UKC

After a lifetime climbing and trying not to fall off I tried an auto-belay at my local climbing wall. When I got to the top and it was time to let go I just couldn't do it. Bizarrely I didnt trust it would work. I started to lower myself down a nearby top rope until I couldnt hang on anymore. Had to let go and of course the auto- belay worked fine. What an idiot with sore hands. I never thought to ask the staff about using this device beforehand. 😕

They are, at first, counter-intuitive. Now I use them weekly and they're the best training thing, for me, ever.  9well, the  overhanging Warrington ones are) 

Reminds me of someone I know. Told me that she wouldn't use an autobelay as they were , frightening and everything else you can think of. Where was she going the next day, Alton Towers to have a go on all the big rides.  I just kept quiet.

John

I was the same, what worked for me was to get to the top, check I'm clipped in, say 'safe' then immediately let go. A few repetitions of this seemed to reprogram my brain that it was OK.

I think that's a fairly common reaction. It's like anything though, repetition with it builds trust and you won't give it a 2nd thought eventually.

Our neighbour's 12 year old son was taken to local wall as a birthday treat. He got to top and then completely freaked out as he wouldn't let go to be automatically lowered. Must have hugely affected his confidence and put him off climbing.

One technique to get used to those things... just climb up a few feet then, with a spotter, let go and let the autobelay lower you. Try it again a bit higher, and so on. No need to go all the way to the top before developing trust in the system (and possibly freaking out). Also, when repeating routes with the autobelay, this may sound silly, but always double check that you are properly clipped into the system. We just had an accident at our local gym (broken bones, apparently) from someone who failed to clip in and fell from high up on the route. These accidents are surprisingly common. 

I think a lot of people find it unnerving letting go when they start using auto-belays, especially if you're used to being able to say "take" and feel tension in the rope before you let go -- with the auto-belay, you never feel that, so it doesn't feel safe on a gut level.

I recommend climbing up a few metres then letting go from there, just to reassure yourself that the auto-belay's working. Once you've done that a few times, it'll make it much easier to let go at the top.

(Whoops, beaten to it.)

Sounds completely normal - you can count your first few sessions as falling practice.

You get used to it eventually - but my local has two different models, and I still notice the one that lets you drop a little bit more before it catches

Maybe there' a market for an AB that simulates  near ground whippers - excellent training for that scary trad lead or run-out sport route - the Auto screamer?

Maybe a bit higher than just a few feet. The first time I tried one I did just that, and nearly decked as it took that long to engage.  It put me off using them for a while, eventually I tried one from higher up and it worked OK.  I'm still not wild about using them, and they seem to take much longer to slow you down than a live belayer.

Similarly, I had to rescue a girl of about 10 who was about 20ft up the wall and wouldnt let go. I got a friend to belay me up and helped her down, but she did look terrified.

I got my own kids to practice stepping off from very low down (head height) to get used to the feel of it, before climbing to the top and lowering. They absolutely love it now, although I'm always careful to make sure they are clipping in correctly at the start of a session. 

Its a totally unnatural thing to do, and easy to see how it can scare people at first (kids or adults).

The first time I encountered an auto-belay was when simulating a parachute jump prior to THE jump. The damned thing dropped me at rather an alarming rate, albeit safely.

1000, 2000, 3000 check!!! 

When you get to the top, give your self a good round of applause, nice and loud for everyone to hear. Problem solved.

Was that a fan descender or an autobelay?  The former tend to give a more parachute-like experience, often allowing faster fall then slowing near the bottom.  Autobelays tend to lower quite slowly though I must admit I dislike the feeling of free-fall I get for the first 6 inches or so while everything goes tight.

Ah! Good point.  Possibly a fan descender then.  Still filled my trousers though.