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Handling Element Light / Bionic Alpine
How you use the Element Light right?
How you use the Bionic Alpine right?
Element Light Belay and Bionic Alpine Belay
Basic position and belaying of a lead climber
(Figures A and B apply to both the Element Light Belay and the Bionic Alpine Belay)
Both the Element Light Belay and the Bionic Alpine Belay should only be used with screw carabiners (or other lockable carabiners). Always check that the carabiner is correctly locked and attached to the belay loop on the climbing harness.
The rope is attached to the Element Light Belay or Bionic Alpine Belay according to Figure A. If two ropes (half or twin rope) are used, these must be attached to the Element Light Belay or Bionic Alpine Belay as shown in Figure B. For an effective braking effect, the belay rope must always be held downwards.
Even when paying out rope with your guide hand, the braking hand must remain on the brake line and under the safety device at all times. To take up rope, briefly move the braking hand up and pull the brake line through the device. Then lower the braking hand immediately and slide it back under the Element Light Belay or Bionic Alpine Belay to the basic position, while retaining your grasp on the brake line. Should the lead climber fall, the grip on the brake line is intensified and the braking hand pulls the brake line downwards toward the body of the belayer. When lowering a climber, grasp the brake line with both hands under the device and slightly loosen your grip on the line. By applying more or less pressure on the brake line, you can lower the climber in a controlled fashion (Fig. B).
Warning
Thin ropes reduce the braking effect. We recommend you use self-belaying when abseiling (using a prusik knot or another reliable technique).
Belaying of one or two climbers in autolocking mode from a belay station
(the following Figures 1-4 are only relevant for use with the Bionic Alpine Belay).
The Bionic Alpine Belay is installed at the belay station with the large attachment eyelet and a locking carabiner. Subsequently, the two strands are guided from above through the rope openings of the Bionic Alpine Belay. What is important is that the strands that lead to the second climbers are at the top and the brake line runs under the V-shaped grooves of the device. Attach an additional locking carabiner to the two strands and wire cable of the safety device. Using your braking hand, you can now take up rope. Should one or even both second climbers fall, the rope is automatically locked by the Bionic Alpine Belay. What is important is that despite the locking function the braking hand continues to grasp the brake line.
Even if one climber falls when belaying two climbers or if one climber is hanging on the rope and the Bionic Alpine Belay is locking, the braking hand must remain on the brake line (Figure 2).
Release of autolocking mode after a fall or lowering of a second climber
(Figures 3 and 4)
The braking hand must hold the brake line firmly throughout the entire process.
Thread a cord or sling through the smaller release opening of the Bionic Alpine Belay. The cord/sling is then deflected via an anchor and each end of the cord/loop is attached to the safety device and belay loop of the climbing harness. By gently pulling the cord or sling, you can release the locking mechanism of the Bionic Alpine Belay. With the hand on the brake line, you can lower the second climber in a controlled fashion by applying more or less pressure on the brake line. As an alternative to this anchor point, a larger carabiner can be clipped into the release opening of the Bionic Alpine Belay. It an be used as a lever to release the autolocking mechanism (see Figure 4).
Abseiling with the Element Light Belay and Bionic Alpine Belay
To abseil, thread the rope into the safety device as shown in Fig. B. For better handling of the Element Light Belay or Bionic Alpine Belay when abseiling, the use of the Mammut Belay Sling is recommended. To provide for additional safety, always make a Prusik knot with the rope and attach the other end of the Prusik sling with a carabiner to the leg loop of the climbing harness.
