I've seen it a hundred times, and Im sure some of you out there have too. Recently I witnessed an incident at a local crag where the belayer really got yanked up the wall, making the situation crappy for the climber and belayer. After the incident the climbing couple felt weary about trying any difficult climbs. I think careful planning and good belay techniques can help to avoid these kind of situations. Posted here is a great write up from Climbing magazine to help with it!
Stop the Flying Circus
By Dave Sheldon / Illustrations by Jamie Givens
How to belay a heavier leader
People whose partners outweigh them by 25 pounds or more
routinely get yanked off the ground when catching sport-climbing leader
falls.
Although this phenomenon is disconcerting at first, it can be perfectly
safe with a few simple precautions—and it provides a nice, soft catch for
the climber.
Some climbers recommend anchoring a light belayer to the ground,
but this may cause the falling leader to experience a hard, shocking
fall. In most cases, allowing a sport-climbing belayer to move around
decreases the chance of injury to the leader and belayer, and also lowers
the force applied to the system.
POSITION
When belaying,
stand directly under the first bolt.
Should the leader fall, this ensures
you will be lifted straight upward,
not dragged across the ground or
scraped along the side of the cliff.
SHOE UP
Wear sturdy, closed-toed
shoes: no flip-flops! As you’re
yanked upward, both hands will be
occupied with holding the rope, so
it’s your feet that keep your body
away from the rock. In a hard fall,
the forces can be violent, so belay
gloves and—if you’re not too cool—a
helmet also are recommended.
CLEARANCE
If the first bolt is
close to the ground, consider having
the leader unclip it after clipping
the second bolt; this will prevent
you from being yanked up into the
first quickdraw. Or, use an extra-long
stick clip to bypass the first bolt,
eliminating the down-climbing and
unclipping shenanigans.
TERRAIN
Scan the rock under
the first bolt or two, following your
likely path of upward trajectory.
Are there any rock spikes or nasty
overhangs to be wary of, or is the
wall smooth and forgiving? Visualize
where you might impact the
rock—hopefully feet first—at three,
five, or 10 feet off the ground. If
there is a chance of being yanked
into something nasty, find another
climb or recruit a heavier belayer.
BE READY
When the leader
pitches off, hold on tight and prepare
for liftoff. Do not jump! If the
leader is low on the climb, consider
dropping down on one knee. This
will increase the distance between
belayer and leader by a foot or
two, which might be just enough to
prevent climber and belayer from
knocking into each other. If a collision
is unavoidable, turn your head
away, keep your mouth shut to
protect your jaw, and don’t let go
of the rope with your brake hand.
STAY NIMBLE
As you get pulled,
keep your feet underneath you—
the movement feels sort of like a
speedy rappel in reverse. Your goal
is to leave the ground in balance.
COMMUNICATE
Holds break,
wasps fly out of holes—a good
belayer should be prepared for a
fall at any time. Still, the leader can
help. When a fall seems like a distinct
possibility, calling out, “Watch
me!” puts the belayer on high alert.
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