sport climbing

[sklag]

Well,

I'm contemplating getting some quickdraws and learnin' me how to sport climb, but I am cornfused about how one keeps oneself from getting ripped off your stance when your partner falls?

sklag

[mkporwit]

Have you considered anchoring yourself?

 

Also, unless your partner takes a huge whipper or outweighs you by a lot, the dynamic nature of the rope and the little bit of slip of it through the belay device should keep you from getting launched.

[catbirdseat]

Sport climbs are mostly pretty steep. You stand below the leader, but not where he/she might land on you. If he falls, and assuming he's clipped at least one bolt, you should be pulled straight up, not sideways.

 

But you should ask someone with more experience than I, like maybe Raindawg.

[rob]

 

But you should ask someone with more experience than I like Raindawg.

 

[PLC]

So long as you weigh approximately the same as your partner (within maybe fifty pounds) and you stand pretty close to the wall, you won't get pulled off your feet.

 

That being said.... I once witnessed a small chick belaying a big dude at Lake Summersville in WV. He probably weighed 220 and she couldn't have been more than 100 pounds. She was also sitting on a rock about twenty feet from the wall. He took a whipper near the top of the wall, she was launched like a rocket, dropped the rope when she hit the wall, and he ended up cratering. Not a good scene.

[catbirdseat]

Well,

I'm contemplating getting some quickdraws and learnin' me how to sport climb, but I am cornfused about how one keeps oneself from getting ripped off your stance when your partner falls?

sklag

Methinks a true newbie wouldn't be using words like "stance", or even "quickdraws".

[sklag]

not a true newbie-correct. but what is the correct way to belay for these single pitch endeavors? should I sling a tree/whatever at the base or just hope my belayer or me doesn't bump our noggin and drop each other. But I think I've just answered my own question.

[hafilax]

The rule of thumb is to be within 30% of your partner's weight. Anchoring yourself can make for a pretty hard stop for your partner and it's often good to be somewhat mobile.

 

Wear a backpack with enough weight to make up the difference?

[catbirdseat]

If you want to anchor, but are concerned about a hard stop, just tie in with a bit of slack. It will allow some give, but limit how far you will get hauled.

 

People don't generally anchor on single pitch sport climbs that start from the ground. Occasionally, routes will start from somewhat exposed places, and of course this includes multipitch sport climbs. So naturally, you'll want to anchor in those situations. These sort of anchors are protecting more against falling downward than upward. In any case, the tie-in should allow for some upward movement by the belayer when catching a fall.

 

I was belaying a friend recently on a trad climb at Joshua Tree at Rock Hudson. The start of the route was really low angle and then steepened. I thought about anchoring at first because of the horizonantal component, but then decided not to. My partner fell on the steep part and I got pulled a couple feet forward, but didn't lose the belay or hit anything. But, I wished I had anchored in this case.

[Winter]

just jam kermit in the crack and tie off the frog

[WageSlave]

Assuming you actually are new to the game, some places actually have bolts placed at the belay spots for the belayer to anchor into. I'm thinking of a bunch of the climbs on Sunshine Wall at Vantage as one example. You really shouldn't worry unless its a big fall and proportionally small belayer. Slinging a rock behind you and clipping into it should usually be more than enough.

[jibby]

Stand near the wall, always, this way you won't hit the wall as hard as standing far away. Also get a grigri, they're the best in these situations so that you don't drop your climber. When you feel about to fly put one foot on wall as a brace.

[marc_leclerc]

Stand close to the wall.. when the rope begins to come tight on your partner after he/she falls do a little hop and let yourself get pulled off the ground a couple feet. This makes for a soft catch for your partner and less swing into the wall. This is only for single pitch sport routes

[StreetBoss]

Stand close to the wall.. when the rope begins to come tight on your partner after he/she falls do a little hop and let yourself get pulled off the ground a couple feet. This makes for a soft catch for your partner and less swing into the wall. This is only for single pitch sport routes

 

good advice - this is the standard anymore