Are You a Master of Belaying?
The belayer is a very important individual on a climb. Belaying is the act of controlling the weighted rope in a fall or lowering. There are three types of belaying in climbing. This stuff is kinda boring, but really important so pay attention. There is direct belaying, semi-direct belaying and indirect belaying. The belayer must be attentive at all time and feed rope at an appropriate pace. The belayer must anticipate when the leader needs slack or the rope tightened. In a fall, the climber is not always able to give a warning and the belayer must be ready at all times. In direct belaying, the load of a fall is transferred to an anchor without the weight being taken by the belayer first. This is common when the belayer is above the climber such as after the leader has reached the summit and the second climber is coming from below. Whatever anchor is used must be one hundred percent safe. A sling on a solid spike, rock or tree is commonly used. Do not use a tree or rock if its sturdine
