Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Lead belay technique 16-Oct-2018 At 5:02:38 AM Hermes

Message

Hey Chockstone crew,
I'm a bit perplexed by something that's being taught in a number of Melbourne gyms. They are quite adamant that when a lead belayer takes in slack, they should always reach under the lead rope with their off hand, to avoid their arm coming between the lead rope and their body.

The rationale given is that the arm can be injured if the leader falls when the arm is between the rope and the body. Now this scenario seems a bit far fetched to me. When you catch a big fall, the first thing that happens is that your hips get pulled forward and up by the harness, while inertia holds your shoulders and torso back.

It actually seems a bit counter intuitive, as when the leader drops an armload of slack you've either got to blindly fumble your way under it with your hand, or take your eyes of the struggling leader.

I'm pretty sure it's not something that was ever covered on the guide courses I've done. Is this legitimately a way climbers have been injured, or just a random rule the gyms have created?

Cheers,
Andy