Neil's Climbing Courses

Mountaineering Climbing Belay Techniques

belay leverages an anchor to protect a climber against a fan. the cumber controls the belayer through standardized belay commands.

Climber-, on belay? Climber-. Climbing Climber- up rope Climber. tension Climber-. Slack Climber-. faii Climber-. off belay

Beiayer- teiay is on

Beiayer- cim

Beia/er- no verbal response

Beiayer- no verbal response

Beiayer- no verbal response

Beiayer- no verbal response teiayer- teiay is off

For many commands the belayer does not give a verbal response. Compliance with the command is obvious to the climber when the rope is taken up, made tight or given slack as directed.

static belay, mostly used on rock and vertical ice, is when the brake is held fast against a fan.

Dynamic belay, mostly used on snow and ice slopes, is when some rope is allowed to slide as the brake is gradually applied to bring the fallen cumber to a stop.

SrfliMO Wv BELAy

SrfliMO Wv BELAy

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Beiay operation

The oniy way to iearn and stay proficient at beiay operation is to practice and, when out of practice, practice more. operating a beiay is iiiustrated here for the sitting-hip beiay. The first measure of trust among cumbers is, "is this a person i wouid trust to beiay me?"

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apptying brake: RoPe is held Tisi*n.y

AROUND 600y By BRAKE HAND. FEE-LIN& HA^C. IS USeDTO BKftce-THe-fosiTic»^.

FCEL<N& Hano

supe Feelimg, p^nd fop-WARO.

BP-in6 HANDS

•k UNDER NO ORCUfAsrw»cfS ' Does Bf^KE ^NDVeAVf

( Wot_D BRAKE WITH BACK. TO

^ PEEVING» HAND WHILE STARTING

BfcAKET HAND. ALICES BACK. PbSITION.

supe Feelimg, p^nd fop-WARO.

BP-in6 HANDS

•k UNDER NO ORCUfAsrw»cfS ' Does Bf^KE ^NDVeAVf

( Wot_D BRAKE WITH BACK. TO

^ PEEVING» HAND WHILE STARTING

BfcAKET HAND. ALICES BACK. PbSITION.

apptying brake: RoPe is held Tisi*n.y

AROUND 600y By BRAKE HAND. FEE-LIN& HA^C. IS USeDTO BKftce-THe-fosiTic»^.

USE A &TA1NIN&

CARfc^lNEf^Ort

THe 6RMCC S\D£ CM99CD TO WAlST.

USE A &TA1NIN&

CARfc^lNEf^Ort

THe 6RMCC S\D£ CM99CD TO WAlST.

FeemkIg HAliD Feeds ROPE out: BRAtfe hmd remains Ready to Brake-.

a Taie of two Genders

Three cumbers, two men and a woman, were hiking the approach to a mountain when they came upon a stream. The first man prayed, "God, give me the strength to cross the stream." The man's arms buiged out. His iegs buiged out. After admiring his improved muscies the man jumped in and swam across the stream. The second man thought he couid better the first. He prayed, "God, give me the toois to cross the stream." a smaii boat and oars appeared. After a considerabie time examining the exceiient toois, the fine boat and oars, the man set off and rowed to the other side. The woman, unimpressed as usuai, prayed, "God, give me the inteiiigence to cross the stream." a map appeared on a nearby bouider. After examining the map, the woman hiked upstream a coupie hundred yards and crossed on the foot bridge.

Rock aiMbing

Many pacific northwest mountains require rock

CLIMbINC COMPETENCE. BOOTS Or EVEN SNEAKErS

arE sufficient For Many routes. more diFFicuLT

ROUTES rEQUirE TICHT-FITTINC SPECIALIZEd CLIMbINC

shoes with sticky rubbEr soles.

lecs arE stroNCEr than arms. use lecs for upward motion and arms priMariLy For balance. For security, keep three points on the rock at

ALL TIMES, For EXAMPLE, TWO FEET ANd ONE HANd Or TWO HANdS ANd ONE FOOT.

use as Many FiNCErs as possible, which micht rEQUirE FiNCEr stacking. use an UNdErcLinc crip on

OVErHANCINC FEATUrES. IF THE ROCK HAS CRACKS WIdE ENOUCH TO ACCEPT A HANd Or FIST, THEN USE JAMS WHERE A HANd IS INSERTEd ANd THEN FLEXEd Or TWISTEd TO SECURE THE HOLd THROUCH OUTWARd PRESSURE ON THE ROCK.

USE THE FriCTION OF THE bOOT'S SOLE WHENEVER POSSIBLE, A TECHNIQUE CALLEd

SMEariNc. SMEariNc involves cettinc as

MUCH OF THE SURFACE AREA AS POSSIBLE

acaiNST the rock to maximize friction.

USE THE SIdE OF THE FOOT Or THE EdCE OF THE bOOT TO EdCE ON HOLdS ANd ROCK

FEATUrES. in LArcEr cracks, foot jams arE SOMETIMES USEd, EITHER SINCLy Or IN COMbINATIONS.

DyNAMIC OPPOSITION IS THE APPLICATION OF OPPOSING FORCES TO STAy IN PLACE. THE UNdErCLINC HANd TECHNIQUE WORKS bECAUSE THE LECS ANd FEET ARE PUSHINC

upwards. pressing lecs outward

ACAINST rOCK FEATUrES IS CALLEd STEMMINC or bridCINC. A LAybACK INVOLVES PULLINC ON HANdHOLdS IN A CRACK WHILE PUSHINC ACAINST AN AdJACENT ROCK WALL WITH THE FEET. VARIOUS CHIMNEy CLIMbINC TECHNIQUES ALL INVOLVE PrESSINC

outward on both CHIMNEy walls to

MAINTAIN POSITION ANd MOVE UPWARdS.

¿RA\ LOCK

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