The Hillwalker’s Guide to Mountaineering - Essential Skills

• Description
• Contents
• Introduction
• Sample Route
• Reviews
• Further Reading

Belaying

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Belaying is a method by which one climber draws in and pays out rope to which their mountaineering partner is attached, and in so doing protects them as they ascend or descend. In the event of a fall or bad slip, the belayer can stop the climber from coming to grief by ‘locking off’ the rope.

When you are belaying the rope you are holding is either ‘live’ rope or ‘dead’ rope. Live rope is the section that links the ascending climber to the belay device. Dead rope is the section that falls to the ground on the other side of the belay device. The belayer must never let go of the dead rope, as ‘locking’ off this rope is the means by which a fall is arrested. By remembering the names ‘live’ and ‘dead’ it should be quite easy to remember which rope you can’t afford to let go of! In order to belay another climber effectively it is also essential to first establish a safe and secure position from which to do so. This is called a stance.

Belay Techniques
In this section we discuss the appropriate belay techniques for scrambling – direct belays and semi-indirect belays. When scrambling on exposed routes the mountaineer will usually select direct belays as a first choice if possible, because they are fast and easy to rig. However, they are still technical, and a lot of judgement is required to ensure that the anchor and position are good. Direct belays may be efficient, but to be successful there must be no doubt as to the integrity of the anchor chosen.

Direct Belay
The most important aspect of a direct belay is that it should be able to support a very large force without any possibility of failing. The belayer may be either attached or unattached to the anchor – this depends largely on how exposed or serious the belaying position. On some occasions it is not appropriate for the belayer to be attached to the anchor as they need to be standing well away from any possible dangers, such as on a plateau at the top of a route. However, the belay must depend upon an uncompromised anchor ie. an immovable object. The decision as to whether the belayer is attached to the anchor or not must lie with the belayer.

Example 1 – Rope and Rock
You can belay directly from a large rock by simply wrapping your rope round the chosen anchor, creating friction between rope and rock. If the anchor is too big too much friction will be generated and the rope will not be able to move. It is crucial that the rock anchor chosen is the appropriate size, and that it will not fail when loaded.

Care must be taken when positioning the rope round the rock to ensure that it lies well down the back of the anchor, and that when pulled the rope does not rise above the rock. If the anchor is below the belayer’s hips the belayer will need to sit down; the belayer’s hips must always be below the height of the anchor to which they are attached. Equally important is that the belayer’s hands are not raised above the height of the anchor. The dead rope should always be pulled in a downward direction. This will prevent the rope from rising over the top of the anchor when taking in. To take in or let out rope simply control the rope by using a hand-over-hand method.

        Top Tips

• Always wear gloves when belaying, as rope friction can be painful and may also cause you to lose control of the rope.
• Ensure that your stance (your belay position) is comfortable, stable and strong. The rope may rise off the anchor as the climber approaches you, so it is important to communicate with the ascending climber.
• You should only use the direct belay for an ascending climber or when lowering off small, awkward steps.

Example 2 – Italian Hitch
The Italian hitch is one of the most used belay knots, but it should only be used to protect an ascending climber (ie. a second) from a stance above, or to lower a descending climber from a stance. (To protect an ascending lead climber from below, a belay plate should be used.) Certainly an Italian hitch should never be used from a direct belay to protect an ascending lead climber because if the belayer loses control of the rope the anchor is likely to lift out of position – you will no longer have an anchor!

You can use the Italian hitch from either single or equalised anchors (see page 97). All you need is one HMS screwgate karabiner and a tape sling, or a central point of load from an equalised anchor. It is important that the friction knot rests at the broad base of the karabiner spine. Karabiner orientation is very important in order to avoid the friction knot resting on the locking karabiner gate.

The next step is for the belayer to position himself or herself in a comfortable, stable but strong stance.

Step 1 – Begin by holding the dead rope in one hand close to the Italian hitch knot. The other hand should hold the live rope approximately 60cm from the Italian hitch.

Step 2 – Gripping both dead rope and live rope, simultaneously pull the live rope towards the Italian hitch, and pull downwards on the dead rope away from the Italian hitch.

Step 3 – Transfer the live-rope hand to the dead rope. Then move the dead-rope hand back up the dead rope close to the Italian hitch. Ensure that you do not let go of the dead rope at any time.

Step 4 – Take your live-rope hand back to the live rope approximately 60cm from the Italian hitch and proceed to take in rope by following Steps 1, 2 and 3 again. Continue to repeat the cycle.

        Operating the Italian Hitch

• To lock off the Italian hitch simply bring the dead and live rope parallel and hold tight.
• To take in rope it is important to always have at least one hand on the dead rope at all times. It is possible to pull the rope in hand-over-hand style.

