UKC

Don't think I'd let him belay him

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10906086_76...

In reply to goose299:

why not?

In reply to goose299:

Makes things interesting!

In reply to john arran:

Well as the old saying goes, the leader shouldn't fall, I guess it should be ok

In reply to goose299:

Shocking stuff - WTF !

In reply to goose299:

If you look carefully, you'll see the anchor is also clipped into the biner, and he has his ABC all sorted - so assuming his anchor is bomber, then he's essentially doing a direct belay (although whether he knows that is up for debate), which there's nothing wrong with.

In reply to goose299:

I believe this is a regular technique used by our american counterparts. I don't think it's completely unsafe, just not THE safest belaying technique out there.

Besides, in order to win a darwin award, one first has to die of doing something so stupid that most (sane) people would tut derisively and say 'well, he deserved it if he's going to be THAT stupid'.

In reply to SenzuBean:


If it is an anchor and not his dog on the other end of that cord....

In reply to higherclimbingwales:

Pedantic, but in order to win a Darwin Award one merely has to take oneself out of the gene pool. I seem to remember it was once awarded to someone who accidentally castrated himself and survived.
(I might be making this up, but I vaguely recall he shot his bollocks off by using a live bullet to replace a fuse that kept blowing in his car.)

Edit to add:
The belaying, by the way, looks somewhat over cautious by old-school Southern Sandstone standards.

In reply to deepsoup:

Nope, Darwin was picky with his awards... special stupid is required. Silly self inflicted fatal errors when tired just wont do.

In reply to tom_in_edinburgh:


It might be a big dog

In reply to deepsoup:


False, unfortunately.

http://www.darwinawards.com/legends/legends1998-04.html

In reply to Philip:
Ah. Shame.
As urban myths go it's a good story, I can see why it has er.. legs.

In reply to goose299:

Assuming that the ground rope goes to a solid anchor rather than a medium sized dog that part should be safe. I didn´t even spot the high tech harness at first, but was concerned that the brake end and live end of the rope were held parallel. Fine with a munter hitch, but potentially lethal with a tube style device.

CB

In reply to goose299:
If the belt snaps the belay device would jump up in the air (out of reach?) so the he'd have to shuffle backwards with his trousers around his ankles to adjust the angle of the dead rope to get more friction on the belay device.

Potential comedy gold or loss of control by belayer

In reply to elsewhere:

It's anchored so it wouldn't move anywhere it doesn't really need to be clipped to him at all like someone said before me it's a direct belay ,his belaying skills are another matter

In reply to Hat Dude:

Like Digby?

http://www.asset1.net/tv/pictures/movie/digby-the-biggest-dog-in-the-world-...

In reply to Wsdconst:


I agree with elsewhere, looking at the angle or the rope from him to the anchor and to the climber.

In reply to Wsdconst:
He's relying on the belt to hold to prevent the anchor rope and live rope going into a straight line under load.

The rope looks more like that blue polypropylene stuff rather than climbing rope too.

In reply to goose299:

Truly appalling, if anything goes wrong he will likely lose his kecks!


Chris

In reply to elsewhere:

Maybe it's also attached to his underpants. In which case, he'd get an auto-wedgie...

In reply to elsewhere:

Looks more like decorative frogging than rope...

In reply to elsewhere:

AAAHHHHH I understand what you mean now about it being up in the air I did really notice the different angles

In reply to goose299:

Give him a brake he's only flying a kite.

Boggy

In reply to Bogwalloper:



Or stabilising a tree branch?

In reply to elsewhere:



Which suggests it's not climbing he's engaged in...?

In reply to higherclimbingwales:


Maybe it's an american technique, but the other guy clearly states he is IRISH. Not that it matters to me, but some may be touchy.

In reply to deepsoup:





"I stand corrected", said the man in orthopedic shoes.

In reply to goose299:

Saw lot of belaying like that in America. Scared the whatsit out of me. Had to educate the club I was in, who thought they could get to a lock-off position quick enough if the climber fell. The club in question, like many American clubs, charged for introductory lessons before they allowed you to climb. Unfortunately, as seems common, the 'instructors' were not fit to instruct, and those who knew were not allowed to instruct as it spoiled the hierarchy of the club. (The head of the club liked to be called Mr. President, even out on the crag!

In reply to johncook:


Only the Yanks

In reply to higherclimbingwales:

I have orthopedic shoes too - the example I gave turned out to be a myth.

In reply to DubyaJamesDubya:


It depends on how much they know.