Ref: 8646258, 8618928

USER GUIDE VERTIKA CLIMBING HARNESS

1 PARTS
2 GENERAL
3 CARE AND STORAGE
4 MODIFICATIONS AND REPAIRS
5 CHECKS AND LIFESPAN
6 WARRANTY

Thank you for choosing this VERTIKA SIMOND harness and putting your trust in us. The VERTIKA harness is available in 4 sizes for men and 3 sizes for women: These harnesses are designed for climbing and mountaineering use. For your safety, read and understand these instructions in full before use. Do not destroy them, keeping them for later use (care, lifespan and product warranty).

PLEASE NOTE: TRAINING IS ESSENTIAL

Mountaineering and climbing are hazardous sports. You are responsible for learning the techniques required for undertaking these activities, as well as the correct use of the equipment. Only individuals trained for activities at height, or under the direct and permanent visual control of people trained for activities at height are permitted to use this material. If you have not received such training, do not use this product. Ignorance and/or incorrect use of the techniques can result in serious injury or death. This user manual has been drawn up in accordance with standard EN 12277: 2015 + A1:2018, as well as European regulation (EU) 2016/425 relating to personal protective equipment. It is impossible for us to foresee all improper uses of this harness. Generally speaking, uses which differ from those described herein are prohibited. Failure to follow any of these warnings could result in serious injury or death.

1 - PARTS Figure 1

A - Belaying ring B - Legs C - Tie-in loop D - Loop for carrying additional gear E - Belt adjustment buckle F - Leg loop adjustment buckles G - Gear strap ( x 4) H - Rear adjustment buckles I - Belt

Figure 2

2 - GENERAL

This product is a sit harness, designed for climbing or mountaineering. It is designed to support the user during a fall from height. The VERTIKA harness is not suitable for children with a weight of less or equal to 40 kg and/or with a crotch-to-shoulder length below 50 cm. Risk of injury in case of a rollover. In this case, a full body harness (type B harness defined by the EN 12277: 2015) standard is more appropriate. The VERTIKA harness has been designed for use with personal protective equipment that meets current standards. Ensure the inter-compatibility of all the items in the belay system and that none of the elements in the belaying chain affects the operation and safety features of another element. It is imperative to observe the harness roping-in and closing diagrams. Remember to check the buckles and adjustment elements during use. Always consider how to best organise rescue for yourself or others if necessary. Please note that polyethylene has a low melting temperature of 140°C and a low coefficient of friction.Fitting the harness Remove the harness from its carrying bag and spread it out before you. To put on the VERTIKA harness, hold it in front of you with the tie-in loop at the front, and check that the elastics connecting the leg loops to the belt do not pass over the belt and/or are not twisted. If they are, untangle them. Pass the legs through the belt and leg loops (Figure 3). You can combine the VERTIKA harness with a chest harness as described in the EN 12277: 2015 standard, for Type D (harness surrounding the upper part of the body, passing around the chest and under the arms), to ensure proper position of the body. For roping-in in this situation, refer to the body harness manual.

Fitting the harness

Remove the harness from its carrying bag and spread it out before you. To put on the VERTIKA harness, hold it in front of you with the tie-in loop at the front, and check that the elastics connecting the leg loops to the belt do not pass over the belt and/or are not twisted. If they are, untangle them. Pass the legs through the belt and leg loops (Figure 3). You can combine the VERTIKA harness with a chest harness as described in the EN 12277: 2015 standard, for Type D (harness surrounding the upper part of the body, passing around the chest and under the arms), to ensure proper position of the body. For roping-in in this situation, refer to the body harness manual.

Adjustments

The belt can be adjusted with a strap fitted with a self-locking buckle (Figure 4). When properly fitted at the waist, not the hips, the harness should not slip or be too loose at the thighs. A hand should be able to pass between the leg loop and the leg (Figure 5). Conversely, it should not impede movement nor prevent breathing. Before use in the field, carry out suspension tests in a safe place, to ensure the harness is the right size, the fit is correct and the harness is comfortable enough for use. When using the VERTIKA harness, check the adjustments and self-locking tightening straps regularly.

