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Adding weight to a lighter belayer

Original Post
Steve Minn · · boston, ma · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 0

Has anyone had experience with strapping weight to the belayer when the leader significantly outweighs the belay?

My girlfriend finally got into lead belaying and lead climbing, but I outweigh her by a good 50 pounds. This means that I always pull her up to the first clip, even if I take a very small fall on lead. It is disconcerting, because it means I could deck if I fall before the 4th clip on most climbs. It wouldn't be a free fall, but it wouldn't be a fun ride either.

Some friends have suggested strapping a kettle bell to her harness, but that sounds risky and impractical. Thoughts?

Matt Carroll · · Van · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 249

you could use an anchor at the base of the climb to anchor her too. Drawbacks include, limited mobility in a rock fall, and less of a soft catch, but slinging a nearby tree would prevent her from taking flight.

Cor · · Sandbagging since 1989 · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 1,445

I would add a backpack full of beers to her.
You now have a safer belay, because she won't get lifted up so easily…
AND you now have some satisfying beverages with you.

I see no other solutions! ;D

Start out the day by you leading ALL your pitches first.
As the beers go down the drain, and she gets too light for belaying,
it is her turn to lead now... Your turn to belay the rest of the day.

john strand · · southern colo · Joined May 2008 · Points: 1,640

Not a big fan of the "soft catch".. tie her in or you might get a "hard catch" on the ground.

Or take her to an all you can eat place

Matt Carroll · · Van · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 249

Cor has it right.

jellybean · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 0

I'm in the same boat and my wife is my favorite belay. Never had too much of a problem with her being lifted, she even gives a little hop to soften the catch. If you're low on the route she just has to be quick with tension.

john strand · · southern colo · Joined May 2008 · Points: 1,640

In Boston ? Go to Redbones in Somerville for a BBQ belt and some beer/

5.samadhi Süñyātá · · asheville · Joined Jul 2013 · Points: 40

attach sling to backpack weighted down with rocks (or beer lol at Cor) to full strength haul loop.

Any other attachment has the tendency to swing belayer awkwardly around. If you dont have a full strength haul loop you can girth hitch back of harness (around the whole thing).

bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065

if theres a ground anchor

1. build anchor

2. tie her into the rope

3. tie her side of the rope to the anchor with a length just shy of the first bolt

4. put a sling on the anchor as well

sequence

1. on the first few draws shes clipped into the sling ... no soft catch

2. once high enough and the fall is clean ... she unclips the sling, soft catch ... if you fall the catch is dynamic and she gets pulled just shy of the first bolt (but doesnt hit it which could be bad)

3. if youre above a ledge, she clips into the sling again

note on rope stretcher climbs, youll need a longer rope than normal ... or she needs to unclove herself before you get lowered

;)

Tug · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2007 · Points: 0

Get a bigger girlfriend.

Kevin Flowers · · Granby, CT · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 0

Bearbreeder- have you actually done that? I would think being pulled through the air up to the climber and down to the anchor would be super ackward/dangerous. Especially if you wind up suspended mid air, not touching ground or rock. You'd also have the tendency to rotate.

I outweigh my girlfriend by over 80 lbs. She ties into the climbing rope and then ties into a ground anchor. This adds some dynamic properties. She keeps her tie in on the same side her brake hand is so if she gets pulled to the side it's easy to maintain downward braking. She stays relatively taught on the anchor, but can step forward to soften the catch. After I fall, or am hangdoggin', she can kind of turn to the side and let the anchor bare almost all of the weight. Never had any issue.

Also, don't anchor from the haul loop, being pulled from both ends can squeeze your lady rather uncomfortably.

bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065
KevinF wrote:Bearbreeder- have you actually done that? I would think being pulled through the air up to the climber and down to the anchor would be super ackward/dangerous. Especially if you wind up suspended mid air, not touching ground or rock. You'd also have the tendency to rotate. I outweigh my girlfriend by over 80 lbs. She ties into the climbing rope and then ties into a ground anchor. This adds some dynamic properties. She keeps her tie in on the same side her brake hand is so if she gets pulled to the side it's easy to maintain downward braking. She stays relatively taught on the anchor, but can step forward to soften the catch. After I fall, or am hangdoggin', she can kind of turn to the side and let the anchor bare almost all of the weight. Never had any issue. Also, don't anchor from the haul loop, being pulled from both ends can squeeze your lady rather uncomfortably.
ive had it done just fine ...

