 |
 |
|
|
|
May/June, 2005
The ABC's of Belaying
By Jon Tierney, Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School
If the second man is exceptionally quick in putting this procedure into operation without losing control of the snaking rope under the whiplash and strain in the panic of the moment, it is possible to arrest a fall without the rope breaking.
From A Dictionary of Mountainering, 1957, definition of dynamic belay
Part 1 in a series on basic climbing skills.
Rope making technology and rope craft evolve over time. Today, think bombproof when it comes to belaying! The belay must be bombproof. A sound belay allows the climber to push their limits with less risk by protecting them from falling. In the early days of climbing, the climber relied on climbing ability as the primary source of protection. This approach is echoed today with free soloists who climb uninhibited by ropes or equipment. For the rest of us, a belay provides essential security to prevent us from augering into the ground.
A belay system consists of multiple components. The appropriate mix of anchor, positioning or stance, friction, and communication forms the foundation of a sound belay system. A belay could be as simple as passing a rope around a large, secure rock. The rock serves as the anchor, friction is created between the rope and the rock and is increased or decreased by the position of the person holding the rope end. This use of a natural feature is an example of a direct belay and is commonly used in alpine climbing.
Dropping the climber is becoming an all too frequent occurrence these days. In this issue we will explore the concept of creating and maintaining friction when using the popular belay plate or slot belay device.
Go to any climbing shop and you will see rows of shiny metal donuts on the wall. The Trango Jaws, Trango Pyramid, Black Diamond ATC (air traffic controller), Camp Tuber, HB Sheriff are all popular forms of belay plates. Regardless of the tool chosen, proper usage is required in order to stop a fall.
Devices such as the ATC are the most basic. Some, like the Pyramid, are reversible to accommodate different size ropes and are ribbed to better dissipate heat. The Trango Jaws also accommodates different ropes and provides options for greater friction by allowing the rope to pinch into a v-slot if desired.
Setting up a belay device
Form a u-shaped bight in the rope and push it through the slot from the narrow end.
The bight, along with the keeper cable are joined together with a locking carabiner which is then clipped into the belay loop on the front of harness. The side of the rope leading to the climber is called the guide strand and the opposite side is called the brake strand. Make sure that the rope going to the anchor is on the same side of the body as the intended brake hand.
Taking in rope
Next is learning the hand motion required to move the rope in a safe manner. Three basic principles apply to the hand motion used with belay plates.
The brake hand should always remain on the brake strand so that it is capable of locking off the rope. Grasp the rope going to the climber with your guide han
d and the side coming out of the belay device toward you with your brake hand.
The rope strands should remain as separate as possible. Pull your guide hand as you push out rope in a “sawing’ like action keeping the rope slightly separated.
The repositioning of the hands should occur behind the belay plate. Pull your brake hand down (when belaying from the bottom with a belay plate) and grasp the rope below your brake hand with your guide hand. Now hold the rope in the locked position with your guide hand while you slide your brake hand back close to the belay plate. Now return your guide hand to the guide strand and start over with step 1 as the climber moves and the rope becomes slack.
Using this above method, the belayer maintains the rope in a braked position the majority of the time and is most likely to stop a fall before the climber hits the ground. And that’s always a good thing!
In the next issue look for tips for setting up belay systems.
Email nick [at] noumbrella [dot] com with your questions, comments and concerns.
Design and Content © 2002 to 2006 No Umbrella
