The complexities of integrating auto belay devices into the climbing culture.

Like them or loathe them auto belay devices are here to stay. Having been the bread and butter for clip and climb type facilities for many years, they have become increasingly popular within commercial climbing walls, appealing to beginners and advanced climbers alike.

They provide many benefits to both users and facility owners, but possibly its greatest ability, is to safely assist the individual into a solitary, immersive climbing experience.

The device provides a fully autonomous, life preserving service to the climber, allowing them to submerse themselves within the experience, eliminating the requirement for prior or ongoing human interaction whilst climbing on the wall.

With any immersive experience, the importance of remaining grounded and embodied throughout is important to surviving the experience. Although an individual is immersed in the activity a certain level of heightened perception should remain active.

With the introduction of this technology a shadowy phenomenon has occurred which few could have predicted.

Inexplicably deaths have occurred where people have failed to clip into the device.
Without clipping in, the climb becomes a solo. With a conscious solo attempt there is an entry and exit into the climb, and a weighted sense of consequence should one fail. This is the grounding effect. Without these senses the individual floats in a liminal space of disembodied comfort, assured they are safe, when in reality, they are in a position of great peril.

Extra supervision, large banners, signs and in some cases the implementation of two connectors have been provided to try and combat this human inaction. Whilst these control measures are important and may offer prompts and reminders, they are no substitute for the ritual of grounding and embodiment before checking into the experience.

Check in before you check out.

If you would like help, installing, inspecting and integrating your auto belay devices into your centre click the big black button below.