I've been using the Mammut Smart since 2015 and haven't looked back since. It was a world of difference from the original Black Diamond ATC (the most basic one, not to be confused with ATC Sport, ATC XP, ATC Guide). I remember feeling fatigued in the hands from using the ATC when my climber needed a longer rest on the top-rope routes at Climb Central - and that's already with the big yellow safety block at the anchor for the route itself!
So some folks are boycotting the gyms... sure, please go ahead. As a paying customer to Climb Central, I could do with less competition for space there... but seriously some of these folks really make me cringe... one individual could even declare herself to be a "safe belayer".
So, what might the requirement be, for one to declare him/herself as a "safe belayer"? I know I wouldn't, just that I would go through the partner checks regardless of whom I'm partnering up with. I'm starting to engage a less vocal version of
pointing and calling that Japanese train staff are known for to check my own gear and my partner's too. Seriously, aside from belaying accidents, one of the most common accidents to happen during climbing is caused by an improperly tied figure-of-8-follow-through or one that was interrupted before the climber had finished tying it off.
After both parties have done their pre-climb checks for each other, the onus of fault would become very distinctly classified as "climber's" or "belayer's" - with the bulk of the errors falling on the latter's.
In outdoor situations, the climber may have a grave error of not having discussed prior to the climb the intention to be lowered off, or to do a rappel... so in incident reports, it's quite common to read of shouts lost to the wind, and the belayer taking the climber off belay - and the climber would fall to their deaths. In less serious cases, the climber would do a Z-clip or a backclip, which aren't as serious in implications as the "off-belay" incidents.
Some proponents against the 3 gyms banning ATCs are correct - using ANY belay device, assisted or not, are adamant that using an assisted device wouldn't make a difference as as it's the attitude of the belayer that's key - I wholeheartedly support their notion! Yet, what could possibly screw up with even an experienced belayer?
- inability to use the belay device with attention paid upon the climber (resulting in dropping the climber)
- taking climber off-belay when it's not intended by the climber
- stroke
- cardiac arrest
- bee/wasp/hornet sting (never say never!)
- heat exhaustion/severe dehydration
- I just ran out of things to add in, perhaps you might have ideas?
Essentially I'm saying that on top of "just" inability of using the belay device safely, there's a whole range of other secondary complications that could compromise the safety of the climber.
Oh ye oh ye... the furore of the past few days from collectively, Climb Asia, Climb Central and Onsight collectively announcing the phasing out of usage of basic tubular/ATC belay devices, and only allowing assisted braking devices - announced on Friday 10th February 2017.
Needless to say, there were plenty of complaints and all sorts of veiled threats about
- boycotting the gyms,
- pressing for a refund for unused multiple pass entries,
- refund for the basic ATC-type belay devices they bought...
Let me clarify - Adam Ondra already has his 9b+ in Flatanger called "Change". Though not all changes are for the good - most of the time, change is meant for the better.
I've been aware of at least 4 decking incidents of various severity:
- one at Onsight that happened to a friend - some major bones fractured, out of action for a while
- one at Climb Central to a Polish guy - apparently he wasn't too badly injured (subjectively, details not available)
- one more at Climb Central to another friend - he said he didn't deck and didn't impact the gym floor padding
- one at Dairy Farm - happened due to a slew of bad judgement mistakes from multiple people, a perfect storm of sorts
I've also had one friend who was climbing at Dairy Farm and had a wasp/bee/hornet stinging her eyelid. Can't imagine what'd happen if the belayer was stung. Would the climber have been dropped?
However, some people would argue about
Alvina and her case at Dairy Farm. But not every belayer who gets nailed by rockfall or some other calamity will be able to hold off the belay for the climber not to deck! Some friends recently went to Dairy Farm and the climber dislodged a chunk of rock that thankfully the belayer managed to avoid - just one day after I cautioned about the condition of the rocks there and the rockfall that could happen. There's a group of regulars who do maintenance there, however I don't think they'd take out the anchor bolts and put them back in as part of regular checks. It's just incredibly hard to guarantee any block of rock wouldn't peel off there!
For a good read about climbing anchors, I do suggest John Long and Bob Gaines' Climbing Anchors 3rd Edition (Falcon Books). I bought a copy because I wanted insights from one of the old guards who set some standards in the 80s.
There's also been a LOT of immature comments about the 3 gyms being idiots because of an outright ban... however there's enough decking for Halil himself to comment on a couple of discussions about it..
So there was some really unhappy campers (even violent calls for a boycott!) over the recent announcement that 3 climbing gyms in Singapore will only allow the use of Assisted Braking Devices (ABDs)
The reaction is hardly surprising as people are naturally opposed to change. No one is happy being forced to do something differently if there is nothing wrong with whatever they are doing right?
Just like seat belts, Mr Benz invented the first car in 1889 but these absolutely useless things were made mandatory only in the 1980s... Nearly 100 years later. My first car didn't come with seat belts (Yes, i am that ancient) In fact, I could still recall the public outcry and resentment when seat belts were made mandatory and summons were issued to the poor non-complying folks. Why on earth do i need to wear seatbelts when i have been driving for 20 years and never got into a (serious enough) accident? ...and oh yes, helmets when riding are rediculous too.
