How To Kill The Alligator Belay Technique

September 15, 2016 by Jason Clements

When I posted my How To Not Die At 24 Hours Of Horseshoe Hell article, the number one question I received was:

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So I made, probably, the most important climbing video of 2016. In it, I show you how to kill the Alligator Belay Technique.

The most important point of this series of articles and this video

is that there is a defined moment (I call it the Danger Moment) when you are lead belaying and if these 3 things happen right at the moment that your partner yells “TAKE” or “ON YOU” and you begin to pull slack.

If your muscle memory reverts back to the dangerous alligator belay method;
and your hands meet above your head;
and your climber weighs the rope…

…then you have a gigantic potential for a ground fall. This is exactly what I witnessed and describe in the How Not To Die…article.

So, for those of you who are serious about improving your belay technique, I give you How To Kill The Alligator Belay Technique.

These 6 minutes just might save you and your climbing partners from injury or worse.

Learn a whole lot more about staying safe in the HCRBeta Injury Prevention Section.

Jason Clements is the founder of and writer for HCRBeta, Hike Climb Relax: How to… Jason has served as the President of the Kansas City Climbing Club where he grew the club from 100 members to 1000 members. Jason lives in Shawnee, Kansas and runs the cell phone recycling company, Cells for Cells, which recycles cell phones to raise money for families battling cancer.

You can follow Jason on Facebook or on Twitter @jasonclements.

SHOP at Dynamic Earth in Springfield, MO for all of your climbing needs.

Not around Springfield, MO? Use these Amazon links. (Yes, by using these Amazon links to purchase gear, you help to support HCRBeta.com. Thank you.

7 Examples Of The Very Dangerous Alligator Belay Technique

September 14, 2016 by Jason Clements

In this article, you will find 7 examples of the very dangerous Alligator Belay Technique.

Any climber worth their salt, knows that climbing accidents (and falling physics) surprise all of us. (Did you read the article about Chad Watkins falling on lead and getting his Achilles penetrated by the quickdraw’s carabiner! Talk about unpredictable physics!)

This Alligator Belay Technique that is taught to new TOP ROPERS throughout the world, ingrains the new climber’s muscle memory to meet the hands together at the apex of the movement. So when they are finally belaying lead, they raise the odds of having an accident. Your belay device CAN fail when your ropes are in parallel and both of your hands are extended.

Now, what happens when you add a suspect Alligator belay technique to the other ingredients of the 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell – dehydration, sleep-deprivation, fatigue, and darkness. To all of that mix, add just a TOUCH OF UNPREDICTABLE FALLING PHYSICS, and you get the results I wrote in the How To Not Die At 24 Hours Of Horseshoe Hell article.

This is exactly what I observed at the 24 Hours Of Horseshoe Hell competition while I was a volunteer. The belayer I witnessed, was using this exact method of belay. As the climber reached the anchors, the belayer fumbled about with the rope as he tried to pull in slack. Both of the belayer’s hands were extended just like every photo in this article. Zip. Thud. His climber decked.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Can you go set up a test at your gym to see what happens? Copy the technique demonstrated here in these photos. Meet both hands together at the apex of the belay movement. Have your climber weigh the rope at that exact moment. Record results.

CAUTIONS:

Don’t be stupid
Get a fat bouldering pad beneath you
Belayer wear gloves
You do this at your own risk

THE CORRECT METHOD

It is easy to make the appropriate adjustments. Keep the brake hand below the device at all times. That is it. It is that easy.

Watch this video below for the CORRECT METHOD of belaying:

IN CONCLUSION:

Having both hands above your head or above your belay device can lead to a accident. Please, stop using the alligator belay technique.

You are smart enough to make the appropriate adjustments. [Read more…] about 7 Examples Of The Very Dangerous Alligator Belay Technique

How To Not Die At 24 Hours Of Horseshoe Hell

September 12, 2016 by Jason Clements

I was a volunteer at the 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell and saw many climbers ignore basic safety and common sense. With that amount of blatant disregard for safety, the clock is ticking and time will run out. Hopefully this article will teach you how to not die at 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell. (Don’t get injured either.)

