Alpine Tips
Hitching a sling direct to a stopper wire - acceptable?
Every trad climber has been there - Long pitch, lots of pro, and you run out of spare carabiners with only stopper placements between you and the anchor. Can you put a sling directly on that wire? Let's find out.
Let's make one thing clear right up front. Doing this is definitely not standard practice, it's best to use a carabiner between the sling and the stopper wire. However, there are a few unusual situations when it might be good to have some other option, such as:
You’re leading a trad climb. You place a stopper, clip a sling to it . . . and notice that the carabiner that’s clipped to the stopper is going to be dangerously loaded over an edge if you fall onto it. No bueno.
You’re on a long lead, you’ve run out of spare carabiners, and you only have stoppers and a few runners to protect the next few moves.
You need to make some retreat anchors for many rappels, and don't want to leave any carabiners behind on the stoppers you’re placing for anchors.
Can you hitch a runner directly to a stopper, rappel or even take a whipper onto it, and live to tell the tale? Let’s find out!
Two ways to attach a sling directly to a stopper wire: (top) girth hitch (aka lark’s foot); (bottom) basket hitch.
Traditional conservative climbing pedagogy would probably say:
“Yer Gonna Die! (YGD)”
But is it really that bad? Climbers have been wondering about this for a long time, and the clever engineers at DMM in Wales actually did some pull tests on this. Any video that breaks both gear AND dogma is one I’m definitely interested in! As the clickbait web ads say, the results might surprise you.
from the DMM website and video:
“To answer this question we took a Wallnut 1 and 11 and tested them with a sling attached using a lark's foot and a basket hitch in combination with 8 mm Dyneema (Dynatec), 11 mm Dyneema and 16 mm Nylon slings. We also tested lark's footing a Wallnut 1 together with another Walnut 1.
The results (see table below) were conclusive in showing that basket hitching is the best way of extending a wire over an edge to protect your carabiner.
Using a basket hitch with the Wallnut 11 always failed above the nut's minimum strength rating of 12 kN. The same was true using a basket hitch with a Wallnut 1 having a minimum strength rating of 7 kN.”
Results from DMM pull testing
Short answer, yes, very acceptable! =^)
Does the sling break? Yes. But, with a basket hitch, it breaks ABOVE the rating for the stopper it's attached to!
To summarize:
8mm Dyneema sling > girth hitch > tiny #1 stopper > breaks around 7 kN
8mm Dyneema sling > girth hitch > medium to large stopper = breaks around 8 kN
8mm Dyneema sling > basket hitch > medium to large stopper = breaks around 12 kN
Being that 9 kN is about the largest force you're ever going to have an a climbing fall even with the crazy factor 2 fall directly on the anchor, those results are highly encouraging, at least in my mind.
(See this link for a chart on climbing gear strength ratings)
So, the short answer is, no problem, you can hitch a sling straight through the wire of a stopper. Doing this with a basket hitch is clearly stronger, but you can even use a girth hitch and still probably get away with it.
Note 1: I don't know this for sure, but I’m guessing that DMM tested this with a slow pull to breakage, and not hitting it with a sudden force in a drop tower. I would be quite curious to see a comparison between the slow pull and a dynamic fall.
Note 2: If you’re near the end of a long pitch running out of carabiners, it might be best to do this technique when building your anchor, not placing gear on lead. This is because the force the anchor could take when belaying your second is probably less than what you could potentially put on it from a lead fall. (Of course, when the second arrives at your belay with all of the cleaned gear, you can add proper slings onto those stoppers.)
Should this be your go-to technique to clip a stopper? No, probably not. But, when you run out of carabiners or have something loaded over the edge, know that you can do this (fairly) safely. Plus, get ready to see an incredulous look on your second’s face when they arrive at the anchor and say, “DAMN, what’s up with that stopper and sling!?”
Which Way Wednesday - Navigation Challenge, Part 1
Today is “Which Way Wednesday”, with a post about wilderness navigation or trip planning. We’ll share a few excerpts from the Wilderness Navigation Challenge, covering exactly why a map is more useful than a compass, why USGS quad maps are lame, and why you probably want a map with shaded relief.
“Which Way Wednesday” will feature a navigation or trip planning related post every Wednesday.
This week, we’ll share a few questions from the Wilderness Navigation Challenge - a series of about 80 questions and answers/explanations that cover beginner to intermediate wilderness navigation skills.
It's designed as a teaching tool and for self-evaluation. Every question is followed with an answer and explanation, so you can learn as you go along.
Below are a few sample questions and answers from the challenge. If testing your knowledge and learning more about navigation flips your switch, you can check out the entire navigation challenge here.
Here at AlpineSavvy, we are huge fans of the terrific mapping software CalTopo. You can print three topographic maps of anywhere in the world, on a variety of base layers, add any scale you want to, and various paper sizes. It's easy to make your own GPX files, with tracks and weight points, and export them to use on your phone or handheld device. It's amazing software, it's free, or you can pay a modest annual subscription of $20 and get even more features, which I recommend. Have a look at this YouTube tutorial to get started and using this amazing tool.
Example - USGS standard topo map, Eagle Creek OR, no shaded relief. Unless you’re experienced in reading topographic maps, it’s difficult to see ridges, drainages, and where the high and low points are.
Example - USGS standard topo map, Eagle Creek OR, with about 25% shaded relief. Note that you can now easily see where the ridges and creek drainages are, no real knowledge of contour reading required. (Shaded relief is kind of magical!)
Caltopo MapBuilder Topo layer, Eagle Creek OR, shaded relief. This is a custom map player in Caltopo that shows trails, drainages, vegetation, and nice shaded relief. And the best part, you can print maps like this for free at Caltopo.com.
The "open" cordelette
There are many variations on anchor building with a cordelette. How about carrying it with no knots at all? Here's how to build a fast, secure anchor with an “open” cordelette.
While a traditional cordelette is about 16 feet of 7mm cord tied into one big loop, many climbers (if they carry one at all) prefer to leave it untied, known in some circles as an “open” cordelette.
Why use an open cordelette? It’s more versatile.
You can tie the ends together quickly in a big loop if you need it, with a simple flat overhand bend. (That’s right, no double fisherman’s knot required.) It’s fast to tie and easy to untie when you’re done compared to many other knots.
