Rock Climbing: Lead Belay

[@AdrianWongKen]

"or they might start yelling profanities" - classic.

[@alexteoli3378]

Adrian Wong-Ken just picturing someone yelling the word 'profanties' instead of actually swearing 😂

[@howardOKC]

@@alexteoli3378 more classic!

[@tristandeniet]

CUSSS

[@tynunya6258]

I literally laughed out loud at this! 😂

[@DarthTwilight]

@@alexteoli3378 That would make for a great running gag in a movie

[@johngo6283]

This is a great video that covers the basics really well. Anyone who wants to learn to lead Clament could benefit by watching this. Especially note at the part about spotting the leader before they clip the first bolt, a lot of new climbers forget to do this.

[@dichebach]

Only two things you didn't mention: 1) you should strive to NEVER step on rope; 2) belayer should ALWAYS be alert and attentive to climber at all stages of the climb. A "watch me" call is a call to be EXTRA alert and attentive.

[@rdyjur]

They did mention "watch me" at 4:15.

[@torbjrnfjeld1799]

Threading the rope through either slot is safe, and when loaded the rope will go towards the spine of any D-shaped carabiner anyway. For a pear shaped, the load will be central. It is purely a question of personal preference, not at all safety. But having said that, my own personal preference happens to be clipping the carabiner with the lock away from the brake hand and the rope through the slot closest to the brake hand... to me, it feels like the rope glides better there, but it will do the job in either of the two.

[@benjaminhowe8825]

Stick clipping the 1st bolt is a good alternative to spotting

[@JoshDoes]

honestly much safer

[@RetroRob420]

So nervous to take the lead climbing course/test at my indoor gym, tomorrow. I only weigh 95lbs and I'm afraid I'm gonna get partnered up with somebody twice my weight (or even triple my weight, lol). Anybody who gets to belay for me will be in for a treat, however, cause I won't be launching anybody off the ground, lol.

[@RetroRob420]

UPDATE: Took the lead climbing course last night. Got partnered with a climber that weighed 150lbs, so I was in pretty good condition. Going in to take the certification test at my gym tonight with the same guy thankfully. I was absolutely terrified at first when it came time to practice taking/catching falls, but then I had an absolute blast with it. So much fun!

[@17srelevant24]

@@RetroRob420 Congrats on the lead cert. I'm not sure how long ago you posted this. But have you heard of the Edelrid Ohm Assisted Braking Device? It may help if you lead with someone much heavier than you.

[@kaimcguire5086]

Joe Weber sometimes people are small

[@puffpyf]

They have a device for this that causes more friction. I forget the name

[@soapyboatman9409]

taking my lead test tomorrow and using this as a refresher!!! I'm so nervous xD

[@calebberry9202]

did you pass?

[@pedan21]

Doing it in a few days :s Been climbing for about 8 months :s wish me luck. Hope you passed

[@katsmokish388]

Peder Laitamaa did YOU pass? haha

[@pedan21]

@@katsmokish388 yep ^^ it went super well ^^

[@soapyboatman9409]

@@katsmokish388 Not the first time but I did the second by some miracle. Had a lead accident since then and it's been a nightmare ever since xD

[@crimsonraen]

Nice video, REI! :) Worth noting too though, that when he caught the fall at the end, he crouched down a bit.. Need to be careful with that so you don't give a hard catch, which can hurt the climber. If the climber is lighter, or same weight, you should be stepping up into the fall, not "sitting back in your harness". :)

[@bennettzug]

super late lol but to me it looked like he crouched down then jumped and was doing a dynamic catch which they understandably didnt have time to go over here

[@rara58524]

Hmm, I see a lot of sliding down the rope with the lower (securing) hand - the one that needs to always hold the rope. I believe it's considered safer to bring the upper hand down to catch the rope too, then move the lower hand further down and return the upper hand up. This way you always handle the rope tightly and it can't suddenly just slip through your fingers at a sudden fall.

[@josephinedouglas2445]

I would love to see all these REI videos reminding you to go out and find a local pro. The thought of people learning this stuff from KZbin University is terrifying.

[@danhopkinson2811]

who "goes out to find a local pro"? like theres pro climbers just floating about everywhere waiting for people to hassle them for instruction. you can learn loads from youtube, and really this is just basic stuff that you'd learn at a climbing gym which is normally where people start. its really not rocket science if you have a bit of sense

[@ColeFeagler]

Agreed - these are great primer/ refresher videos, but hands-on training with experienced climbers, instructors, some crazy van-dwelling trad dudes & dudettes, etc. is critical.

[@ryanvanvliet2082]

I've taken courses from certified guiding companies that link these videos as homework before heading out. I don't disagree with the need for additional hands on experience, but REI did an awesome job with these videos - they are an excellent resource.

