Climbing and Bouldering Safely

How To Be A Better Citizen At Horseshoe Canyon Ranch

September 17, 2016 by Jason Clements

In this third part of my interview with the owner of Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, we talk about how to be a better citizen at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. I ask Barry:

“What can THE climbing community do to support you?”

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The 3 things that climbers and campers can do better for the ranch right now…

Sign in and pay your fees
Pick up your trash
Be a good citizen – be a good human – be considerate of other people and realize that this is private poverty – and when we say it’s private property – it is private property; but we want people to come and enjoy it.

Sometimes when someone says “HEY, this is private property” – it means we want you to leave – that’s not what we are saying . We want people to understand that this is our home, our back yard, our livelihood; and we want you to be considerate, respectful and obey the rules.

Barry says that he doesn’t want the underlying tone to be a lecture or a scolding. And you all already know Barry and Amy – they might just be some of the most generous human beings that we have the pleasure of knowing.

Is there something that the veterans of coming to the ranch that we can do better when we come to the ranch to prepare ourselves mentally to help reduce the risk of injury?

Barry: Yes, primarily for those of you in the climbing community. We get a lot of people who are touching rock for the first time. They may have been in a gym pulling plastic for years – and that transition from the gym to the outdoors – the ranch is great for that because it has a lot of easy to moderate routes. And, everything is bolted really safely. It is a great place to take your first lead…

…the problem with that is – it is your first lead.

So people, in the climbing community, need to not be shy, and even if someone thinks you’re a jerk or a know-it-all; you need to say, for example, “You didn’t finish your knot.” or, “can I show you a better way to do that.”

Wristbands At Horseshoe Canyon Ranch

Barry: You need to watch out for your neighbor, and you need to watch out for the ranch. If somebody is not wearing a wristband up there, chances are they have not signed off on their waiver. Well – that is a threat to everyone’s access – isn’t it. [Read more…] about How To Be A Better Citizen At Horseshoe Canyon Ranch

How To Kill The Alligator Belay Technique

September 15, 2016 by Jason Clements

When I posted my How To Not Die At 24 Hours Of Horseshoe Hell article, the number one question I received was:

Then what is the correct belay method, Jason?

So I made, probably, the most important climbing video of 2016. In it, I show you how to kill the Alligator Belay Technique.

The most important point of this series of articles and this video

is that there is a defined moment (I call it the Danger Moment) when you are lead belaying and if these 3 things happen right at the moment that your partner yells “TAKE” or “ON YOU” and you begin to pull slack.

If your muscle memory reverts back to the dangerous alligator belay method;
and your hands meet above your head;
and your climber weighs the rope…

…then you have a gigantic potential for a ground fall. This is exactly what I witnessed and describe in the How Not To Die…article.

So, for those of you who are serious about improving your belay technique, I give you How To Kill The Alligator Belay Technique.

These 6 minutes just might save you and your climbing partners from injury or worse.

Learn a whole lot more about staying safe in the HCRBeta Injury Prevention Section.

Jason Clements is the founder of and writer for HCRBeta, Hike Climb Relax: How to… Jason has served as the President of the Kansas City Climbing Club where he grew the club from 100 members to 1000 members. Jason lives in Shawnee, Kansas and runs the cell phone recycling company, Cells for Cells, which recycles cell phones to raise money for families battling cancer.

You can follow Jason on Facebook or on Twitter @jasonclements.

SHOP at Dynamic Earth in Springfield, MO for all of your climbing needs.

Not around Springfield, MO? Use these Amazon links. (Yes, by using these Amazon links to purchase gear, you help to support HCRBeta.com. Thank you.

7 Examples Of The Very Dangerous Alligator Belay Technique

September 14, 2016 by Jason Clements

In this article, you will find 7 examples of the very dangerous Alligator Belay Technique.

Any climber worth their salt, knows that climbing accidents (and falling physics) surprise all of us. (Did you read the article about Chad Watkins falling on lead and getting his Achilles penetrated by the quickdraw’s carabiner! Talk about unpredictable physics!)

This Alligator Belay Technique that is taught to new TOP ROPERS throughout the world, ingrains the new climber’s muscle memory to meet the hands together at the apex of the movement. So when they are finally belaying lead, they raise the odds of having an accident. Your belay device CAN fail when your ropes are in parallel and both of your hands are extended.

Now, what happens when you add a suspect Alligator belay technique to the other ingredients of the 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell – dehydration, sleep-deprivation, fatigue, and darkness. To all of that mix, add just a TOUCH OF UNPREDICTABLE FALLING PHYSICS, and you get the results I wrote in the How To Not Die At 24 Hours Of Horseshoe Hell article.

This is exactly what I observed at the 24 Hours Of Horseshoe Hell competition while I was a volunteer. The belayer I witnessed, was using this exact method of belay. As the climber reached the anchors, the belayer fumbled about with the rope as he tried to pull in slack. Both of the belayer’s hands were extended just like every photo in this article. Zip. Thud. His climber decked.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Can you go set up a test at your gym to see what happens? Copy the technique demonstrated here in these photos. Meet both hands together at the apex of the belay movement. Have your climber weigh the rope at that exact moment. Record results.

CAUTIONS:

Don’t be stupid
Get a fat bouldering pad beneath you
Belayer wear gloves
You do this at your own risk

THE CORRECT METHOD

It is easy to make the appropriate adjustments. Keep the brake hand below the device at all times. That is it. It is that easy.

Watch this video below for the CORRECT METHOD of belaying:

IN CONCLUSION:

Having both hands above your head or above your belay device can lead to a accident. Please, stop using the alligator belay technique.

You are smart enough to make the appropriate adjustments. [Read more…] about 7 Examples Of The Very Dangerous Alligator Belay Technique

Project Ascent Helping Youth Experience Self-Worth, Accomplishment, Drive and Independence

February 10, 2016 by Jason Clements

Project Ascent Helping Youth Experience Self-Worth, Accomplishment, Drive and Independence

This is a guest post written by Scottie Mcelroy, the founder of Project Ascent

What Is Project Ascent?

Project Ascent was established to give at-risk and under-privileged youth an opportunity to experience nature through Rock Climbing. Rock Climbing is a unique sport in which individuals are put in a new environment without preconceived expectations on performance or success. Rock Climbing not only involves physical strength, but also mental fortitude. Rock Climbing facilitates problem solving and allows participants to fail and succeed in a controlled environment thus promoting adaptation. Communication between climbers plays instrumentally in the success or failure of a climbing expedition.

Why Project Ascent?

When I began climbing, I quickly realized the impact it made on my mental and physical life. I thought, “If I am gaining such incredible awareness and strength, what could climbing give to children who haven’t had the same opportunities that I have?”

An experience with Project Ascent will give children an immeasurable amount of self-worth, accomplishment, drive, and independence.

I have worked extensively with at-risk youth. I worked with a young man in Austin, TX to get him into the program because conventional sports like basketball and football were not for him. He longed for an opportunity to find something he excelled in and enjoyed.

We met Josh through a school outreach program that worked with area counselors to find youth that would potentially be candidates for our programs. Josh did not have an ideal home-life and his education and bad decisions were sending him down the wrong path.

Josh and several other children from the same school were accepted to attend one of our adventures. From the start I could see this is what Josh not only needed, but also what he wanted. He naturally excelled at the art of climbing. More importantly, he started engaging with his peers and the Project Ascent volunteers.

Building trust, confidence, and self-worth are a focus on Project Ascent trips.

After the trip, Josh reached out to me asking if there were additional trips he could attend. [Read more…] about Project Ascent Helping Youth Experience Self-Worth, Accomplishment, Drive and Independence