In reply to girlymonkey:
> My husband (most frequent climbing partner) is about twice my weight, of course I've been lifted hard! My harness sits high, so I do get lifted, but never inverted. I think it must just be the height of the harness.
> If I am using a sandbag indoors (which I don't do often), then I always use the haul loop. (Different scenario, I know)
It's not really about where your harness sits on you (unless it's so high you're *very* bottom heavy - no rudeness intended) it's about the shape it makes and its orientation when the climbing rope and the ground anchor's opposing forces are applied. The harness rotates to align the front and back of the harness between the two opposing forces, at that point if your feet were lifted off the ground you're just along for the ride.
Could you abseil sat upright and free from the rockface with 30kg hanging off the rear haul loop. I know I couldn't, not even close, it'd roll me back into a very awkward stress position. I buy female fit (higher 'rise') harnesses to lift my attachment point above my CoG.
It's not just a theoretical risk, I've had it happen to me and I've seen it happen to others over the years. Generally it's not too severe, it just leaves you in a very legs-high sitting position swinging in toward the wall (assuming sandbag, not ground anchor) which is ok so long as you're going in feet first. Ass first or worse, head first hurts.
The ground anchor exists to help resist the pull of the climber's rope. Logically you want it aligned with that pull so why wouldn't you clip it to the same loop you're belaying from? Any other alignment/attachment produces off axis forces and torques that you, the belayer then have to resist if you can.
jk
Post edited at 11:37