How to Make Your Own Fall Protector Rope

Rock climbing requires climbers to create fall protection systems using ropes and safety equipment including karabiners and anchors to securely hold ropes in place. In many situations, a lead climber makes her way up a climb and secures anchors in a rock face to provide safety for herself and the climbers following. Belaying is a fall protection technique using ropes firmly attached at the top of a climb and held by one climber as another climbs to provide a braking system if a fall happens.

Things You'll Need

  • Climbing rope
  • Locking karabiners
  • Waist harnesses
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Tie the climbing rope to a securely positioned piece of rock or other structure that will hold the weight of a climber. Attach the rope to the waist harness of the belayer.

    • 2

      Dig the boots of the belayer deeply into the ground or secure the feet against rocks to hold the belayer in place in the event of a fall. The rope should now be held in the left hand securely and looped around the back of the belayer and passed down the rock to the climber using the right hand, known as the feeling hand.

    • 3

      Attach the rope to the waist harness of the climber and tie using a figure eight knot to ensure safety. The belayer should now take up the slack of the rope, never allowing the left brake hand to leave the rope.

    • 4

      Communicate when the belay is attached to both the climber and belayer to allow both to be sure when climbing is taking place. The rope should be taken up as the climber climbs by pulling it back with the right hand and passing it through the left brake hand.

    • 5

      Apply the brake if the climber falls by holding the rope in the left hand tightly against the body to stop it moving through the hands of the belayer.