How To Belay from Above

[@ronvonbargen8411]

Good video. Short, to the point, and explained well. The only thing I would recommend. Is when you reach the top of your pitch. Treat the anchor like any other bolt or piece of protection. CLIP IN TO THE BOLT FIRST with a draw THEN SET UP YOUR ANCHOR. Then clove hitch in to anchor.

[@reneeschke]

Would you put the biner for the anchor in front or behind the quickdraw? It can get cramped in there.

[@sihatchyvtec]

I agree 100%, best to be safe and clip the quickdraw behind your anchor

[@DP-rb5xq]

The smoothness of that clove hitch, so satisfying...Great video!

[@crosstowntrains]

Jesus. 0:34 for the sexiest clove hitch I've ever seen.

[@micahvorst5631]

+Brenton Lee i think we are all in love with it

[@InsaneWisePeoples]

+Brenton Lee Agreed.

[@matthewwhalen2522]

i think shes done that before....

[@sizone]

@Glenn Johnson she wasnt teaching the hitch. she's teaching the anchoring system.

[@sizone]

@Glenn Johnson good thing they didnt show her driving to the crag, you woulda criticized that. "getting to the crag safely is part of climbing! SEEK COMPETENT INSTRUCTION! also, here's how to lace climbing shoes properly."

[@TheEmuner7]

i watched that clove hitch like 10 times wow ;)

[@micahvorst5631]

+ryan pouliot lol. right?! that was awesome

[@alex60681]

i watch it in slowmotion like 5 times to figure the technique !

[@josefkral957]

haha Margaret has impressed me straight away!

[@And-rc9yy]

Haha, I think I watched it like triple that and at slow speed, YT is so helpful and slo-mo helps a lot. Watch - Repeat + Learn

[@SomethingSuperSpiicy]

This is the best vid on this topic yet... good shit

[@drewwatts2803]

Dat clove hitch tho....

[@arnoldmeulen]

This is a very good and safe configuration to belay. the force depends on the angle. (which you can change with the length of the rope/sling) in this case the angle is lower than 120°. I guess the angle is between 30° and 50° ,so the force on each anchor should be aproximately 60% the optimal angle is 30° and lower, then the force on each anchor is 50% and less. the force on each anchor is 100% and more in a sitiation where the angle is higher than 120° example 1: body-weight: 100kg 100% 30° angle. anchor 1: 50kg 50% anchor 2: 50kg 50% a total of: 100kg. (100%) 100kg(1) on a total weight of 100kg (1) 1:1 example 2: body-weight: 100kg 100% 120° angle. anchor 1: 100kg 100% anchor 2: 100kg 100% a total of: 200kg (200%) 100kg (1) on a total weight of 200kg (2) 1:2

[@reneeschke]

50% AND LESS? If the anchor is perfectly equalized and you have only 2 bolts, how can the force be less than 50%? It needs to add up to 100%, doesn't it? Or what am I missing?

[@arnoldmeulen]

​@@reneeschke ​ It depends on the movement and the gravity. a low angle is perfect if you move a lot. this video demonstrates the weight on a load cell. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmG2gWtriJagarM

[@LV-qr8fr]

Nice video Short and to the point. badass never seen a pregnant woman climb or do any sports really.

[@TheLeontheking]

not so cool.. one fall and some crash against the wall may be enough to kill the baby

[@joshuaforester]

people understandably freak out about pregnant women doing activities, but in most cases it's unreasonable. the baby is suspended in amniotic fluid and is the safest being in the equation. more danger from driving a car.

[@brodywx]

Good video. Just wanted to point out for other people watching: When she says for the redirected belay that a 2:1 force is being applied to the anchor, I believe she means that all the force is being applied to one anchor instead of two, unless you hook the belay carabiner to the focal point of the anchor. A redirected belay doesn't double the force going to the anchor.

[@InsaneWisePeoples]

+Casper Veil When she says 2:1, she is referring to the effect of having both the belayer's weight and the climbers weight on the anchor. With the direct belay, only the climber's weight is on the anchor. A redirected belay does double the force going to the anchor and it concentrates it on only one bolt if you do it the first way (the way she says not to do it).

[@brodywx]

+Josiah DiMeglio Aye!

