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Topic Date User

No good belay devices yet? 15-Oct-2010 At 2:43:13 PM dave h.

Message

On 15/10/2010 One Day Hero wrote:

>If you let go of the brake hand due to a bump, whilst still conscious,
>you are a shit belayer

Criticising other belayers who take additional steps to safeguard their leader makes you the worse belayer.

There are bumps into walls, and then there are *bumps* into walls. While a leader falling high on a route (with good pro not too far below) isn't going to bang you into a wall too hard, seems to me that a fall between the first or second bolt is more likely to pull a belayer into a wall hard. And what about heavier leaders with lighter belayers who fall at the second bolt? The extra fall distance introduced by the belayer being pulled upwards could cause the leader to deck.

While anchoring mightn't be necessary (I think I'd hold on even if I got a reasonable whallop) I think it's a good idea in some circumstances. Once the danger of a high impact force fall is over the belayer can always unclip from the anchor.