, but hell that a lot better than hitting the ground!

背後邏輯說明墜落時確保者往上的動作幫助吸收掉一些衝擊力，也讓確保者自由躲開掉落物體。確保者有注意，收繩並往後跑，也會幫攀爬者避開撞擊地面的狀況。然而，原本墜落的攀爬者產生的衝擊力之外，你的體重對上面的人也增加了衝擊力，也造成攀爬者墜落更刺激，但比撞到地面還好太多。

Mistake number 2 - Dropped climber
錯誤二 - 讓攀爬者墜落

Injury Potential – lower limb injury at the least, serious paraplegia at the worst
Likelihood – Frequent - especially on climbing walls
Avoidance – Requires practice
潛在危險 - 輕則下肢受傷，重則半身不遂
發生頻率 - 經常 - 尤其在人工岩場
避免方式 - 需要練習

Imagine visiting your friend, he is spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair with a broken back. This is what happened to one unfortunate victim of a poor belayer. Hands up those of you that have dropped someone on a climbing wall. When I asked that question at a recent training course, 50% put their hand up. It is fortunate that poor belaying technique can often be compensated for by fast reactions, but if concentration lapses, poor technique will result, at the least, in painful burns and at the worst a dropped climber.
想像去拜訪朋友，他的背受傷，下半生都要在輪椅上渡過，這就是別人確保不好，其中一個不幸的受害者發生的事。你們之中有誰在人工岩場曾經害別人掉下來的人舉手，最近上訓練課我提出這個問題，一半的人舉手，好在爛的確保方式反應夠快就不會有事，但如果稍為失誤不夠專心，爛的確保輕則燙傷，重則使攀爬者掉下來。

A good belayer is worth their weight in gold, they can offer advice, encouragement, give confidence and save you in a fall. The route to unpopularity as a belayer is to answer your mobile, light a fag, talk to your mates and not pay the rope out for the important clip.
好的確保者有其重要的價值，他們提出建議、給予鼓勵、信心以及墜落時保護你。不受歡迎的確保者會講手機、點根菸、跟同伴聊天以及掛繩不給繩。

The solution to the problem, although simple, does require practice.
解決方法雖簡單還需要練習。

Belay plates and tubes hold a fall by pulling the device closer to the krab forcing the rope into a ‘Z’ shape thereby increasing the friction. To hold a fall, keep the rope in a ‘Z’ position. To pay the rope out, bring the live and dead ends parallel (in this position the belay device is redundant as the rope is only passing round a krab) and pull the live rope through.
確保器制止墜落的方式，藉著把確保器拉近鉤環，迫使繩子彎成Z字形增加摩擦力。繩子維持Z字就可以停止墜落，給繩時，確保器兩邊的繩子平行（這個位置確保器是多餘的，繩子只是繞過鉤環而已），攀爬者和確保器之間的的繩子往上拉。

When changing hands, always have one hand on the dead rope throughout the changeover! Too many people have hit the ground because of failure to do this. To maintains a smooth belaying action and improve the braking action use an HMS krab with the wide end towards the device.
做系統轉換時，制動手要永遠握著繩子！太多人因為沒有這個動作而撞到地上。要保持流暢的確保動作，並改善煞車動作，使用HMS鉤環要寬口朝向確保器。

Half ropes and wet ropes used with belay devices designed for use with single ropes provide less braking ability.
單繩用的確保器拿來套半繩或濕的繩子的話，確保器提供的制動能力較少。

Keep the rope running cleanly through the belay device without any twists because this further reduces its ability to arrest a fall.
讓繩子很平順地滑過確保器，沒有捲曲，才不會減少阻止墜落的效果。

Belaying with an Auto-locking device
用自動確保器確保

There are a number of devices that, at first sight seem to solve the problem of a dropped climber. They are all useful for bottom roping and sport climbing, however because they stop the fall more quickly they transfer much more of the force generated to the climber and protection, therefore they should not be used for traditional climbing.
有很多器材初見時似乎可以解決攀爬者掉落的問題，對下方攀登和運動攀登很有用，然而，這些器材更快停止墜落，轉移很多產生到攀爬者身上的衝擊力及保護，所以不應拿來做傳統攀登。

Petzl’s Gri Gri is the most popular auto-locking belay device in use today, most of its problems are to do with the Gri Gri’s misuse rather than its design.
Petzl的Gri Gri確保器是今天最多人用的自動確保器，大部分的問題在於處理使用上的錯誤而非設計有問題。

•It is possible to load the rope in wrongly, if this has been done just use it like a normal belay device.
•可能把繩子裝錯，假如是，就是把它當作一般確保器去用。

•It is also possible to drop the climber too quickly by squeezing the release arm too far and failing to hold the rope like a normal belay device.
•也可能讓攀爬者掉得太快，因為手握得太遠，不能像一般確保器那樣抓住繩子。

