Presentation Friday Night: Physics in Rock Climbing

We’re pleased to welcome Xioaping Li to the gym this coming Friday night to give a presentation on Physics in Rock Climbing. Xiaoping is the Chief Instructor at Zen Climb, and has been Lead climbing outdoors since 1994.  Here’s the agenda for his talk:

• Tolerable Forces on Equipment
  • Dynamic Ropes: UIAA 101 Standards
    • Fall factor
    • Why 12kN
  • Climbing Harness: EN 12277 Standards
  • Braking Devices (belay & rappel): UIAA 129 standards
• Top Rope Climbing
  • Forces on climber, belayer, top anchor Friction on top anchor
  • Ground anchor consideration
  • Belayer distance from wall
• Sport Climbing
  • Energy and force in a fall, calculation of peak force
  • Impact forces on climber, belayer, anchor in a fall or rope or slings
  • Belayer’s lifting on impact forces
  • Bolts: types, strengths, rock types
• Trad Climbing
  • Force ratings of protections: stoppers, hexes, camlots, tri-cams.
  • Multi-anchor force calculation
  • Belaying station master point strengths: single pitch; multi-pitch.

The presentation will start at 8pm in our party area, and run about an hour. It’s free to anyone who has a TNCI membership or a day pass for that day.