No matter how smart, talented or capable you are, gravity weighs upon all of us equally. The universe does not care how long you have climbed or whether or not you kinda sorta hang out with an F-level celebrity in your local climbing community.

Before you stop thinking and knee-jerk yourself with the standard: “Jason, you’re just a party pooper.” Keep in mind, I witnessed these dangerous actions over and over while I was a volunteer. And, I am not the only one. Many other climbers who have volunteered have stated the exact same thing: “I saw someone at the third bolt and the belay wasn’t on!”

Today’s Article Will Encourage You To Stay Safe And Help You NOT DIE (or get injured) At 24 Hours Of Horseshoe Hell.

This article is for new climbers, who have never “endurance climbed” and who are psyched to test their limit. To you I say, “Good luck!” and “Stay safe.”

This article is not for those of you who already know everything about climbing because you climb 5.12ish (a few times, indoors) and FA’ed a bunch of stuff near Acapulco. If you have been climbing for 10+ years, and you are important because you just might be the one F-level celebrity in your community; you can go pour yourself a nice tall glass of I-don’t-want-you-on-my-website. To you I say: “Go eat a soft boiled egg.” and “Tick tock.”

(* And yes, I have met many very strong and famous climbers and most are cool, kind, and easy going. Not all of them are bad eggs.)

You Will Be Climbing At Your Physical Limit While Dehydrated, Sleep-Deprived And In The Dark

Remind yourself, right now, about all of your personal limits and how strictly you will adhere to the very basic rules of climbing. This will help you avoid injury.

Don’t skip bolts. Don’t allow your climbing partner to skip bolts. Wait to hear that, “Belay is on!” Then climb. (Is it too harsh to think that if a climber skips bolts or doesn’t wait for their belay to be on – and they get injured – is it too harsh to think that they deserved it?) [Read more…] about How To Not Die At 24 Hours Of Horseshoe Hell

Do Stickers On Your Car Attract Thieves

August 23, 2016 by Jason Clements

We all do it to support our favorite brands. We plaster our cars with gear stickers. Some stickers are super cool. Some sticker display a message that we want to help spread the word or the good news. But do stickers on your car attract thieves?

How often do we hear stories of car break-ins and our hearts go out to our fellow climbers. Did that vehicle have some gear stickers? We all know that gear is NOT CHEAP. Tents, sleeping pads, ropes, quickdraws, trad gear, pants, and even your Icebreaker undies are all valuable. If your stuff is stolen, your trip is basically over.

So what do you think? Does a sticker on your vehicle make you a target?

Did you know that thieves target cars with gun stickers to burglarize.

Let’s step away from the climbing community for a moment and look at another community: Gun owners. Glock. Smith and Wesson. Ruger. Beretta. Fausti. Armalite. Some firearms logos are very cool and visually appealing, even elegant.

A recent article from the Hampton, Virginia area states: “suspects they’ve arrested have admitted to targeting properties with NRA stickers, military insignia and campaign signs that can tip criminals off to residents’ political values.”

Another story from Charlotte, North Carolina states: “police in the University Division arrested a group of suspects officers say broke into cars specifically looking for firearms. They looked for various gun-related decals and bumper stickers to pick their targets.”

Should you think twice before plastering your car with your favorite gear stickers?

That is really up to you. You know it is very unlikely that your car will be broken into. However, you can do a few things to help make things easier in the rare even that you are a victim of a vehicle burglary.

First, call your insurance agent to find out if your car, renters, or home owners insurance covers theft from your car.

Second, get into the habit of taking pictures of all of your gear before each outdoor trip. This works to keep track of your gear and for insurance purposes if need be.

Third, take a picture of the contents of your wallet and purse. Take a picture of the front and back of all of your bank cards so that you have the customer service numbers handy – just in case you need to report lost or stolen cards. I hope that does not happen to you; but if it does, you will be prepared.

Lastly, lock your doors. Be aware. Stay safe.

Here are some alternative ways to show your support of your favorite gear or outdoor companies:

When you loan or give a book as a gift, include your favorite stickers as bookmarks.
Water bottles. You already do this one. Yeah, everybody does this.
On your mob gear. I use a Sterling Rope sticker to keep track of my rumble roller.
Guide books.
Kitchen kit container.
Route setting bucket.

