Climbing license

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As a climbing certificate different but similar to qualifications for climbers referred to by the Austrian Alpine Association (PES), the Alpine Club South Tyrol (AVS), the German Alpine Association (DAV) and the nature lovers are issued in Germany. With the ÖAV, AVS, DAV and the Naturfreunde, the climbing license concept consists of three consecutive certificates as proof for the owner that he has mastered the rules and techniques of securing and safe climbing that are typical for this license .

In 1999, the ÖAV was the first alpine club to introduce the then four-level climbing license with the levels Mini , Spider , Allround and Expert . In 2004, these were converted into the current levels of top rope , indoor and outdoor basic , with the first three levels merely being renamed while the fourth level was discarded. In this form, the ÖAV climbing license was also adopted in 2004 by the Alpine Association of South Tyrol in cooperation with the ÖAV. In 2005, the German Alpine Association started a campaign based on the Austrian model with a two-stage climbing license in the stages of top rope and lead climb ; Since the spring of 2013, the DAV has also had an outdoor climbing license . Since a revision, which was completed in 2017, the nature sports department of Naturfreunde Deutschlands has been offering a three-stage climbing license with the training levels top rope indoor , lead climbing indoor and lead climbing outdoor .

Goal setting and self-image

As studies by DAV safety research have shown, many mistakes are made when securing and climbing in climbing halls . The introduction of the climbing license is intended to improve the climbers' level of training and avoid mistakes. With the climbing license, a kind of proof is created that the holder has correctly learned to climb and, above all, to belay. When climbing courses the goal of completion may climbing certificate be. But self-taught people can also take the exam for the climbing license and thus prove that their knowledge is up to date with the latest safety technology.

The PES climbing license is aimed primarily at children and young people and is intended to motivate them to learn how to belay properly. On the other hand, the DAV does not provide any clear information about the age of the target group , it only states a minimum age of around ten years for the top rope climbing license and twelve years for the leading climbing license .

At all four clubs, the climbing license is included in an action called Safe Climbing , which advertises safe climbing and the climbing license with posters in climbing halls. In addition to the credit card-sized climbing certificate, everyone who has passed the exam receives a brochure in which the training content is summarized. All four clubs emphasize that the climbing license is evidence on a purely voluntary basis, which can be compared to a badge of achievement rather than a driver's license . It should expressly not be viewed as a legitimation for climbing or a guarantee for accident-free climbing.

Exam content

The content for the exams is essentially the same for all four clubs. For this reason, for the sake of simplicity, the examination content of the PES is given here and deviations are indicated on a case-by-case basis.

Top rope climbing license

The top rope climbing license is aimed primarily at beginners after an entry-level course. The test includes the correct roping and the correct insertion of the safety device . It also includes the partner check and the control of your own safety as well as the correct lowering . With the knowledge required in the top rope climbing license, the climber should be able to climb and secure in top rope independently.

The following points are specifically checked:

  • Correct application of the hip belt
  • Tie in with a pegged figure eight or tie in with a figure eight loop and screw carabiner
  • Partner check: mutual control of the climbing partners before starting to climb. The following points must be checked:
    • Belt closed?
    • Is the rope knot tied correctly?
    • Belay device inserted correctly?
    • Is the carabiner locking closed?
    • End of rope knotted off?
All points must be checked by touching , not just looking . This is to prevent mistakes that look correct on the surface from being overlooked. When securing with a semi-automatic device (Grigri), a blocking test is carried out.
  • Rope commands must be mastered: To , Is to and draining
  • Correct belaying and slow, controlled lowering of a climber in the top rope with a freely selectable belay device
  • Climbing a route in top rope
  • Safe (redundant) diversion observed
  • Appropriate naming of all relevant climbing rules (not for the DAV)
  • Drop test completed in the role of climber and belayer (only at DAV)

Indoor climbing license (ÖAV / AVS) or indoor lead climbing (DAV / Naturfreunde)

In addition to the knowledge required in the top rope climbing license, the following techniques are tested:

  • Prepare the rope before climbing
  • Direct tie-in with a tucked figure eight or double bulin (nature lovers only recommend the tied figure eight knot)
  • Partner check
  • Pay attention to the weight difference between climber and belayer
  • Spotting the climber up to the first hook (no longer recommended by the DAV, but is still sometimes taught)
  • Securing and lowering a person in the lead, taking into account the correct position of the belayer and avoiding inappropriate slack rope when belaying, especially as long as there is a risk of falling from the ground.
  • Climbing in the lead: The climber should pay attention to the correct guidance of the rope, in particular he should not stand with his foot between the rope and the wall.
  • Controlled falling (not with DAV)
  • Behavior at the diversion
  • Mention of all relevant climbing rules (not for the DAV)

With this knowledge, the climber should be able to lead independently in a climbing hall and secure other people in the lead.