Roping in

An image shows you the place where you need to rope up (Figure 7). We recommend using a double figure of eight knot with stop-knot (easy to tie and check visually) for roping in. Be careful, roping up should only be done at the tie-in points (B). Any other rope-up option, directly on the strap or on a gear strap (as shown in Figure 8) is forbidden. Their strength is not designed for such stress (risk of serious injury or death). Do not forget to visually check the climber’s rope-up knot and that the follower’s carabiner is locked before climbing.

Belaying

To belay another climber, connect a belaying device with a carabiner set up on the belaying ring (Figure 7). Be careful, no straps or gear straps of the harness should be used to belay another climber or for self-belaying. Their strength is not designed for such stress (risk of serious injury or death).

3 - CARE AND STORAGE

CARE
To clean your harness, wash it with warm, clear water (30°C) and mild soap. Be sure to rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of soap. Allow it to dry in the open air, away from light and heat. If you use your harness in salt air, be sure to rinse it with clear water after use and allow it to dry in the open air.
STORAGE
Store your harness in a dry, cool and ventilated place, away from light. Avoid any contact with chemicals or corrosive substances, whatever they are, as their effects on the harness would be harmful. The set must be transported in its original packaging case. Take care not to expose your harness to a temperature below -40°C or above 80°C. You should never leave your harness inside a car in direct sunlight, for example.

4 - MODIFICATIONS AND REPAIRS

Any modification or repair of the product is forbidden. It is strongly discouraged to buy a «used» harness because its history can be falsified.

5 - CHECKS AND LIFE SPAN

Checks
Before and after each use, you should check the condition of your VERTIKA harness: Check for abrasions, burns and/or cuts on the straps and seams of the belaying loop, tie-in points and on the harness as a whole. The tie-in loops are equipped with a wear indicator. The appearance of a red textile will signal the end of the service life of the reinforcing part (Figure 9). In this case the harness must be discarded. Please note, if affected by moisture or frost, the harness becomes much more sensitive to abrasion, so take extra precautions. Check that the self-locking buckles do not have any cracks, deformation, corrosion, wear or other damage. Make sure they work well. A more detailed inspection should be carried out at least once a year by a qualified person. Following the checks set out above, if you notice that the harness has any fault on any straps or self-locking buckles, stop using it and destroy it. If in doubt about the condition of the harness or its resistance, have it checked by a competent and trained person or destroy it.

Lifespan
The maximum service life of SIMOND products, considered from the date of manufacture indicated on the product, is as follows: - 10 years for harnesses. - lifetime for metal products. This service life is defined from the date of manufacture of the product, stamped on the harness label in day/month/year format. This 10-year service life may be reduced depending on the type and frequency of use. It may be reduced to a single use in case of intensive use with friction or in the case of high stress (stopping a high fall, exposure to chemicals, extreme temperatures, etc.). The melting temperature of high tenacity polyethylene of which part of the belaying ring is made, is 140° C. As long as your VERTIKA harness passes the checks described above, you can use it. If you have any queries on the status of the product, have a skilled, trained person check it or destroy it.

6 - WARRANTY

SIMOND harnesses are guaranteed against defects in workmanship for a period of 2 years from the date of purchase of this product. Are excluded from the warranty, normal wear, oxidisation, as well as any damage caused by misuse or modification of the product.

7 - MEANING OF MARKINGS

VERTIKA GENRE SIZE: commercial name of the product, gender and size
XXX: Serial number
UIAA: this product complies with the UIAA 105 safety label
EN 12277 : 2015 +A1 : 2018: complies with standard EN 12277: 2015 +A1:2018 relating to mountaineering climbing harnesses
CNUF 69630: manufacturer identification number
0082: module D certification body and notified laboratory that carried out the EU type examination: APAVE SUDEUROPE SAS - CS 60193 - 13322 MARSEILLE Cedex 16 – France. Laboratory no. 0082

: washing instructions
: Refer to the instructions before using this equipment
: SIMOND logo

: DECATHLON logo, parent group of SIMOND
: batch manufacture date (day/month/year)

: Recyclable product or packaging
: equipment complies with the requirements of regulation (EU) 2016/425

The EU declaration of conformity for your product is available on the website : www.supportdecathlon.com SIMOND – 150 Route des papillons 74400 CHAMONIX (FRANCE) Tel: 33 (0)4 50 55 50 54