You can tie small loops in either end to make a ”bunny ears” cordelette. This can be handy when the gear is far apart, or you need to sling a big tree or boulder. Just tie a small overhand loop near the ends.
“Bunny ears” used to clip gear that’s far apart.
Ice climbing toprope
If you're setting up an ice climbing top rope anchor, you can make two V thread anchors and connect them both with a single cord, if you keep it untied.
Photo credit, Tim Banfield and Sean Isaac
Thread the open cord through fixed protection
This example comes from a nice PDF file showing some European style anchor techniques, made by the German Mountain and Ski Guides Association (“Verband Deutscher Berg und Skiführer” or “VDBS”). Here, using an open cordelette lets you thread one and through the fixed gear that can’t be clipped. Also, note the girth hitch at the master point.
image: Standplatzlogik VDBS 2019 - Ausbildungsstandard VDBS & Alternativen
Crevasse rescue
After a crevasse fall is held by the team on top, the person closest to the crevasse can tie a prusik hitch with an open cordelette (about 5 meters of 6 mm cord) on the rope, tie an overhand to make a clipping point, and tie the ends through their belay loop.
The key here is that the ends can be passed through the belay loop and tied if needed in a rescue; the rest of the time it stays out of the way on your harness.
Image: https://www.ortovox.com/uk/safety-academy-lab-ice/chapter-3/rescuing-a-companion
Alternative anchor rigging
You can make an multi point anchor by not really tying any knots at all at least until the master point. Here's one way to do it, shown by my pal Ryan Jenks at HowNot2.com. It's a little hard to explain in words, so check out the video below.
Spoiler alert: 28 kN strong anchor made with 6mm cord, impressive!
Start it at 7:00.
Here's another way.
Place three pieces of gear, or in this case, three bolts. At least 1 foot from one end of the cord, tie a clove hitch and clip it to the left bolt. At least 1 foot from the other end of the cord, tie another clove hitch, and clip it to the right bolt. Then, take the approximate middle of the cord and clip it to the middle bolt.
Clip a locking carabiner through the two “U” shaped strands in the middle.
Tie an overhand knot (or figure 8) to make the master point. Done!
Note:
There is no redundant shelf on this anchor. The loop that goes from the masterpoint knot to the middle bolt is probably okay for clipping a backpack, but not for belaying.
This anchor is easily adjustable. If the pieces are far apart, or farther away from you, tie the clove hitch nearer to the end of the cord (while still leaving a foot or so of tail, and snugging down the knot.) If, like in this case, the pieces are very close together, you can tie a clove hitch with longer tails, making a more compact / higher master point.
This anchor can be easily adjusted if the direction of pull changes. If the direction of pull changes to one side, say the left, then the strand of cord going to the left anchor is going to go slack, which means it's not taking any of the load. You can easily adjust this by shortening the clove hitch going to the left bolt, which can regain a nice three point load distribution.
You only have about half rated strength of the cord going to the single arms. A 7 mm cord is rated about 13 kN, so half of that is around 6.5, which should be fine. However, a 6 mm cord is only rated 7.5 kN, so halving that brings it down to 4 kN, which is sort of in the danger range. So, if you're ever going to use this technique, please use a 7 mm cord.
Hey, don't take my word for it. Here's a short (31 seconds!) video by expert climber Hans Florine (multiple speed climb record holder on The Nose on El Capitan, among other things) showing this technique.
“Sawanobori” - Climbing UP waterfalls in Japan
A unique genre of climbing in Japan is something known as “sawanobori” - following a stream in a canyon upwards, ideally until you reach the source. It's like canyoneering, only in reverse. Watch a fascinating professionally produced 12 minute YouTube video here. Yes, it's about as scary and dangerous as it sounds.
So, this is not exactly a climbing tip per se, more a notice of a beautiful, slightly scary, and possibly inspiring video.
The Japanese climbing genre of “Sawanobori” (sawa = stream; nobori = climb) is sort of the opposite of canyoneering. The idea is to ASCEND a stream in a canyon until you reach the source.
Personally, I think this looks like a pretty loco and dangerous thing to do, but you do have to admire the vision and courage of the people who try it. (Disclaimer, AlpineSavvy does not recommend that you go out and try this anytime soon, unless you have professional North Face climbers as your rope gun.)
Also, another comment. There are a few scenes in here of the climbers tossing off chunks of moss. Generally, in the canyoneering world, this is not considered good form, and “Leave No Trace” ethics are extremely important when traveling in narrow, environmentally sensitive canyon areas. )(Yes, I get it that the climber was doing this on a “route” that will probably never be repeated by anybody, but still, it's worth mentioning.)
Here is an excellent 12 minute video showing some world-class climbers attempting this on a beautiful waterfall in Japan. Produced by the North Face, it has great filming, camera angles, and is well worth your time to check out.
Using a rope to make a tensionless tree anchor
Do you need to fix a rope and have a stout tree available? Lucky you - this is probably the simplest and strongest anchor you could ever build. Just watch the sap on those pine trees . . .
Need to secure the end of a rope around a stout tree? Provided the tree is not oozing with sap, and you have a bit of extra rope, here's a good way to do it.
This is known by some as a “tensionless” anchor, because there is no knot that's under load or tension. I prefer to call it the “tree wrap”, as it's more descriptive. This is one of the strongest anchors you can build, because you’re using the entire strength of your rope, with no loaded knots which weaken it. One main benefit, it's very easy to untie when you're done, even after a huge load.
First off, have a good look at the tree. The American Alpine Institute blog has a good memory jog for this, "Five-and-Alive." The tree should be at least 5 inches in diameter, 5 feet tall, and alive with a good root base. Be wary of trees that could have a shallow root-base, in dirt, sand and/or on top of a rock. Thanks AAI, good advice! (Personally, I’d consider a 5 inch diameter as the absolute minimum, larger is better!)
Starting with one end of the rope, take a few coils in your hand, and pass them around the tree trunk 4-5 times. This may well take more rope than you think, so start with a bit extra. Tie a figure 8 on a bight or overhand in the end of the rope, and clip this bight to the load strand with a carabiner to close the rope system.
If you tie this correctly, the friction alone from the rope on the tree bark will support the load, and the carabiner at the end should never see any force at all.