The main advantage of this belay technique is that it is fast when taking rope in. Not all scramblers will climb fast (and actually it is wise to take your time). Nevertheless, some scramblers will travel naturally fast, and all will move that little bit faster where the terrain allows them to do so.

        Top Tips

• Always consider where your spare/dead rope will be stacked as it accumulates at the belay stance. Don’t allow it to fall down the cliff as it may snag, and will be difficult to manage.
  
• Organise your belay stance so that the rope can be stacked neatly, without impeding the ascending or descending climber, at the stance.
  
• Always wear gloves when rope handling direct belays.
  
• Remember! You can easily convert the Italian hitch knot to a clove hitch when the climber arrives at the stance, or you can easily clip another HMS karabiner to the sling and tie a clove hitch knot. Either way, you will have your hands free until they are ready to belay again.

Semi-Indirect Belay
A semi-indirect belay is when a belay plate is used, with either a single rope or two ropes. The belay plate is connected to the tie-in loop, and the belayer will also be attached to the anchor.

A semi-indirect belay absorbs and distributes load through the belay plate and back to the anchor without creating discomfort for the belayer, as the load will pass through the tie-in loop, maintaining independence of the belayer from any load. The belayer must be tight on the anchor for the system to work correctly and safely.

Belay plate orientation is crucial to the smooth running of rope, especially for taking in rope and locking off the system. The dead rope should always flow at a 90° angle – sideways on – to the belayer. You should observe a perfect S for SAFE in the shape of the rope (see photograph) as it runs through the belay plate, as this creates maximum friction. There should be no awkward twists in the rope, allowing it to run freely through the plate.

The S-shape will allow a perfect 180° lock-off with any obstructions, but you do need room to brake on the stance you have chosen. To belay safely it is vital never to let the dead rope – or braking rope – drop. If it does, and the climber slips, you will not be able to stop the rope from running freely through your belay plate.

        How to Belay Correctly Using a Belay Plate
        Preparation

• You may be belaying from above or below. Ensure that your body position is side on to the ascending climber, and facing towards the stance position where the ascending climber will eventually stand or sit.
• Connect your belay device to the tie-in loop created when you tied into your harness using the rope. This rope loop now becomes your belay loop.
• Note When taking in rope for an ascending climber the belay device is connected to the bottom of the belay loop, and when a climber is belaying a lead climber they must clip the belay plate to the top of the belay loop. This orientation will avoid unnecessary twist and kinks appearing in the rope and belay device, causing difficult rope handling and rope jam.
• Check that the rope orientation runs through the belay device in a neat S-shape with no twists or kinks. This will allow the rope to flow smoothly.
• When locking off an ascending climber the dead rope will be positioned uphill and to the side of the belayer.
• When locking off for a lead climber the dead rope will be positioned downhill and to the side of the belayer.
• When the belayer is holding the weight of a climber the force will be greatly reduced as the rope passes through the belay plate and into the belayer’s hands. It is critical at this stage for the belayer to be completely tight on the anchor attachment so that there is no shock loading on the anchor.
• This set-up avoids any unnecessary pressure being applied to the belayer’s hips via loading of the rope.

Step 1 – Pull the dead rope down towards the live rope to allow the rope to run smoothly through the belay device.

Step 2 – Pull back the dead rope at an angle of 180° to the live rope. To pay rope out, reverse the process – pull out the live rope whilst maintaining control of the dead rope.

Step 3 – Transfer your live-rope hand to the dead rope and reposition your dead-rope hand close to the belay plate.

Step 4 – Maintaining your hand position on the dead rope, reposition your live-rope hand back onto the live rope approximately 30cm in front of the belay plate.

Repeat – Steps 1, 2, 3 and 4

During transfer of hands it is absolutely critical to ensure that both are gripping on to the dead rope, before taking the live-rope hand off. The belayer must never let the dead rope go completely.

To lock the rope off, for example in the event of a fall, simply pull the dead rope back behind the belay plate and hold, creating an angle of around 180°. This prevents any more rope being pulled through the belay device.

Belay Plate Orientation in a Multi-Pitch Situation
Some mountaineering routes may require you to protect a number of pitches consecutively. On these multi-pitch routes the belay plate needs to be reorientated according to whether you are protecting an ascending climber from above or from below.

To protect an ascending climber from below, the belay plate should be clipped to the top of the tie-in loop. To protect an ascending climber from above, the belay plate should be clipped to the bottom of the tie-in loop.       

        Top Tips

• Always have gloves to hand for belaying.
  
• When taking rope in, clip the belay plate to the bottom of the tie-in loop.
  
• When paying rope out to a climber, clip the belay plate to the top of the tie-in loop.
  
• Establish good clear climbing calls before you set off.
  
• Always be an attentive belayer.