What is Belaying?
[[Image:Rock wall.JPG|thumb|250px|right|Climbing a rock-textured wall with belay, hand holds, cracks, and bumps]] '''Belaying''' is a way to hold and control a [[rope]] for a person who is [[rock climbing]]. A climber has to be attached to a [[rope]] so they do not fall very far. A person on the [[ground]] who is belaying is called a ''belayer''. The belayer usually puts the rope through a ''belay device'', which lets the rope move through the [[tool|device]] in one [[direction]] (as the climber being belayed goes up). If the climber falls, the device lets the belayer also hold the rope still, so the climber hangs in the air but does not hit the ground. A belayer can hold the [[weight]] of the climber with the rope and help prevent an injury caused by a fall.<ref>{{cite web|title=Staying Alive: Some tips for Single Pitch Climbing|url=http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=1238|publisher=UKClimbing website|access-date=20 July 2014|author=James Thacker|year=2008}}</ref> == Reference == {{Reflist}} {{sport-stub}} [[Category:Rock climbing]] [[Category:Ropework]]