Based on the lead climbing certificate, the DAV introduced a safety update in 2013. The main focus of this training is the correct fall and the operation of semi-automatic belay devices. To document successful participation, an update stamp is issued, which should be stuck on the lead climbing certificate.

Climbing license Outdoor Basic (only ÖAV / AVS) or Outdoor (DAV / Naturfreunde)

The knowledge from the Outdoor Basic or Outdoor climbing license should enable the climber to climb safely, independently and in an environmentally conscious manner in a climbing garden . The test for this certificate generally takes place in a climbing garden; in exceptional cases, the test can be held in a climbing hall in bad weather if it has the necessary requirements. In addition to the knowledge from the indoor climbing license , the following is tested:

  • Partner check
  • Climbing a route in a lead: With the Outdoor Basic climbing license, the independent attachment of express sets is also checked, taking into account the course of the rope.
  • Remodel or threading through the deflector: are accepted for threading the rope through the deflection various methods, in addition to the climbers appropriate commands to specify its Safe to inform these about his actions.
  • Fixing the belay device: The belayer should be able to block one of the securing options half-mast, tuber or figure eight, which is under tension from above, and then release it again. (not at DAV)
  • Abseiling with Kurzprusik : The test specimen should descend in the following order:
    • Attach a self- belay with a prepared sling to the abseil point;
    • Thread the rope through the abseil point and knot the ends of the rope with a figure eight;
    • Insert the rope into the descender;
    • Attach the Kurzprusik and attach it to the belt
  • Mention of all relevant climbing rules (not for the DAV)

criticism

The sense and use of the climbing license is controversial among climbers. The criticism is essentially aimed at two points:

  • Correct and safe belaying is a very complex activity that most climbers believe cannot be learned within a few hours or days. Such a course can only convey the basic principles, but safe and situation-adapted handling requires a lot of practice and experience. Many climbers therefore welcome the fact that the introduction of the climbing license is intended to achieve a certain basic level of knowledge; however, they fear that many beginners will see the climbing license as a confirmation of being able to climb and secure, and will then stop expanding their knowledge. This would mean that the climbers are no longer aware of their personal responsibility and the need to question their actions and adapt to the situation, and instead only behave as they have learned to do without checking the correctness of the individual case . In particular, the DAV's designation "lead climb" could give beginners the impression of being able to climb outside safely, although this is only an indoor lead climbing license , as it is also appropriately referred to in Austria. After a successful examination, new climbing certificates from the DAV are now only issued with the designation indoor lead climbing .
  • The second point of criticism concerns the non-binding nature of the climbing license. All three alpine clubs emphasize that the climbing license is neither binding nor a legitimation or a guarantee for freedom from accidents. However, many climbers fear that, similar to the diving license , which is also not mandatory, there will be a kind of quasi-standard in that climbing hall operators only allow climbing license holders into their climbing gyms or insurers decline liability in the event of accidents if the person who caused the accident does not have a climbing license can. This would result in the result of a relatively simple test being rated higher than the climber's actual experience.

literature

  • Peter Albert: Correctly backing up to the DAV climbing license. The way to the DAV climbing license . Bruckmann, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-7654-4502-6 .
  • German Alpine Club: indoor climbing. The official textbook for the DAV climbing license. Munich 2014, ISBN 978-3-8354-1291-0
  • German Alpine Club: outdoor climbing. The official textbook for the DAV climbing license. Munich 2013, ISBN 978-3-8354-1108-1

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Safe climb action . German Alpine Club. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
  2. ↑ Safe climbing with friends of nature . Nature sports department of NaturFreunde Germany. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  3. ↑ Safety research of the DAV (ed.): 'Behavioral errors in indoor climbing. Frequencies and backgrounds. ' An empirical study of the security research of the German Alpine Club. Research report, Munich 2004
  4. ↑ Safety research of the DAV (Ed.): 'Routines as a source of errors when changing the belay device.' An empirical study of the security research of the German Alpine Club. Research report, Munich 2005
  5. ^ German Alpine Association eV (DAV): Secure and climb close to the ground - Climbing - Safety - Mountain sports - German Alpine Association (DAV) . ( alpenverein.de [accessed on September 3, 2018]).