Simple Belaying Techniques

This is a brief step-by-step guide to belaying with an ATC device in an indoor climbing environment!

Supplies

• ATC- "air traffic control" device is featured here, other devices may require changes to these steps
• appropriate belay rope
• belay and climber harnesses
• climber shoes

Step 1: Prep Your Person

A secure harness, set of climbing shoes, and top rope are essential to start climbing. Shoes should fit well to the foot and harness straps should be pulled tight to fit at the thighs and waist. Climbers and belayers should help to check to make sure each other's equipment is tight. A top rope mechanism should already be set up by your gym-but make sure ropes are available and not twisted or tied!

Step 2: Harness

Step into the harness

Pull up

Tighten all straps until it is tight around the thighs and waist

Tuck straps in to loops so they do not dangle

The way to test if the harness is tight enough is to put two fingers into the waistband and twist. If the fingers tightly cross, the harness is safe.

Step 3: Figure 8 Knot-Climber End

The first end of the top rope- the one facing towards the wall- should be tied by the belayer and then attached to the climber.

a. Start by measuring a length of rope by holding the free end (tail) in your dominant hand and dragging the rest towards your sternum until it reaches the middle of your body.** This will become your loop.

b. pinch the rope into a loop

c. take the tail in your dominant hand around the loop by moving it towards your body and then all the way back to where it started

d. take the tail and push it through the loophole

e. pull taunt but not tight

an easy way to remember this is make an alien, tie around him, and poke him in the eye

** with a thicker rope or smaller belayer wingspan, take the rope to the shoulder opposite the dominant hand. For a thinner rope or larger belayer wingspan, take the rope shorter than the sternum. This is to ensure the tail is not too long to get in the way while climbing. See Last Step for FAQ

Step 4: Figure 8 Knot-Climber

Now that we have a simple figure 8, we need to double it to make it more secure. The knot also needs to connect to the climber's harness waist loop. This should be done by the belayer and checked by the climber once complete.

a. Take the tail of the rope and put it through the bottom of the waist loop on the climber's harness

b. Pull the rope through the harness until the figure eight knot about rests against the bottom of the harness loop and the tail is pointing up

Now, you need to secure the figure eight knot by following the "8" in order to double it.

a. Start by pushing the tail through the top of the eight- the part closer to the climber- from underneath. You want to push it through the on the left side of the existing knot.

b. Pull the tail until the eight is again resting against the waist loop

c. wrap the tail under the side of the rope that connects to the belayer. This doubled part will sit against the existing figure 8 knot

d. pull the tail to again tighten

e. follow this loop, through the bottom hole of the existing figure 8. The tail will be trailing under the rest of the rope

f. pull tight

g. wrap the tail around the bottom of the 8-the loop near the climber

h. pull the tail through the top hole on the existing figure 8, from the underside

i. pull rope to tighten

**the video attached should walk through both step 3 and 4.

Step 5: Climber Figure 8-Safety Check

After the knot is finished, the climber should check the belayer's work.

Looking at the knot, there should be five groups of two.

a. the rope going in and out of the climber waist loop

b. three groups of two in the knot itself

c. the tail leftover from the knot and the top rope coming out to make the final group

Step 6: Climber Figure 8- Tightening

This makes the knot ready to climb

You want to break down the outside loops of the eight and then pull the ropes on either side until the eight is as tight as possible.

You can then check the length of the tail and add a safety knot if holding it in both fists, there is more than an inch sticking out.

Step 7: Safety Knot

The safety knot is used to keep extra tail from getting in the way of the climb

Do you tie your shoes? Great, you already know how to do this step.

Wrap the tail around the rope in a circle and then poke the tail from the bottom of the loop through the top.

Pull.

Step 8: Belay Device

The rope not facing the wall is the belay rope. We need to connect the loose tail to the belayer's harness.

a. make a loop at the end of the rope

b. connect the ATC to the carabiner

c. Connect the carabiner to the waist loop

d. push the loop through the ATC on the side closest to your dominant hand

e. connect the rope into the carabiner

f. spin the locking device on the carabiner until it locks the clip

g. repeat the step 6 above for a safety knot some way down the rope***

*** safety knot is not required in all gyms

Step 9: Safety Check

Double check before climbing by checking that you have

a. tight shoes

b. tight harness

c. five groups of two

d. locked ATC carabiner

e. two safety knots

Step 10: Climb On!

When all the steps have been completed, the following conversation should happen:

Climber: "On belay?"

Belayer: "Belay on."

Climber: "Climbing?"

Belayer: "Climb on."

The climber may say: "Take" if they need rope slack removed

this would be followed by the belayer saying: "got you" when the slack is gone. Removing slack ensures the rope is tight and the harness can accept weight.

When the climber is finished with their climb, they should say: "Lower"

and the belayer should say: "lowering" and slowly lower them.