I see this all the time, someone belaying with the anchor rope coming out of the top of the belay plate and their hand to the side. This is from rockandice/lates-news/how-to-belay-part-1?page=2 which was a good article about the much more dangerous US version of belaying (both hands forward). Am I being a crusty old bear here? When exposed to the new Sticht plate back in the dark ages we settled on lead rope up, anchor rope down, anchor hand down (not out to the side as shown but almost between the thighs). I suspect the action in the picture can get additional friction by wrapping around the hip, but rarely gets it in time. Am I just a crusty old bear making rumbling noises? In the pictured belay, the angle to rope makes as it comes out of the sticht plate (ATC etc) is about 100 degrees. In the old school (rope out the bottom and hand below the angle is about 180 degrees (because the lead rope rotates the device) which I believe generates more friction. Something else to test I guess. (also, the rope out the side probably doesnt get the V in Jaws type devices to work)
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 12:19:27 +0000
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