However, depending on the style of climbing you prefer (or want to get into) and the safety precautions you want to take, there may be drawbacks to the ATC that make it the incorrect device for you. There are many reasons why the ATC is the most popular belay device. Rappelling to descend a single or multi-pitch climbing route.Īdvantages and Drawbacks of ATC Belay Devices. Indoor or outdoor lead belaying of a lead climber.Indoor or outdoor top rope belaying from the ground.The ATC is ideal for three types of climbing. However, the ATC is often the go-to choice for beginner or veteran climbers who like to keep things simple. Therefore, it can be relatively limited in how it’s used. The ATC is one of the most straightforward designs for a belay device on the market. Lastly, lock the carabiner and double-check that the device is appropriately orientated and locked.Attach the locking carabiner and ATC to the belay loop of the belayer’s harness.Capture the bite of rope and the keeper cable of the ATC with a locking carabiner.Thread the bite of rope through the device using either of the two tubes making sure the climbing strand is on top and the brake strand is on the bottom.First, fold the climbing end of the rope to make a bite.In other words, they are easy to use and double-check for safety. One of the reasons why tube-style devices are so popular, especially the ATC, is because they are incredibly user-friendly. In top rope climbing, as the climber advances upwards, the partner belaying takes in slack and pulls the rope down over the edge of the ATC into the braking plane, so they are ready to arrest a fall. Tube-style belay devices like the ATC control the speed of the rope by creating friction and providing an edge that a belayer uses to leverage the rope. Inspired by older designs, the ATC improved on other devices with lighter weight, stronger materials, a plastic-covered keeper cable, and more ergonomic tube depths and widths. Tube-style devices became popular because they functioned better, dissipated heat, were small, lightweight, and wore evenly over time.įinally, in the 1990s, the North American climbing manufacturer Black Diamond came out with a more modern belay device–the air traffic controller ( 4). In time, slotted plate devices like the Sticht gave way to the tubular device, also known as tubers ( 3). Later, the German climbing manufacturer Edelrid came up with the Bankl, which was directly inspired by the original slotted plate design. In the 1970s, the first patented belay device was the Sticht Plate ( 2), named after Fritz Sticht. The climbing rope is threaded into one or both of the tubes of the belay device. Tube-style belay devices, also known as manual or tubular belay devices, consist of one or two tubes or elongated holes. The ATC by Black Diamond is a contemporary iteration of older tube-style belay devices. Similarly, in the climbing context, the belayer (and the belay device) are responsible for the climber’s safe fall. The airport’s air traffic controller controls the aircraft’s safe landing. One of the climbing market’s most famous and trusted belay devices is the Black Diamond Air Traffic Controller or ATC.īlack Diamond’s most tried and true belay device was named the ATC to facetiously draw the connection between a falling climber and an aircraft trying to land at the airport. This progression in the sport of climbing, of trying harder and feeling okay to fall, has its roots implanted in creating one of the most reliable belay devices known to the sport– the Black Diamond ATC ( 1). As a result, most climber falls are no longer catastrophic– so long as the belayer does their job, of course.īecause belaying is safer and falling while climbing has become normalized, climbers can push themselves into more challenging and more complicated terrain. The sport of climbing has evolved because belaying techniques and gear have become much safer. Keep reading to learn about the most iconic belay device– the Black Diamond ATC. The tube-style device, assisted braking devices, and other belay devices have changed the face of what it means to belay. Climbing and belaying have become much safer, mostly thanks to modern belay devices. This is especially true for climbing equipment, most notably – belay devices.īack in the day, the proper belay technique was as simple as wrapping one rope around your waist (and maybe shoulders) to give a “hip-belay.” Unfortunately, belaying was so insecure that the safety guidelines for climbers were not to fall.
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