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Belaying from the rope loop


Miguel75

2-Apr-2012
11:04:19 AM

Found this tidbit on the UKclimbing site;

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=1129

Does anyone on chockyland utilize this option when belaying a second?

anthonycuskelly

2-Apr-2012
11:13:07 AM

I'll often belay off both, if I'm already tied in. My girlfriend's dad swears by it, seems to be an old UK thing (he started climbing in Yorkshire in the 60s). Only thing to be aware of is the known tendency of Fig-8 knots to roll when loaded crosswise (ie: if the rope is not clove-hitched to the anchor).

barney800

2-Apr-2012
12:00:26 PM

I used the rope loop once. I brought up my second, dismantled my belay then untied. My belay device promptly fell off the end of the rope and into a crack! I tend to use the belay loop now.


sbm

2-Apr-2012
12:32:51 PM

John Long recommended clipping through both. That's what I do when I'm not belaying off the anchor.

davepalethorpe

2-Apr-2012
1:18:40 PM

On 2/04/2012 Miguel75 wrote:
>
>Does anyone on chockyland utilize this option when belaying a second?

yep if i'm belaying off my harness! I generally use the rope to build anchors, and by clipping through the rope loop instead of the belay loop it helps transfer forces up onto the anchor which is more comfortable (as explained in the article), and as illustrated in the article avoids this:

Mind you, I learnt to trad climb in the UK!

ZERO

2-Apr-2012
1:26:52 PM

Don't think it matters, though belaying from a high anchor point from above means you are less subject to squeeze, and can have two separate anchors, one for you and one for the second.


Eduardo Slabofvic

2-Apr-2012
1:35:48 PM

Being able to escape the system, so you can go for a whizz or down the pub for a few coldies while your second hangs around trying to get your gear out is a handy thing to be able to do.


Ben_E

2-Apr-2012
8:30:21 PM

I usually belay through both.

Hadn't occurred to me to make use of it to direct the climber's weight to the anchor... not a bad idea.


shortman

2-Apr-2012
8:48:28 PM

I never belay anyone from above off my belay loop. Full stop.

Let the gear do the work and be comfy and adjustable if seconders are hanging around.


shortman

2-Apr-2012
8:51:22 PM

On 2/04/2012 STEALTH wrote:
>Don't think it matters, though belaying from a high anchor point from above
>means you are less subject to squeeze, and can have two separate anchors,
>one for you and one for the second.

Totally down with this.

One Day Hero

2-Apr-2012
9:04:09 PM

I pretty much always belay seconders off my belay loop, unless climbing in 3's with double ropes (reverso on the anchors), or climbing with some saggy lump who's going to spend more time on the rope than on the rock (gri gri on the anchors is best, so you can lower them off when you get too bored with their faffing)...........also, I spose when there's a roof and the second might get stuck in space and need to prussic (how often do you get that though?)

Belaying off the belay loop allows your partner to swing through for their lead without excessive faff. In 17 years of climbing, I've never had to 'escape the belay'...........why would you ever have to do this? I have trouble imagining a scenario where a second becomes so incapacitated that the leader has to 'escape the belay' and then ?????


wallwombat

2-Apr-2012
9:12:14 PM

On 2/04/2012 shortman wrote:
>I never belay anyone off my belay loop. Full stop.
>
>Let the gear do the work and be comfy and adjustable if seconders are
>hanging around.
>
>

I'm the total opposite.

It's not called a belay loop because you attach your abseil device to it.

Remind me to never climb a mountain with you.

Full stop.


shortman

2-Apr-2012
9:12:41 PM

I'm never a part of the belay, so does that mean I'm always escaped?

