1. Learn to Belay Right
Many techniques accompany rock climbing for safety and success. It is highly recommended that you take rock climbing lessons before ever considering belaying for a fellow rock climber. You want to learn the techniques in a controlled environment where you can practice and become a skilled climber. One particular technique is belaying, which controls the rope, so the climber who falls doesn't fall too far and get hurt. The technique requires one person climbing while the other is the belayer. The belayer's job is to stop the rope by using a belay device fastened to her harness if the fellow climber slips and falls. The belay device, applied correctly, stops the rope of the falling climber with an adequate amount of friction.
2. Simple and Safe Belay
Top-roping is a simple way to learn belaying. It's practically a harmless climb because the rope is very secured at the top of the ascend, holding the climber securely. The climber attaches to the ropes end with the middle of the rope through the anchor at the top and the opposite end the belayer holds tight enough to offer some slack. Securely attach carabiners to the anchor in the rock on top. You want the rope to pass through several carabiners while, depending on the distance of the climb, other carabiners attached to either pieces wedged into cracks or bolts, which most often former climbers drilled or pounded in the surface rock. A safe path towards the top must be available to secure the anchor and the climbing distance needs to be less than half the length of rope from where the climber begins.
3. Lead Belaying Not Pulling
When the lead climber makes the climb successfully, she now anchors her body to a rock and secures herself to belay her climbing partner up the rock. He climbs while removing the gear used for protection. The key to a lead climber belaying the follower is to make sure she doesn't pull the climber up the rock, but keep the rope tight enough, so he can collect the gear and climb up the rock himself safely. Using the rope too much wears it out too fast and is an expensive proposition to bear. Besides, it's about climbing up a rock, not pulling a climber up a rock.
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