Rigging this close to the base of the tree reduces leverage and increases strength. This is more important if the tree is at all marginal. (If the tree is unquestionably strong, it doesn't really matter.)
Try four wraps as a minimum to start. Add more if needed.
Try to keep the loops reasonably tidy, but if they get a bit crossed up it's still going to be fine.
This should not damage the tree (especially if it's one part of a multi piece anchor) because the force is spread out over many rope strands, and not gouging into the bark. If you wanted to be extra nice to the tree, feel free to put in a backpack or something similar between your rope and the tree trunk.
If you're doing this on a conifer tree, there's a good chance you're going to get sap onto your rope. YUCK! This is something you want to avoid if at all possible, so try not to use conifer trees.
If you do get tree sap on your rope, hands or anywhere else, you can use mayonnaise, believe it or not, to clean it off quite effectively.
Another good option to secure the end of a rope around the tree is a bowline, either one strand or two.
If you REALLY want to go with elegant minimalism, you can skip the carabiner entirely, and tie a rewoven figure eight around the load strand. That's pretty cool, an anchor you can hang a truck from that doesn’t use a single piece of metal!
Cordelette on a tree: caution on the shelf
Passing a long cordelette loop around a stout tree and tying off with an overhand knot is an excellent way to make an anchor. However, if you want to use the shelf, you want to think carefully about where it actually is. It may not be where you think.
Say you have a standard cordelette tied in a big loop, and you want to use it to build an anchor on a stout tree or a rock pillar, aka a “monolith” (one piece) anchor. If you pass the cordelette around the tree and tie it off in an overhand knot, (or double it and loop it over the rock pillar) it might seem that you have a bomber shelf if you clip one strand on the left and one strand on the right, just like when you clip two separate pieces of gear.
But be careful, it’s not what it appears. If you clip the two strands like you would for a gear anchor, there is a 50% chance you're going to be on just ONE strand of the cord, and therefore not redundant.
See the photos below.
I have to say, I was scratching my head a bit when I first heard of this. I had to set it up on a tree in my yard to see for myself.
After you read this, you may think that any anchor failure like this in the real world is so extremely unlikely that you're not going to worry about it. Well, that may well be true. However, this is not a very intuitive thing to grasp for most people, and I want to illustrate best practice in all aspects of anchor building. So, absorb it if you want and toss it if you don't. :-)
Here's an Instagram video I made that shows it pretty well, with one strand of the cordelette wrapped in blue tape, to hopefully make it a bit more clear.
Long cordelette looped around a tree, tied off with an overhand knot and locking carabiner as the master point. Perfect.
Hmm, thinks the climber, I think I want to add a shelf. How about I clip another locker to the two strands coming out of the top of the master point? Well, doing this is not a lethal mistake, but if you think you’re getting redundancy on two rope strands, you only have a 50% chance of doing so.
As it's shown here, the top carabiner appears to be clipping two different strands, but it's actually clipping the same strand twice - not redundant, whoops! You can't see it in the photo without a video walk-around the tree, but you can easily set it up yourself to see what I mean.
Here, the black carabiner is clipped correctly to both strands coming out of one side of the masterpoint knot. It's clipped to both strands, giving redundancy. Yes, if you're a long time cordelette user and have always used it to clip single pieces of gear, this photo below is probably giving you a minor freakout. Trust me, it's right, and set it up for yourself to see how it works. You can do it inside around a chair or pretty much anything.
(Of course, there's no reason to really use the shelf at all. In most cases, it's an optional nice thing to have but certainly not a mandatory part of the anchor. So, if this post is making your eyes cross, you could go back to the photo at the top, with no mention of the shelf at all, build an anchor like that and be just fine.)
Video - the making of a Metolius cam
When so much manufacturing overseas, it's heartening to see a long time NW company stay local. Watch this video for a fascinating look at how Metolius cams are handmade in Bend Oregon, USA. Tip - You can probably stop by, get a tour and see this for yourself!
Check out this great video showing how Metolius cams are crafted. Made by hand in Bend, Oregon! #MadeInUSA
Descending with a Grigri
If you have a Grigri or similar auto locking belay device that fits one strand of rope, you can still descend. Here are several options.
If you have a Grigri or similar auto locking belay device, you can still get down a route. But, you need a few alternative techniques, because your device only works on a single strand of rope. Knowing some of these techniques can be great for descending multi pitch routes where your partner has a standard tube device and you have a Grigri. Use one of these techniques, and have the Grigri person go first.
What are some situations where you might want to rappel with a Grigri?
Reduced risk on multipitch - an increasingly popular option for multi pitch climbs is for one partner to carry a Grigri and the other to carry a plaquette device. The leader is always belayed on the Grigri, and the second is always belayed on the plaquette. The devices get treated off between partners depending on who is leading. This can reduce risk going up, because it's generally easier to catch a lead fall on a Grigri. When it's time to come down, you can use the techniques described below.
Exploratory rappels - If you're doing multi pitch rappels on an unfamiliar route, consider sending the first person down with a Grigri (or similar assisted braking device) on a single fixed rope strand.
Because the Grigri lets you go hands-free at any time, you can more easily:
Decluster rope tangles
Pendulum if needed
Place gear and clip the rope to it if overhanging and/or traversing
Reascend the rope easily if needed
Yes, the Grigri is not technically completely hands-free. But if you need to stop, simply tie a bight knot in the rope below your GriGri as a fail safe / back up.
If you have any question as to whether or not your rope is long enough to get to the next anchor, one option would be to rig a Munter Mule Overhand (MMO) on the anchor. This gives you an option to easily lower your first person a bit if it turns out they need to go farther. Of course that also means that your rope is going to be too short to do a standard rappel for the last person, but there's a solution to that as well - the extended rappel. (Yo, read the guidebook next time and bring a longer rope, OK?)
Here are a few ways to rappel with a Grigri.
Fix one strand
Self lower
Knot or carabiner block
1 - Fix one strand
This is typically done by putting a bight knot (overhand, figure 8, clove or butterfly) in one rope strand, clipping that knot to the anchor, attach your Grigri to the fixed strand, and rapping on that strand. This of course works for the first person down, but not the second. Typically in a two person team, you would have one person with a Grigri and one person with a tube style device. The person with the tube always goes second. See photos below for some setups.