[@Squids_Vlogs]

Thats where i learned everything... Even trad climbing lol... its not difficult to understand

[@chad4853]

when a climber falls, you should hop accordingly so it evens the weight in the system resulting in a smooth catch or a fall or the climber slams into the wall

[@wangxintong007]

That's Nevermind Wall!

[@DarthTwilight]

When feeding or pulling slack, that rope should never, ever leave your hand for even a second. Slide up, grip, return to position.

[@whatismyname3775]

how come some people are falling almost to ground when lead fall? belayer w/ too much slack?

[@Moopse101]

yes thats usually the case

[@crimsonraen]

If they're falling before the second, and sometimes third bolt, a ground fall is possible, even with an appropriate amount of slack, especially with a heavier climber than belayer, or a high first bolt.. But yes, more often than not, lead belayers give way too much slack, and their climbers take unnecessarily huge falls.

[@DrCowinabox]

Just to add to the responses above: back clipping, z clipping, skipping a clip, or having pro come loose when climbing trad can cause this as well. This is why you'll sometimes see belayers actually jump away from the wall/ throw themselves against the rope to decrease the slack in an emergency to soften or prevent a deck

[@sgt7]

How long does it take the average person to upgrade to lead climbing from top rope - I know it varies from person to person. I put in one long training session every week and never miss my training day. Thanks.

[@audiojck1]

Whenever you feel confident. Just lead something you feel confident toproping with a belayer who knows how to lead climb and can give you some basic tips. In a climbing gim that is mostly: - don't backclip - don't clip when the next bolt is too far away (anything below shoulder height is okay) Have fun climbing!

[@sgt7]

@@audiojck1 Thanks!

[@butaleo]

Thank you! ⚡

[@possummm]

What kind of knot are they closing the system with? Like on the belay side, not harness.

[@danyonhalama]

I didn't quite notice one in the video, but the best practice is a barrel knot.

[@danyonhalama]

I watched it again and they tied a barrel knot.

[@Alex-qq6wk]

where was this filmed?

[@ratamacue0320]

Earth.

[@Samiamgreeneggsandchicken]

@@ratamacue0320 More specifically, on land.

[@WillStrong7]

More specifically, nevermind wall

[@alexistetreault9723]

The spit at 3:39 is so dangerous. It's not suppose to move like that :p

[@scubasteveandunderwaterroc3547]

alexis tétreault it took me a minute to notice lol

[@Sharethelightnow]

Me taking the video too literal and screaming the actual word "profanities" when falling

[@kassyg3897]

2:45 with how to lead balay

[@arulsaravanan1036]

why should your non braking side of the leg be forward and not the other way?

[@asksteevs]

Belayer @ 1:20 threads wrong hole in ATC. Keep loads at the spine!

[@chad4853]

good catch but he caught the mistake

[@samalmo-milkin161]

I saw that too

[@DeShark88]

Wrong hole? Why do you think there's two holes?

[@finnthefrog4354]

​@@DeShark88So that you can do a double rope rappel to get down, cause thats necessary on a dynamic rope like this

[@DeShark88]

​@@finnthefrog4354 You can also belay twin/double ropes on them. The loads during belaying are maybe 20% of the max rated strength of the carabiner. It'll hold *easily* with no damage or other effect. It literally doesn't matter which hole is threaded at all.

[@steventhaw3765]

Hopefully, REI will remake this video for the safety of all climbers!

[@artnos]

Who puts the bolts or loops in the rock?

[@cattochi_]

On bolted climbs, someone typically sets up a top rope and repells down with a drill and other tools to install the bolts into the rock while hanging there.

[@VR6NAVYVW]

he has the rope in the left-hand belay position but belaying with his right.

[@alexbarcovsky4319]

Not an issue

[@X581jr]

They might yell profanities! 😂😂 Ain't that the truth.

[@CarlosBarrios12]

profanity's while falling

[@thotusmaximus971]

I don't think I will EVER in my life hear someone say "falling" unless they're with their kids lol

[@kennethlove2884]

Most likely profanities.

[@plinyelder8156]

No one’s yelling “clipping” in real life....

[@eashby22]

i do, been saying it every time for the last 10 years.

[@plinyelder8156]

Ed Ashby like I said, No one

[@faizabid359]

Loooool

[@eashby22]

​@@plinyelder8156 hey guess what, 15+ years climbing 7 years teaching climbing professionally, and I still say clipping.

[@steventhaw3765]

Never take your brake hand off the rope! This video shows otherwise.

[@furiousmat]

When??

[@steventhaw3765]

Always belay with the rope in the belay device's slot nearest the spine of the locking carabiner!!! REI is incorrect.

[@Stiltz1291]

Wrong