The Edelrid OHMEGA, announced today, is a new type of belay assistance that reduces the load on the belayer in a fall while providing other advantages. The OHMEGA defines a new category of belay assist devices. Placed on the first piece of protection, it actively reduces the load on the belayer in a lead fall.
It also reduces rope drag for the leader and has other advantages. It will hit the market in August 2025.
Edelrid claims that the OHMEGA is a different animal than the OHM. The German brand developed the OHM (now in its second generation) to offset the negative effects of a lead climber far outweighing the belayer.
The OHM passively adds friction to the rope in the event of a fall, decreasing the force transmitted to the belayer. This reduces the chances of injury to the belayer from being pulled into or up the wall and does the same for the lead climber by minimizing fall distance.
The OHMEGA actively adds resistance to the rope during a fall via a spring-loaded cam instead of passively doing it through geometry and rope drag. Additionally, the amount of “weight” added to the belayer is adjustable between three levels of assistance. This is functionally the most significant difference between the OHM and the OHMEGA.
It’s Not Just an Updated OHM
The OHMEGA also has additional features that make it vastly different and advantageous for both climber and belayer compared to the OHM. First, a pulley reduces rope drag at the first bolt. This lessens the load on the leader and makes quick lead clipping easier for both climber and belayer, especially on long routes.
The OHMEGA attaches to the first piece of protection via a short Dyneema sling, unlike the OHM, which is on a standard-length quickdraw dogbone. This drastically reduces the amount of rope travel distance needed to activate the belay assistance, which also makes delivering a softer catch as the belayer much easier.
The sling is also how the climber adjusts the level of assistance; it simply changes the leverage ratio of the cam and does so without complicated mechanical means that could be problematic in certain conditions.
The truncated activation distance also helps prevent injuries during the high-risk period when the leader is just above the first piece of protection. Quicker belaying assistance minimizes the leader’s potential to hit the ground or the leader and belayer to collide.
The Edelrid OHMEGA works on single ropes between 8.6mm and 10.5mm.
Edelrid OHMEGA: Manageable Form Factor
I’ve used the Edelrid OHM since its introduction in 2016. Although it drastically improved belaying dynamics when my climbing partner was much lighter than me, I only brought it sport climbing because of its relatively high weight and bulk factor.
The Edelrid OHMEGA is much more compact and lightweight than the OHM. At a fraction of the size of the OHM and a scant 170g, I can see keeping it in my pack as a “just in case” item and hauling it into the alpine.
Tommy Caldwell has already been using the Edelrid OHMEGA, saying, “The OHMEGA is one of the most ingenious products to hit the market for a long time. It reduces both the rope drag when lead climbing and the load created by weight differences in a rope party. The device itself weighs little more than a standard quickdraw.
I’ve seen many accidents that could have been avoided by using the OHMEGA. After trying it once, you also realize just how easy it is to use. I wouldn’t be surprised if the OHMEGA were to become a standard piece of gear for the climbing community.”
Stay tuned for a full review of the OHMEGA when it becomes available for purchase in 2025.
