JOSH HARING: Hi, I'm Josh and today I'm going to talk about belay devices. Belay devices are really important. When you're climbing, basically the idea with belaying is that it's a high-friction device that the rope runs through and it creates enough friction that you can essentially stop the fall of a climber above or below you. When using a belay device, it's important to have a large, locking carabiner like this one. You want to have a large carabiner so that there's enough room for the belay device to move along that carabiner. And you have to remember that at least 1 if not 2 ropes will also be going through the belay device and through the carabiner, as I'll show you. When taking the belay device, you hook it around your belay loop on the harness, you clip the belay device through there, and then you get your rope. Your partner maybe tied in to the rope. We'll pretend that our partner's tied in to this rope. And we're going to basically loop the rope through the belay device, down and back through the carabiner. We're going to lock our carabiner, make sure that it's still locked, and essentially, we can create friction by using the carabiner and the belay device, so that you cannot move this rope at all. By dropping my hand down below the belay device, we create enough friction that it would stop any fall. If you're belaying your partner, it's important to talk to them before they start to climb, so they know how tightly they want to be on belay. Beginning climbers like the security of having a very tight belay, meaning they can feel the rope is stiff behind them, below them. Experienced climbers like to have a little bit of slack, so that there's more range of motion, more range for movement. And if they need to go one way or another on a route, they have that room. If you're holding somebody too tight on belay, there's a chance you could pull them off the route. When climbing, communication's very important. Communication between 2 partners is crucial. Common terms would be "On belay." That's means that I'm ready to be belayed. My partner would then respond, "Belay on." And I would say, "Climbing." My partner would say, "Climb on." This effectively communicates what I'm about to do. When belaying, it's important that your break end, this case, my right hand, never leaves the rope. You see, I can pull the slack through as Mike climbs, but my break end's always in a position in case he falls. It's important that Mike and I communicate. He let's me know that he's okay; I let him know I still got him and I let Mike know, "Take the time all you need, Mike." So there are many different types of belay devices and shapes and sizes. What's really important is that you feel comfortable with the device that you're using. Like everything else, it's important to check with your local specialty retailer, figure out exactly what type you're comfortable using. They're all pretty much the same as far as belaying somebody though.
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