Alpine Tips
Can a “microline” eliminate stuck rappel ropes?
What if a spool of kite string could pretty much eliminate stuck rappel ropes? That's what you get with the microline. Learn all about it here.
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Andy Kirkpatrick mentions the microline in his outstanding book “Down”, so credit to him.
I have a longer video showing this technique in the Alpinesavvy Premium Member expert videos collection. It was made by expert alpine climbers Priti and Jeff Wright. Connect with them on Instagram (Priti / Jeff) and their website, alpinevagabonds.com
Disclaimer: this is an advanced technique, suitable in certain niche applications. It’s NOT meant for everyday use. Practice it thoroughly in a controlled environment before you ever try it in the real world.
What’s the best thing you can see when rappelling? Your rope falling happily from the anchor above, without getting hung up!
What's the worst? Your rope getting stuck, blown off to the side, or some other potential catastrophe!
What if you could (pretty much) guarantee that your falling rappel rope would never get stuck? Imagine your rope magically guided into your hands, without getting hung up or blown off to the side?
The microline does that.
Here's how it works:
You rappel normally on two strands, either with one rope, or two ropes tied together.
When both partners are at the lower anchor, untie the stopper knot(s). Tape the microline to the end of the rope that will be pulled up and through the anchor above you.
One partner pulls on the pull strand of the rope, while the other feeds out the microline. The rope and the line will pass through the anchor.
Now, instead of the rope free falling, it’s gently lowered down the rock face, by continuing to feed out the micro line.
Here's the key piece of gear for a microline - kite string winder.
You need a spool of kite string that’s twice as long as your longest anticipated rappel. For example, a full length double rope rappel with 60 meter ropes requires 120 meters of microline.
(I've also heard of people using a fishing reel attached to a little stub of a fishing rod. I've never tried that; seems bulkier than the kite string, but potentially faster to wind up when you're done. Maybe good for single pitch cragging, but not for alpine climbing.)
Before you pull your rappel rope, attach the microline with a clove hitch near the end of the strand that’s going up. Secure the hitch with a wrap (or two) of tape, and leave a bit of tape folded to itself so you can remove it easily.
As you pull DOWN on the pull strand of your rappel rope, the microline feeds UP from the spool.
Having a small bit of tension on the microline prevents it from blowing around if it’s windy.
This is best done with two people; one slowly pulling the rappel rope, and the other one feeding out the microline. Don't pull the rappel rope too fast or you might break the microline. You can feed out the cord quite quickly by sort of waggling your hand back and forth.
As the end of your rope passes through the anchor, instead of free falling and potentially getting hung up or blown around . . . you keep feeding out the microline from below, which smoothly lowers your rope, slow and controlled, right back into your hands. YAY!
Remove the tape and clove hitch, and start winding the microline around your winder, pulling it back up to the anchor and down to you.
What are some rappelling situations where you might want to use a microline?
Want a link to where I bought my kite string?
How long does it take to wind up 120 m of line?
How much does it weigh?
How about a short video of the microline in action?
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Break into a tight line - Ninja level #CraftyRopeTrick
“Breaking into a tight line” is not something most recreational climbers would ever have to do. However, it is a great exercise in clever problem solving, creative use of gear, and (my favorite) mechanical advantage. Here's one way to rig it. Give it a try, it's fun!
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I first saw this on the Instagram of Vladislav Babikov, @babikov_vlad, an Israel based paramedic and rescue expert. Thanks Vlad!
Scenario: someone (or something) is loading a rope that’s fixed on one end. The load is hanging in space and there's no way to create slack.
Your mission: free up the end of the rope so you can make a 3:1 hauling system and pull the load up toward you.
I'll start by saying this is not something that most recreational climbers should ever have to do. In most vertical rescue scenarios, you're better off lowering the load down instead of hauling it up.
This particular technique is more of a rigging, rope access, search and rescue kind of thing, and yes, climbers probably will not carry the gear used here.
Having said that . . . The gear head and mechanical advantage nerd in me LOVES learning and practicing this kind of stuff! It teaches lateral thinking and creative use of gear in unexpected situations, which is always a good thing.
