Belaying

Climbing a rock-textured wall with belay, hand holds, cracks, and bumps

Belaying is a way to hold and control a rope for a person who is rock climbing. A climber has to be attached to a rope so they do not fall very far. A person on the ground who is belaying is called a belayer.

The belayer usually puts the rope through a belay device, which lets the rope move through the device in one direction (as the climber being belayed goes up). If the climber falls, the device lets the belayer also hold the rope still, so the climber hangs in the air but does not hit the ground.

A belayer can hold the weight of the climber with the rope and help prevent an injury caused by a fall.

Belaying Media

• Red Rocks - Climbers on Physical Graffiti - 5.jpg

  A belayer in Red Rocks, Nevada

• RoyLindmanBelayDevice.jpg

  A demonstration of the belay device with rope and carabiner without a proper locking gate

• Belaying tuber.jpg

  Belay device held in the "locked off" position.

• Joshua Tree - Lazy Day 1.jpg

  Leader and belayer climbing in Joshua Tree National Park

• Pou Anaiak el niño 8b - panoramio.jpg

  Lead climber and belayer (in a hanging belay position) on the multi-pitch El Niño Template:Climbing grade, El Capitan

• Fotothek df ps 0000188 Höhlenübung.jpg

  Body belay during rescue training in Switzerland in 1924