Top Rope Belay Course
You will learn how to:
- use the equipment
- communicate with your climber
- knot-tying
- proper belay technique
- most importantly, how to double-check before each climb
Requires a Test on your next visit(when you feel comfortable). We want to make sure you are able to retain the information and understand all elements of the double check.
Please call to schedule ahead.
- $75 a person (free with membership)
- Includes equipment rental
- Includes a full access day pass
- climbing
- weight room
- cardio equipment
- Two days of your time
- First Day Course
- Second Day Test (whenever you feel comfortable)
Elements of the Double Check
Both set of eyes on the Climber
- Harness Dress Code
- Rope in Harness
- Knots
- Cellphones-Gear Secure
Both set of eyes on the Belayer
- Harness Dress Code
- Belay Carabiner in Harness
- Break Strand on Correct Side
- Screw Down Carabiner
- Squeeze Check Carabiner
- Tug Test GRIGRI
- Is Floor Anchor Needed
- If Yes Anchor ‘Loose’
The proper way to Double Check is for the TWO Belay Certified partners to look at their equipment TOGETHER where the tradition is for them to BOTH check TOGETHER the climber’s equipment, prior to the climb, first. Then, after checking the climber’s equipment, they BOTH then check out the belayers equipment, TOGETHER.
It’s a TEAM check. This method of checking TOGETHER makes absolutely sure that the equipment is set up correctly. There is no ‘I‘ in the Double Check.
An unsafe way to check, in other words the Wrong Way, is to check each other’s equipment at the same time. This is called a dangerous ‘cross check‘ where they divide their attention to save a few seconds… where “I’m checking you while you check me.” In this flawed method, if one, or both don’t properly check their partner for mistakes, because their attention is ‘alone’, a mistake made by one, will go unnoticed.
A proper, professional Double Check requires the scrutiny of TWO Certified Belayers. Since anyone, regardless of experience, can make a mistake in setting up the equipment, it requires a second set of trained eyes to reexamine that setup TOGETHER to notice mistakes that might have been made by the individual certified belayer.
Therefore, when belaying an uncertified climber, a CHILD for example, it’s required to show some other Certified Belayer in the vicinity that the rope is in the CHILD’S harness, and then, demonstrate that the GRIGRI belay device is loaded correctly, and a squeeze check on the Carabiner to show that it’s locked.
When belaying an uncertified climber, or CHILD, set up the equipment, to the climber, and yourself and then ask some other Certified Belayer… “excuse me… can I have a check…?”
The rope to harness connection can easily be demonstrated by having your index finger in the rope loop where it’s designed to go. It verifies, even from some distance, that the rope is indeed in the harness and not in something else like a belt buckle, draw string, chalk line, etc.
Then, a Tug Test on the GRIGRI device, and a squeeze of the Carabiner to show it’s locked.
A proper Double Check by two Certified Belayer checks for every technical aspect of the setup, starting with them BOTH checking the climber then BOTH checking out the belayers equipment.
Therefore, if a climber drops an unsecured cellphone during a climb… it’s BOTH of their FAULT. They missed that mistake TOGETHER on the climbing side of the check. An example of a mistake on the Belayers side that they BOTH made is if the carabiner wasn’t locked shut.
A further understanding of the need to Double Check properly is more fully appreciated by knowing why the Blue Triangle fabric that holds the Auto-Belay in it’s ready to use position is referred to as a belay GATE in the climbing Industry. Auto-Belay’s are designed to be used ALONE, where there is no other partner necessary to belay.
It’s called a GATE because it acts as a physical barrier, a Double Check to remind the solo climber to make sure that he clips the Carabiners to the harness.
Logically, a person never notices their own mistake when they make one.
Climbers should never ‘trust‘ anyone as it relates to proper equipment setup. It’s not personal. Rather, climbers ‘trust‘ the system of Double Checking and not just trusting a climbing partner implicitly.
Climbers should understand that anyone, regardless of the level of climbing experience a person might have, can make a mistake. Climbers are not automatically safer with an expert.
Climbing history has nothing to do with whether or not THIS UPCOMING CLIMB is correctly set up. VERIFICATION is only accomplished with a proper Double Check.
Question: As it relates to whether the equipment is set up properly or not… who do we trust the LEAST…??
Answer: YOURSELF