So, even if you're sure you’ll never use something like this, give it a try. It's good for your noggin. =^)
Gear used (you can improvise a bit . . . )
60 cm sling
a second sling, 60 or 120 cm
1 standard carabiner (medium/large)
1 locking carabiner
Petzl Rollclip or similar device (could substitute carabiner & pulley)
Petzl Micro Traxion pulley
Petzl Tibloc (could substitute prusik)
Step by step:
Basket hitch a 60 cm sling through the anchor master point. Clip a locker to the sling.
Install the Traxion pulley on the rope, teeth facing up away from the load.
Clip the sling with locker to the Traxion. Push the Traxion down toward the load as far as it will go.
Clip a carabiner to the rope above the Traxion. The sides of this carabiner should be on the outside plates of the Traxion.
Clip the second sling to this carabiner. This could be any length sling, or an open / untied cordelette.
Put the Tibloc on the rope, top of the Tibloc facing down. Clip the Rollclip to the Tibloc. Pass the end of the sling through the Rollclip.
Start pulling up on the sling, with (I think) a 2:1 mechanical advantage.
Here's where the magic happens: the carabiner clipped above the Traxion pulls the rope down toward the load, which creates slack in the rope between the Traxion and the knot.
This will look like rope sorcery the first few times you try it, it's pretty cool.
Untie the end of the rope from the anchor.
Remove the non-locking carabiner and the second sling. (When you do this, be careful not to let go of the Tibloc, because it'll probably slide down the rope and may go out of reach, whoops!)
Take the end of the rope and pass it through the Rollclip.
Voila, now you have a 3:1 Z pull. Start pulling up to lift your load. Reset the Tibloc / tractor as necessary. If you want to use your body weight to pull down instead of up, you can redirect your pulling strand by clipping it through the anchor, then you're pulling down, with the cost of adding some additional friction.
Finally: Give yourself a high five because you just learned a very cool new #CraftyRopeTrick. =^)
Want to see my video demo how to do this, start to finish?
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How strong is it?- KNOTS (Part 1)
The latest in a series about strength of gear, anchors and knots. How strong is a basket hitched sling? What about friction hitches? Is it safe to girth hitch a Dyneema sling to your belay loop? Are you gonna die if you tie in with a sloppy figure 8? Answers are all here!
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This section of my website is where I satisfy some of my curiosities (and hopefully some of yours) about the actual breaking strength of anchors, gear, and knots.
If you're new to this part of my website , I suggest you start at the overview page, and then bounce back here.
What's on this page?
How strong is a Dyneema sling girth hitched to a belay loop?
How strong is a poorly dressed figure 8 knot?
How strong are friction hitches?
How strong is a basket hitch in Dyneema?
How strong is a stopper knot / barrel knot as a rappel safety?
How strong is a figure 8 knot in climbing rope, tied end to end?
How strong is a “shoelace wrap” as a tree anchor?
1 - How strong is a Dyneema sling girth hitched to a belay loop?
More than 13 kN.
Source / testing: YouTube, How do you know yours is safe? (about 12:40)
This is a pretty standard way that many people attach a personal tether to their harness. Lots of people freak out about this, often citing the Todd Skinner accident. Is it dangerous? The belay loop broke at 13+! The sling was fine!
Takeaway:
Avoid permanently girth hitching a sling or tether to your loop. Remove it when you're done for the day so you can reattach it to a slightly different spot next time.
Inspect your harness regularly and retire it when it shows any significant wear.
2 - How strong is a poorly dressed figure 8 knot?
About 12.4 kN (properly dressed, about 12.7 kN)
Source / testing: YouTube, Is your figure 8 knot going to kill you? (about 2:52)
Climbers often obsess with tying the perfect figure 8 knot, one that doesn't have any crosses or twists in it. Giving proper attention to your knots is a good thing, but it turns out but having a figure 8 with the strands crossed is just about as strong as one that’s tied perfectly.
With a figure 8, there are other more important things to pay attention to, such as:
The size of the loop (about fist sized, not much bigger)
Having an adequate tail of about 6 inches / 15 cm
Snugging down the knot by pulling hard on each of the four strands, one at a time, so it's a tight, cylindrical shape, not loose and flat. AKA, “Dress it and stress it.”