[@lyingcat9022]

What she said was right. And it’s doing both belaying the climber off one bolt and a theoretical 2:1 at the bolt. Is it doubling the climbers weight at the bolt, no because you are not hauling the climber with the system. But there is still a mechanical advantage at the bolt.

[@sizone]

Also, it's a bolt. 2:1 on a bolt that's designed to hold lead falls belaying a second on TR isnt a big deal -- however, if you constructed this with gear, that's a different situation and may require paying attention to.

[@sizone]

@Glenn Johnson if you are hoping that a 1x force on a bolt you're sure a 2x will cause failure you have way bigger problems - esp when you're talking a TR fall on a bolt which will be around 1.5-2x the climbers weight on average, ie me a 85kg dude will rack in around 1.5kN or so if the belay isnt super loose. If 1.5kN is ok for your bolt but 3kN is not, you have extremely serious problems with your bolt and you are shaving your margins way too close (also I doubt your ability to do so with the bolt being hidden inside the rock). I am saying you always backup your bolts with a second bolt/anchor not because you are worried 3kN will cause it to fail, but because it could fail at ANY load including 0.1kN or be hand pulled out (as has happened to bolts in Thailand). Understand why redundancy is required, dont make up new reasons to reduce the 1 in 10,000 problem when you havent handled the 1 in 100 problem yet.

[@brunomarques309]

Hey! I'm taking a clearer right now and we just started discussing anchors. I was wondering: is it fine too use non locking biners for the anchor, as donné in this video, or should I use screw gate carabineers for that? I believe we're instructed to always use screw locks for this in our course

[@inferiumrs3929]

Non-locking carabiners are perfectly suitable & safe. However, you can use your own judgement as per the situation. For example, perhaps you are top roping with a few climbers, or are taking a newer climber out for the day, and you have additional lockers readily accessible. In this case, of course you are doing no harm in using lockers. But to answer your question once more, yes it is absolutely fine to use non-locking carabiners in this scenario.

[@taylorharris50]

Guess that clears up how to belay from above and also if it's safe to do so while pregnant...

[@Messiahs]

+Taylor Harris Its a belly weight sack, duh!

[@MrMusicforthemass]

Pregnant climbers are hot, lol

[@nowdatsfresh]

2:34 “If anything happens to me like get stung by a bee or get hit by a rock” Or go into labor...

[@dchowning7346]

I've had difficulty lowering a climbing partner (he dropped his nut tool) using this system as set up. Is there a trick to lowering someone other than just trying to force slack through little bits at a time?

[@NatetheAceOfficial]

A common method is to use a carabiner as a lever in the nose loop of the ATC to extend that lever action out to multiply your force.

[@premiumbitter]

Girth-hitch a sling to the bottom hole on the belay device, then redirect it up through the anchor using a carabiner, you can then pull-down, or step on the sling to completely release the load. I HIGHLY recommend trying this without a climber on the other end the first time you do it though, it's very tricky with a live load if you've never done it before.

[@morotegari1]

A baby climber is comming :)

[@peakposse1906]

Is the autoblocking device an ATC with an extra attachment point? Can it be used as an ATC and an auto blocker? If so, would it be best to carry one of these instead of the traditional ATC or would you carry both? Thanks for the video.

[@premiumbitter]

Yes, it's an ATC with extra loops. It can be used both ways. No need to carry another ATC!

[@BlackPantherClimbing]

It is called ATC Guide, it has an extra loop on top for this specific purpose. Only one ATC required

[@MrAussieJules]

pretty much use this all the time on long alpine climbs... failsafe, allows me to drink etc while belaying. Good when you are fatigued.

[@florentingoyens7558]

And Petzl reverso or ATC guide are both equivalent to set up this guide system to belay from the top right ?

[@premiumbitter]

Yes, that's correct! The Reverso even has a picture on the side for how to set it up this way!

[@jwashington1992]

is it okay to tie knots in a dynema or dynex sling? I have read its not okay to do in situations where there will be a hard down pull on the anchor. is it still okay on a top belay or even a sling shot toprope if the downward pull is a straight pull?

