Safety

Why have a safety page on a website that just aims to keep people informed with the goings on at the crag? Why not? It's all basic stuff, but accidents happen when the basics are ignored. Fair Head is a serious crag, the routes are sustained and a rescue can be a very complex and protracted incident. This is particularly so, if it involves climbers, on their own, stranded on a multi pitch route.

Some of the risks associated with climbing are acceptable, that is why we climb, but most can be eliminated altogether. The last two serious injuries at Fair Head both happened to newcomers to the crag. Is this because experienced climbers are more alert to the dangers? I do not know the answer to that but experience can only be gained by time spent on the crag. As the saying goes, "Good judgement comes from bad experience." On the other hand good advice and best practice can be learned long before you even leave the house. The advice contained in this page will greatly reduce the risk of an accident happening to you. Please study it carefully. Climbing is all about minimising risk, it requires an active mind and a trustworthy belayer. You both work as a team and work together to continually look out for each other. Be on your guard, no matter how much you know or how many routes you've done, there is always an accident waiting to happen. An accident usually happens because one of the team doesn't continually ask the question, "What if ...?"

If you are new to the sport, tag onto someone who knows what they are doing. It is easy to spot those who don't, avoid them. Choose who you learn from carefully and weigh up all the advice you get with a questioning mind. Don't just do it cause someone told you to, always ask, "Why?" If you are unsure at all, enrol on one of the courses offered in the Mountain Centres. The courses they offer are second to none. Read any advice you can find in magazines or the internet and apply it. At the bare minimum buy a good "instructional" type book and study it from cover to cover. The Manual of Modern Rope techniques, by Nigel Shepard, is a good book for rescue techniques but it needs to be studied rather than simply read. Book learning alone often provides complacency, but it is no substitute for practice in a realistic situation, using only the equipment you will have at hand when climbing.

Some of this advice is specific to Fair Head but the rest is just plain best practice. Ultimately, you are responsible for yourself, any corners you cut are entirely up to you, it is your decision. Through time an awarness develops and most climbers become tuned in to the dangers. However, in the initial years this basic advice will make you a safer climber. What you choose to do is entirely up to you, you will decide which risks you wish to eliminate and which you are prepared to accept.

Attitude

This website aims to convey a positive fun attitude towards the climbing at Fair Head. Don't be fooled. Fair Head is as serious as cancer, just because plenty of people climb there, that doesn't make it any less deadly. A serious attitude is required, it is when the guard drops, an accident will happen.

Abseiling

When abseiling, keep the rope away from sharp edges and don't try to emulate James Bond by bouncing in and out. All that will do is damage your rope and possibly dislodge material on top of you. Try and clear loose stones as you pass them, or the rope might bring them down when you are beneath them. Look out from the crag and throw any loose material well clear. Don't just let it drop, it could easily cut the rope below you.
Always use a prusik. Otherwise, if a finger, or hair, or clothing catches in the abseil device you are in trouble. If something falls on you from above causing an injury, you will plummet to the ground. The same goes for a rope burn. A prusik is the only way to eliminate this risk.
Once down always move out of the way in case anything is dropped or knocked off above you. Even an accidentally unclipped hex from a climbers harness, is enough to fracture a skull.
Learn how to abseil past a knot and practice it. It is too late if you have to do it 60m up, during a self rescue on a multi-pitch route.

