raed ZAED Revolutionary Belay Device Instruction Manual

raed ZAED Revolutionary Belay Device

Product Information

Specifications

• Product Name: raed climbing ZAED – climbing rope braking resistor
• Instruction Manual Version: 1.0, 2023-03

All components mentioned in this document may only be used exactly as described below and only by trained or otherwise competent persons or under their direct supervision. Climbing is an inherently dangerous sport. Thoroughly read and abide by the complete instruction manual. Any deviation to the instructions given in this manual may ultimately lead to serious injury or death!

Product Usage Instructions

Preparation of ZAED for Lead Climbing

1. Climber: Tie the climbing rope into your harness as usual.
2. Belay partner: Insert the rope into your belay device as usual.
3. Perform the partner check as usual.
4. Climber: Remove the ball locking pushpin from ZAED.
5. Climber: Attach ZAED to the climbing rope as shown in Fig.3a.
6. Insert the ball locking pushpin into the holes of the desired friction level according to chapter 3.

Carabiner Attachment
The carabiner must be attached to the first bolt according to the carabiner’s manufacturer’s recommended method. Please follow the carabiner’s manual if in doubt.

Attention: An incorrect installation of the carabiner to a bolt can lead to anchor failure and might weaken and/or damage the belay chain and may lead to serious injuries or death!

Secure Locking
Certain carabiners need special procedures for secure locking. Please follow the carabiner’s manual if in doubt.

Toprope Climbing with ZAED

1. Climb to the first bolt and attach your ZAED at the first bolt via the carabiner (4).
2. Make sure to engage the carabiner’s locking mechanism after attaching it to the bolt.
3. Your ZAED is now fully functional for toprope climbing.

Belaying with ZAED
The primary goal of using ZAED is to provide additional safety for the climber and belay partner in the case of a much heavier climber, under the premise of still being able to provide a “soft belay” which is preferable in modern sports climbing. ZAED simply adds some friction to the belay chain, so the belay partner won’t be pulled up towards the first bolt in an uncontrolled manner. The belay partner will still be pulled up in the direction of the first bolt though, so a “soft belay” can be provided. The hanging position below the first bolt forces the rope through the friction redirects inside the device.

Disengaging ZAED
ZAED’s engagement can easily be reversed by giving out some slack rope – ZAED will automatically fall back into the non-engaged state. In some cases, some jiggling at the rope might be necessary to disengage ZAED from the engaged mode, but usually simply giving out a bit of slack rope will be sufficient.

FAQ

• Q: How should I attach the carabiner to the first bolt?
  A: The carabiner must be attached to the first bolt according to the carabiner’s manufacturer’s recommended method. Please follow the carabiner’s manual if in doubt.

• Q: What happens if I don’t engage ZAED correctly?
  A: If ZAED is not engaged correctly, the belay partner may be pulled up towards the first bolt in an uncontrolled manner, which can be dangerous. It is important to follow the instructions provided and ensure proper engagement.

Raed climbing ZAED – climbing rope braking resistor Instruction Manual vers. 1.0, 2023-03 (please check regularly for updates on our website ( <https ://raed-climbing.com/manuals> )!
All components mentioned in this document may only be used exactly as described below and only by trained or otherwise competent persons or under their direct supervision.
Climbing is an inherently dangerous sport. Thoroughly read and abide by the complete instruction manual. Any deviation to the instructions given in this manual may ultimately lead to serious injury or death!

Device description and use case

ZAED is an adjustable climbing rope braking resistor, that can be used to level a weight difference between a heavy climber and a lighter belay partner. The device adds rope friction in the case of the climber’s fall, so the belay partner won’t be pulled up in an uncontrolled manner. ZAED allows for a „soft belay“ though, so it’s highly suitable for modern sports climbers’ needs, where a controlled pull of the belay partner towards the first bolt is desired. To allow for a highly controlled pull up of the belay partner ZAED can be adjusted in 3 different friction levels, depending on the weight difference and the steepness of the climb.

• ZAED does not replace a belay device used by the belay partner! The use of a belay device, certified after EN 15151-2, is mandatory. Omitting a belay device may ultimately lead to serious injury or death!
• ZAED is designed to be used for „soft belays“ in sport climbing scenarios, it’s not meant to be used by children to belay adults. ZAED may never be used by children without trained supervision.
• ZAED is not designed to keep the forces on the belay partner’s body at the lowest possible. The belay partner is still intentionally pulled towards the first bolt („soft belay“). It may not be used by pregnant women to lower the belay forces on the body.

Device Specifications

Components

1. ZAED main body.
2. ball locking pushpin.
3. sewn dog-bone sling, length 10-18 cm, certified after EN 566.
4. carabiner, certified after EN 12275.