if yr worried bout rotation simply clip the rope to your belay loop rather than tie in ... or (horror) clip the belay device to the tie in loop itself

as long as the anchor it not at an angle where the belayer gets pulled into the rock ... stand UNDER the first bolt climb once the sling is unclipped ... not out somewhere else

the belayer should face the wall and get ready to use their feet to walk up it ... something lighter belayer needs to do regardless on big whippers if theres no anchors ... and they shouldnt be wearing flip flops but good solid shoes ... ive seen people dragged across sharp rocks when catching whippers

having the lighter climber slam into the first bolt or a feature can be much more dangerous IMO, especially if they get their hand caught and lose control

for lighter climbers an assisted locking device is prudent IMO ... theres been a study that indicates that lighter female belayers have significantly less grip strength than male ones

;)
Dallas R · · Traveling the USA · Joined May 2013 · Points: 191

Me, 220, belayer, 120. First fall drug her into the rock. Second fall = free Disney Ride. I got real scitterish about climbing something I would fall on afraid I would harm my DW. In a gym we noted that they had tie downs for the belayers. So started practicing that in the wild.

It usually doesn't need much to slow down the shock on the belayer. We even carry a tag line for the purpose. Trees, steps, big rocks, cams in rocks, nuts. Just that little bit of added resistance to keep Tinker Bell near the ground. Less damage to her, more stopping power for me.

Now I feel free to fall with impunity knowing that I am not going to destroy my belayer. We have established a 5 fall per route policy. If I take a header more than 5 times on a route we bail and go find something easier to climb.

We wear helmets for the occasional "ROCK". Belayer post is set near the base for optimal catch. I am sure advanced climbers will look down on this practice, but it keeps us big beginners from hurting the little beginners.

Superclimber · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 1,310

I too outweigh my girlfriend/belayer by 50+ lbs. We view a ground anchor as a tool in the bag. If there's a a hazaerd like decking potential or something overhead for her to smash into we use a ground anchor of some sort. But most of the time it really isn't needed. It ends up being a case by case decision. I have never lifted her all the way to a first bolt or gear placement, but she routinely gets lifted a bit in falls.

5.samadhi Süñyātá · · asheville · Joined Jul 2013 · Points: 40

my girlfriend outweighs me by 50lbs :/

Mark E Dixon · · Possunt, nec posse videntur · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 974
5.samadhi wrote:my girlfriend outweighs me by 50lbs :/
Pics or GTFO!

:-)
Josh Kornish · · Whitefish, MT · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 800

A couple people suggested attaching a sling etc. to the haul loop. I'd highly recommend not doing that if you want a happy lady.

That will squeeze her hips and be pretty uncomfortable.

I've belayed people weighing 70 lbs. more than me and certainly had to adjust my belay technique to accommodate the difference.

If you do weight her down keep the sling up front not on the haul loops

BirminghamBen · · Birmingham, AL · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 1,620

Typically, these posts are from the POV of the bigger climber....
Typically some dude taking his girlfriend out.
And these are the typical replies....

But, here's something....

I commonly weigh between 135 and 145 lbs...142 right now.
A few of my climbing partners are 180+.
And I have caught multiple (large) whippers by more than one guy who is North of 200.
More than once, the delta in our weights was easily greater than 50 lbs.
So, a similar weight disparity.

Yet, I have never had the issues talked about in these threads...grigri, atc, fat rope, skinny rope, bolts, gear....never.
Granted, few of my partners are falling off below the second piece of gear (bad idea in general), but it has never concerned me....nor have I ever been pulled to the first pro....nor have I ever dropped anyone.

Methinks these smaller folks are not doing it correctly.
Indeed, my wife is quite a bit smaller than me...right now, probably 30-40 lbs. lighter...again, never a problem.

Anchoring at the base of a route is something that I have never considered prudent or necessary given proper training, etc.
But, your results may vary.
If you do, for the love of science, do not clip a sling to a rear haul loop....tie in with rope as others have suggested.

Beyond this, employing Cor's technique would be my go-to solution.

Alicia Sokolowski · · Brooklyn, NY · Joined Aug 2010 · Points: 1,781

My regular partner outweighs me by over 100 pounds, and he's only ripped me all the way up to the first piece once (30 foot fall). I've always kept him off the ground and he has taken some falls with very few pieces in (like 2). I think a 50 pound difference is small enough that you can compensate with belay technique.

That said, it should be up to your leader. Mine prefers the soft catch, someone else might prefer being stopped as soon as possible, even if it's a little kidney-jarring.

5.samadhi Süñyātá · · asheville · Joined Jul 2013 · Points: 40
Mark E Dixon wrote: Pics or GTFO! :-)
OK here is us goofing around.



As you can tell I'm shredded. My gf mainly boulders so bodyweight doesnt really matter (I am honestly afraid to belay her).
Optimistic · · New Paltz · Joined Aug 2007 · Points: 450
BHMBen wrote: Methinks these smaller folks are not doing it correctly.
Could you elaborate on "correctly"? I've seen a lot of little people launched...hard to do much to prevent it if the forces are above a certain limit, no?
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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