“Ready to lower!” I yelled. As I descended from the anchor, my belayer dropped me faster and faster until I was free-falling. I expected—or hoped—the rope would go taut, but the ground came first. My ...

LESSON: I can actually kind of see the logic behind these guys. The ascender will glide smoothly up the rope when the belayer takes in slack. If the climber falls, the ascender will lock up. (I’m ...

Which belay devices are best? When partaking in a sport like climbing that’s equally exhilarating and dangerous, safety precautions take priority. Armed with a good braking hand, harness and rope, the ...

The ASAP LOCK is Petzl’s mobile fall arrester, and it sets the standard for backup belay and fall arrest solutions in the fire, rescue, and rope access industries. The device works by moving freely ...

There are many occasions in climbing when, belaying from the harness using a device which does not self-arrest (e.g. a belay plate), you may find it useful to lock the rope off. This technique can be ...