True to the motto "Safe on the mountain", we present belay devices for sport climbing. This time: the Ergo from Salewa.
With the Ergo, Salewa has joined the ranks of the classic autotubers. It is easy to use. However, the device tends to jam quickly when thicker ropes are used. In this case, it is advisable to only use the quickdraw method. An HMS carabiner is supplied. The Ergo should only be used with this.
Facts about the Ergo
The Ergo is a semi-automatic belay device from Salewa for belaying with single ropes. The Ergo can be used for ropes with a diameter between 8.6 and 11 mm. As the blocking support of the Ergo depends on the shape of the belay carabiner, the device is used with the carabiner supplied.
The partner check
The partner check before every start is an elementary safety standard. Both partners check five points: the rope knot, the locking mechanism of the carabiner, the function of the belay device due to jerky pulling, the harness buckles and - lastly - whether the end of the rope is tied off.
The Ergo when releasing the rope
To release the rope, the guide hand pulls the rope out of the device while the braking hand pushes the rope into the belay device from below. The excess slack rope is then immediately pulled back in and the braking hand slides back into the starting position.
The "braking hand principle"
Equally fundamental - even with semi-automatic belay devices - is the "brake hand principle" during climbing. The brake hand principle means that the belayer grips the brake rope with the brake hand in every phase of the belaying process. In the event of a fall, the braking hand fixes the brake rope and moves downwards. The second hand, the so-called guide hand, merely supports the rope guide.
As semi-automatic systems block immediately, it is necessary for the belayer to actively move towards the wall when holding the fall. This makes the fall more dynamic - "softer" - and prevents a hard impact on the climbing wall.
The strength of semi-automatic belay devices is that they automatically block the rope if the rope is jerked, for example in the event of a fall. In other words, even if the belayer grips the braking rope with little manual force.
The disadvantage of this desired feature is that the device also blocks if the rope needs to be released quickly when an intermediate belay is attached. For fast rope payout without blocking, the braking hand forms a ring around the brake rope with the thumb and index finger, while the thumb pulls the trunk of the Ergo forwards. The guide hand releases the rope. The braking hand then moves back down towards the thigh and remains on the brake cable.
The Ergo when lowering
When lowering, the braking hand remains at the bottom of the brake cable while the guide hand presses on the top of the device from behind. This slowly releases the blockage. The braking hand now lets the rope slip in a controlled manner and controls the lowering speed.
The Ergo when hauling in the rope
When hauling in the rope and belaying in the top rope with the Salewa Ergo Belay, the braking hand pulls the braking rope out of the belay device in a diagonal upward arc and then immediately goes back down again. In the tunnel hold, the braking hand slides back up the braking rope towards the belay device.
SicherAmBerg - the program
Under the overall project SicherAmBerg, the Austrian Alpine Club provides instructional videos on all relevant core Alpine Club sports such as ski touring, sport climbing, via ferrata and alpine climbing. But SicherAmBerg is not just about video tutorials. Rather, it is an overall concept consisting of high-quality publications, events, training courses and videos with the aim of increasing safety on the mountain or in the climbing gym.
If you would like to find out more about the various topics, you will find what you are lookingfor at www.alpenverein.at/sicheramberg.
