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Hi! We’re Yoko and Laust, two amateur and hobbyist climbers who live Portland, Oregon.
During our time climbing in and around the Pacific Northwest, we sometimes meet people who needs a little help in learning how to belay better and safer.
To help you do that, we created this small collection of resources that helped us learn. We hope they’re helpful to you.
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Before we get started, the best way to learn is through practice. So, in addition to all these resources, grab a trusted and experienced friend, and ask them to help you learn! Be curious, and practice!
Belaying is arguably your number one skill as an outdoor climber. It requires practice and a willingness to want to keep learning. Having good friends teach you is invaluable, and we highly recommend taking a in-person belay class at your local climbing gym or climbing guide outfit, such as Portland-local Everybody Climbs (Luis is awesome).
Hard Is Easy has a wonderful series called Belay Masterclass on Youtube. It’s great, and we’d recommend you check out the whole thing. A few select videos we really like from that series.
Top Rope Belaying: How to Belay - Top Rope
https://youtu.be/w5ybJwZPZAQ?si=zDSc4D214jqx6BDo
Lead Belaying: Lead Belaying - Slack Management, Efficient Taking & More
https://youtu.be/aHI8kIXNH5M?si=eMDV3b3WKzxxrBGn
Soft Catches: The Only Soft Catch video You Need to See | Ep.12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap9DaiXaPt0&list=PL5FEOhiQGSo8PBwTZPeiwQGcxQ0xB99Gt&index=12
Low Falls: Sketchy Low Falls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bPrcjTtKpk&list=PL5FEOhiQGSo8PBwTZPeiwQGcxQ0xB99Gt&index=13
Summit Seekers Experience has some great shorts on anchors and anchor management: