Catching a lead fall

So here is the scenario...
I weigh 140ish lbs, my belayer about 115lbs, she is using an atc, we are sport climbing and She is standing right under the first bolt.

If I take a fall, is she going to go flying into the air? if so what's the best way to get her to the ground?

Thanks

Feed her ice cream

Happens to be her favorite food, and she eats excessive amounts, still doesn't gain weight though.

I have the exact same scenario. It's really not a big deal if your belayer leaves the ground a little bit. I find it helps with a soft catch.

One time I got dragged along the rock by a partner who weighs a good 40 more pounds than me(traversing second). If you really worried about it, just anchor her to the ground. It is relatively easy to catch a belay in that situation though.

It's best that she is under the first bolt where if she is lifted it will be straight up and not wildly flung into the rock if standing too far back. With sport climbing a soft catch is ideal...so it is great if she gets lifted a little...I have been lifted up as far as the first bolt in a similar weight ratio. So, she should be prepared to get a little upward air and when everything is all good and settled she can lower her self the same way she would lower you. I actually give in so that I am lifted when I am belaying on sport routes...taking into consideration what the fall consequence looks like (ie: no ledges or obstructions that might hurt the leader if they fall a ways)

Tie off to any solid object with your rope or some webbing and use a Gri-Gri if you chose to.

Ok, fine, you want a serious answer...

My first impression is that the 25lb difference between the two of you is not going to be an issue. She'll get pulled off the ground, but in most cases this is normal and can contribute to a nice soft catch.

A couple of things to keep in mind. For one, she should be close to the base of the wall. When you take a whipper she's going to get pulled forward. If she's standing 15 feet away from the wall, guess how much longer your fall is going to be. Second, the more your partner outweighs you, the more you have to watch the slack. This is particularly important when you are close to the ground or on low angle terrain where you could hit a ledge. Just like a pilot your margin for error is larger once you get off the deck.

If you do need to anchor your partner down I would recommend having her tie into the other end of the climbing rope (this has the added benefit of making it impossible for her to lower you off the end of the rope) and use that to attach her to a ground anchor, such as a sling on a tree or boulder. Another nice benefit of using the rope is that it is dynamic and will help absorb some of the force of your fall. Remember the order ABC - anchor, belayer, climber. This means she should be standing between you and the anchor with her attachment to the anchor nearly tight so that when it comes time to catch a fall she will not be pulled forward an excessive amount.

Last but not least, make sure you are using a belay device with adequate friction for your diameter of rope and consider having her wear a leather glove on her brake hand.

As a lightweight belayer I don't make any effort to give a soft catch, because it will automatically happen. For your partner I'd suggest keeping minimal slack in the system, using the high friction side of the ATC, and moving into a sitting position when the leader takes a fall. It's easier to get lifted with your feet in front of you versus getting yanked up straight up like a pencil. That way you can use your feet to brace yourself against the rock.

Edit - I just repeated some things James said as we posted about the same time... though I like the ice cream suggestion.

I'm w/ buttercup pecan.

The second question -- she can just rappel/lower on the counter-balanced line; as already mentioned, you want to close the system before you start climbing. Or you can just batman the counter-balanced line and put her back on the ground.

James Beissel wrote: If you do need to anchor your partner down I would Remember the order ABC - anchor, belayer, climber. This means she should be standing between you and the anchor with her attachment to the anchor nearly tight so that when it comes time to catch a fall she will not be pulled forward an excessive amount.

I am small and give a soft catch as well, and have some little scars on my shoulderblade from a friend's big fall which drug me up a steep wall...

Small folks should make sure they are positioned and ready to get the feet in front if they go for a ride. I find standing with one foot bent lunge-style against the wall works. During a flight, if she must take one, she should protect her head and belay arm. Feet out.

A ground anchor is very important if there is a roof/overhang etc within flying range of your little belayer. One whacked belayer's head can really mess BOTH of you up.

The force of a lead fall, esp. if one is light, can be startling if one is used to toprope catches. Practice in gym or do a mock-lead and fall intentionally. It will make you both more confident.

As far as returning to the ground- yeah, she can just lower herself down. You might lose a few inches. Yes, always have the second tied in.

Another consideration is the possibility of a collision between leader and belayer if the former falls from close to the ground. If the belayer is anchored, the anchor should be positioned so that (s)he is not in the line of fire. This is particularly important when climbing ice, but applies in general regardless of the climbers' weights.

I weigh 115, and my climbing partner for some time, probably near 180. Yes, I take a huge ride when he falls, riding sometimes up to the first clip (hint: don't have your non-brake hand on the rope - it'll get caught in the clip). Its never an issue unless he's still close to the ground (2nd or 3rd clip), has a lot of slack out and then peels. Then, both of us have to be quick to avoid him colliding into me prior to my reaching the 1st clip on the ride and stopping him. Although I do not like to anchor myself in most of the time, there are some routes that its just better to do that because of the possible collision. Hugely attentive belays, being aware of your surroundings, and careful rope management are the ticket.

I'm a solid 200lb, and my wife is ~115lb... and I love to lead at my limit. This, of course, means lots of whippers =)

When we can, one of our heavier friends belays me for the hard stuff. When she does belay me, and there is a good chance I'm going to fall, we anchor her off so she can still give a dynamic belay, but will stop short of slapping into the wall or getting pulled to the first piece. The way we accomplish this is by finding something on the ground to anchor to within 10 or 15 feet of the base of the climb. She will tie off to the anchor a few feet out from the wall (between the anchor point and the first piece of gear with 5 or 6+ ft of rope between her and the anchor point) so that when I fall, she comes up a few feet off the ground before a hard loading of the anchor.

I've taken a 40 footer with my wife belaying on this system and using a GriGri. It works!!!

When using this type of setup, make sure that the leader is not going to get flossed upon falling. I've seen it happen... ouch!!

If you're climbing trad and using this method, make sure your first piece is good for an outward pull (good cam placement, etc.) so you don't unzip your gear. If you're on a multipitch route and climbing from a gear anchor, make sure you have a good piece in the anchor for upward pull.

Sometimes my kids just wear a backpack with a few extra pounds to help if we can't find anything to anchor them to.