How Much Slack Lead Climbing. So keep a little bit out to give a soft catch but not too much so y

So keep a little bit out to give a soft catch but not too much so you deck them. I’d much rather learn about how to top rope climb outside before getting into lead climbing, I guess that might be a personal preference? Idk. Let’s dive into the basics and learn how to lead bolted sport routes! Aug 5, 2025 · See our guide to the best climbing belay devices, including our top picks and details on belaying with two ropes, rope diameters, belaying a follower, and more. The climber ascends to the top, then when both parties are ready the belayer pays out slack. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. “Clipping” or “slack” will let your belayer know when to give you more rope to clip with. If a lead climber falls, they will free-fall double the distance to their last piece of protection, plus whatever amount of slack their belayer had out. They will be looking at how much slack is in the system too. Progressing in Lead Climbing Start Indoors: It’s best to begin with indoor lead climbing at a climbing gym where safety measures are in place. We break it down with this guide to belaying and climbing on the sharp end. As we mentioned, the belayer's supportive role begins on the ground - flaking the rope in an appropriate place, being mindful of other climbing parties who may intersect with the chosen route, and doing a thorough partner check. 41 3) If I remember correctly the third book suggested 125%, but I lend the book to a friend. Modern advancements in climbing ropes have helped It can be really useful when going to give slack. sicher sichern, Hoffmann, 2010, p. Minimize slack while the climber is moving, and toss out slack quickly when they are clipping. You aren't being irresponsible to your climber (they know they weigh more than you) but not all gyms would allow it. [1][2][3] The terms used can vary between different English-speaking countries; many of the phrases described here are particular to the United States and the United Kingdom. It is important for the belayer to closely monitor the climber's situation, as the belayer's role is crucial to the climber's safety. Adapt to each situation and listen for commands. When belaying on the ground, taking your brake hand off the rope (even with an assisted braking device) can quickly lead to a dangerous fall. I reach down, grab the rope, and start pulling up slack, but between my hand and where I am tied it, tends not to have slack. Every climber has their comfort level and you should be willing to adjust your belay accordingly. Sport climbing As you climb, your partner will be responsible for feeding the rope through their belay device to give you enough slack to move upwards, but also keeping the rope taut (Image credit: vernonwiley) In sport climbing, you will generally begin by feeding the rope through an anchor affixed to the top of a climbing route. By the time I failed on my 5th attempt, I had been lead climbing in gyms for 15 years (well10 because I couldn't lead at the touchstone gyms), and had been leading outside for 2 years. Jul 29, 2024 · Petzl's new Neox is a sleek assisted-braking belay device. For the slack you give: Not having enough slack makes climbing (and especially clipping) much harder and you have to find a good tradeoff how much slack you give, but you will get there eventually. —Daniel, via email LESSON: A good belayer does more than feed out rope and catch falls. What forces are involved in a climbing fall - friction, slack, rope elongation & Co? Can climbing ropes break? Tool for calculating the fall factor & impact force! Oct 25, 2017 · 3) Don’t leave too much slack, especially for the first 3 clips. vgl. Furthermore, auto belays allow climbers new to leading to mock lead before ever tying in to the sharp end for real. Always be standing close to the wall, get good at giving slack quickly for clips so you don't need to have extra slack out the rest of the time, and choose routes thoughtfully. This will highlights good practice for belaying rock climbers who are going to lead either sport or trad. Seven tips—to work on now and, as climber and belayer, continually. This will give you a feel for belaying and managing rope without the risks of outdoor climbing. What's the best amount of Slack? Largest Study on Climbing Falls - Part 1 Hard Is Easy 372K subscribers Subscribe This is because this is about how much slack a climber can pull out at once. Outdoor Climbing: Once you’re comfortable indoors, you can start transitioning to outdoor routes. The home of Climbing on reddit. At this time, climbers used hemp ropes and padded themselves to prevent rope burn. How does it stack up to the Grigri? We put it to the test. I Mar 16, 2022 · These days many people learn rope climbing indoors, and in that environment, most start by learning top-rope belaying and top-rope climbing first. Instead, it’s about clipping strategically, which is a skill essential if you hope to progress to multi-pitch climbing. Shader decided it was worth the cost to him personally. Super fast Climbing video: • The Hardest Rock Climb in Thailand 00:00 Introduction 01:08 Belay Devices 03:26 Preparation 06:56 Low To the Ground 08:58 Slack Management 16:48 Tangles in the Rope Communicating clearly when climbing is important for safety: Learn the usage of climbing commands such as belay on, up rope and others. Helps if our climber has a tendency to pull a lot of rope while clipping. There should be very little. I find it odd that pulling slack through a loosish brake hand on a gri gri is totally acceptable for some instructors while lead belaying, but they will freak out about