Lowering someone from harness

The most popular/common way to bring up the follower seems to be to belay them up off the harness, while secured snug to your anchor behind you.

For me, I always bring the follower up by belaying them off the anchor usually via munter.

I gather given how often the former is done that lowering/locking someone (say about the same weight as yourself) off while belaying them off the harness, takes about the same effort as doing the same from a top rope?

I've always been a bit hesitant to bring someone up this way because I didn't want to discover, with them as the guinea pig , that it's very difficult to control/maintain.

I'm talking here about using a toothed atc style belay device, not grigri or cinch etc. Also where you are seated and are snug to the anchor behind you, in an Anchor -> Belayer -> Climber straight line so you will not get pulled off your feet or some such.

thanks for your feedback

Munter? It's 2012.

Lowering someone directly off my harness, even when I'm snug to the anchor and we're all in a straight line, is kinda laborious. It's a lot easier to lower them by running the rope from the lower-ee through the anchor - or some piece of it - (above your head is optimum, as it takes more weight off you and your belay device) and thence to your belay device. This way, the extra nearly 180-degree 'bend' in the rope gives you a lot more control. If you're lowering somebody who out-weighs you by quite a bit, or down vertical-or-steeper terrain, this approach will make you both happier.

haha that's awesome Marc!

frenman wrote:The most popular/common way to bring up the follower seems to be to belay them up off the harness, while secured snug to your anchor behind you.

My friends and myself, when possible/reasonable, always belay the second off of the anchors with an autolock. This allows you to (do whatever you need to do) prepare for the next pitch and still be confidently belaying the follower. Also by belaying directly off of the anchor (strong anchor) it is sets you up to escape the belay far, far easier than if off the harness (you are thus in the system).

Lowering when in autolock mode for the reverso and atc is also easy and the climbers weight is not on you and therefore setting you up for a less ackward/cleaner lower.

This is my way and it is just A way, not THE way. What I've described is not best for all situations, but is feasible in many. Explore and experiment!