Lead Manual Device Test**
About the Certification
Lead climbing is for members who already know how to top rope climb and want to expand on their skillset. This certification will allow you to lead belay with a manual device at all partnered GCA climbing gyms.
Test
To become GCA Lead Manual certified, the following test must be passed at any GCA partnered gym:
Equipment
- Belayer must have a UIAA/CE certified sit type harness with a belay loop that is less than 5 years old and has no signs of excessive wear
- Belayer must use UIAA/CE certified Manual Device no older than 10 years and has no signs of excessive wear.
- Belayer must use UIAA/CE certified locking carabiners no older than 10 years and has no signs of excessive wear
- Only UIAA/CE approved dynamic single ropes are allowed
– Rope less than 5 years old
– Regularly inspected according to manufacturer
Pre-Climb Checks
- Rope is flaked to check for inconsistencies such as soft spots, cuts, or knots
- Belayer must not weigh less than 70% of the climber. If more, Edelrid OHM required for first clip.
- Pockets are empty of phones and items
- Full gear check for excessive wear
- Check harness is on correctly (double backed, properly fitting above hips, legs through leg loops, no twists, shirt tucked in)
- Tie a stopper knot in the end of the rope
- Device is loaded and oriented correctly to the diagrams
- Carabiner is locked
- Rope is through both the device and the carabiner
- Carabiner is correctly connected to the belay loop
- Carabiner gate is facing away from brake hand
Partner Check
- Climber’s harness is on correctly (double backed, properly fitting above hips, legs through leg loops, no twists, shirt tucked in)
- Climber’s rope is looped through both hard points on harness correctly
- Climber has used a figure 8 follow through knot with 5 sets of 2 parallel lines
- Climber’s figure 8 knot has 3-6 inches of tail. If more they have used a finisher knot
- Climber’s figure 8 knot is ~3 inches away from tie-in points
- Use climbing commands to communicate beginning of climbing
During Climb
- Belayer must spot the climber to the first clip
- Belayer must not take hand off brake rope
- Belayer must intently watch their climber
- Belayer must position to the side of first clip to avoid collision
- Belayer must not stand further than 5 ft from the first clip
- Belayer must not be facing the wall directly, or directly under the climber
- Belayer must constantly manage rope to avoid giving to much slack based on situation (rope is making “U” shape)
- Belayer must constantly manage rope to avoid short roping the climber based on situation
- Belayer must have rope in brake position to slide brake hand
- Belayer must be conscious of the situation to determine whether to give a soft or hard catch
Lowering
- Belayer must wait for climber to communicate that they are ready to be lowered, and communicate back that they are lowering
- Belayer must never take brake hand off of the rope
- Belayer must bring both hands onto brake side below the device
- Belayer must feed rope through the manual device at a controlled pace until the climber reaches the ground