sliding the brake hand up the rope while top roping. All the basics in one place to help you transition from single-pitch to multi-pitch routes. It is also less likely that the device will unintentionally lock up while trying to add slack to the system. Feb 24, 2022 · In multi-pitch climbing, slack in your tie-in or an unreliable redirect piece can result in dangerous shock loads. Trying to pass the lead test at the touchstone gyms was humiliating and insanely frustrating. May 22, 2023 · We walked back and forth on each line an untold number of times, setting them up in local parks, national forests, backyards, and around local climbing crags. Do not underestimate the importance of a solid, confident belay! A good belayer always has an eye on the climber and is ready to adjust tension or slack at any time while maintaining at least one hand (usually the stronger one) on the brake rope. A clip closer to the climber’s waist will require a minimal amount of additional slack. We recommend taking a class at your local climbing gym to learn the mechanics, and climbing outside with a guide or instructor if the actions still don’t feel clear. Units that elect to participate in lead climbing and snow and ice climbing are required to receive training from a nationally recognized organization that trains climbing and rappelling instructors. In climbing there is a big difference between lead belaying and top rope belaying! Glossary of climbing terms relates to rock climbing (including aid climbing, lead climbing, bouldering, and competition climbing), mountaineering, and to ice climbing. While leading brings new excitement to your climbing, it also adds a number of associated risks that are not present in top rope climbing. I signed up to take a lead climbing course there this coming Sunday. Feb 22, 2020 · Too little slack means that a lead climber could take a much harder fall, which could have serious implications if the climber has had to place marginal protection or if the rock quality is poor. Klettern, Alpin Lehrplan 2A Hope this helps! Good Luck! 274 votes, 101 comments. Apr 17, 2018 · Some lazy belays: too much slack, not watching climber, checking your phone, talking to other climbers, short-roping, standing too far from the cliff and daydreaming. When the climber is clipping, the belayer must anticipate how much slack to let out and when. Mar 27, 2023 · As Andrew Bisharat puts it in his book, Sport Climbing, From Toprope to Redpoint, Techniques for Climbing Success, “Aside from knowing how to safely operate the belay devices, giving a soft catch is the most important, and least understood, aspect of great belaying. So the goal is to have enough slack to give you the time to react correctly and give a soft catch. Lead climbing is a rock climbing style where the lead climber ascends a route, periodically clipping their climbing rope to pieces of protection. 1. It is not to be taken lightly nor something you want to rush into. I have out less slack when they’re at the first few bolts and I stand to one side of the route in case they happen to fall, which is when you’d want to do a hard catch if they’re very low. I’m worried about my friend’s lead belaying. May 22, 2025 · Certified lead climbing instructors’ hands-on approach and guidance can significantly boost your confidence and safety as you transition from top rope to lead climbing. A description of the three proper techniques of clipping a bolt when sport climbing, as well as descriptions of several dangerous pitfalls to avoid. LEAD CLIMBING GUIDE Thanks for learning how to lead climb at Mesa Rim! We know how much there is to learn about lead climbing, so we’ve created this guide to help you retain more of what you’ve learned. Apr 21, 2020 · Paying out slack now seems easier too, and Petzl’s claim that the device offers progressive control is not unfounded, certainly giving more of “a smooth and comfortable descent” than any of the previous incarnations. Oct 17, 2019 · Paying out slack for your lead climber is an art. Too much slack on the first few bolts could lead to a ground fall. Lead Climbing Hey everyone! I've been climbing for about 3 months now in the gym on my campus. Aug 28, 2021 · The complete beginner's guide to multi-pitch climbing. Just as you do for a top-rope belay, watch and listen closely to your climber's progress and commands. Feb 22, 2020 · Climbing an easy route on an auto belay is also a great way to warm up before getting on bigger projects in the gym. Learn the basics of top rope belaying, including gear, setup, safety checks and procedures, plus the PBUS method and how to lower a climber. I was belaying my friend at the gym, he was clipped into and a little bit above the second to last bolt (probably 30 feet above ground, not run out or too much slack) when he lost his grip and fell. So I guess I have a few questions… The limit at lead climbing is suggested to be the half of toproping: So it would be 125% (60kg belaying a 75kg person). ) the tester might be distracting you while you are belaying to see how you handle distractions. I know this is a trivial thing, that doesnt make a significant difference, but Im just trying to clear it up. Conversely, if the rope is too tight, you can pull your climber off the wall, a mistake sure to blacklist you among your climbing partners. Nov 1, 2024 · We tested a selection of climbing quickdraws from Petzl, Black Diamond, Edelrid, and more to discover the best models Dec 28, 2022 · A sticky belay can even cause the leader to fall. In the gym where I climb they recommend no more than a 30% weight difference for lead climbing and prohibit anything over a 50% weight difference. Sep 5, 2017 · Assessing potential