Hi, i have been climbing for a year and a bit on toprope, and have recently started leading. I understand all of the climbing aspects, but have a few questions about belaying for the leader. I have belayed for a leader before, but it was on a way overhung rout with nothing to hit, so i would just lock off in a fall and get lifted a little bit .For these, lets just assume that i am unanchored, and using an ATC.

1) I have been standing next to the wall, about five feet to the side of the first draw while the climber is between the first and second draws so that if he were to fall, he would not land on me. after the second draw, i would then move to directly under the first, and continue to belay from there throughout the climb. Is this the correct possitioning? if not could you please explain why your way is better?

2) to give a soft catch, is it better to let your partner's fall lift you, or let the rope slip a bit? why?

3) on a flat vertical wall with your partner maby 5 feet above the third draw, is it better to lock and sit, or give a dynamic catch? why?

4) in the same situation as #3 should you pull up all the slack you can when you hear "falling" or just be ready for the fall?

I appreciate any advice you give, but please dont call me troll or tell me to take a lesson.

Hi, i have been climbing for a year and a bit on toprope, and have recently started leading. I understand all of the climbing aspects, but have a few questions about belaying for the leader. I have belayed for a leader before, but it was on a way overhung rout with nothing to hit, so i would just lock off in a fall and get lifted a little bit .For these, lets just assume that i am unanchored, and using an ATC.

1) I have been standing next to the wall, about five feet to the side of the first draw while the climber is between the first and second draws so that if he were to fall, he would not land on me.

...after the second draw, i would then move to directly under the first, and continue to belay from there throughout the climb. Is this the correct possitioning?

2) to give a soft catch, is it better to let your partner's fall lift you, or let the rope slip a bit? why?

3) on a flat vertical wall with your partner maby 5 feet above the third draw, is it better to lock and sit, or give a dynamic catch? why?

4) in the same situation as #3 should you pull up all the slack you can when you hear "falling" or just be ready for the fall?

another question. When i go for my lead test indoors, they will be watching for an "appropriate ammount of slack." I hear people saying that gyms are of the mind that the shorter the fall the better, so on their four draw test wall, should i be keeping just a small loop of rope in front of my device? (there is nothing to hit)

one thing you can do when belaying a lead climber is use your legs (which are stronger than arms).

assume your leader has two bolts/pieces in and is still relatively close to the ground, instead of continually feeding or taking in small lengths of rope, walk forward or back a couple steps to give the correct amount of rope to the leader.

if he is moving past the second bolt, move into the wall one step. as he continues, give a little bit with your hands, and then step back one or two steps.

this will keep you from, maybe, frantically trying to give or take slack only with your arms when the leader is struggling, and especially with a gri gri, your hands can't always be fast enough

try this 'technique' in increments and you will get smoother and better at keeping up with the leader.

why are you such a wanker?? is it because you really dont know anything about climbing??

if you cant give beginners something positive to work on, why don't you just shut the f up??

to the OP, ignore anything this jt512 idiot says. his only purpose on this site is to make derogatory comments to other people.

why are you such a wanker?? is it because you really dont know anything about climbing??

if you cant give beginners something positive to work on, why don't you just shut the f up??

to the OP, ignore anything this jt512 idiot says. his only purpose on this site is to make derogatory comments to other people.

one thing you can do when belaying a lead climber is use your legs (which are stronger than arms).

assume your leader has two bolts/pieces in and is still relatively close to the ground, instead of continually feeding or taking in small lengths of rope, walk forward or back a couple steps to give the correct amount of rope to the leader.

if he is moving past the second bolt, move into the wall one step. as he continues, give a little bit with your hands, and then step back one or two steps.

this will keep you from, maybe, frantically trying to give or take slack only with your arms when the leader is struggling, and especially with a gri gri, your hands can't always be fast enough

try this 'technique' in increments and you will get smoother and better at keeping up with the leader.

why are you such a wanker?? is it because you really dont know anything about climbing??

if you cant give beginners something positive to work on, why don't you just shut the f up??

to the OP, ignore anything this jt512 idiot says. his only purpose on this site is to make derogatory comments to other people.

grabs [image]http://www.popcornsupply.com/ProdImages/sm_clsdtopbox.jpg[/image] [image]http://www.emotty.com/images/emoticons/1186.png[/image]

this outta be good.

Boy, that was really a let down, wasn't it? Not even a *PLONK* or anything. I'm a little disappointed in Jay.

Do we keep the thread alive until he notices it?

BTW - Josh and Jay got it right above.

Edit: fixed the images so that they appeared

I had an odd experience once when my climber fell in an awkward manner and some random guy who was watched yelled at me, saying I need to learn how to belay.(been doing it 15 years now). She had clipped a draw into the rope and a gear loop, so for the next bolt she would only have to remove the draw and clip the hangar. She fell before she could, and told me to catch her, so I moved to tension the anchor behind me and locked off. When she fell (bolt at her feet, short fall) the rope pulled on her gear loop and broke it, twisted her around she hit her shoulder. The route was a little overhung, no injuries but she lowered off.

My question is, what was this guy meaning that I did wrong? I locked off so she would have the shortest fall, there was 40ft of rope out, plenty of dynamic stretch there.

... ok here is the deal... Belaying is something that is learned over time... But the number one thing you need to do if you are sport climbing is drop the atc and get a grigri.. Best thing known to man...
here is how I belay... one stand out of the way of the climber on the first few bolts... after move under the first...
To answer your second ? never feed out rope for a softer fall... thats how people deck... All you need to do is give a little hop... ( note if you are 20- 30 lbs liter than the climber... don't jump let their wate pull you... ONLY jump if they are on slab and when I say jump give a hop... no need to lower your partner further than they need to be)
Now if your climber is 5 feet above the 3 bolt and they say "take" than all you do is sit. don't jump dont give out slack.
...I have dont thousands of project belays and have learned from the best...

and do what I said before lose the atc and get a grigri. I can tell you how to use that later.

to the OP, ignore anything this jt512 idiot says. his only purpose on this site is to make derogatory comments to other people.

grabs

Really? Because the sentences I bolded are terrible advice.

I think it's solid advice. I mean, you can't die climbing if you don't climb and you can't climb if your ankles are broken, so naturally the best way to protect your climber's life is to belay as described above.