• Weight: 365 g (stainless steel) / 299 g (titanium)
• Suitable rope: 8,9 mm – 10.5 mm single rope, certified after EN 892.
• Not suitable rope: half rope and twin rope may not be used with ZAED.

Configuring friction levels

ZAED comes with a ball locking pushpin (2) that can be used in 3 different attachment points (see Fig.2) – each attachment point changes the friction level. This way the additional ropefriction can be adjusted according to the weight difference between climber and belay partner and personal preferences. To remove the ball locking pushpin from the ZAED body, press the button inside the head and pull the pin out simultaneously. To insert the ball locking pushpin, press the button, put the pin into the holes simultaneously until the balls are visible at the opposite side of the ZAED (see Fig.4) and release the button. As soon as the button is not pressed anymore, the pin is locked into position. Please see Fig.1 to check for the best configuration, depending on the weight of the belay partner and the climber.

1. Friction level 1 is the lowest friction level. It works best when the first bolt is on a vertical or slightly positive surface. It’s suitable for weight difference of +10% to +45%, depending on the belay partner’s weight.
2. Friction level 2 is an increased friction level. It works best when the first bolt is on a vertical or slightly overhanging surface. It’s suitable for weight difference of +20% to +70%, depending on the belay partner’s weight.
3. Friction level 3 is suitable if the first bolt is in a steep overhanging surface. Depending on the steepness of the wall the expected friction is in between level 1 and level 2. The max. allowed steepness of the overhang is 55°.

Attention: The created friction is also dependend on the rope’s diameter. Thinner ropes may create less friction than thicker ropes. During a rope’s lifetime its diameter may vary which might lead to different friction.
Attention: If the balls of the ball locking pushpin are not visible at the outside of your ZAED (see Fig.4), the ball locking pushpin is not fully inserted – and not locked in the correct position! The incorrect position of the ball locking pushpin may lead to a complete failure of your ZAED’s friction mechanism! It may also lead to a complete failure of the quickdraw functionality in case you fall directly into your ZAED, which may lead to a groundfall of the climber! Always make sure to double check with your belay partner for the correct insert of the ball locking pushpin – the balls must be visible at the outside of the device! Check the locking: try pulling the pushpin out of the holes without pushing the button – this may not be successful!

Preparation of ZAED for lead climbing

1. Climber: Tie the climbing rope in to your harness as usual.

2. Belay partner: Insert the rope to your belay device as usual.

3. Perform the partner check as usual.

4. Climber: Remove the ball locking pushpin from ZAED.

5. Climber: Attach ZAED to the climbing rope as shown in Fig.3a.

6. Insert the ball locking pushpin into the holes of the desired friction level according to chapter 3

7. Partner check your ZAED. Pay attention if the rope is inserted in the correct direction, with climber and belay partner on the correct side of the rope in the device. You may want to attach your ZAED at your harness’ gear loop to start climbing.

8. Climb to the first bolt and attach your ZAED at the first bolt via the carabiner (4). Make sure to engage the carabiner’s locking mechanism after attaching it to the bolt.

9. Climb to the second bolt and attach the rope to a quickdraw as usual (see Fig.5).
   Your ZAED is now fully functional for lead climbing. Attention: If you fall into your ZAED without having clipped the quickdraw at the second bolt, your ZAED acts as a regular quickdraw – without providing additional friction. This may result in a ground fall! In case you can’t ensure to not fall in between the first and the second bolt, preclipping the quickdraw above your ZAED is mandatory, e.g. by using a clipstick.
   Attention: If the rope is inserted the wrong direction, your ZAED won’t add additional friction in case of a fall. This may result in a ground fall! Always make sure to double check with your belay partner for the correct insert direction of the rope before climbing!

10. The carabiner must be attached to the first bolt according to the carabiner’s manufacturer’s recommended method. Please follow the carabiner’s manual if in doubt.
    Attention: An incorrect installation of the carabiner to a bolt can lead to anchor failure and might weaken and/or damage the belay chain and may lead to serious injuries or death!

11. Certain carabiners need special procedures for secure locking. Please follow the carabiner’s manual if in doubt.

Preparation of ZAED for toprope climbing

1. Climber: Tie the climbing rope in to your harness as usual.
2. Belay partner: Insert the rope to your belay device as usual.
3. Perform the partner check as usual.
4. Climber: Remove the ball locking pushpin from ZAED.
5. Climber: Attach ZAED to the climbing rope as shown in Fig.3b.
6. Insert the ball locking pushpin into the holes of the desired friction level according to chapter 3.
7. Partner check your ZAED. Pay attention if the rope is inserted in the correct direction, with toprope anchor and belay partner on the correct side of the rope in the device. You may want to attach your ZAED at your harness’ gear loop to start climbing.
8. climb to the first bolt and attach your ZAED at the first bolt via the carabiner (4). Make sure to engage the carabiner’s locking mechanism after attaching it to the bolt.
   Your ZAED is now fully functional for toprope climbing.