There are lots of ways to rig this. If you have a single master point. 1) Rig the middle of the rope through the master point, as for a normal rappel. 2) Clip a locking carabiner to the master point. 3) Tie a butterfly (in either strand, here the left) and clip it to the carabiner. First person down can now rap on a Grigri on the strand that’s “fixed” with the butterfly. Last person to rappel removes the carabiner, unties the butterfly, and raps on two strands.
Here’s a similar technique, useful if you have twin chain anchors. 1) Rig the middle of the rope through the master point, as for a normal rappel. 2) Add a locking carabiner to the right bolt and clove hitch the rope to it. 3) First person down can now rap on a Grigri on the left strand that’s “fixed”. Last person removes carabiner and rappels on both strands with a tube device.
Note: 99.99% of the time it's also going to be fine to rappel on the right strand. However, in the extremely unlikely event that the right bolt failed, then there’s nothing holding the rope to anchor. So, while it might appear that you should descend on the right strand, because that's what goes to the blue carabiner, it's marginally safer to rappel on the left strand.
Here's another crafty way to secure the rope strands - a stacked rappel (aka pre-rigged) with an autoblock. The second person rigs an extended rappel with autoblock, and puts both rope strands through a standard tube device.
Now the first person can rappel with Grigri on a single strand. The rappel device and autoblock from their partner above fixes the rope.
Note, many people think that the rappel device alone is enough to secure the rope, but that's not necessarily true. If the rope is new, thin, slippery sheath, etc. the weight of the first person can creep the rope through the top device. The auto block is important, it prevents rope creep.
Finally, an elegant way to fix both rope strands is with a Stone hitch. This is common in canyoneering, but not so much in rock climbing. It's basically a double strand slipknot, with a carabiner that prevents it from coming undone. Fast to tie and very easy to break down when the second is ready to go. Here's a whole article on the Stone hitch if you want to learn more.
2 - Self lower
With the rope through the anchor, tie in to one end of the rope, attach to the other side of the rope with your Grigri, and lower yourself. This technique is a bit less common, and it has a few pros and cons, see below. There may be times when going more slowly and having increased friction is a good thing.
For a self lower, be absolutely 137% sure the rope is going through some kind of METAL connection (carabiner, quicklink, chain, rap ring, etc) at the anchor point, never webbing!
This option might be better if you have a skinnier rope and/or a newer sheath, because the friction of the rope passing through the master point will slow you down a bit and possibly give you better control.
You’re descending at half speed compared to a standard rappel, which can help with rope control, again good if you have a skinny rope. Or, it could be a bummer if you have a long way to go.
Tie a knot in the end of the rope, or maybe better yet clip the other end of the rope to your belay loop with a locking carabiner to close the rope system, so there is no chance you can rap off of the end. Having both rope ends attached to you means you can’t rap off the rope end, and minimizes problems caused by difficult terrain.
PRO - A self lower can be a good choice if you only have a short distance to descend, because you don't need to flake the entire rope, feed half of the rope through the anchor, etc.
PRO - This could also be a good choice if the rappel has some challenges - blocky terrain, places for the rope to get hung up, high winds, etc. (If this is the case, storing the rope in a rope bag, backpack or saddlebags or something similar can help it feed out smoothly.)
CON - This works best with a single master point; doing it with two anchors, especially if they’re separated, can twist your rope.
CON - Doing this can put excessive wear on fixed hardware. Probably okay if it's an easily replaceable quick link in a popular area, maybe not okay if it's difficult-to-replace hardware in a more remote area.
CON - If your rope is running over any sort of a sharp edge, this may not be a good method.
CON - The rappeller must deal with all the extra rope, as opposed to your partner lowering you, where the extra rope stays at the upper anchor. If you can get a good rope toss to make sure it gets down the cliff without tangling, good for you. If not, having the rope in a bag or backpack can make life a lot easier.
See this diagram from Petzl. It pretty much sums up how to rig a self-lower.
image: https://www.petzl.com/US/en/Sport/Self-lowering
and, you can self-lower with any kind of rappel device, not just a Grigri. (Diagram from Petzl)
3 - Rope block (knot or carabiner)
This lets you retrieve the rope. This an advanced technique! There are lots of ways you can screw this up and die! Practice with a qualified instructor before you try this in real life! See video at the bottom for an example. I'm not going to get into the details here, because there are many important factors to consider and it's beyond the scope of this article. Here's a much more detailed article about rope blocks.
Adding more friction
In many situations, like heavy load, wet rope, new slick rope, whatever, you may want some additional friction in your rappel. Here are a couple of ways to do that. Examples here are for belaying, but they also work for rappelling.
Photos from IFMGA certified guide Karsten Delap.
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM.COM/KARSTENDELAP/
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM.COM/KARSTENDELAP/
Another option is the Petzl Freino carabiner. This is designed specifically to add additional friction if needed to a rappel or lower. You clip the tail of the rope through the little spur on the right hand side. (I do not yet own one of these so I don't have an action photo.)
Finally here’s a nice short video from IFMGA Certified Guide Karsten Delap showing a self lower and a knot block.
Cordelette - Connect the ends with an overhand knot
Yes, every climbing instruction book tells you to use a double fisherman's knot to tie your cordelette into a big loop. Guess what: the overhand knot works fine.
Yes, an overhand knot. Yes, the same one you use to tie two ropes together to rappel. (If you want to get technical it's a “flat overhand bend.” previously known as the Euro Death Knot, of EDK).
Or, to really keep it simple just carry your cordelette completely untied, also known as an “open” cordelette.
Tie a small overhand loop in each and, a.k.a. bunny ears style
Want a traditional big loop? Tie with a flat overhand bend.
Hey, if you're happy keeping your cordelette pretty much permanently tied into a loop with a double fisherman’s knot, feel free to keep doing it that way. But, if you see somebody tying a cordelette as shown below, don't freak out about it, it's fine.
Just like if you were using it to connect two rappel ropes, make sure you've got a nice long tail at least 6-8 inches, and make sure the knot is “dressed and stressed” - properly snugged down
Update: a reader mentioned on a related Instagram post that if you’re using a 5.5 mm HMPE “tech cord”, at least one manufacturer recommends using a triple fisherman's knot to tie a loop, because this material is more slippery than standard cord. So, if your cordelette is made of tech cord, probably best to avoid the flat overhand bend.