[@snarkanoid]

It's okay as long as you are not shock loading the sling directly with fall factor greater than 1, i.e. falling from the above the height of the anchor when tied *directly* to a dynex sling. In this configuration, the rope will distribute the force of a fall throughout the length of the rope, and the load on the sling will be mostly static rather than dynamic. It is true however, that knots in a dynex sling should be avoided if possible, because the heat generated when the knot tightens will melt the sling to failure on fall factors sometimes even lower than 1. In general, knots reduce the maximum allowable force on a sling or rope by roughly *half*. You can avoid this with hitches, which have a significantly lower impact on overall strength.

[@xsuperbmentality]

Can you do this with a grigri?

[@foimassa]

thanks for skipping BS. Nice job

[@ryanbadtke]

Major bonus points for doing this video pregnant!

[@adambane1719]

Minus !!!! Compromising you and your unborn babies safety, by trekking out up to the mountains at that late stage is criminal !

[@carlosmedeiros1677]

Why not clipping the belay on the shelf? I am an old climber, just made sense to me, sorry if its a silly Q

[@24June91]

That Baby is going to be a climber. Wouldn't even be slightly surprised if it was conceived on a ledge of a steep rock-face or something.

[@RoelStein]

Thankz for the video.

[@bodhimedia1]

How to belay from above while pregnant! 😂

[@jackrs007]

what if your completely vertical and having all you weigh on the belay, would that be safe of having 2 people on the same belay?

[@nsgrossman]

Great video, thank you! Somewhat unnecessary point of clarification I'm hoping someone else can chime in on. When redirecting 1' on the belay end is still 1' on the climber's end, meaning no mechanical advantage. A 2:1 would only be achieved if 2' of pull created 1' of movement on the climbers end.

[@cragbum87]

Correct. I think she just misspoke there but her point is still valid. She said it was a 2:1 force on the bolt, which is technically incorrect. What she means is, the force of the belay is being routed through a single bolt, therefore that bolt is taking the majority of the force. It isn't a simple 1:1 since she is belaying off her harness and then her harness is tied into the anchor, which is connected to both bolts. However, the bolt which is providing the redirect will take the vast majority of the force in a fall, and therefore it isn't equalized as adequately as it could be. Another option is to belay off of the shelf created by the master point to give yourself a little more room to pull the rope through the belay. Just ensure the rope is through both loops to the bolts for redundancy.

[@kencox4380]

She did not misspeak! What she described as a 2:1 is indeed exactly that.

[@nsgrossman]

Ken Cox elaborate please. How does a redirection double the force?

[@nsgrossman]

If you were pulling dead weight then you would have equal weight on both legs of the pulley which would in fact be doubling the weight on the anchor point. In the case of climbing there's no weight on either leg until a fall, at which point one side is weighted while the other is not. Even as you lower the climber, rope is being paid out rather than pulled in.

[@kencox4380]

I'm not sure how to respond to this. Perhaps this will help? climbinglife.com/whats-the-force-on-your-anchor/

[@zeitgeist785]

Works great on overhangs but, for me, not so great on steep walls. The belay device sits against the rock face and does not move freely. What trick don’t I know?

[@carlyncrispell7086]

Very clear instructional video, will link for my students. Thanks for smashing the patriarchy just by being your awesome self.

[@redpillrevival]

is that a bd dynex runner? I've heard those are great for anchors, but I've also heard you're not supposed to tie knots in dyneema. Can you clarify?

[@InsaneWisePeoples]

+wlkngmachine The idea about knotting Dyneema primarily refers to making your own slings by tying fishermans knots or similar to make you own loop. This is solved by purchasing Dyneema slings that are sewn loops. Yes, Dyneema strength can be reduced by knotting, but larger knots (no tight bends) like in the master point tied here have been shown to not reduce the strength very much. Additionally, each leg is 22kn with the failure mode typically at the bend around the carabiner rather than at the knot. Even with a 40% reduction (worst case scenario with 8mm tape) the anchor has a strength rating of 22kn * 2 legs *.6 = 26.4 kn... Massive overkill for a top-rope load. If you use 10mm or 12mm tape, you sacrifice some bulk but the tape incorporates more nylon and thus strength is reduced less by knotting. For reference, a 7mm cordalette anchor tied the same way is 7.5kn *2legs *.9 (10% reduction in strength due to knotting) = 13.5 kn total strenth of anchor. Of course the cordalette anchor is more dynamic and you must remember to incorporate a length of rope between you and the anchor if using Dyneema, but most people prefer the tradeoffs and use Dyneema tape (or Dyneema cord such as Titan) for anchors. There is so much less bulk on your harness and it is very, very strong.

