Rock Climbing Basics: Belaying the Leader

Climbing Magazine is producing a series of How To videos in 2012 to demonstrate basic skills and techniques. In this video Julie Ellison, Climbing Magazine Gear Editor, shows how to belay a lead climb. Thanks to our partners: Wild Country Red Chili, Vertical Girl, and New England Ropes.

• Category

  Sports

[Nonsense071894]

Its important to not do this without formal hands on experience by someone better. Also I wish these kind of really well done informational videos would come to the top of the search when someone searches rock climbing. Not expert village videos which are horrible and teach bad habits.

[Colin Potter]

It usually isn't that big of a deal. I've been belayed by someone who is 55 pounds lighter than I am and the only time is really affected my belayer was on a fall and it jerked him off the ground a couple of feet. But it's not even really noticeable in other aspects.

[Leo Buys]

Great video to refresh my memory before the lead course, but definitely never a replacement for a climbing course with a instructor. Thanks.

[kaboosha]

Excuse me, could you turn around please.

[MyCobbles]

thank you :)

[JERSEYxDEVIL]

bottom anchors usually. but most of the time, 50 lbs wont make too much of a difference

[akaye10]

Don't know if it's good but I'm 190 and my belayer is 115, always a very soft catch, it has its ups and downs ;)

[TheTobyKing]

a rule of thumb i was taught by my (certifiied) instructor is for lead climbing, the climber should way max. 125% of the belayer (ie 25% more). for toprope, it is 150%. so as long as your belayer is no more than 200lbs, 50lbs difference should be fine

[robert12233445]

what if the lead climber is 50 lbs more than the belayer?

[Salahi Alireza]

very nice  tankyou