How hand forces influence the performance of your belay device 💪 #climbingeducation #gearscience

When we discovered while back that there are certain scenarios in multipitch and alpine climbing where holding a lead fall gets surprisingly difficult — or even impossible, it has been bugging us ever since. That sent us down a rabbit hole. First stop: hand forces. In our last episode we measured what hand forces belayers can realistically apply under different conditions — biometrics, gloves vs. no gloves, rope diameter, rope material, single vs. half rope technique and more. Now we're putting that data to work and asking the next logical question: how do these real-world hand forces actually influence the performance of your belay device? Turns out, the answer depends on a lot more than just which device you own. In this episode we run drop tests and lab measurements to break down how rope diameter, karabiner profile, device type, and applied hand force all interact — with a particular focus on thin half ropes and tube devices in low-friction scenarios, like falls early in a pitch with only one strand clipped. Not a lot of accidents are documented around this topic — but that doesn't mean the risk isn't real. The more you understand your setup, the better decisions you can make out there. Know your gear, practice your belaying, and stay tuned for the next episode. Noticable Links and sources from and for this video: Really cool research of ENSA Chamonix on belaying from a while ago:    • Shoud you change the way you belay?   Our research on hand forces:    • A long-term study about what hand forces w...   Pictures and Footage in this video with much appreciation: Mathieu Rivoire's excellent film about Cedric's and Nina's ascent of WoGü:    • Arc'teryx Presents: WOGÜ - with Nina Capre...   Mike Myers' picture of Peter Smail & Rob Lebreto in Common Knowledge (24), Mt Arapiles from:   / dut2sw_k72b   Robbie Phillipps awesome film "Bolt British Trad":    • What is British Trad Climbing? | The World...   Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 00:36 - Explanation of the Topic 01:37 - The Main Set-Up Explained 02:40 - Anchor Belay 03:34 - Figuring out the Forces Involved 04:39 - The Problem 07:40 - Testing Slippage Forces 08:38 - Test 1 - Different Devices 09:49 - Test 2 - Different Karabiner Profiles 10:45 - Test 3 - Different Hand Forces 12:00 - Test 4 - Different Rope Diameters 14:14 - Summary & Conclusion 15:11 - Countermeasures 18:42 - Summary of Countermeasures 19:12 - The Biggest Risk of Them All #belaying #halfrope #climbingeducation #gearscience #multipitchclimbing #alpineclimbing #rockclimbing #belaying #climbingsafety #edelrid #climbinggear #belaytechnique #knowledgebase #climbing #sportclimbing #tradclimbing #climbingtips #ropetech #safety #gearfear