lead climbing partners for competence and safety asserts that a lead climb belay is more complicated and has higher potential for a serious accident over a top rope belay. Nov 2, 2021 · 1. This goes for top ropes to lead alike, and from light children to heavy powerhouses. However more slack always means a harder fall. Here's the picture of where the belayer should stand, and with how much slack out So, there should be the opposite of 5 feet of slack in the system. Sep 11, 2025 · While it is helpful to have rules-of-thumb about many things in climbing, like slack management when belaying, the realities are usually more complex. Jun 14, 2023 · Lead climbing is the gateway to true rock climbing. And yes we are scared of falling. A beginners guide to belaying a lead climber. (happened to me during my unannounced fall and I decked. Rule of thumb: Not more than 15kg. If their clip is at waist level, they may only need a few feet of slack. In a standard top rope setting, the belayer stands below the climber as they ascend, controlling Sport Lead Climbing Overview Video: Clipping Techniques and Hazards Lead climbing is an exciting opportunity at the Lindseth Climbing Center that affords access to additional mental and physical challenges beyond top roping. We just started lead a couple weeks back and I want to make sure his technique and slack management are safe. Anyway, if you need that much slack, you are probably clipping wrong. Nov 12, 2020 · The amount of slack to have out while they’re climbing depends on how far up the route they are. Sep 4, 2019 · Most outdoor climbing requires at least one climber to climb on lead, and many outdoor climbers consider lead climbing as ‘real climbing’. 14a R) in Boulder Canyon, Colorado on April 13, clipping only gear he placed on lead. From moment to moment on a climb, the risk that is most significant can change. Oct 7, 2024 · With the Petzl Neox, it is less likely that a belayer will accidentally “short rope” a lead climber. u/trololow made some comments that showed me some of the pictures were misleading. After that, the next logical step is to learn lead climbing and how to belay a lead climber. One of the best ways to monitor the slack in a lead climbing system is to pay attention to the rope that is coming out of the belay device. So, is lead climbing dangerous? Lead climbing is one of the most dangerous forms of rock climbing, and requires a skilled climber/belayer to be performed safely. The climbers would jump off the overhanging rock and give each other slack to allow for softer falls. 4) Watch weight differences. 527 votes, 51 comments. With the climber secured to a top rope, the mock lead belayer can practice feeding slack without the pressure of catching the climber if they fall. It feels like it’s awfully soon in our journey to start thinking about lead climbing, but maybe that’s just me, the over cautious, over prepared, learner. ) Because this is a bit of an art, lead belaying can take a lot of experience to master. The only reason more slack can seem to give a softer catch is that you have more time, to time the catch better. Jul 19, 2013 · Climbing Commands & Climbing Terms Along with the usual climbing terms used in top rope climbing, such as “on belay,” “climbing,” “take,” and “rock,” it will be important to communicate additional climbing commands. Each of the following points plays an important role in the overall Climb On Safely program. Mar 19, 2022 · Post edited at 15:11 Andy Gamisou 19 Mar 2022 In reply to climbercool: Much as I like a "soft catch" as much as the next person (actually, probably more so courtesy of a compressed disk and ankle nerve issues) and dislike being short-roped, I do often wince when I see people below the third bolt (say) being belayed with lots of slack out. Honestly, pretty much everything! In lead belaying you're paying out rope (giving slack) while in top rope you're always taking in slack. Types of belay devices: Your belay device is used to manage rope slack/tension, catch a fall and lower your climbing partner. We analyzed and compared key performance attributes to differentiate between them and decide which ones are best for beginners, and which ones are built for the trick wizards. The first fall is 3 feet of slack, second is 5 feet, third is 10. The belayer should also consider whether a mobile anchor, or Ohm is appropriate, to prevent being pulled too high off the If the rope droops below the device, you have too much slack. Like mock lead climbing, the best way to practice lead belaying is to have the climber still attached to a top rope, meaning that you will need a third person. Super fast Climbing video: • The Hardest Rock Climb in Thailand 00:00 Introduction 01:08 Belay Devices 03:26 Preparation 06:56 Low To the Ground 08:58 Slack Management 16:48 Tangles in the Rope It can be really useful when going to give slack. Explanation by Jorg Verhoeven. The rope was touching the ground at times. I doubt the routes in the gym are set in an unsafe way. We still have the safety of a top rope belay but the belayer having their rope travel through the first clip and the large amount of slack simulates a lead catch. Watch the leader’s moves, and anticipate the clips. Apr 24, 2023 · An auto belay is a mechanical device that is used in rock climbing to provide an effective and efficient way of lowering a climber to the ground after they have completed their climb. Jul 17, 2025 · To prepare to flash 'Free Rider' in a day, Will Moss rope soloed ‘China Doll’ (5. Often times it feels like there’s a little too much slack in the system on low clips (enough where I could deck). Jan 20, 2022 · A sticky belay can even cause the leader to fall. walking