“Ready to lower!” I yelled. As I descended from the anchor, my belayer dropped me faster and faster until I was free-falling. I expected—or hoped—the rope would go taut, but the ground came first. My ...

The Mule Knot (a.k.a releasable knot) is ideal to lock off the rope on the belay plate. There are many occasions in climbing when, belaying from the harness using a device which does not self-arrest ...