12/06/2026
Teach unassisted devices to new climbers first?
Interesting question. And intelligent answers in the comments. 👌
Is it best for beginners to learn with an assisted or unassisted belay device?
If you’re about to give me a hard and fast answer, I’m going to upset you, you’re wrong, sorry.
The best course I’ve ever done was my Mountaineering Instructor Award - it’s been renamed now and it’s format has changed but it was a brilliant 9 day training course (assessment came a year later). I was obviously much less experienced then and craved hard and fast answers to the many questions posed on the course. Good course staff would say I do this like this, the next day another good course staff member would show you a different method, the great ones would say “it depends” and explain why. Grrrr, that made my life harder in the short term but in the long term “it depends” creates thought and understanding, as well as hopefully flexibility and openness.
I know my preference for teaching beginners belaying in normal circumstances here in the UK, but there is no hard and fast correct answer. There’s arguments either way.
I’ve recently read a German paper that shows there’s really not much correlation between climbing wall / gym accidents and assisted vs unassisted devices. Us humans are clearly the weak link!
A wall where you live may insist on an assisted device, maybe even specifying a model, a climber may have a device they want to use, they might not be able to afford your recommendation, they may want to be the next sport climbing superstar, they may want to be a mountaineer, they may have physical needs that aren’t compatible with your choice.
I like to reflect on why I do what I do and be open to other (polite) opinions and do change my practices where I see a need, I don’t want to be stuck in my ways and just “do what I do”.
22/04/2026
03/04/2026
02/04/2026