Ok, so maybe most folks climbing today can't identify with some obscure regulations that were in place before they were born. A better example would be ABS and traction controls. Why on earth were those made mandatory in every new car? Shouldn't everyone learn (or have the muscle memory) to "pulse" their brakes and not stomp on it when they need to stop in a real hurry? Just like they should learn NOT to corner so hard when its raining and slippery. Sorry, the engineer in me always rear its technical head (note to self... climbing related examples PLEASE!) How many folks out there still wear a harness with buckles that needs to be double-backed? This is SO important...WE NEED TO TEACH CLIMBERS TO DOUBLE BACK ON THEIR BUCKLES! Nevermind that its harder and harder (infact, darn near impossible) to find a new harness from ANY manufaturers' catalogue that features these buckles.
Cynicsm aside, my point is that technology is always there to make our life easier and safer. I picked up climbing, around the same time the grand daddy of ABDs (the GriGri) was invented (yes i'm that ancient too) I picked one up shortly after my Basic Wall Climbing course, and has never looked back. I've gone through 2 or 3 Gri Gris, 2 Cinches and (now my personal favourite) the Click Up, and have no desire to use a non-ABD ever again. Climbing is risky enough, and if we could do 1 thing to make climbing 1 percent safer, isn't it worth it? Climbing has exploded in Singapore and i've seen more new climbers in the past 2 1/2years than my entire 2 1/2 decades in the sport (yes i'm that ancient three). With such burgeoning numbers, accidents are going to be more frequent especially since (alarmingly) training standards are not being strictly upheld (apparently, you could get a L1 and L2 in a day these days). Unfortunately, I am also beginning to see more accidents in the last 2 1/2 years than my entire 2 1/2 decades. Upon closer scrutiny, 4 out of 5 of these accidents could have been easily avoided just by substituting the ATC (or tubular device) with an ABD. Its becoming alarmingly clear... almost always, the belayer lets go of the braking rope.
The common argument (for the ATC) is that "...it feeds smoothly and doesn't jam!". Now, try telling that to the leader who just decked cause the belayer couldn't hold on to the rope...err...let me guess, because it feeds smoothly? The other argument for the ATC is "...the soft catch".
The problem here is not the device. Its the practise or mastery of using a particular device. With sufficient practise, anyone can feed rope without "short roping". Anyone can give a "soft catch" no matter what ABD you choose with enough practise too. I would agree that it is easier to master the ATC but isn't it worth learning a new skill (or paying a few extra dollars) if it makes it even marginally safer? Especially in the light of growing evidence?
In 10 years time, the ATC will go the same way as the munter hitch, the body belay and the Fig 8. All we are doing now is to hasten the process. Anyway, don't take my word for it. Here's an interesting study conducted by the German Alpine Federation (DAV). Interestingly they also caution against the use of tubular devices and are considering a total ban for their affiliated clubs. But then again, who are they to dare say that ABDs are safer when they have a miserly 350 climbing gyms in the country compared to our...
You get the idea... it's not typical of him to be vocal about it. Even Ben Toh of Onsight has been quite direct about his viewpoint too.
The implementation of bans of ATCs completely for use in the 3 said gyms within such a short timeframe of about 3.5 months is actually not my preferred method of doing things - however it serves to limit the exposure that the operators are currently facing. I cannot imagine myself calling in for an ambulance yet again because of some screw-up on the belayer's part - whatever the cause.
I'm not saying that ABDs (Assisted Braking Devices) are the panacea to the problem of gym-based decking incidents, but they greatly reduce the chances that the belayer may get rope burn in the event of basic ATCs during inattentive belaying, or lapses of concentration (blinking eyes, stretching out the neck), by reducing the sheer jolt on the brake line in the system. My personal guess from belaying suggests that the brake hand upon a heavy unexpected jolt from the fall of the climber - may result in the hand letting go since the grip wasn't full-on from the beginning... and that leads to an incident. However ABDs will reduce that kind of slippage - effectively reducing the decking incidents by eliminating or massively reducing that risk. However... the belayer MUST be aware of the responsibilities of belaying and the risks associated.
Sure, during the SNCS Level 1 or 2 course the instructor could be the ideal one - ensuring that the belayer does attentive belaying at all times, and the student also playing the part too. However during normal gym climbing, is it the fault of the instructor or the belayer to have been implicated in a decking incident? My personal view is that it doesn't really depend on either party solely - just that the belayer just didn't perform on the day of the incident. But yes, there's a possibility of sloppy instructors... or students who couldn't care less... but proving who's right, who's wrong is quite a tedious legal process I think. I'd choose to prevent anything from happening within my abilities by setting up ground rules - that's how I would have to modify game rules to attain certain specific outcomes as a former PE teacher. And this time, the 3 gyms are doing that environmental control since they own their businesses, as we climbers are just the patrons. Trust me, I'm sure it's not a nice feeling to have to call in the ambulance...
We gotta to realize that EVERY single belay could be a disaster - regardless of the device we are using. Let's work towards a zero-incident practice in the sport, everyone!
Climb on!
