From: bell@laplace (George Bell)
Newsgroups: rec.climbing
Subject: Belay techniques (off anchors and bodies ... )
Keywords: body belay
Date: 25 Aug 92 21:17:39 GMT
Followup-To: bell@advtech.uswest.com
Organization: U S WEST Advanced Technologies


     On Aug 18, 1992 in rec.climbing (Cathedral Pk. Accident, Yosemite)
John Morton writes:

>Many climbers set up the belay [ ... for their second ... ]
>so that the rope runs upwards (as is natural) to a
>piece, then down to the climber.  Europeans frequently transfer
>the device itself to one of the anchor points.
>I have never liked this belay method.
 
Since I belay my second off anchors often, I thought I would defend
this practice, IF DONE PROPERLY.

First of all, it is obviously foolish to put in an anchor at waist level
and then put an extra piece above your head "to act as a pulley" for
bringing up the second.  This seems to be the situation John is referring
to, and there were many responses condemning this practice.
However, I see nothing wrong with placing a minimum of 3 equalized
anchors above your head and clipping your belay directly into the anchor
point, PROVIDED the pull is always straight down.  As far as the forces on
the anchor go, there is no difference between this and the common sport
climbing practice of Yo-Yo'ing (top roping with the belayer on the ground).

In fact I believe that the best belay depends on the situation, and it might
be a body belay, a belay off the anchor, or a belay plate off of yourself.
Consider the following situations, each encountered at the end of a pitch:

(1) "Pretty good anchors" over a big comfy ledge with second coming
    straight up to you.

    If the anchor is not 100% bombproof, I agree, nothing beats a good
    body belay.  It's fast and if you brace yourself well you shouldn't
    have to rely on the anchor at all.  I'd advise against using it, however,
    for belaying a leader (unless you have gloves and a rhino-hide back).

(2) You are on a big ledge, but unfortunately it's covered with loose rock
    and the only bombproof anchors are at head level two feet OFF THE END
    OF THE LEDGE.  Second comes straight up to the anchor.

    In this situation, I claim belaying directly off the anchor is actually
    the preferred belay.  Here it is impossible to put yourself in line
    with the belay anchors (unless you do a hanging belay).  If you sit
    on the ledge and use a body belay, or a belay plate attached to yourself,
    and your partner falls, he jerks you off the ledge where you unload a
    ton of gravel on his head.  This situation may sound contrived, but 
    often it is inconvenient to place yourself in line with your anchors.

(3) Semi-hanging stance with sloping footholds and 3+ bombproof anchors.
    Second comes straight up to the anchor.

    Here all types of belays exert similar forces on the anchor since
    you are already weighting it.  A body belay generally has no advantages
    in this situation.  Since belaying off the anchor is the most convenient,
    I'd use that.

(4) Big ledge with bomber anchors (for a downward pull), SECOND TRAVERSES
    FIFTY FEET OF 5.10 INTO THE BELAY.

    In this situation it can be very dangerous to belay off the anchor,
    as the pull may be either sideways or downward.  Unless you plan the
    anchor very carefully, a fall could rip out all the anchors.
    Body belay may incur serious rope burn, so use a belay plate clipped
    to yourself, and make sure you have anchors for both a sideways and
    downward pull.

All of this depends on your ability to recognize a "100% bombproof anchor."
This is a skill that can only be gained through experience, and in evaluating
a single piece even the most experienced climbers can be wrong (thus, the
>=3 pieces/anchor that we all learn).  If you want to learn how to trust your
placements, I suggest you do climbs with hanging belays (not off fixed pro,
obviously!), or better yet go AID CLIMBING.  In my first aid climbing
experience, I arrived at a hanging stance, and realized that I was putting in
an anchor that all three of us, plus our 60lb haul sack, would be hanging
off of.  In such situations, you WILL put in a good anchor.  As I recall,
I put in ten of them.  Not a single one failed, so I guess the anchor
was "1000% bombproof".

The moral of the story is this: When in doubt, use a belay plate and clip
the belay directly to your harness.  Beginners should not belay off anchors,
as it can be very dangerous if done improperly or if a traverse is involved.
Whatever you do, don't belay a LEADER directly off anchors.  When I belay
my second up off the anchors, I always transfer the belay to my harness
before he or she leads the next pitch.

                            Happy Jumaring,

  ___    ___
 /   \  |   \            +-----------------------------------------+
|eorge  |ell/            | No language can express every thought   |
|    _  +---             | unambiguously -- least of all this one. |
|     ) |   \            +-----------------------------------------+
 \___/  |___/
Newsgroups: rec.climbing