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Re: [clc] Pulled off belay stance:
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rgold
Jun 12, 2010, 9:33 PM
Views: 3787
Registered: Dec 3, 2002
Posts: 1804
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The term, "belaying off the anchor," usually involves two concepts that really deserve separate consideration:
1. The seconds weight is taken directly by the anchor in case of a fall.
2. An autolocking device is used (Reverso 3, ATC Guide, Gi-Gi plate, for example).
I don't think there is anything the matter with Item 1 except perhaps in a genuinely marginal and hopefully very rare situation.
There are quite a few problems with Item 2.
(a) The second gets an inferior belay because of the difficulty of paying slack back out through the autoblocking device. In some cases, when the rope runs diagonally or horizontally, such belays go from inferior to potentially dangerous.
(b) Once the second is hanging on the belay, lowering can be difficult or impossible. I know of experienced climbers who have had to go through a complete belay escape in order to lower a hanging climber.
(c) Belayers are encouraged to ignore conventional belay duties and trust the technology to work perfectly.
(d) The belayer intent on constructing an anchor to hold the device may opt for placements that are not the best available (I see quite a lot of this actually).
(e) In real trad situations as opposed to climbs with bolted belay anchors, there are plenty of anchors whose positioning is all wrong for placing the device on the anchor. In addition to the anchor being too low, an anchor that is too high encourages the belayer to use it anyway. In this case, if the anchor ends up being weighted by the second, it cannot even be reached in order to be released.
(f) Effort in pulling rope through the device is the dirty little secret of autoblockers. You really have to use smallish single and smallish half ropes to avoid getting pumped at the belay, and if your pitch has rope drag you are in for some major exercise.
(g) Added in edit: Many people like autoblockers for belaying two seconds in alpine contexts. But it is also harder to keep up with climbers moving quickly with these devices, which increases the possibility of a second taking a "leader fall" on the anchor, which is often not as bombproof on an alpine route.
My personal solution is to embrace Item 1 and eschew Item 2. I belay from my harness...off the anchor. To do this, I use clovehitchology to easily set up a taut anchor line for whatever belay position I've chosen, and then clip my belay device to the tie-in knot loop, not the harness belay loop. Belaying motions are those of the harness belay, but any load goes immediately to the anchor via the anchor rope, which supplies a significantly better shock-absorbing connection than you get by clipping a device directly to some cordelette made of low-stretch materials. (I don't change things around when belaying the leader; I think this is the best set-up for holding a factor-2 fall as well.)
This method is not always as comfortable and casual as standing next to an autolocker eating a sandwich while ostensibly belaying, but I think on balance it is far superior.
Redirecting through the anchor makes the least sense in my opinion, and the OP's experience is one of a number of examples.
(This post was edited by rgold on Jun 13, 2010, 5:36 PM)
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Post edited by rgold
() on Jun 13, 2010, 5:36 PM
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