Measuring the impact force when climbing

Noah Thomas, a Year 10 pupil at Friedrich Schiller Gymnasium Pirna at the end of 2023, tried his hand at measuring impact forces when rock climbing. The measurements were the basis for a complex performance on the subject of “The Physics of Climbing”, for which he received a straight A. Noah wanted to show his classmates in a presentation with videos what influence a hard or soft belay has on the impact force.

Using a mobile force measuring device from the MecSense rental range, he was able to reliably measure the maximum force of each fall. The force transducer was placed on the body between the seat belt and the end of the rope. The display device was hung in a bag around the neck. Approximately 12 m of rope was handed out and secured top-rope. Both climbers weighed approx. 70 kg. The belayer was not restrained. The results show that highly dynamic measurements with force transducers on a man are easily possible.