More thoughts on supporting your favorite gear or outdoor companies.

Get social. Support your favorite gear companies through social media. Write about them. Write gear reviews. Got to their events. Learn how to share on Facebook. Like on Instagram. Learn how to re-tweet.

What are your preferred methods to support your favorite gear companies. Share in the comments below.

Learn a whole lot more about climbing gear and easy repair and maintenance in the HCRBeta Gear Repair and Maintenance Section.

Jason Clements is the founder of and writer for HCRBeta, Hike Climb Relax: How to… Jason has served as the President of the Kansas City Climbing Club where he grew the club from 100 members to 1000 members. He lives in Shawnee, Kansas and also runs the cell phone recycling company, Cells for Cells, which recycles cell phones to raise money for families battling cancer.

You can follow Jason on Facebook or on Twitter @jasonclements.

You support HCRBeta when you shop at Amazon through the links provided below. HCRBeta receives a small referral fee at no cost to you.

How To Know When You Are In Dire Need Of Chiropractic

August 22, 2016 by Jason Clements

In THE rock climbing community that I am involved with, I have seen many climbers who were in dire need of chiropractic.

I’ve seen guys and gals use rolls and rolls of KT Tape for weeks and weeks on “injured” elbows, wrists, shoulders – really everywhere. Some climbing partners I’ve had needed to take MONTHS off from climbing – how sad!

What if they knew there MAY be a simple solution?

Ask yourself these questions to help determine if you are in dire need of chiropractic:

Am I In Dire Need Of Chiropractic? Nah, just flexing in my Organic T.

I’ve had this injury for a long time
I don’t know why that hurts
I can’t do THAT move because it hurts my ___________ (whatever.)
This injury is not improving
This injury is lasting longer than a week or two
I took a hard or harder than normal fall recently
I’ve been in a car or bike accident recently and did not go to the doctor
I’ve spent more than $100 on KT Tape (in a week!!!)
I regularly take a pain reliever after climbing sessions
Self care is something I practice; but I think I need help
I am good with experimenting with my body and mobbing and stretching and different exercises
Never been to a chiropractor but I am willing to give it a try

If you answer “YES” to more than a few of those questions, you should start the process of seeking out a chiropractor. And if you answered “YES” to all of those questions, you may be in dire need of chiropractic. [Read more…] about How To Know When You Are In Dire Need Of Chiropractic

Meet Cory Hanson: Old Pueblo Bouldering and The Bloc in Tucson Arizona

July 16, 2016 by Jason Clements

Cory Hanson is the head routesetter at The Block Climbing + Fitness in Tucson, Arizona. He is also the driving force behind Old Pueblo Bouldering and all of the development in and around Tuscon.

And if you are looking to travel and climb in the Tucson area, check out the Ultimate Guide To Rock Climbing In Tucson Arizona by Cory Hanson (coming soon).

Ladies and Gentlemen, please meet Cory Hanson:

HCRB: The last good book I ready was:

Cory: The Pale King by David Foster Wallace

HCRB: My go-to brand of climbing shoe is:

Cory: Recently I’ve been digging the Scarpa Furia

HCRB: My go-to brand of approach shoe is:

Cory: Chaco Flip Flops …or if I have to I’ll put on Scarpa Zen Pros

HCRB: My go-to brand of climbing chalk:

Cory: Metolius Bloc Chalk

HCRB: If I had to eat the same breakfast, every day, for a year, it would be:

Cory: Eggs, shallots, leeks, and avocado…at least that’s what’s cooking in the AM recently

HCRB: The music I listen to most right now is:

Cory: Podcasts

HCRB: The last thing I googled was:

Cory: The address of a Makita service repair center in Tucson

HCRB: If I am not climbing, I am:

Cory: Most likely coaching, setting, exploring the mountains, working on my house, or walking my dog. I need a social life.

HCRB: Coffee or Beer? Ideal location to enjoy it?

Cory: Is there a cruel place in this world that would make you choose? Both are best consumed in ponderosa pine woods.

_____________________

HCRB: What is Old Pueblo Bouldering? [Read more…] about Meet Cory Hanson: Old Pueblo Bouldering and The Bloc in Tucson Arizona