If you have been to a rock climbing gym that offers roped climbing, you may have noticed something weird on the wall. An auto belay setup is not necessarily discrete; if you frequent enough rock climbing facilities, you may have noticed a climber using one or a line running down the wall clipped to something fixing it to ground level where a rope seems like it should be.
Some climbing facilities offer members and guests the use of auto belay equipment maintained by the gym. Auto belay setups allow solo gym climbers or the odd-person-out to wall climb safely without a human belay. They are also a great stamina building tool; if you drop off the wall, you will lower in a controlled manner down to the ground (meaning that you have lost all the progress made up the wall). This can be especially painful when you take that heartbreak whip on the last moves to the anchor.
How Does an Auto Belay System Work?
You will first notice a fixed line running up the wall and inside some type of casing. This involves the installation of a piece of equipment fixed to the top of the climbing wall. It is usually positioned over several climbing routes to give the climber options.
A housing box at the top of the wall is where the rope or teether retracts back into as you are climbing, and the line will coil into this device. When a climber drops from the wall, this equipment controls the lower and keeps things at a safe pace.
The Benefits of Climbing at a Gym with Auto Belay Options
No partner, no problem. The main benefit of an auto belay is that you can climb solo without a partner. Whether you are climbing in an odd-numbered group with your friends, cannot find a belay partner for your session, or prefer solo gym training sessions, an auto belay allows you to scale the wall unassisted. It can also be a great option for parents to take turns belaying their child on the wall and still get a decent climbing in themselves.
The gym staff can provide a quick tutorial about the safety and use of the equipment and will cover proper protocol before you start. They will orient you to the carabiner, where to clip, and advise that you double check that you have correctly clipped into the system before climbing (you should do this every time, not just the first). The nice thing is that they are easy to use and require little safety training.
How Easy Is an Auto Belay?
Depending on the climbing gym, the fixed line that you ascend will be tethered to an anchor fixed to the wall or floor. You will perform the same safety checks that you do with your personal or gym climbing harness (gym employees can go over this with you if this is your first time) and make sure that things are doubled back and redundant.
Once you perform your harness safety checks, you will want to unclip the line from where it is fixed (what type of locking carabiner used will depend on the gym). Be careful not to let go of the line—if you do, it will ascend to the top, and someone will need to retrieve it. Fasten the carabiner to your belay loop. Before you climb, confirm that the carabiner is secured through your belay loop and locked properly.
Interested in Auto Belay?
Gyms like Vertical Rock Climbing and Fitness that offer auto belay setups for climbers keep a strict maintenance schedule on these machines. They are sent in for inspection regularly to ensure that the equipment is up to safety standards and passes checks. Local to the Greater DC area and Northern Virginia? Drop into Vertical Rock in Manassas offers wall climbing with auto belay routes for climbers. Are you interested in learning more? Drop by the gym to tour our facilities and see what we offer.
