Belaying

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Part of a series on
Climbing
A belayer in Red Rocks, Nevada
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Anchor First ascent FFA FFFA Grade Route Beta Guide Pitch
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In climbing and mountaineering, the term belaying refers to techniques used to create friction within a climbing protection system, particularly on a climbing rope, so that a falling climber does not fall very far.^[1] A climbing partner typically applies tension at the other end of the rope whenever the climber is not moving, and removes the tension from the rope whenever the climber needs more rope to continue climbing. The belay is the place where the belayer is anchored, which is typically on the ground, or on ledge (where it is also called a belay station) but may also be a hanging belay where the belayer themself is suspended from an anchor in the rock on a multi-pitch climb.