How to Use an Auto-Belay Device | Rock Climbing

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Rockin’ Rock Climbing Commodities

All right, everyone, right now I'm going to show you how to use what's called an auto belay. This is a great system that a lot of climbing gyms offer. It allows you to climb without having a partner. It's nice. You can run repetitive laps on some of these routes and just move at your own pace.

So the way these devices work is at one end of it there's a big locking carabiner. These carabiners often have a two-part locking mechanism that requires you to both push on the gate and twist it simultaneously. Once the gate's open you're going to clip it into your harness. On my harness I'm going to clip it into what's called the belay loop. On a rental harness that might be a different point.

So I'm clipped into my belay loop. It's important to remember when doing that process to be really careful not to let go of the auto belay. Because, if you do, it's going to coil itself all the way back up to the top. So make sure you don't let go while you're clipping in.

And as silly as it sounds clipping in is the most important part of using the auto belay as it's very easy to forget to clip in, to be negligent with that step of the process. So really make sure you're always clipped in properly, and that that carabiner is locked. Most gyms will have a sign, perhaps some sort of covering on the wall. The auto belay might be attached away from the wall. All of those elements are in place to make sure that you actually clip in and don't start climbing until that clip is secured and you've double checked it.

So once I'm clipped I know I'm safe and ready to go. I can just start climbing. It's important that when you're using the auto belay that you don't climb too far to one side or the other, making sure that you're basically in line with the device as you're moving up the wall. Now, without having a belayer, any time you fall the auto belay is going to lower you all the way back to the floor. So just keep that in mind as you're climbing.

When you near the top of the wall, and you're ready to come down, there's nothing else you need to do except let go. Now it feels really creepy, and it's a little committing, especially because you don't have a belayer that you're communicating with, but at this stage the only thing left to do is just let go.

Now that I'm back down you'll notice that the auto belay lowered me safely. It lowered me slowly. It didn't drop me all the way down. It might take a second or so for that device to engage at the top, but within an inch or two you'll start to feel that resistance.

Now that I'm back to the ground I want to make sure that when I'm unclipping my carabiner I'm just as careful as I was when I clipped it in. So that I'm not going to let go and drop this piece of webbing and send it all the way up to the top. So I'm going to keep that gate open. I'm going to clip it into the anchor. Let it go. That carabiner will automatically lock itself in place.

And there you go. That's how to use an auto belay.

[itsmebee]

the auto belay at our gym is a lot looser than the one in this video and it drops you a good foot or so before it catches. really got to commit to that descent. 

[renegade]

I'm terrified of heights, even 5 feet off the ground. When I tried this the first time, it was rather unnerving letting go of the wall at first. But, as I floated down, I realized how perfectly safe I was. In fact, I considered it a more reliable system as compared with a distractible human being.

[gigglysamentz]

He's loving the moment he lets go XD

[seanorourke]

Fantastic looking device, I really think they should use this in line poll climbing

[rominhawk]

Thanks for this really clean and clear presentation. Liked very much.

[JJLIU-ozvl]

I hated when I have to come down because I don’t know how to come down yet I am only good at climbing

[wonderfulworldofella]

My first time, made me realize that it's literally hard to let go & fall dahil alam mong wlang sasalo.😂😂😂

[sonyamclendonify]

At our gym they instructed me to hook the carabiner downward through both hard points not the belay point..🤷🏻‍♀️

[korokozohordozo]

Can I climb down too?  (for excercise, climbing up and down without stopping till I fall) 

[jamisonmouratov]

Question: Is it recommended to sometimes try to grab back onto the wall if you slip and start coming down? I interrupted my fall a lot of times and people say it's 'dangerous', is it really? Curious XD

[mikeb]

Quick question - I was taught to clip into the waist and leg harness loops when using an auto belay, the same as you would use when tying in.  I would rather use the belay loop because it's easier to clip a biner through.  Is this safe?

[somehandle]

This guy is Derek from Veritasium's lost twin!

[Fabianwew]

My gym they are one ropes that you can adjust so you can slide them along the wall so get more routes to climb. Still climb with my partner instead tho.

[daned]

Arent you not supposed to clip into the belay hoop?!!😳

[groovs]

This has been removed from our gym here in Sydney as a man just fell 13 feet and died

[bunniewood]

A guy died at my gym when the autobelay failed.

[missanna]

Oh my god, this is horrifying. If howcast is as bad a eHow, you will likely get killed following this advice. I am sure there are multiple different auto belay devices and you need to make sure you have someone teach you how to use that one correctly, and as always, have someone do a safety check of your harness, knots, and whatever else.