Belaying is a serious activity and it should be taught with patience.
THE BELAYING SEQUENCE
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Belaying is a serious activity and it should be taught with patience.
THE BELAYING SEQUENCE
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The break hand must always remain on the rope. A full hand--not just a thumb and forefinger. The sequence illustrated is appropriate for belaying with a slot device, a Gri-Gri, or a figure eight descender. (With the hip belay, the breaking action is towards the body). When belaying with a Munter Hitch, always keep the break hand on the belay side of the rope and ready to arrest a fall.
PARABINER/MUNTER COMBINATION
A parabiner used in conjunction with a munter hitch, can provide a safe, effective belay. This method is recommended for instructors who belay participants on rappels, guided multi-pitch climbs, or in other situations where instructors are belaying from above, directly off of the anchor. Belaying directly off of the anchor affords the instructor a greater range of freedom to observe participants and to deal with problems than does belaying off of the harness. An instructor belaying off of their harness must remain tight against the anchor. The munter is particularly useful when belaying off of the anchor as the belayer can stand below the anchor, holding the belay rope in the same direction as the load. Other devices, including slot devices and figure eights must be controlled by bringing the belay rope back away from the direction of the load.
The munter can be used off of the harness as well as off of the anchor.
The Munter hitch is not recommended for regular weighted lowerings. Lowering under load with a Munter may damage the rope.
FIGURE EIGHT DESCENDER
Belay with the descender in the normal rappelling position. Belaying with the eight will twist the rope. However, if the climber is lowered back down as is the case when sling-shotting, the twists will back themselves out of the rope. The figure eight descender provides a less powerful belay for the lead climber than does a slot device. The figure eight is adequate for belaying a top roped climber.
SLOT DEVICES
ATCs, Pyramids, etc. are an advance over sticht plates, with or without springs. Although to a lesser degree, slot devices, like sticht plates are subject to occasional binding. The danger with binding arises when an inexperienced individual frees the rope. Control of the belay can be lost as a result of the sudden, unexpected loading.
SEMI-AUTOMATIC DEVICES
This category includes such things as the GRI-GRI which is manufactured by Petzl expressly for the purpose of belaying. It does not include jumars and other devices which are not intended for belaying. Semi-automatic belay devices can effectively enhance the safety of a program. However, they are not fool proof, and the instructors must be very familiar with these devices before they are used with participants. If such devices are employed, no reduction of teaching or safety precautions should be permitted. Every participant belayer should be backed up by another person with their hands on the rope. These devices require active, attentive, hands on belaying. Fully automatic systems are available, but they are not yet portable.
HIP BELAY
A safe belay can be provided with a wrap around the belayer's hips. The hip belay is fast and simple The hip belay is one of many skills which the instructor should be prepared to employ. It is not recommend for general institutional use. When participants belay each other with the hip belay rather than with a device, additional skills and techniques are required to manage problem situations such as a heavy participant falls or emergency lowers. In addition, the hip belay can be painful, even when used by old experts. When smaller participants have to belay larger participants, a hip belay can be uncomfortable and potentially dangerous. This can make both overweight and small people self conscious.
When performing a hip belay, the load line should run through a locking carabiner that is clipped into the load bearing point of the harness. This clip in prevents the rope from slipping under the body or over the head. The rope then runs around the back. The breaking motion is towards the body, across the front.
BELAYING SIGNALS
A set of consistent verbal commands can add significantly to the safety of the climbing program. Such signals should be taught in ground belay, practiced, and used correctly on the rock. Use of such signals prevents confusion, makes communication easier in windy weather and helps to reinforce the seriousness of the belaying contract.
Choice of signals is arbitrary as long as you are consistent within your program. For the sake of cross program consistency, employ the following signals:
Art is the belayer.
Jed is the climber.
Art- "On belay Jed"
Jed- "On belay Art" -the contract is established
Jed- "Up rope Art" -as necessary
Jed- "Slack Art" -as necessary
Jed- "Off belay Art"
Art- "Off belay Jed" -the contract is broken
BELAYING/CLIMBING SYSTEMS
There are two primary options. Climbers can be belayed from the top or the bottom of the rock.
The bottom belay (sling-shotting) is the most common method. This approach requires fewer instructors than the top belay, as everyone is together at the bottom. It also makes site management much simpler as the circulation of students from the top to the bottom is not an issue. The sling-shot eliminates the effort that is sometimes required to keep participants safe as they move into a position to belay on the top of the rock or switch from having climbed to belaying. In the event of thunder or other emergency, it is easy to evacuate the site when sling-shotting. The disadvantages of sling-shotting include the necessity for separate bottom anchors for the belayers; the fact that the top anchors must be elaborate as they are often out of site while being used; and the increased vulnerability of slingshot anchors to abrasion.
The top belaying position has the primary advantage of superior aesthetics. The climber, upon reaching the top of the climb can sit with the belayer, away from the crowd for a moment and enjoy the view and the accomplishment. In addition, the belayer sitting on top can be considered a part of the anchor system, eliminating the need for redundant slings. The belayer/instructors can watch for any abrasion or potential injury to the anchor. Top belaying is slower as the transitions and circulation of participants can be time consuming.
My personal preference is the use of a top belaying system with mature populations. Managing safety is not quite as difficult and the number of climbs accomplished in a day is not as important as the quality of the experience. For younger populations with shorter attention spans, I prefer sling-shotting. There are many other factors that must be taken into account when choosing between a top or bottom belay, including the rock site and available staff.
BACK UP FOR THE PARTICIPANT BELAYER
Participants should not be allowed to belay each other without a back up. An instructor or another participant who is acting as a back up should keep their hands on the belay side of the rope at all times. In the event that the participant belayer should fail to hold a fall, the back up can catch the fall, using the same friction advantage through the primary belayer's device. The back up person should be in a position which is suitable for proper breaking.
If the participants will be backing each other up, this task should be practiced along with the belaying sequence. When participants are backing each other up, an instructor should always be close enough (as well as attentive enough) to intervene if necessary.