UKC

Can anyone explain why two (or sometimes three) people would go to a climbing wall and then take turns on the auto belays for an hour or so? OK, so you don't want to lead, go on the top ropes and do some circuits there. You can even vary your circuits.
Then the auto belays can be used by people who don't have a belayer.

Rant over.

In reply to Postmanpat:

I feel your pain. Recently I was waiting for a friend to arrive as I'd got to the wall early, and had to wait while a team of 2 pairs did laps on the auto-belay routes, getting filmed in the process and stopping for chats between shots. I eventually just went up and asked if they knew when they'd be finished on them. Turns out it was right that very second - what a coincidence!

In reply to Fraser:


What are they thinking I wonder?

In reply to Postmanpat:

Only time I tend to notice people I climb with doing that is when we are climbing in a 3 (or a 4 with one non-signed-off person present) and one gets bored.

Neil

In reply to Postmanpat:

Hey, if people want to queue to use the Autobelays and leave the roped lines free. I'm all for this new craze!

In reply to Postmanpat:

I had this exact rant yesterday. I was on my own and 2 of 4 auto belays were out of action at my local centre and people there with climbing partners were lining up to use them, staying on for 3-4 climbs and chatting inbetween. While I know everyone has the right to use the facilities if they want, come on.... be a bit considerate.

In reply to higherclimbingwales:

Yes, but if it becomes too popular there will soon be more of the awful things; At Ratho an additional perfectly good lead line has just been lost to an auto belay. Any wall should only have one of the things with a rule that if more than one person wants to use it they are obliged to go away and belay each other properly on a normal line. The sole autobelay could act as a convenient meeting place for the partnerless.

In reply to Robert Durran:

I climb with my 6 yr old daughter and auto belays give us a rare chance to climb together, something which at 6 she really appreciates (and which I do too).

Apart from when I have my kid I'm usually alone and am very grateful to a pair of auto belays to give me a break from bouldering. I suppose Notts having so much wall space does help as I think someone would have to be very nit picky to seriously mind the fraction of it used by the autos.

In reply to flopsicle:


Fair enough, an exception could be made for, say, under 10's.

In reply to Robert Durran:

I still think they should've stuck an autobelay on Pettifer's - that way, anyone who wants to do the moves safely can do it on the autobelay, and anyone who wants to trad it can unclip the autobelay and let it go beforehand (which actually does leave the full trad experience, unlike not clipping the bolts).

In reply to Ramblin dave:


Yes, a cunning idea, but it's almost impossible to do any moves (properly, at least) on an auto belay anyway because of the constant tugging - that's why I hate the things so much. Still, if it keeps some people happy.....

In reply to Ramblin dave:

I think the trublue(?) autobelays are suitable for outdoor use...

More seriously though, at least here in the Quay the autobelays do not cause a loss of a lead line. In fact they are quite heavily used by people learning to lead (autobelay backup while they climb). I find it works quite well for 'proper' leading if the belayer clips into the autobelay; that way, the strap is away from the wall so it doesn't get in the climber's way.