Laying the rope neat as, (on top of the cordellette if nothin else), and simply swapping ends and flippin the rope pile when ur seconder swings thru seems the simplest most 'less faffing around' system to me. What could be easier?


shortman

2-Apr-2012
9:15:41 PM

On 2/04/2012 wallwombat wrote:

>I'm the total opposite.
>
>It's not called a belay loop because you attach your abseil device to
>it.
>
>Remind me to never climb a mountain with you.
>
>
>Full stop.
>
>

Never climb a mountain with me.

;)


wallwombat

2-Apr-2012
9:22:12 PM

On 2/04/2012 shortman wrote:

>Never climb a mountain with me.
>
>;)

That's cool dude. I gave that up ages ago.

Bad weather and fear put me off.

pecheur

2-Apr-2012
9:23:22 PM

On 2/04/2012 shortman wrote:
>On 2/04/2012 wallwombat wrote:
>
>>I'm the total opposite.
>>
>>It's not called a belay loop because you attach your abseil device to
>>it.
>>
>>Remind me to never climb a mountain with you.
>>
+1 ;)
>>Full stop.
>>
>>
>
>Never climb a mountain with me.
>
>;)


Miguel75

2-Apr-2012
10:14:50 PM

On 2/04/2012 Eduardo Slabofvic. wrote:
>Being able to escape the system...,.

That's why I carry a knife;)

I always used to belay seconders off my harness, sans redirect, until I had a big fatty like myself fall off and then just hang on the rope for what seemed an eternity. Now I usually belay off the anchors, or if I'm belaying off the belay loop, I try to work in a redirect...


wallwombat

2-Apr-2012
10:20:11 PM

Actually, considering I only seem to boulder nowadays, don't take any notice of what I say.

I probably can't even remember how to tie in, let alone belay.


IdratherbeclimbingM9

5-Apr-2012
8:59:16 PM

On 2/04/2012 shortman wrote:
>I'm never a part of the belay, so does that mean I'm always escaped?
>
>Laying the rope neat as, (on top of the cordellette if nothin else),
>and simply swapping ends and flippin the rope pile when ur seconder swings
>thru seems the simplest most 'less faffing around' system to me. What could
>be easier?

I may be misunderstanding you, but isn't the point of swapping rope ends to avoid having to flip (or back-flake), rope piles?
Swapping rope ends on multipitch (especially at hanging belays), seems like faffing around to me, unless you are maybe trying to shave time off a speed ascent of El Cap!

~v

On 2/04/2012 One Day Hero wrote:
>Belaying off the belay loop allows your partner to swing through for their
>lead without excessive faff.

I doubt belaying off the tie-in loop would change that scenario.☺

... and to answer M75's original query; I use whatever method seems appropriate at the time, as they both can have dis/advantages depending on the specific belay circumstances!


shortman

5-Apr-2012
9:35:10 PM

On 5/04/2012 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:
>On 2/04/2012 shortman wrote:
>>I'm never a part of the belay, so does that mean I'm always escaped?
>>
>>Laying the rope neat as, (on top of the cordellette if nothin else),
>
>>and simply swapping ends and flippin the rope pile when ur seconder swings
>>thru seems the simplest most 'less faffing around' system to me. What
>could
>>be easier?
>
>I may be misunderstanding you, but isn't the point of swapping rope ends
>to avoid having to flip (or back-flake), rope piles?
>Swapping rope ends on multipitch (especially at hanging belays), seems
>like faffing around to me, unless you are maybe trying to shave time off
>a speed ascent of El Cap!
>
>~v
>
>On 2/04/2012 One Day Hero wrote:
>>Belaying off the belay loop allows your partner to swing through for
>their
>>lead without excessive faff.
>
>I doubt belaying off the tie-in loop would change that scenario.☺
>
>... and to answer M75's original query; I use whatever method seems appropriate
>at the time, as they both can have dis/advantages depending on the specific
>belay circumstances!
>

Now that I've re read what I wrote, I totally agree with u M9. Not sure what tangent I was on. I clearly wasn't talking about swappin leads. I'll just crawl back to my hole now. ;)

There are 59 messages in this topic.