Note the striking resemblance to the Flying Spaghetti Monster . . .
Knot close up: Yep, that's your garden-variety flat overhand bend. (And please don't call at the European Death Knot (EDK), we're trying to get away from that, okay?
Hey, don't take my word for it. Here's a photo of an anchor made by IFMGA Guide Dale Remsberg, taken March 2019. Notice the flat overhand bend connecting the cordelette ends.
and, in an email to me from internationally certified guide Rob Coppolillo, and co-author of “The Mountain Guide Manual”:
“I have my cordelettes tied with flat overhands right now....and I'm liking it. Easier to untie, etc. Only time I do not leave it tied as such, is what I'm using the cord as one big loop (as in, not tying it off as a distributed, redundant anchor material).
Indeed, the flat overhand starts rolling at relatively low loads, but in the testing I've seen it rolls once or twice, then quits....unless of course the load stays on it indefinitely.
Does this make sense? So, I guess I'd say, go for it with the flat overhand...but if you're using the cord as one big loop, maybe take the time to tie a double-fisherman's, if you foresee high loads.“
And, one more endorsement, this time from a video made by Ortovox and the German Mountain and Ski Guide Association - some folks who know what they're talking about. In this video about building multi piece gear anchors, he says at about 2:20: “I fix the optimum height of the anchor by tying an overhand knot (in the open cordelette).” Screen grab below of overhand knot; See the video here.
Lowering a climber - reasons and methods
There are times when lowering, rather than rappelling, is a smarter way to get down a route. Learn of some of the scenarios when this might be a smart move, and several common ways to set it up.
Note - This post discusses techniques and methods used in vertical rope work. If you do them wrong, you could die. Always practice vertical rope techniques under the supervision of an experienced climber, and ideally in a progression: from flat ground, to staircase, to vertical close to the ground before you ever try them in a real climbing situation.
Scenario:
You and your partner have topped out on the classic West Ridge of Forbidden Peak in the Washington Cascades. Now it’s time to descend; a series of short rappels and down climbing the low 5th class ridge. Problem is, the wind is ripping and you see all kinds of rope-eating blocks ready to entangle your rappel rope if you toss it in the normal manner.
This is a good time to think about lowering your partner.
If the first climber down is lowered on one strand, with the other rope end clipped to a locker on their belay loop, there is minimal chance of the rope hanging up anywhere, causing a spaghetti pile halfway down, or blowing into some rope-eating rock crevice.
Lowering can also be a Good Idea when:
If you have an injured climber who might be unable to rappel on their own.
Climbing with a beginner who may not know how to safely rappel.
You're climbing at an area that has good access to the top of the cliff (Ouray Ice park, for example), so you can lower the first person to get the rope down.
Someone dropped their belay device, whoops.
Someone wants to take another lap on the route, or try the crux moves a few more times.
Climbing teams below you who might get annoyed if you suddenly drop a rope on their head.
More efficient descending: You and your partner climb a two pitch route. If you can lower one person to the ground from the top of the second pitch, then the second person can make two rappels. (If you're counting, that's one lower and two rappels, instead of four rappels.) In certain circumstances, and depending on the skill level of your partner, this might be faster and decrease the risk.
If you’re rapping into unknown terrain where the location of the next anchor is uncertain. If the next anchor down is farther than half of your rope, you need to do some crafty rope tricks to get there. It's much better to figure this out while you’re on a safe top rope than from dangling at the very end of your rappel ropes! The first person down may need to pendulum to locate a good anchor spot, and this is much easier to do when you can use both hands. Also, If the first person down is lowered a little too far past the anchors, hopefully they can climb back up on belay, rather than doing a rather complicated rope trick of transitioning from rappel to ascending the rope. Communication between partners is of course very important when doing this. Consider using hand signals to avoid yelling.
Notes:
This is best done with a single rope rappel.
The climber being lowered can bring both ends of the rope with them as they are lowered.
Communication needs to be rock solid between the partners, because of course you don’t want to lower the first climber past the anchor. But on many alpine routes you want to be doing short rappels anyway to minimize the possibility of a rope getting stuck, so communication is often easier because you’re closer together.
Lowering is best used when you and your partner can clearly see one another.
Avoid having the rope run over any sharp edges.
Using an autoblock third hand backup is strongly recommended.
Remember to close the rope system by having the top climber tied in to the end, or at least a solid stopper knot.
Having a middle mark on the rope is especially helpful so you (hopefully don't have to) lower them past halfway. If your rope does not have a clear middle mark, find where it is by flaking from the ends and slap on some tape to make a temporary one.
Here are several common ways to rig a lower:
Munter hitch
Redirected plate device
Redirected Grigri
1 - Munter hitch
Probably the simplest way is to tie a Munter hitch on the anchor master point and lower off of that. Add an autoblock friction hitch to the brake strand and attach it to your belay loop as a “third hand” backup. Note that lowering from a Munter hitch can put some mean twists in your rope! To help minimize this, try to keep the brake strand parallel with the loaded strand.
Photo: Left, good technique with the load strand more or less parallel with the brake strand. Right, holding the brake strand out to one side can introduce twists to your rope.
2 - Redirected plate device
This is slightly more complicated to set up, but offers solid advantages. No rope twist. Excellent friction and control. No pulley effect increasing force on the anchor. Easy to lock up and go hands free if need be. And, although it looked like it might twist your rope, it (generally) doesn't.
Let's look at a few different ways to rig a redirected plate.
Here's one of the simplest. Because the device is oriented downward, we have to redirect the brake strand through something, otherwise you're just running a rope around a carabiner with zero added friction.
(Side note: if you accidentally clip the LOAD strand rather than the BRAKE strand back into the carabiner, your mistake will be instantly obvious as the device will get sucked up into the carabiner and do all kinds of weirdness. You’ll probably only make this mistake once . . .
It's easiest to simply take the brake strand and clip it to some higher component of the anchor. A third hand auto block, clipped to your harness, is a highly recommended backup.
I find it easiest to set this up by holding the belay device in front of me (just as if I were lowering someone off my harness) threading it with the load strand on the correct side, and THEN clipping the device onto the anchor.
