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 Introduction
Self-arresting devices
Devices which do not self-arrest
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Belay devices are used not only to stop the partner's fall, but also to safely bring the second up to a stance, to abseil, to top rope and to perform in various other situations.
Many different belay devices are currently available, which makes choosing the most suitable all the more difficult, especially for a novice. These devices have all been designed for slightly different purposes and should be chosen on the basis of what exactly they are going to be used for - a multi-pitch route followed by abseils is obviously very different from a day at the crag! The choice of gear, in particular the belay device, must reflect this.
The advantages and disadvantages of the most common belay devices are discussed in this article. They have been divided into two categories: devices which lock automatically and those which do not.
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| The main uses for the belay devices are listed in the table below: |
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top rope
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| at the crag |
belaying on single pitch sports routes |
| multi-pitch sports routes |
multi-pitch sports routes with a bolt or peg belay (also two ropes) |
| traditional routes |
routes which require nuts and friends for protection, both at the crag or in the mountains |
| ice climbing |
ice climbing, mixed routes and alpine routes (wet or frozen ropes, gloves, etc) |
| abseil |
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| * |
not recommended |
| ** |
sufficient |
| *** |
good |
| **** |
excellent |
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