into the wall will provide more slack as you feed rope through your belay device simultaneously. . That’s because climbing hard on lead isn’t necessarily about getting stronger or even improving your climbing technique. A good belayer should pay attention to the objective hazards of a route. ” Jan 6, 2014 · The dynamic belay was invented at Indian Rock in Berkeley by Dick Leonard and the Cragmont Climbing Club. Do stay in the right place in the right position. Pay out slack as the climber reaches down for it, not as he tries to pull up the rope. Is the climber above a dangerous ledge? Apr 1, 2025 · 6. If you’re good at #2, you should be able to keep a minimal amount of slack while the climber is climbing and only pull it out when needed. Aug 23, 2022 · Learning to lead climb involves memorizing various systems—how to tie in, how to clip quickdraws, how to clean anchors—AND accumulating fluency and trust in those systems. Jul 17, 2020 · What is lead climbing you might ask? How to lead climb like a pro, FAST! Basics to good technique, gear needed for Learning. Mar 16, 2022 · These days many people learn rope climbing indoors, and in that environment, most start by learning top-rope belaying and top-rope climbing first. Moving towards the bolt to give out more rope works really good, you normally stand about 1-2m away from it. (The right amount of slack in the rope also provides a falling climber a soft, safe catch. You can practice clipping by tying into a lead rope and the auto belay. I just don't see a reason for it. Gym climbing is the most convenient way to build your lead climbing skill set that can then be applied Aug 7, 2025 · Belaying is a technique of managing slack in a climbing system to safeguard a climber and prevent the climber from taking a dangerous fall. I just started lead climbing, so I dont know how much of a concern it is. Aug 2, 2023 · Lead climbing and belaying effectively involve many nuances. They eliminate the need for a climbing partner who belays the climber, belaying is manually controlling the rope to hold the climber… To involve him, Shader and his lead investor would have to sell more of the company, diluting their ownership. 3M subscribers in the climbing community. Take and give slack as your climber climbs to maintain the correct shape in your rope line. Oct 15, 2021 · The climber relies on a climbing partner to manage that rope—preventing too much slack or too much tension—through proper belay techniques. Often, you can feed out a couple of feet of slack simply by taking a step or two forward (or backward to quickly pull in slack). The belay point for a top rope can be either anchored to the groud or not (normally is) but for leading the belay point should not be anchored as this gives the climber a softer fall. In this way, I basically never have to try and hold the rope while pulling more slack. This video cover indoor lead climbing and passing your indoor lead climbing test at the gym. This protection can be pre-placed bolts (common in sport climbing) or gear placed by the climber themselves (in trad climbing). To provide a great belay for your lead climber, Jorg Verhoeven demonstrates h Jun 6, 2016 · Instead, this guy was belaying 20 to 30 feet from the wall with way too much slack out. First of all how much that equates to varies depending on your height and distance from the wall, and generally that much slack isn't needed. And ofc train him to give soft catches in a similar way, starting off small and giving feedback. Feb 1, 2022 · Transitioning from top roping to lead climbing can be a big challenge. Because of the increased fall distance and all of the risks associated with it, lead climbing is probably the riskiest activity that most climbers will do. Second, there is no need for a special hand position when feeding slack with the Petzl Neox. A regular partner pays out the slack without taking any in if for example you place gear above your head then climb up to it. When you belay a lead climber and notice there is too much slack, what is the proper way to take it in? I was taught, that I should pull the tail end of the rope with my right hand simultaneously the active rope with my left, then grab the tail-end near the belay device with my left hand, move up my right and repeat. However, you should pay attention to your climber. Dec 8, 2020 · Alternatively, while lead climbing sport or trad, the climber is required to hold onto the rock longer to place their own pieces of protection. Jul 1, 2017 · When I belay I keep the slack to a minimum without hindering the leader as my opinion is the drop should be kept to a minimum. May 3, 2022 · Belaying involves feeding out (lead climbing)or taking in (top-rope climbing) slack as a climber progresses upward, so the climber is “caught” by the rope in the event of a fall. For an overview of basic climbing gear, see Getting Started Rock Climbing. However, falls when lead climbing are longer than top roping, with greater risks as well. Aug 9, 2017 · Too much slack will result in an unnecessarily long fall. A high clip will need one or two arm’s lengths of slack. If your rope goes down then up like a suspension bridge cable, you have too much slack. Too much slack on the rope increases the distance of a possible fall, but too little slack on the rope may cause the climber to "whip" or swing into the rock at a high velocity, possibly injuring themselves. Feb 26, 2017 · Lucky for all of us climbing gyms are a thing and we can go basically anytime and have fun, but you always have to pass the lead climb/belay test at each new gym you go to, if only there were a 527 votes, 51 comments.

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