Note: if you're redirecting it to the shelf of an anchor, be careful that the moving rope is not running over sling or cord.
If you're short on locking carabiners to redirect the strand up high, or the anchor does not have a convenient higher clipping point, you can also use the same carabiner that the device is clipped to, as shown in the photo and video below. (This can misbehave a little bit depending on which strand of the tube the rope goes through, the shape of the carabiner, and a few other variables. I recommend practicing with this one a lot if you think you want to use it, and as a first option, go with the method shown above.)
Here’s an Instagram video by AMGA certified Rock Guide Cody Bradford that shows the method.
Here's another way to rig a redirected plate device - with am offset quad anchor. This is tied like a regular quad, only with a pair of loops at two different heights rather than having them all the same height. With this offset, it gives you a perfect place to clip your file plate on the lower loop, and the redirect carabiner on the upper loop. Learn more about the offsite quad here. Here's a photo from the article:
Here's an efficiency tip: If you’re lowering the first person from a rappel anchor and the second also needs to rappel (which is highly likely), you can save time by pre-threading the rope through the hardware, and then setting up the redirected lower. By doing this, when the first person has reached the lower anchor, the second person will already have the rope threaded and be ready to go on rappel.
Note how the belay device is attached to the carabiner. You clip the rope through the device just like you were belaying from your harness. You do NOT set it up in guide mode, like you would to bring up your second.
At first glance, you might think this is wearing out the anchor hardware, but that in fact is not the case. All of the load is on the belay device, and the brake strand without any tension is passing through the hardware.
Here's a short Instagram video on how to set this up from AMGA Certified Rock Guide Cody Bradford. (I can’t embed this on my website, you'll have to use the link.) In the video, note the very Crafty Rope Trick of using the backside of the leaders clove hitch to connect the second, which enables their rope and to be untied and threaded.
Here's a nice video from Smile Mountain Guides showing the redirected plate lowering technique. (Start at about 8:10.)
3 - Redirected Grigri
The redirected Grigri works on a similar principle to the redirected plate. The brake strand must be redirected through some higher component of the anchor to provide adequate lowering friction.
If you’ve seen the odd looking Petzl “Freino” carabiner, and wondered what it's for, this is it - an easy additional friction point. If you’re guiding and lowering people from a Grigri a lot, it might be worthwhile to get this specialized and expen$ive carabiner. (I don't have one, so no action photos.)
image: https://www.rei.com/media/product/716219
For the rest of us, you can do the same thing with a simple redirect - here, with the brake strand clipped through the wire gate carabiner. Be sure and rig the Grigri so the handle is facing out from the rock, and the camming action of the Grigri is not impeded by rubbing against the rock.
A slick way to build an anchor from the rope
Making an anchor with only the rope and a few carabiners can be a very useful skill. Here’s a Crafty Rope Trick (CRT) that does this with just a few carabiners and knots you already know.
There are lots of ways to build an anchor with just the climbing rope. You could use a bowline on a bight, or a “bunny ears” figure 8, as discussed in this post. Either of these gives decent load distribution, but they do require that you learn new knots that some people find a little tricky.
Here’s a slick method to make an anchor with the climbing rope that simply uses clove hitches and a butterfly or overhand knot, which you hopefully already know. (If not, check out the video section.)
One good reason for using the climbing rope as your anchor: if the climbing is tough and run out right off of the anchor, and thus a greater chance for a leader fall to put a large amount of force onto the anchor and belay. Having the entire anchor made out of dynamic rope gives more stretch to the system and will lower the force on all the other components.
There are a few downsides to rope anchors:
It works best if you’re swinging leads on a multipitch climb. If one person is doing all the leading, or if this is the last anchor at the top of a climb and you’re transitioning to rappel, it’s better to craft an anchor from a sling or cordelette so you have both ends of the rope to work with. (Even if you plan on swinging leads, your partner might decide they don't want to take their turn and you might have to go again, so keep that in mind.)
If the next pitch is a real rope stretcher and you might need every bit of it, this may not be the best choice.
When the leader pulls up the rope on the second, the rope pull come tight first onto the anchor and not directly onto the second climber. This can create a few meters of potentially unwanted slack when the second breaks down the anchor. The second can clip in to one bolt or piece of solid gear with a tether before they remove the anchor as a possible solution.
Rope anchors can make any sort of self rescue technique more challenging, because the end of the rope is a component of the anchor. Yes the belayer can can simply untie and they're out of the system, but then they’ll have a harder time using the rope for much of anything useful.
Say you’re leading, and arrive at a two bolt belay anchor. Here’s what you do.
Clove hitch the rope (that’s tied to your harness) to a bolt with a locker. Clip a second locker onto the second bolt.
Maybe 6-8 inches inches on the “backside” of this clove hitch, tie a bight knot. Here I tied a butterfly knot, but it could be an overhand or figure 8 on a bight.
Next, clove hitch the rope to the second bolt. Adjust the clove as needed to center the loop.
Clip a plaquette style belay device to the butterfly, and bring up your partner.
Done! You’re connected to both bolts, and you have an equalized master point. You hopefully set this up in under one minute, and used a minimum amount of gear.
Monkey Face - base jump and king swing videos
So, this isn't technically rock climbing, but these two short videos will get your blood pumping. Alternative ways to scary yourself on the iconic and amazing central Oregon rock feature, Monkey Face.
Okay, so this is not really rock climbing, but it's pretty darn fun to watch some alternative ways to enjoy the famous Monkey Face at Smith rock Oregon.
The videos here for entertainment purposes only, and Alpine Savvy does NOT recommend that anyone try these Monkey Face shenanigans.
and the King Swing. Action starts at 1:00. Note - there was a serious accident in 2011 related to doing this swing. Please don't be involved in the next one. I don't recommend that anyone try this. But if you do, be sure and wear brown pants =^).
Use a “gear closet” on a big wall
Where to keep that #4 Camalot you’ll need 3 pitches ahead? Answer: gear closet.
On a long pitch, a leader may not want to take the entire rack of gear with them. Or, your route may require some extra large cams higher up, but not on the lower pitches. So, the question: what do you do with the extra hardware? The place you probably don’t want it is buried down in a haul bag, making it hard to access. (It’s good practice to minimize the amount of time you spend burrowing through your main haul bags during the day.)
