Belaying someone heavier. What are some strategies for belaying someone significantly heavier than you on top rope? There's probably a 70 pound difference. It is important for every rock climber to be able to perform a soft catch, but doing this with perfection is what is required when belaying someone heavier than you. As a heavy climber and someone who sometimes belays heavier climbers than me I say embrace getting lifted up a little, it’s a bit uncomfortable but there’s nothing wrong with coming close to the wall, kicking it and lowering from there, you might end up a bit like you are laying back, that’s ok. Does your belayer usually pick up on your signals that you're going to clip? Sep 13, 2015 · My experience as a heavier climber has been that I need to be on the ball to give a soft catch. I struggled a bit the first time we did this It's VERY essential to do this when belaying heavier people! What you do is that you clip the rope to the lowest carabiner of the route next to the one your partner wants to climb. Read more about it in detail in this post. The rope does not act like a playground seesaw. Climber much heavier than belayer. Jul 19, 2022 · Over the last 35 years of climbing and guiding, I’ve belayed innumerable partners who outweighed me, and along the way learned a few tricks both to help me catch them and feel confident belaying them. So what can you do if your lead climber weighs much more than you? Here are some handy belaying tips to help you and your heavier friend climb safely together despite the discrepancy. The short answer to the question: Yes, you absolutely can belay someone heavier than you top rope. Check out this video for some good tips on practicing falls and watch how the belayer reacts. Dec 15, 2020 · About to take the belay test at the gym but not sure where to start? Relax. It's something that's constantly on my mind whilst belaying. Head injuries can be debilitating and can put a climber out of commission. Belaying a heavy climber A quick search didn't reveal any results, so apologies if I missed something. Even with the Ohm I’d be hesitant to lead belay someone that much heavier than you. Top rope climbing is a lot safer than lead climbing when it comes to belaying, as you usually never take an uncontrolled fall. It's right at home when belaying someone heavier than you or when your forearms are bumpin from the route you just spent 10 minutes sending and your partner wants an immediate go to show you a "different way". Wearing a helmet, such as the PETZL Vertex Vent, is important to protect the head. Me and 2 friends are about to move from bouldering to top rope climbing, but we are all different weights, one of us is 11st one is 14st and one is 18st. In top-rope belaying, if there are small weight differences (around 50lbs or less) between you and your Sep 27, 2022 · When belaying someone heavier than you, it is also a good idea to wear a sandbag as extra weight. A helmet is another important piece of equipment for belaying heavy climbers. Climbing with people of different weights is just something that you need to get used to. Feb 14, 2009 · Careful which belay device you choose - I had an ATC which was fine most of the time, but on one occasion when I was belaying someone much bigger than me, it was awfully difficult to hold him when he fell! I really had to hold the rope tight in order to avoid dropping him. You need to pull the rope gently, you can't yank on it. If you want to know how to belay someone heavier than you, keep the following tips in mind. Just sit back and enjoy the definitive guide on how to belay. These could save your life and the person who is much heavier than you. Because of the Ohm I actually prefer belaying someone heavier on lead rather than top rope. Countermeasures should be taken to avoid possible injuries if th Jan 13, 2021 · A: The first thing I try to let belayers know about belaying someone heavier than you is that it is not necessarily a bad thing if you get pulled off the ground. Obviously the heavier can belay the lighter people but how do we catch a fall or lower the 18st climber? Edit:bit of clarity needed It's definitely worth trying again. Being belayed as a heavier climber, seems to get you a soft catch by default. . But that’s not always the case. Lowering takes a little time to learn smoothly as you can't feel it as much as an ATC but you catch on pretty quick. But it's possible to do. Sure, you can try to choose climbing partners that match your weight. I've been caught by lighter belayers with no problem, but they do go for a ride. Feb 2, 2025 · Okay, let’s go back to the original question: is it possible to belay someone heavier than you safely? Yes, as long as you use the right equipment, the proper stance, and you keep focused on your climber. You will not get pulled up to the very top of the climb if your climber falls. If you think tieing yourself down will be a detriment to your friends mental state, I’ve suggest foregoing roped climbing for awhile and bouldering together instead. Weight differences between climber and belayer can lead to dangerous situations in climbing. ijrt qxay sjd snyyp eauc opfd vrys ikyaexn nrta xnubrq