Belaying with ZAED

The primary goal of using ZAED is to provide additional safety for climber and belay partner in the case of a much heavier climber – under the premiss of still being able to provide a „soft belay“ which is preferable in modern sports climbing. ZAED simply adds some friction to the belay chain, so the belay partner won’t be pulled up towards the first bolt in an uncontrolled manner. The belay partner will still be pulled up in direction of the first bolt though, so a „soft belay“ can be provided.

1. Correct standing position of the belay partner: ForZAED to engage correctly the belay partner needs to stand more than 1m in longitudinal and lateral distance to the first bolt (see Fig.6 / 7)
2. Incorrect standing position of the belay partner: if the belay partner is in a distance of less than 1m in longitudinal and lateral direction to the first bolt, a correct engagement of ZAED cannot be guaranteed! The same applies if the belay partner doesn’t stand outside the overhang part (see Fig.7).
3. General belay mistakes: all general belay mistakes. like slack rope, an inactive stance or an incorrect use of the belay device stay exactly the same compared to a belay without ZAED. So it’s imperative to avoid excessive slack rope at any time, you need an active stance for a soft belay and all the rules from the belay device’s manual need to be followed at any time!
4. Giving out rope for a lead climber: Giving out rope for the lead climber works exactly the same as without ZAED. The lead climber can pull up rope as usual. The device also enables the lead climber to pull up rope quickly for quick clips in shaky positions without engaging ZAED. For this to work well the belay partner has to provide a sufficient amount of slack rope that is pulled up by the climber.
5. Engaging ZAED in a lead fall: In the case of a lead fall above the second bolt, ZAED engages automatically if the belay partner is in the correct belay position (see 6.1). When ZAED engages it is dragged from the hanging position below the first bolt into a position above the first bolt. This position forces the rope through the friction redirects inside the device.
6. Engaging ZAED in a toprope fall: In the case of a toprope fall ZAED engages automatically if the belay partner is in the correct belay position (see 6.1). When ZAED engages it is dragged from the hanging position below the first bolt into a position above the first bolt. This position forces the rope through the friction redirects inside the device.
7. Disengaging ZAED: ZAED’s engagement can easily be reversed by giving out some slackrope – ZAED will automatically fall back into the non-engaged state. In some cases, some jiggling at the rope might be necessary to disengage ZAED from the engaged mode, but usually simply giving out a bit of slack rope will be sufficient.

In some cases, if the belay partner doesn’t provide sufficient slack rope during the climber’s fast rope pull, ZAED might get pulled into the engaged position and add some rope friction to the system. This can easily be reversed by disengaging ZAED as described above.

Inadmissible use of ZAED

1. ZAED’s working mechanism is based on creating friction. This friction is created by dragging the device upwards from the first bolt that it’s attached to. This working mechanism makes ZAED inadmissible to be used with any kind of mobile / removable gear placements that work unidirectional downwards, e.g. trad gear of any kind. This includes, friends, cams, hexes, nuts, tricams, pitons and possibly any other kind of mobile/removable gear. Attaching ZAED to any kind of mobile / removable gear placements can lead to a failure of the first bolt, rendering not only ZAED dysfunctional but also potentially compromising other trad gear placed above! This might lead to a ground fall and/or may ultimately lead to serious injury or death!
2. Even though ZAED is intended to equalize weight differences between climber and belay partner, it’s not intended to be used by children. ZAED may never be used by children to belay adults without supervision from a trained and certified adult!
3. We’re aware that climbing rope braking resistors like ZAED are sometimes used by pregnant women to belay their heavier climbing partner.
   Attention: ZAED is not designed to keep the forces on the belay partner’s body at null. It’s designed to provide a soft belay, which means the belayer will still be pulled towards the first bolt! ZAED may never be used by pregnant women if a pull towards the first bolt is intended to be avoided!

Storage, transport

1. Always store your climbing gear in a dry and dark place. UV rays caused by sunlight may weaken the breaking strength of the textile materials.
2. Chemicals can weaken the textile components of ZAED. Keep ZAED away from acids, oils, paint and other chemical fluids, gases or components. Never store climbing gear near car batteries or other items that contain acids!

