GroundquestMSA wrote:If I am carrying only a length of webbing, how will I best provide a belay? What is the minimum in gear that can be used to safely belay a climber?
The venerable
hip belay requires just a length of rope or webbing, and enough friction to keep the belayer from toppling down should the climber fall.
It is more suitable for steep slopes than vertical pitches, because the belayer isn't capable of producing much friction or stopping much force.
The belayer should strive to wedge himself into a constriction, if possible, in order to become more than
just a "meat anchor" since he may be catching a fall.
Other options include:
Rig a high anchor with a second length of webbing or rope; attach a pear-shaped carabiner; belay from the anchor with a munter hitch. This method gives much greater control and stopping power. It removes the belayer from becoming a part of the system (you should also practice locking a munter off with a mule hitch + overhand backup).
Consider also tying an etrier as an alternative. Perhaps your novice caver doesn't yet have the confidence to chimney, but may feel more comfortable climbing a rope ladder.
On Rope has a page devoted to the makeshift etrier. This, of course, may be used with a top belay; for significant heights, it
should be used with one (same as a cable ladder).
GroundquestMSA wrote:How does one decide between a hand line and a belay?
How does one decide to visit
Beginner Caverns versus
Some Semi-Advanced Cave versus
Sketchy Death Pit? It's probably a subjective decision based upon the group's experience, risk aversion, and minimum skill of the party. If you come up with a good answer, I'd love to hear it.
GroundquestMSA wrote:What if your climber is vastly heavier than yourself, the belayer?
In this situation, I would personally recommend against a hip belay in order to remove yourself from the belay chain. Rather you should opt to belay from a bombproof high anchor, with a munter hitch, or - if you've planned ahead - a figure-eight descender, a Petzl Stop in a half-rig, Reverso or ATC-Guide, GriGri, etc. Lest you be tempted to do so, note that BMS recommend explicitly
against using the BMS MicroRack in a top-belay configuration, at least in 4-bar mode.
GroundquestMSA, I think that you personally may enjoy reading through an old copy of
Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills, for many reasons. Much more than a technical manual for mountaineering, it embraces a philosophy of exploration and connection to the mountains that may be in line with your own. Hey! It just so happens that The Mountaineers have a free sample chapter from the new 8th Edition available online, and conveniently that chapter is:
Belaying. I suspect that
you may enjoy an older edition, where the "state of the art" is a bit more traditional (though belaying specifically hasn't changed significantly over the past few decades).