A guilty verdict would have had dramatic consequences, even for the less-formal relationship between climbing partners. But every serious climberknows that the partner holding the rope literally holds the climber's life in his hands. Tying the knot For climbing partners, the rope that connects them is the equivalent of an umbilical cord. One end of the climbing rope is tied to your climbing harness, and the other end is held secured by your belayer - the partner charged with arresting your fall if you miss a move. Between the harness and the hand lies a lot of trust and faith.
Serious climbers are picky about their partners.
Matt O'Connor, general manager at the Boulder Rock Club, shakes his head when he notices thumbtacked ads for climbing partners. He shook his head when he saw one of those ads the other day, seeking someone to join a two-week climbing trip to Yosemite National Park. I can think of hundreds of things that could go wrong. Suddenly, instead of two hours, you're spending 24 hours, or more, with this person. You don't know how they'll react in an emergency.