Instead, try this. Get a Fish Beef bag, size large, or similar heavy duty stuff sack. Girth hitch an old-school sewn loop daisy chain into the sturdy loop of the bag.
Clip your extra gear to the daisy loops. Never put loose, unclipped gear into the bag, because the chances of dropping it are huge. The leader can add and subtract gear from this “gear closet” bag before they start the pitch, or they can use a tagline, trailing a small diameter tagline and hauling up gear as it’s needed. (Tagging is a great approach on a long pitch, because you start with a much lighter and easier to manage rack.)
You can keep the gear closet on a gear tether hanging from the main haulbag, if you really trust the tie in points, but most folks will probably want it inside the top of the main haulbag.
Wilderness trip planning, start to finish (video)
There are some fantastic navigation resources online, but it can be confusing how to use them most effectively and where to get started. Watch this video to see one way to plan a climb, from start to finish.
There are a bounty of amazing navigation resources available to the backcountry traveler. Generally, this is a good thing, but it can also be a little overwhelming. What app to use? Where do I start? How do I print free maps? And maybe more specific questions, like:
I found three different GPS tracks for the trip I want to go on, which one should I use?
How can I make a map with the GPS track printed on it?
How can I get the GPS track into Google earth to scope out my route before I leave home?
What's the best way to get the GPS track onto my phone so I can use it with Gaia GPS?
I don't have a track file, but I have a pretty good Idea of where I want to go. How can I draw this track in on a map, print it, and get it onto my GPS?
If you’ve ever found yourself scratching your head with questions like that, we've got you covered with the video below. It covers most every aspect of wilderness trip planning - searching online to find a GPS track for a climb, opening and editing the track in Caltopo, exporting and opening in Google Earth, printing the map, and exporting the GPX file to your phone.
(Hint, parts of the video are best viewed in full screen.)
Headgear for climbers
There are lots of different options when it comes to headgear. One can even keep you from a coughing attack.
Some people have a glove fetish. Me, I’m more of a hat guy. Here are a few different flavors of hat you might consider for your next climb.
Sun hat with a visor (and neck protection)
If you’re in open snow terrain (especially on a south facing NW volcano route) you’re in a giant solar reflector oven. Heading downhill back to the trailhead you’re going to want some shade on your eyes and very possibly coverage for your neck. I’ve noticed a lot of the guides on Mt. Rain-here have the Outdoor Research Sun Runner hat. It is a little spendy, but it’s quality gear.
Balaclava
“Baklava” is a tasty middle eastern dessert that goes in your mouth, not on your head.
“Balaclava” is a hat that tastes terrible. But should always be in your pack, as it’s pretty much the best bang for your buck when it comes to warmth and weight. This should be standard emergency gear for just about anyone, and generally part of your 10 essentials kit of extra clothing. Get one that’s thin to medium weight so it fits underneath your helmet. It does not need to be name brand from the outdoor store. Costco, of all places, has a terrific one on sale at this writing (Jan 2019) for just 10 bucks. It’s made by Bula, from soft stretchy fleece, and can be worn in lots of different configurations. Recommended.
Online these appear to be $20, they are $10 each at Costco.
Ear warmer
This is just a band of stretchy fleece that covers your ears and keeps the top of your head exposed. On cold windy approaches, it’s nice to vent some heat from the top of your head, but still have your ears covered so you don’t get an earache. For me, this seems to be especially true in early mornings on Mt. Hood.
There are loads of Inexpensive ones at the online retailer that starts with “A”. Search for “ear warmer headband”, you’ll find a bunch. Here’s a photo and a link to one I have that works great. Also good for cold bicycle rides, as it fits nicely under my helmet. Get one in a fun color.
Neck warmer
Having just a bit of coverage on your neck can make a surprising difference in staying warm. It’s a tube, so you can clip it to a carabiner. For chilly morning or routes in the shade when a balaclava may be too much and a buff not quite enough.
A balaclava does pretty much the same thing, but is a bit heavier and bulkier.
Buff
OK, this is not really a hat, but it can have a place on outdoor trips, especially high altitude treks and climbs. A friend of mine recently returned from a climbing expedition to Nepal. A very common problem with high altitude climbers is known as the “Khumbu cough”, a hacking awful cough that usually starts with sucking a lot of cold dry air. She told me their expedition leader was adamant that people breathe with a buff over their mouth pretty much all of the time, and a balaclava covering their mouth at night. This creates a higher humidity environment right around your nose and mouth, which can dramatically cut down on dry cough and hack attacks. And she said it worked great. Simple solution for a common problem.
A buff can also be worn combined with a balaclava in super cold conditions, And it can replace a balaclava in mild conditions.
image: https://www.alpineascents.com/blog/gear/buff-101/
Video - Metolius cam vs 1 ton boulder
I think this is my new favorite climbing video, and it doesn't even have a climber in it. One more reason to love Metolius gear.
So, this might be an old one for some of you, but I just found this video and think it's pretty awesome. (It’s only 1:36, so yes you have time to watch it.)
I love the thought process behind this video.
“Hmm, here we are on the farm . .
I have this old cam . . .
Here's this giant rock . . .
I've got this angle grinder I can use to cut a groove in the rock . . .
and look, here's a tractor!”
One more reason why I love Metolius Gear - Made in Bend, Oregon, USA!
2 tips for hot weather big walls
Headed to Yosemite or Zion in the summer to try a big wall? It’s gonna be HOT! Here are two lightweight and inexpensive things to bring to make your vertical camping trip a little more bearable.
This tip come from big wall expert Andy Kirkpatrick. Check out his excellent book on big wall climbing, “Higher Education.”
Yosemite valley or Zion in the summer can be a reflector oven on a big wall. If you find yourself in the heat, here's two easy ways to stay a bit cooler.
small folding umbrella
water mist/spray bottle
Between some instant shade and evaporative cooling, you can stay a lot more comfortable at that multi-hour belay.
And, that will give you some time to think about why most people like to climb in Zion and Yosemite Valley in the spring and autumn. :-)
If you're in Yosemite in the summer and want to climb, consider heading to the higher elevation Tuolumne Meadows area.
Real time snow depth map of USA and Canada
Want to know the amount of snow on the ground anywhere in the US and most of Canada? This is your go-to website. This interactive map from the US Forest Service is easy to use, understand, and shows real-time snow info for your trip planning.
