Three Tips to Better Your Gym Belaying
With rock climbing season around the corner, this is the perfect time to dial-in your belaying
Improving your belay techniques in the gym will pay off when rock climbing season rolls around in a few weeks. And remember to practice good communication with your partner before and during a climb.
Check Your Systems: Everyone’s done it. Maybe there is a brand-new reset and you just forgot to check, or maybe this is your thousandth belay and you are certain that you have the process down to a science. Regardless of the excuse, always check your own set-up and your partner’s. It can feel like checking every time is redundant and silly, but the most experienced climbers never get on the wall without checking to make sure they are safe.
Keep it Tidy: It seems like more and more people are entering the gym every day. Though a growing community is cool, it does mean that there is less space in the facility. Before you climb, make sure that the rope is flaked, the floor is clear of debris, and you are belaying close to the wall. It is best to belay close to the wall because it allows you to step back to take in extra rope in case your climber takes a big fall. It also ensures that your climber falls the shortest possible safe-distance.
Flip the Rope: It can be easy to want to climb on the same end of a rope over and over again. If you are rockin’ a 70 metre in the gym, flipping the rope, or pulling it all the way through the draws to ultimately tie into the other side, can feel annoying. Even so, it is worth flipping the rope every-time you come off route to increase the life of the rope and decrease the chance of the rope snapping.
