Belay loop failure. Most of these auto-belay accidents have been people who don't tie in or don't tie in correctly. Plan ahead! I know of two first hand anecdotal instances of belay loop failure. Rappelling off the end of the rope (s)—largely due to uneven ropes. Apr 16, 2020 · When you're belaying, you tie your GriGri or ATC to a carabiner that goes through the belay loop, which in turn goes through the tie-in points. Harness/belay loop failure. 5,6) After clear communication with the belayer, climber calls for a lower. I know that there are some newer harnesses that include redundant belay loops, but it is still generally considered to strong to fail. I've never used an auto belay, but I'd imagine your just clipping into a locking 'biner on the end of the rope. 3,4) Climber then unties her tie in knot and pulls the tail through the chains. This issue was implicated in the death of Todd Skinner on the Leaning Tower in Yosemite in 2006. Inadequate back up for rappels. Jan 22, 2007 · Todd Skinner’s recent death due to an old belay loop failure was a tragic reminder of the consequences of neglect. The belay loop is the strongest part of the climbing harness, so why do so many climbers not trust it? It’s very common to see climbers backing up their belay loop with a separate piece of webbing or clipping their belay carabiner through the waist and leg tie-in points to avoid the belay loop. Jan 20, 2022 · Always belay standing, with two hands on the rope, eyes on the climber. It might be counterintuitive, but in the case of the number of loads on your locking carabiner, less is more. I would suggest that we move general discussions about this to away from the sad news to this forum. Based on both rumor and inference from the messaging, this looks like a fixed-gear failure, and no part of that system should fail catastrophically if maintained correctly. . This reduces the ability of the sling to rotate freely and can cause extra wear and tear on the belay loop where it contacts the leg loops. If the belay loop is too strong to fail, why do we tie in to two separate points on the harness when we climb while the other end of the rope is secured to a single point? MAKE SURE THE BELAY/RAPPEL LOOP IS ROUTED CORRECTLY THROUGH THE TIE-IN POINT ON THE HARNESS WAIST BELT, EXACTLY AS SHOWN ABOVE. Todd had girth-hitched his ascender daisy If the two tie-in points were worn and a belay loop failure, then the tie-in points should be broken and “released” the loop. The belay loop is the best example. FAILURE TO POSITION THE BELAY/RAPPEL LOOP CORRECTLY CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH! It is possible for the buckle end of the waist belt to invert through the belay/rappel loop while the waist belt is unbuckled. Report on the Breaking of a Girth-Hitched We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Feb 20, 2020 · 2) Climb a ties a figure 8 loop and clips it to her belay loop with a locker. Inadequate anchor systems, or in other words, anchor failure. Use it or loose it? - SuperTopo's climbing discussion forum is the world's most popular community discussion forum for people who actively climb outdoors. Jul 22, 2025 · Harnesses: Belay Loop. Moved PermanentlyThe document has moved here. Putting the 'biner through both the leg loop and the waist loop would tri-load the 'biner, and placing it only through the waist loop could risk a back injury. Oct 27, 2006 · Perhaps, in light of the tragic consequences of a probably belay loop failure for one of the brightest stars in our climbing community, it would be better/more respectful to carry on a discussion about belay loops, etc. Feb 23, 2020 · However, girth hitching a sling to the belay loop means you’re cinching a sling down on one area of the belay loop. Sep 29, 2022 · Besides these three primary concerns, other less common causes for accidents are issues with the rappel device, getting stranded on the cliff due to inadequate rope length, or harness and belay loop failure. Many climbers never leave the comfort of the ground to belay. 5 days ago · Todd Skinners failed harness - update - SuperTopo's climbing discussion forum is the world's most popular community discussion forum for people who actively climb outdoors. Less common causes include: Rappel device issues. (1) A belay loop clipped with a karabiner that had been used on a climbing wall hanger and the sharp edges cut through the loop. Jun 20, 2016 · So keep belaying off those belay loops! To be certified by the UIAA, the belay loop on your harness must withstand 15 kN of force (that’s over 3300 lbs) for three minutes, so it’s plenty strong. e. To address these safety concerns, it’s vital that climbers who are learning to rappel thoroughly review the following safety considerations. The fact of a belay loop releasing all on its’ own is one of those accidents that leaves climbers baffled, engineers running programs and Lawyers leaping tall building to get to the harness manufacturer and to the Because if this was a maintenance failure they're liable. Why doesn't the rope go on the belay line, or the GriGri/ATC on the tie-in loops? It looks like the belay loop is a single point of Mar 15, 2016 · The vertical belay loop also results in a belay device orientation that is centered on the belayer’s body, negating the relevance of their specifically dominant hand. , in a different forum. John Sherman’s scare with a Dyneema sling failure on a near-static load, which led to Mammut’s test results below, also should serve as a prompt to keep your gear, and yourself, safe. While a ground belay may not involve the inherent dangers—such as anchor failure—associated with multi-pitch belays, a ground belay has dangers all its own. I have two questions: Why do these attach to different places? I. Stranded due to inadequate rappel rope length. rcgqt nrz qjrh nmlpje zsqjc iakcyja dffsyu vvmbw pmxr atkvmg