•In addition, the rope jams easily if the belayer is not paying attention, very annoying for the leader if he is going for the ’gripper’ clip.
•還有，確保者不注意，繩子就容易卡住，這樣先鋒攀爬者夾住繩子要掛繩就會很討厭。

•To eliminate many of the problems hold the dead rope as for any other belay device or if you are very careful (although Petzl do not recommend it) hold the auto-locking mechanism down with the thumb whilst keeping a hold of the dead end. Further reading here and here.
•要減少這些問題，制動手像別的確保器那樣抓住繩子，或者你很小心把自動鎖住裝置用大拇指往下壓（Petzl不建議這麼做），制動手保持在繩子上。接著讀這裡和這裡。

Mistake number 1 - Failure to tie-in correctly
錯誤一 - 沒有正確綁上繩結

Injury Potential – Death or serious injury high
Likelihood – more often than you imagine
Avoidance - simple
潛在危險 - 死亡或嚴重受傷
發生頻率 - 比你想像的還更常發生
能否避免 - 容易

How ridiculous - forgetting to tie in! Picture yourself 30 feet up Right Wall, you have two runners on the blue rope, you pull it up to clip into a third only to find that you have the end of the rope in your hands. You had forgotten to tie in. I was a qualified mountain guide when this happened! Luckily I could tie a bowline one-handed. Other climbers have not been so fortunate.
忘記綁繩子是多荒繆！想像自己在三十呎高的Right Wall，藍色繩子上有兩條扁帶繩，你拉起來掛到第三條上，發現繩尾在手上，自己忘了綁繩結。這件事發生時我是領有執照的登山嚮導，好在我一隻手就可以打撐人結(bowline)，別的攀岩者可沒有如此幸運。

‘Tying-in’ is the bread and butter of climbers’ techniques, but the easy way to get it wrong is not to concentrate; to become distracted. The solution is simple; concentrate, do not let anyone distract you and get into the habit of checking your partner, it may save their life.
綁繩結是攀岩者的基本技能，可是不專心、注意力分散就容易搞錯。解決的方法很簡單，集中注意力，別讓任何人影響你，養成幫繩伴檢查的習慣就可以救他們一命。

The knot you use is personal preference, I prefer the rewoven figure of eight because it is difficult to tie incorrectly and does not come undone. The bowline has worked loose on me during long routes, however the ‘improved bowline’ is something I use when I am sport climbing and falling off is more frequent.
使用的繩結依個人喜好，我偏好編式八字結，因為很難打錯，也不會鬆開。稱人結在我爬長路線曾經鬆開，而爬短路線且很常墜落時我會用改良版稱人結(improved bowline)。

Correct ‘Tying in’ creates a ‘central loop’, just big enough to put a clenched fist through. All knots should be tied neatly and pulled snug, but not over-tight, the tightening of the knot is part of the process of absorbing the energy created by a fall. As a knot tightens, it draws any slack rope into itself, so that if the tail sticking out of the knot is too short, it may disappear with dire consequences. All knots should be tied so that they leave a tail at least ten times as long as the diameter of the rope i.e.11cm in an 11mm rope and 9cm in a 9mm rope. If in doubt, tie a stopper knot after tying the main knot.
正確的繩結中間會有一個圈，大小剛好可以塞進一個握拳。繩結應該要綁緊拉緊，但不能過緊。繩結會吸收墜落所產生的衝擊力而更緊繃，繩結變緊會把繩子拉過去，如果繩結留的尾繩太短，可能會導致繩結消失這種悲慘的結果。繩結綁緊後多出的尾繩至少要繩子直徑十倍的長度，11毫米的繩子留11公分長，9毫米就留9公分。若還不放心，繩結打完再加一個結以防鬆脫。

Attaching to the rope via a krab: This is only acceptable for top roping and bottom roping. Under no circumstances should a krab be used for lead climbing, a fall could result in a cross-loading of the krab. In fact, there are few, if any, situations where attaching a climber to the rope with a krab is recommended.
透過鉤環綁住繩子只允許上方攀登和下方攀登(bottom roping)，任何情況都不能用來做先鋒攀登，一個墜落會使鉤環受到橫向拉力(cross-loading)，實際上，新的情形建議是繩子先綁在鉤環上，鉤環再套到攀爬者身上。

Dying to Climb 渴望攀岩
Dying to Climb - Part One

Mistake number 1 - Failure to tie-in correctly
Mistake number 2 - Dropped climber
Mistake number 3 – Rockfall

Dying to Climb - Part Two

Mistake number 4 - Runners falling out

Dying to Climb - Part Three

Mistake number 5 – Un-zippering a pitch

Dying to Climb - Part Four

Mistake number 6 – Belay failure
Mistake number 7 – Poor rope work

Dying to Climb - Part Five

Mistake number 6: Abseil set-up failure
Mistake number 7: Incorrect sliding down the rope

Dying to Climb - Part Six

Mistake number 8 – Lowering from a sport climb
Mistake number 9 – Rope and belay failure when bottom roping

Dying to Climb - Part Seven

Mistake number 10 – Climbing wall accidents