Edelrid Ohm 2

A clever and simple solution to the problems experienced by a light climbing partner belaying someone significantly heavier, which can lead to the heavier person decking it and/or the lighter person being whacked into the wall. Ohm = a unit of Resistance (Geddit!).

This second generation Ohm now has a swivel joint that improves its freedom of movement. As a result, the Ohm can now be clipped to the first bolt in any direction. A locking system prevents the device from opening accidentally and makes it easier to insert the rope and remove the Ohm when lowering. In the event of a fall, the rope is pulled into the Ohm’s brake unit to progressively arrest the fall. Instead of stopping the rope abruptly, the device slows its run-through speed. This enables the belayer to dynamically arrest the fall irrespective of the belay device used. As a result, once the Ohm is activated, the belayer needs to apply significantly less hand braking force to the braking rope to arrest the fall and they wont be lifted off their feet and hurled against the crag. The Ohm still enables smooth paying out and taking in rope when climbing and belaying and has no negative affect on handling.

The Ohm benefits both climber and belayer: The belayer wont be pulled against the wall in an uncontrolled manner and the climber can climb right to their limits without having to worry that their belayer might not be able to hold them should they fall.

For use at both climbing walls and outdoor sport climbing venues.

• Assisted-braking resistor for increasing the braking effect in the event of major weight differences.
• Now with a swivel joint for greater freedom of movement.
• Far fewer forces are exerted on the belayer.
• Better control when lowering a heavier person.
• Less risk of collision in the event of a fall on the first bolt.
• Installed on the first bolt in the belay chain.
• “Makes the belayer 25 kg heavier.”
• No handling restrictions when lead climbing (no rope friction when paying out the rope).
• Karabiner is included.

The Ohm is suitable for ropes with a diameter between 8.6mm and 11 mm.
Minimum belayer weight: 40kg.

Weight: c 450g.

NB It is not recommended to use the Ohm with a lighter lead climber and heavier belayer because the device will add extra friction into the system (as it is designed to do) and it will make the fall of the lead climber less dynamic. There is in any case no point in using it in these circumstances as the heavier belayer should have no problems holding the fall of a lighter leader.

The German and Swiss Alpine Clubs (DAV, SAC) recommend that a climber should not weigh more than 1.33 times their belayer, i.e. maximum one third more (for example: belayer 60 kg/climber maximum weight 80 kg). In the event of a big fall, in particular at the climbing wall, such large differences in weight require extreme care and attention on the part of the belayer.

However, including the Ohm into the safety chain increases this factor significantly and with this device, it is now possible for climbers in the lower weight ranges to belay a lead climber, who is up to 100% heavier than the belayer.

Edelrid do not however officially recommend that climbers weighing less than 40kg use the Ohm as the chances are that this will encourage parents to get their children to belay them which could result in say a 70kg father going climbing with his 30kg son, ie over the x 2 weight ratio that the Ohm is designed for.

However, if two youngsters were using it as an extra safety device then there should be no problem as long as they were competent belayers and being adequately supervised.

NB It is not recommended to use the Ohm with a lighter lead climber and heavier belayer because the device will add extra friction into the system (as it is designed to do) and it will make the fall of the lead climber less dynamic. There is in any case no point in using it in these circumstances as the heavier belayer should have no problems holding the fall of a lighter leader.