Care

1. ZAED is designed for use at climbing walls in the outdoors and in climbing gyms. Its open design makes it easy to clean. All metal components can be rinsed with clear water and rubbed with a soft sponge to clean them. You can dry them with a towel and let them dry in a warm and shady place afterwards.
2. Salt water, sand and dirt can significantly weaken the textile and/or metal components of your climbing gear. If the textile components have been in contact with salt water, dirt or sand they need to be washed with clear water to remove all residue. Please rinse all metal components thoroughly with fresh water after contact with salt water.
3. ZAED’s components usually don’t need lubrication.
4. Feel free to contact us directly in case you have any unforeseen problems with ZAED’s components. Please refer to the carabiner manufacturer’s manual in case of problems with the carabiner.

Wear, lifespan

1. Always check all parts of the climbing system before setting it up and before entering the climb. Especially check textile components like ropes and webbing as these may wear out. Never use worn out rope or webbing as this could cause serious accidents!

2. Regularly let all textile components run through your hands across the whole length – this way you can check tactile and visually for irregularities like unusual stiffness, frays, cuts or bleached/discolored parts. All of these irregularities are signs of wear.

3. Only if used rarely and stored correctly the lifetime of textile components will be up to 10 years from date of manufacture. The operational lifetime of textile components depends on many factors like intensity of use, external influences like UV radiation, dirt, sweat, abrasion and others.

4. A precise estimation of lifespan is not possible due to varying circumstances as mentioned above. Wear or damage can even occur on the first use, thus limiting the lifespan of the textile components to one single use in extreme cases!
   Attention: All components must immediately be removed from service if they show signs of damage or wear! Double check all parts for wear or damages! Don’t enter a climb if there is any sign of wear or damage in your gear visible! The manufacturer cannot be held responsiblefor damages or injuries caused by damaged or worn out materials!

5. Check all metal components that are in direct contact with textile components (rope or webbing) on corrosion, sharp nicks, dents, burrs or cracks before every use. Replace all components that show these signs of wear!
   Attention: Corrosion, sharp nicks, dents, burrs or cracks found on metal components can immediately damage textile components if kept in use. Don’t enter a climb if there is any sign of corrosion, sharp dents, nicks, burrs or cracks visible in the metal components! The manufacturer cannot be held responsible for damages or injuries caused by damaged or worn out materials!

Safety advices

1. This climbing gear is for non professional, recreational use only! Although it is built like a toy that is easy to install it may not be used by children or persons that have not fully read and understood the instruction manual. Always employ backup systems and personal protection equipment! Please note that the manufacturer cannot be held responsible for any damage or injury that is caused by using the climbing gear incorrect or when not in a proper condition.

2. Before entering the climb make sure that all components are set up as described in their manuals.

3. In case of any question regarding the correct installation and use of your climbing gear please contact us directly.

4. Never use the mentioned components different than described in this manual. Do not use them for creating anchors or for lifting. The components mentioned above are neither engineered nor certified for such use.

5. All Screws, bolts and nuts in this device are locked with adhesives. Screws, bolts and nuts used in this device may never be altered or manipulated.
   Attention: Any alterations or manipulations of the screws, bolts and nuts may significantly weaken the device. A manipulated device may lead to serious injuries or death!

6. The sewn loops/connections of the sewn dog-bone may never be altered or manipulated.
   Attention: Any alterations or manipulations of the sewn connection will significantly weaken the sewn connection. A manipulated sewn connection will make the webbing unusable and may lead to serious injuries or death!

7. The sewn connection is part of the textile components of the device and must be inspected regularly according to the the rules of chapter „Wear, lifespan“

8. The sewn connection may only be loaded from the one sewn loop’s end to the other sewn loop’s end. Attention: Never attach any additional load or connection besides the device and the carabiner to the sewn loops.
   Any additional attachments to the sewn loops will make the webbing unusable and may lead to serious injuries or death!

Testing / Certification
The components of this product are tested for the use in recreational climbing by TÜV Austria: PSA23-140

Disposal after service time
ZAED is made from different metal alloys and plastics. Please consider creative upcycling options for your climbing gear after its recommended lifetime. Discarded climbing gear doesn’t belong to the litter, they should be handed to recycling stations instead. If you don’t have a recycling station nearby, you can always send the gear back to us, we’ll hand it to an upcycling project or a recycling station then.
Climb hard, your raed climbing team

Fritimi UG (haftungsbeschränkt)
Memminger Str. 50, 87439 Kempten (Allgäu), GERMANY
https://raed-climbing.com
[email protected]
+4917615002220
CEO: Stephan Chudowski

References

• Climbing Magazine | Bouldering, Trad, Alpine, and Sport Climbing
• ZAED - adjustable belay resistor for soft and safe sports climbing – raed climbing

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