Top Rope Manual Device Test**
About the Certification
Whether it is your first time or have been climbing for years, top rope certification is your starting point into the climbing world. This certification will allow you to top rope belay with a manual device at all partnered GCA climbing gyms.
Test
To become GCA Top Rope 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
(feel like we could have links here eventually if people need to buy gear, to take them to our site or others)
Pre-Climb Checks
- 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)
- Attached to the rope farthest from the wall
- 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 is attached to the rope closest to the wall
- 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 use the PBUS method to belay the climber
– Pull
– Brake
– Under
– Slide
- Belayer must not take brake hand off of the rope
- Belayer must intently watch their climber
- Belayer must have rope in brake position to slide brake hand
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