Movement Belay Certification Movement Belay Safety Protocols and Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a lead fall, what is the belay device's primary role?
- Stopping the rope entirely with no movement
- Allowing controlled rope slippage to absorb fall energy (Correct answer)
- Locking the rope immediately upon any downward force
- Transferring force directly to the anchor without friction
Correct answer: Allowing controlled rope slippage to absorb fall energy
Controlled slippage through the belay device dissipates kinetic energy, reducing peak impact force on the climber and anchor.
Question 2: What is the correct action if a climber calls 'take' while top-rope belaying?
- Feed slack immediately so the climber can rest
- Lock off the belay device and hold the rope taut (Correct answer)
- Remove the rope from the device to reposition
- Lower the climber to the ground automatically
Correct answer: Lock off the belay device and hold the rope taut
'Take' means the climber wants the rope held taut so they can rest on it, requiring the belayer to lock off the device.
Question 3: Which situation requires the belayer to move closer to the wall?
- When the climber is clipping the first bolt (Correct answer)
- When the climber reaches the anchor
- When there is excess slack in the system
- When the climber traverses horizontally
Correct answer: When the climber is clipping the first bolt
Standing close to the wall when the climber clips the first bolt prevents a dangerous ground-fall if the climber falls before clipping.
Question 4: A belayer's brake hand must remain on the rope at all times except when:
- Feeding slack rapidly through the device
- Passing the rope to a second belayer for a handoff
- The climber is not actively moving
- Never — the brake hand must never leave the rope (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Never — the brake hand must never leave the rope
The brake hand must never leave the rope because releasing it eliminates the friction needed to arrest a fall.
Question 5: What does a 'soft catch' in lead belaying refer to?
- Giving extra slack before a fall is expected
- Jumping slightly upward or moving toward the wall as the climber falls (Correct answer)
- Locking the device hard the instant a fall begins
- Lowering the climber slowly after catching the fall
Correct answer: Jumping slightly upward or moving toward the wall as the climber falls
A soft catch involves the belayer moving toward the wall or jumping to reduce the sudden jerk on both climber and system.
Question 6: When lowering a climber, which rope path is safest?
- Rope runs over the gate of a locking carabiner
- Rope runs through both strands of a properly set anchor (Correct answer)
- Rope runs through a single non-locking quickdraw
- Rope runs directly over a bolt hanger
Correct answer: Rope runs through both strands of a properly set anchor
Lowering through both anchor strands distributes load evenly and provides redundancy in case one component fails.
Question 7: Which sign indicates a belayer has lost attentiveness?
- Keeping eyes on the climber while feeding slack
- Holding the brake strand with a relaxed but firm grip
- Looking away from the climber and letting the rope go slack (Correct answer)
- Standing slightly offset from directly below the first bolt
Correct answer: Looking away from the climber and letting the rope go slack
Looking away and losing rope management awareness are primary indicators of belayer inattention, a leading cause of climbing accidents.
Movement Belay Certification Movement Belay Safety Protocols and Procedures 2
During a lead fall, what is the belay device's primary role?