[@dfjdskf9234j4fisd]

Josiah DiMeglio DMM has a video on KZbin showing knotted dynema SNAPPING when shock loaded by a 70kg weight, by just a factor one fall. Based on this, what this girl is doing in this video could likely cause a fatal accident...

[@renaldjulien8424]

While she belays her partner the anchor is in tension the whole time. Since there's no slack the dyneema sling will only break if the climber's fall itself generates a very high force, which is quite unlikely. With any anchor there is a risk of a fatal accident if there is slack in the system. That is simply something you have to be aware about to prevent. The solution is to keep the system in tension. She is for sure aware of that.

[@bryanhall5971]

That's a static shockload. Since shes standing on a huge ledge she actually can't take a fall, she's in a fall restraint setting, not a fall arrest based on the length of her clove. The climber toproping up can't create a factor one fall either. Beyond that, they are both connected via dynamic points. This setup is fine.

[@davehause8571]

Oh jeez, the infamous and highly referenced DMM video.

[@mattmarzula]

Climbing for two... My kinda lady.

[@AuereVeras]

you are great!

[@johnmucklebackit8837]

Its easy to give slack just by lifting the end of the belay device with the heel of your hand, but under load you would need to use a sling and karabiner to release rope and let the climber down. This small disadvantage is far outweighed by the convenience of setting up, (the auto lock mode is an extra safety feature) and the ease of most belaying operations.

[@brendanm569]

Anyone know the best way to lower a climber, should the need arise, with system 2? Seems like any weight on the system will lock it up

[@josh084479]

There's a technique and it's sort of tricky. You have to use the "loose" locker and create a leverage system through the anchor taking the tension off. That's why I use a gri-gri off the anchor. It accomplishes the same task and you can lower if you have to. I even rap with a gri-gri when I use two ropes and off a chain.

[@alexcoleman7486]

@@josh084479 its a pain in the ass. just use a gri gri

[@rolandbarnett701]

holddd upp this lady pregos? that baby is definitely free soloing EL Cap as you read this

[@CarolHaynesJ]

Should be pointed out this is fine for bolted anchors ... not ideal for trad when belaying off your own rope loop helps to minimise shock loading on the anchor (albeit making it harder, but not impossible, to escape in an emergency).

[@wllymchng]

amazing

[@Florian-ij6rc]

cool technik

[@TonySpinach]

Is the kid climbing yet?

[@dfjdskf9234j4fisd]

Isn't it best to belay off the spine of the carabiner than the top? That's what I've heard

[@Marghosaurus]

check your biners for their ratings in each direction. the one in front of me has written: 23kN (along the spine) 10 across the spine and 6 on the gate. there's a reason carabiners are often pear shaped and guide the load towards the top and bottom

[@bboyorc]

why not use a gri gri and belay off the master point ? Thats my way not a fan of ATC for belay but my opinion

[@ZerolinGD]

Yes, you can do that

[@kayakerodie]

lol......on which pitch number did she find time to get pregnant? Gosh she is fast with her technique........thats gonna be one fast baby.....lololol

[@Lindixpod]

climber builds anchor first and than secure herself to the anchor. So during whole time of building it she is unsecured. Most of videos are explained in this way. Is it proper way or am I missing something? For me its scary technique.

[@bfuller181]

climber is on belay until the anchor is built.

[@Lindixpod]

​what do you mean "on belay"? on rope of second climber?

[@bfuller181]

@@Lindixpod Yes. Second climber below still has control of the rope until lead climber is off belay.

[@Lindixpod]

@@bfuller181 so basically it means this technique can be used only if there is roof , risking a really big fall. For me its not safe. I am not blaming this technique is not good, its just not for me. My rule is: safety first.

[@bfuller181]

@@Lindixpod Not sure how to break this to you, but this is how trad climbing is done. Either you place protection above your head, clip in, and then build a gear anchor while on belay, or there will be predrilled bolts to build the anchor on. The only way to avoid having to build an anchor is to top rope, which is not always an option as it requires walking access to the top of the cliff.