Climbing

Always carry at least one, preferably two prusiks for self rescue on multi pitch routes. However, they are useless if you don't know how to effectively use them. Practice ascending a rope at the climbing wall or somewhere safe. It cannot be learned from reading it in a manual.
Use twin ropes for multi pitch routes. It provides twice the rope length to play with in the event of an emergency, it is much safer.
Learn how to perform a self rescue. The nightmare scenario is if climbers are on a multi-pitch route and either receives a severe injury or is knocked unconscious. There are a few options. Obviously, lower the casualty to the ground, then abseil yourself, or; stabilise the casualty and extract yourself from the system to get help. How to do this is complex and needs to be practiced well beforehand so you know how to do it.
Gear placement on routes are crucial. It is a craft that again is learned through experience. It can easily be practiced at the base of any route at Fair Head. If you are new to the game it is best to get someone to give you a few pointers. Learn from seconding an experienced climber, observe their placements. On most routes at Fair Head, there is no reason to settle for a poor gear placement, as runners on most routes up to E3 are invariably bombproof when done right.
Always place a runner as soon as possible after leaving the belay or the ground. Only spread them out once you get a few in. This will prevent you from landing on your belayer or the ground, if you slip.
When setting up belays it is best to have 3 good pieces to tie into, or at least a minimum of 2. If you can get another really good one above you, you can clip your second through it which means if he falls off you will be pulled up not down. This also reduces the load on your harness.
When climbing, if you spot a hold that looks loose, don't use it. If you have to use it, put minimum pressure on it and shout down to warn your belayer to watch out or move out of the way.
Know how to tie and belay using an Italian hitch. This will save the day if a belay plate is accidentally dropped or simply forgotten. It is a totally safe alternative.
Always mark the middle of your ropes. This allows you to accurately judge the length of a pitch and hence know when the climber should be at his belay from the route description. It also makes them easier to coil because the middle is easy to find. I use a bog standard permanent marker and colour in a few inches. It also gives more information during self rescue scenarios, distance can be judged more easily.
Use climbing calls. It is the only way to be confident that you and your belayer are doing the correct thing at the appropriate time. There is nothing more frustrating than climbing with someone who doesn't know this system, it does not inspire confidence at all. Climbing calls work, they provide clarity and avoid all confusion.

SYSTEM A: Imagine two blokes on a multi-pitch route. The climber is leading the second pitch of the route, after both have just finished the first pitch. The belayer is attached on and is paying out the rope.
Person	Call	Action/Meaning
Climber	SAFE	The climber finishes the second pitch and sets up his belay, then calls; SAFE. One word, nothing else, loud and distinct. This should only be shouted when the belay is fully constructed, the climber is happy with it and he is ready to immediately take in the ropes, not half way through or even when standing on the top of the crag.
Belayer	OFF BELAY	On hearing it the belayer immediately takes the climber off the belay device and then shouts; OFF BELAY.
Climber		On hearing the; OFF BELAY, or after a pause of a few seconds, he then takes in the slack in the rope. If using twin ropes they should always be taken in together to save time and prevent tangles. Good rope management is essential.
Belayer	THAT'S ME	When the rope comes tight onto the belay, (or his harness on a single pitch) he shouts; THAT'S ME.
Climber	CLIMB WHEN READY	Puts the ropes into the belay device, takes in any more slack and then shouts; CLIMB WHEN READY.
Belayer	OK	Replies; OK, and begins to strip out the belay.
Climber		The rope should not be tight at this stage, the belayer needs a little slack to strip out the belay. Keep checking the tension on each rope because as the belay is stripped out slack will need to be taken in, one rope at a time.
Belayer	CLIMBING NOW	Once the belay is stripped out, and the belayer is ready to second the pitch he shouts; CLIMBING NOW.
Climber	OK	He is now the belayer and takes in for his second.
This system is only one solution, though they all revolve around the same process. The key thing is that both of you know what to do and when. Most climbers eventually tune into each other and don't use calls much at all. But as far as a clarity goes, calls can't be beat.

SYSTEM B: This comes into action on a windy day or if you cannot hear your belayer reply "OK" after you have called "SAFE." It should be discussed and understood before setting off on the pitch.
Person	Call	Action/Meaning
Climber	SAFE	Reaches the top, fully sets up the belay and then shouts; SAFE. No reply is heard. Try two more times. Nothing heard. Give three distinct sharp pulls on the rope.
Belayer		The belayer should know when you have reached the top of the pitch from the route description and by observing how much rope has been paid out (aided by the middle marking). Also the belayer should watch for a period of inactivity, it is likely that this is while the climber is setting the belay up. Watch the rope for the three distinct sharp tugs. The belayer sees the three tugs, knows the climber is safe so takes him off the belay device.
Climber		After a pause of a few seconds to give the belayer time to remove the belay device, he then hauls up all the slack, puts the climber onto his belay device and then takes in any more slack.
Belayer		This is where the trust between climbers comes in. The belayer now hopes that he is on the belay device and strips out the belay before starting climbing.
Climber		He knows that the belayer will be worried whether he is on belay or not, so pays extra attention to slack coming onto each rope as the belay is stripped out. He then keeps the rope a bit tighter than normal to reassure his belayer.
Belayer		He becomes the climber and begins climbing once ready.
This system works. There is only one signal to look out for and both climbers having discussed it before hand, know what the other is doing without any confusion. The belayer needs to be on the ball to ensure that he doesn't miss the three sharp tugs. If he does, the climber will simply take in the rope through the belayers device, slower and not as slick, but still a safe system. Note: It is important that the climber uses a nice smooth action when clipping runners to avoid any misunderstandings. Snatching the rope could be confused with the 3 pull signal.

