Belay Training
Overview
Our belay program exists to provide patrons with an
opportunity to learn the proper techniques required to safely belay at the
climbing wall. By doing this we create a community of
climbers who are able to belay each other independent of the climbing wall
staff.
Belay Program Progression
Patrons come to climb.
Each participant is allowed to utilize the wall staff once.
This gives them a chance to see if climbing is something they may
wish to pursue. It also keeps the wall staff free to
monitor the whole wall instead of constantly belaying.
After their trial climb, patrons are encouraged to take a belay clinic.
Climbers may remain “climb only” if desired as long as they are
belayed up by a beginning or advanced belayer or a staff member.
If the patron happens to already know how to belay proficiently they
can take the advanced belay test to show proof knowledge of proper skills.
Sign up for a belay clinic.
Belay clinics are offered at request of participants and will be
instructed by a Lead Climbing Staff member. Each clinic will have between
2-4 people. If there are not at least two people the
class will be cancelled and the participant will be given the option to
choose another date. Class limit is set at four to allow
for a safe and beneficial instructor-participant ratio.
Belay clinic
Each belay clinic will be taught by a Lead Staff member who has thorough
knowledge of belaying and the equipment involved. The
clinic lasts somewhere between 1 and 2 hours, enabling the participants to
learn all necessary information as well as have proper time to apply and
practice these new skills. Participants will be taught
how to put on a climbing harness, how to tie the figure 8 follow-through
knot, how to set up and use the Gri-Gri, correct belay technique, and
miscellaneous information about climbing in general. They
will also learn the policies and procedures of the climbing wall.
Belay test
After taking a clinic, participants may take their belay test the next
day. They have up to two weeks to take their exam.
After this point they can try to take the advanced test or they must
retake the clinic. Only an Lead Staff member or Belay
Clinic instructor can administer the belay test. They
reserve the right to make the ultimate decision on whether the person passes
or fails this test. In order to pass the test a participant must be able to
correctly tie into the rope, correctly set up the belay equipment, and
exhibit correct belay technique. They must also show a
certain degree of awareness regarding their climbing partner’s status
throughout the belay process. After this process the
staff member administering the test has the final call on whether the person
passes. If a person fails the test they have the option of returning the
next day to retake the exam. If the person fails again it
is recommended they repeat the clinic.
Advanced belay test
Those who have taken clinics through University Recreation and those who
want to “test out” of the process of taking a belay clinic.
If a patron wants to test out without taking a clinic they can take
the advanced belay test. This test can only be
administered by a Lead Staff. The advanced test has a
higher standard with the idea that the patron should know exactly what to do
and therefore perform extremely well. To pass an advanced
belay test the participant must be nearly perfect. Any
mistake can be cause for failure.