[@billdraghi4808]

Is it just me or when she makes the first clip of her clove hitch after setting up the anchor, she back clips the carabiner. It IS possible to do the clove without back clipping the first clip of the clove.

[@brainscrub7976]

If you're just clipping the rope and then continuing climbing upwards, then back clips are a bad idea. But if you're making a clove hitch and stopping there then it doesn't really matter if it's back clipped or not.

[@jirikral1733]

Problem with auto blocking device starts when guy cannot continue climbing and you want to let him down to ground.

[@NickIrvine]

If i'm understanding your concern correctly: If a Guide style device gets loaded, you can unload it pretty easily as long as you have another carabiner and another sling/runner. That's what the "smaller" hole in those devices are for. Again, sorry if that is not what you were talking about. Not appropriate to explain how to do it here but you can find video instruction pretty quickly

[@jirikral1733]

I know, it works, but I just find it fiddly, thats all.

[@josh084479]

There's a technique in which you leverage the through the rope locker towards the anchor, releasing the tension on the belay device allowing you to lower. It's tricky but it works. I've had to lower people a few times.

[@nosho409]

Not really a problem: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gobTmWCvapqlmtk

[@opiehelstrom4702]

0:34

[@morenodimarco2154]

Best to use locking carabiners to set up the anchor

[@cragbum87]

In a multipitch scenario, you'll always have someone at the anchor until it is ready to be cleaned. If someone is there to tend to the anchor, it shouldn't be necessary to have lockers if the extra weight is a concern or the locking mechanism is cumbersome.

[@profd65]

Thanks, Mr. Climbing Gym.

[@braianvogel]

Impossible to follow her hands movement. Too fast for learning properly

[@brianbrooking496]

Need to watch in slow motion......

[@jacktriz1012]

SLOOOOOWWWW TF DOWN

[@manuelsaavedra6852]

La mujer está panzona !!

[@stefanconstmano3]

One rope!! do not trust them !!!!!

[@AlpineActivist]

These videos should move slower for new folks. She’s going full speed and it’s gonna be hard for folks who’ve never done it to follow.

[@steventhaw3765]

Clove hitch the master point! Add a clove hitch to each anchor point! Belay off the spine of the carabiner! Please correct this video to be much safer!

[@magikman78]

Really poor explanation of how to actually set up belaying from the top. This was far too rushed and focused on philosophy and principals of why you would choose one option over the other, which are valuable, but I have no insight in how to properly rig the belay.

[@z1522]

Worrying about any "2:1 force" on a fixed anchor, from bringing a single human being up (say 250lb x 2 = 500lb), when that anchor should withstand at least 2,000lb to safely belay a leader above where massive shock loads could be generated, is ridiculous and "misguided." The guide's belay methods that involve autoblocking devices which add risks during lowering workarounds just aren't doing anything but convincing clueless clients that the all-powerful guides are the only ones skilled enough to lead you up routes. Simplest advice - use a Munter off the equalizing point directly to the climber.

[@nathand.8581]

you need locking biner on the anchor, at least on one of them ... "official unstructionnal"...

[@jesserb90]

This instruction was way too fast for us newbies.

[@rickytrockclimbing2935]

Man it’s kewl to exercise whilst preggo and all that jazz and ok how hard it is to go 9 months with out climbing or even 3, but that’s almost to the point that it’s dumb, if something happened (which ik how rare but are u willing to risk ded baby?) or u took a big whipper ur baby might not make it, just be smart plz, we don’t need to deprive this dying world of a beautiful climbing baby.

[@brainscrub7976]

She's standing still at an anchor. There's nothing in the video that would indicate that she necessarily climbed up to it. There are plenty of places where you can just walk up to an anchor to set it up before climbing.

[@veronicabenites5842]

@@brainscrub7976 Thank you...

[@shanemeyer9224]

Is she really climbing pregnant?????

[@Greaterlondon_media]

Is she pregnant if so should she be doing this

[@kevinflynn5347]

Should pregnant women climb? Honestly JW

[@snowisthekey]

You are explaining way too quickly for my beginner mind. I feel like you are just showing off.

[@thinkngskeptic]

Seems irresponsible to climb while pregnant

[@ryansilverston]

That Baby is going to be a climber. Wouldn't even be slightly surprised if it was conceived on a ledge of a steep rock-face or something.