Belaying

Belaying is fine art. Your friends' life is in your hands. It requires constant vigilance, taking in a bit here, paying out a bit there, always watching. It inspires confidence in the leader, do it well and he will return the favour, do it poorly and you've lost a climbing partner.
You cannot provide an effective belay while sitting down. If a leader tells you he is going to fall you need to be able to take in slack and fast. But the worst falls happen when a leader isn't expecting it. A foot pops of a small edge unexpectedly. If you are on the ball and see it happen, then by sitting down fast or moving back a step you can easily remove a metre of slack from the system. Dynamic belaying cannot be done from a sitting position. Get on your feet, pay attention and do it right. You would want the same done for you.
When a climber is on the lead and is about to clip, you must pay out enough slack for him to clip or he will feel massive resistance which will possible pump him out. If the leader is already pumped, trys to clip and can't, he'll not be impressed at all. To the leader it feels like being pulled downwards by the rope and is a right pain in the arse. Pay out enough, often three large pulls, then when clipped it can easily be taken in again.

Helmets

Wearing a helmet is a personal choice. In an analysis of deaths and serious injuries over a 20 year period in Yosemite, the conclusion was made that helmets might have made a difference in roughly 25% of the fatal and trauma cases. Most deaths, however, involved impacts of overwhelming force or mortal wounds, other than to the head, i.e. beyond the protection offered by a helmet. This is not an argument against helmets; the point is, a helmet doesn't make you invincible. What goes on inside your head is more important than what you wear on it.

Sitting About or Moving Around

When below climbers, stand to one side of them and not directly below them. If you cannot stand to one side look up regularly to monitor what is going on above you.
Be careful at the top of the cliff. More climbers die by slipping when unroped than by any other cause. Wet grass, a patch of mud, a gust of wind, it doesn't take much. If you want to look over an edge it is safest to commando crawl and peek over.
Don't sit below climbers. If a team comes along to do a route above where you are sitting, move well away. Sitting at the top and abseiling in only when you are ready to climb is a much safer option. This is especially true around "The Prow," as you cannot see what is happening on the slope above you.
Be careful at the top that you don't dislodge anything. A pebble, a rock, or even a rucksack, could seriously spoil someone's day. The cliff is so high that even the smallest of pebbles could cause nasty damage to someone below. Smashed bones are guaranteed. This is particularly important at The Prow above the Black Thief and The Fence for two reasons. Firstly more people climb there than anywhere else and secondly the terrain is loose and steep, tread very carefully. If you see a loose rock move it somewhere safer.

First Aid

If you don't have formal first aid training (which is strongly recommended), at least know how to keep an unconscious casualties airway open, how to protect a possible broken neck or back, and how to deal with external bleeding and serious blood loss. These procedures are lifesaving, do not require any fancy gear and are easy to learn.

In the Event of An Emergency

It isn't possible to predict what to do or what your immediate response will be, suffice to say, stabilize the casualty, extract yourself from the system and organise help.
I will leave the last word to the man we never wish to see, but we are thankful that he and his team are there if ever needed:

To all who climb fairhead:

Please do not hesitate to call the coastguard if you require assistance for any Rescue or Medical assistance. My team at Ballycastle can be with you at your location on Fair Head within 30 to 40 minutes from call out. We have knowledge of the area and can call on other rescue services to work alongside us.

Information that you need to give us to help you:

Your climbing location, who needs help, what has happened, the type of injury, where you are parked, contact details, mobile phone number, etc.

IN AN EMERGENCY CALL 999 AND ASK FOR THE COASTGUARD

To all that climb fairhead -- Be safe out there

Gordon Munro
Sector Manager HM Coastguard