When planning a backcountry trip (or even a long winter drive) it can be very helpful to know real time snow levels. Is the trailhead snowed in? Should I bring skis? Should I prepare for camping on snow, or bare ground? I heard it's really dumping in Utah, how much snow do they have? Is driving on the interstate across Wyoming in January going to be a bad idea?
The US Forest Service had you covered, with a very cool snow depth model (repeat, MODEL).
From USFS: “This map displays current snow depth according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Snow Analyses (NSA). The NSA are based on modeled snowpack characteristics that are updated each day using all operationally available ground, airborne, and satellite observations of snow water equivalent, snow depth, and snow cover. “
A few notes:
Works better on a desktop with a nice big screen.
Seems to default to dark mode on the map; if you want normal view click on the map icon on the left.
Possible software bug note: Apparently the USFS server will stop serving you snow depth tiles if you request too many of them, lame . . . If you pan and zoom a lot, the colored snow depth information may disappear from your map. So, try to stay in one area. Or maybe change to a new browser.
Government websites have an annoying habit of regularly changing URLs and breaking links. If the button below does not work, do a web search for “USFS snow depth map.”
Here’s a screen grab - Mt. Rainier National Park, November 2021
If you're a Premium subscriber to Gaia GPS, you can also get the same data in a more usable format. Gaia lets you change the opacity of various map layers, showing details of whatever base map you choose. You can also have a GPX track of your intended route on your map, so you can more clearly see whether your planned trip involves lots of snow or not.
Here's a screen grab of the snow depth data laid over the top of the Gaia Topo default map layer. Note the slider bar on the left, opacity is at 100%. Yes, it looks a bit hideous, but you can clearly see exactly where the snow begins.
Now we've zoomed in a bit, and changed the snow depth slider bar to around 50%. Now you can see underlying roads and trails. A bit more helpful if you want to do some hiking.
How to rig a "courtesy" anchor
Extending a rappel anchor master point over a ledge can make for an easier rope pull, but a tougher start to the rappel. Rigging a “courtesy anchor” can make things easier and safer for just about everyone. (Sorry there, last person . . . )
This tip comes from my pal and canyoning expert Kevin Clark. Check out his excellent book, “Canyoning in the Pacific Northwest: A Technical Resource.”
A “courtesy anchor” is a concept from the canyoneering world, where generally a LOT more thought is given to rappel technique than is typical in rock climbing. It’s not something you’ll rig very often, but in certain situations it's a very #CraftyRopeTrick to have in the toolbox!
Imagine this scenario: -A rappel anchor has a long extension on it, maybe webbing or chain. The purpose of the extension is to hang the anchor master point out over the cliff edge, making it easier to pull the rope. The problem: this probably will make an awkward start to the rappel, because the master point is hanging out into space rather than being on on the actual anchor, which is set back on a nice flat ledge. (In the Portland Oregon area, the rappel off of Rooster Rock in the Columbia River gorge is a great place where you can use this technique.)
The “courtesy anchor” is a simple solution. The main benefit: only one person on the team (ideally the person with the most experience, who goes last) has to perform the awkward rappel start. Everyone else can begin their rappel at the actual anchor point, away from the edge of the cliff. There’s no need for everyone on the team perform an awkward / dangerous / difficult start to the rappel.
There are various ways to rig this. Here’s one of them.
Add a carabiner onto the upper anchor point, and then bring the rappel master point back and clip it to this added carabiner.
This allows every person but the last to start their rappel on a nice flat ledge rather than shimmying over the edge. The last person to go, hopefully a more experienced and skilled climber, removes the courtesy carabiner, extends the master point to its original position, and makes the awkward start to the rappel.
The last person has a few options to reduce their risk.
Get a firefighter’s belay from below
Lock off their rappel device with a mule knot (or similar)
Tie a hard backup (aka catastrophe knot) / overhand loop with both strands of the rope, about 10 feet below the edge, and clip that to their belay loop
Put a klemheist knot or some other friction hitch that is releasable under load above their belay device
Or some combination of the above
If all goes as planned, this makes a faster and safer rappel for just about everybody. Except the poor suckah’ who has to go last . . .
Here’s how it works.
This anchor as shown is great for pulling the rope because it extends the master point over the cliff edge. But it can be awkward to start your rappel.
Clip a locking carabiner to some point on the orange cordelette. There are several places where you could clip, here I’m using the shelf.
Another option is to basket hitch a long sling higher up on the tree, assuming the tree is strong to handle the increased leverage. (Having an attachment point higher up makes it even easier to start your rappel.)
Pull the rappel masterpoint quicklink up, and clip it to the locking carabiner. Doing this allows everyone except the last person to start their rappel right at the anchor. The last person removes the sling and carabiner, extends the master point to the edge of the ledge, and performs the somewhat awkward rappel start, leaving the rope in a better position for a successful retrieval.
Finally, here's a nice video by canyoneering expert Rich Carlson showing a few different ways to rig it.
How to rack your aiders
Aid ladders always seem to be trying to trip you up. And when you're free climbing, you have to keep them tidy and out-of-the-way, but instantly accessible to transition back to aid. Here's a great technique to do just that, from expert climber Libby Sauter.
This tip was shown to me by Libby Sauter, expert climber and holder of the women’s team speed ascent of the Nose on El Capitan. Thanks Libby!
A good rule of thumb for just about any kind of climbing is never have anything hanging below your knees. So, what to do about those pesky aid ladders that always want to trip you up, when you're either gearing up at the base of the route, or transitioning between aid climbing and free climbing?
Here’s a crafty way to quickly roll up your aiders to get them out-of-the-way, yet make them instantly accessible to unroll when you need them. And if you do it right, there won't be any twists.
Take the second step of your aid ladder, and pass the hero loop under the step.
Repeat with the fourth step of the ladder, and again with the sixth.
Finally, clip the hero loop onto your aider carabiner. This should be a designated carabiner that always lives on the business end of your aiders.
You should have a nice compact bundle, looking like the photo below.
To deploy, just unclip the hero loop from the carabiner, and give a shake. The aider should fall down untwisted, ready to climb.
It’s a better show than a tell. Here’s a short video showing how it’s done.