I read a forum post over on RockClimbing.com by a guy who was belaying and dropped the climber. According to the belayer’s story, he warned the climber when he was at the halfway point of the rope, but he kept climbing. Anyway, long story short, both guys seem partially to blame. And I started to think about how crazy it is that we often place our lives (literally) in the hands of strangers. Other activities don’t require that level of trust and mutual competency.
So I figure the best thing to do when climbing for the first time with someone is to just assume they don’t know anything! Check and double check everything (harness, tie-in knot; make sure they’ve got all the gear they need). Go over procedures (“OK, so when I get to the top, I’m going to… and then YOU are going to…”) and commands (“When I say “OFF!”…).
In other words, do as much as you can to ensure that everything will go as smoothly as possible! Got any other ideas or examples?
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That’s probably some of the best advice you can offer. I wonder how many accidents have occurred simply because people assumed that the people they were climbing with were competent/safe. On the flip side, I think when you’re climbing with someone new, you should make an effort to show that you’re safe, and don’t be afraid to be perfectly honest. Don’t pretend you can lead/follow 5.13 when you can’t just to avoid looking like a wuss, or you’re just screwing over yourself and your partner.