Starting from the bottom? This guide will help you be a better belayer

Tips and tricks to help you be a better belayer

Kirk Brode, front, climbs on the wall at Urban Rocks Gym while Rod Thomas belays from below.
Kirk Brode, front, climbs on the wall at Urban Rocks Gym while Rod Thomas belays from below.

Perfecting the Soft Catch

When your partner slips, your first instinct may be to lock down the rope quickly. While that may keep him or her from falling too far, it could cause your partner to slam into the wall. Great belayers are masters of the “soft catch,” which, when done right, can make a fall feel like sinking into a seat. Essentially, all that means is providing a little slack at the bottom of your partner’s swing back to the wall.Have a partner take some falls in a controlled environment to practice giving a soft catch:» Watch as the climber falls and get ready, locking your brake hand and bending your knees slightly.» Right as you feel the tug on your harness, go up on your toes or give a small hop, letting the climber’s descent pull you up. (If you’re lighter than your climbing partner, be sure to put your feet out so you can land safely against the wall.)» Because soft catches lengthen the fall, use them only when the leader is high on the wall. Do not use if the climber may hit the ground, a ledge or a bulge in the wall.

photo Anthony Beasley works to belay a climber during one of Outdoor Chattanooga's spring open-climb sessions at the Walnut Wall in Coolidge Park.
photo Eyes on the Prize: Belaying can, quite literally, be a pain in the neck. And the shoulders. And the back. To avoid the infamous "belayer's neck" that comes from staring up at your partner all day, consider investing in a pair of Y&Y Vertical's Classic Belay Glasses. The prism spectacles lets you keep an eye on your partner without straining the muscles in your neck. (yy-belayglasses.com)

If you think you're a great belayer, UTC Climbing Wall Lead Matt Somers has news for you: You're probably not.

But don't worry. Most climbers aren't.

"There's a lot of people that can climb really strong, but a whole lot of bad belayers out there," Somers says.

Though the skill is often taken for granted, investing time to perfect the art of belaying is just as important as hitting the climbing wall. Not only can belay skills ensure greater protection for the leader, they can also create opportunities for you to climb with more people - because everyone loves a great belayer.

To help you achieve greatness, Somers pointed out some of the most common mistakes even the most advanced climbers make while belaying from below.

Mistake #1: Not paying active attention

You've probably seen other belayers chatting with friends or checking their phone while their partner navigates the rock above. What you haven't seen is just how dangerous that can be. Most falls are unexpected, meaning you should always be ready to react, and even if your climber is secure, you should still be adjusting slack to avoid hazards and meet needs. (Provide more slack if there's a ledge he or she might fall onto, or just enough to avoid short-roping the climber while s/he is clipping the next bolt). Work to eliminate distractions on the ground and always keep your eyes on the leader.

Mistake #2: Forgetting to check your climber's knots

This is one of the most basic mistakes, but one even world-renowned climbers like Lynn Hill have made. While climbing the 75-foot Styx Wall in Buoux, France, Hill got distracted by conversation and failed to finish tying a safety knot to keep her rope from slipping through her harness. When she let go of the wall to be lowered, she fell - and kept falling - luckily only suffering "a dislocated elbow and a sore butt," she wrote on her blog. The lesson? Always double-check your climber's knot to make sure it is tied correctly and complete. Then encourage your climber to double-check that your belay device is fed correctly and your carabiners are locked down.

Mistake #3: Taking your hand off the brake side of the rope

Lots of belayers believe assisted-braking belay devices are auto-locking and don't require them to keep their hand on the brake side of the rope, but Somers says they're wrong. While devices like the famed Petzl Grigri have camming mechanisms that can help you hold your partner as he or she scales a wall, they are not auto-locking and can fail if the climber is light or if there's a lot of rope drag. Always keep your hand on the brake. Always.

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