These are the things that can cause you problems. Having said that, I still encourage you to learn how to tie it right.
Why is it important for knots to be tied and dressed properly?
Easier to check
Usually easier to untie
Less likely to loosen up unexpectedly
Less likely to roll
May be stronger (but not always, as we see here)
3 - How strong are friction hitches?
Varies a lot, see below.
Source / testing: YouTube, Prusik, Auto Blocks, and Klemheist Break Tests
There are LOTS of variables in this, such as diameter of the rope, how new or slippery the sheath is compared to an old fuzzy rope, the material and type of friction hitch you’re using, etc.
Having said that, here’s some real world testing from HowNOT2. (The test results below are from the caption of this video, shared with permission.)
5MM ACCESSORY CORD
Prusik 8.16 kN and 5.36 kN
Klemheist 7 kN-ish Slips and locked off and broke at 11.62 kN
Auto Block: 3 wraps - 0.36 kN Slips / 4 wraps - 3.62 kN Slips
7MM ACCESSORY CORD
Prusik 7.9 kN and 5.18 kN
Klemheist 3.3 kN Slips
Auto Block: 4 wraps - 0.8 kN Slips
HOLLOW BLOCK 14KN MBS
Prusik 5.84 kN
Auto Block: 3 wraps - 0.42 kN Slips / 4 wraps - 1.38 kN Slips
4 - How strong is a basket hitch in Dyneema?
About 56 kN
Source / testing: YouTube, You aren't supposed to tie a knot in this (about 2:18)
A basket hitch typically doubles the strength of the material you're using, because it divides the load four different strands rather than two.
This is normally overkill in recreational climbing, where you're never gonna see much of a load passed around 9 kN in any situation.
But if you need to rig something with absolutely maximum strength, it's good to keep in mind how you can increase the strength of your soft goods by making a basket hitch.
Here's a link to my longer article on this.
Sewn Dyneema sling rated 22 kN, end to end pull, broke about 28 kN.
Same sling, rigged with a basket hitch, broke about 56 kN, about double!
How strong is a stopper knot / barrel knot as a rappel safety / backup?
If you tie two figure 8s in climbing rope and pull it end to end, where does it break?
How strong is a “shoelace” knot tied around a tree? (Instagram lost their mind when this was first posted . . .)
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Two ways to follow a runout traverse
Sometimes following a difficult traverse can be just as scary for the second as it was for the leader. Here are two methods you can use to reduce risk for the second: the lower out and the back rope.
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Note - This post discusses ADVANCED 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 a qualified instructor, and ideally in a progression: from flat ground, to vertical close to the ground before you ever try them in a real climbing situation.
This tip and the diagrams comes from Vdiff Climbing. Vdiff offers high-quality online climbing courses with lots of tips and clever drawings like this, recommended! Diagrams are shared here with permission.
Hopefully, you won't find yourself seconding a long, tricky traverse very often. If you do, this #CraftyRopeTrick could reduce your risk.
If you take a fall on a very runout or unprotectable traverse, you'll probably have a very scary pendulum fall. This might be just as bad, or maybe even worse, for the follower rather than the leader.
To make things happier for the follower, you could use one of two techniques:
lower out
back roping
Let's have a look at each one.
Method 1 - the lower out
This is typically used by big wall climbers ascending a fixed rope; this is a modification of that technique. If you only have one rope, you'll need to do the lower out.
To do this, you need a lot of extra rope - at least three times the distance between the last piece of gear and your partner. You do NOT want to run out of rope halfway through this maneuver, so definitely test it in a controlled environment before you try it for real!
Here's how to set up a lower out.
1 - When you reach the last gear placement the leader made, clip to it with a tether. Be sure this piece is solid and that it can take a downward and sideways pull. If it’s questionable, back it up and try to equalize it with another piece. (You’ll leave this gear behind, so give it a kiss goodbye. =^)
2 - Attach a Grigri to the rope as shown in the close-up.
By using a Grigri to lower yourself out, this can dramatically reduce the consequences of a fall, if your lower out price were to fail. If that happened, the Grigri should lock, stopping you from falling to the end of the rope. You will still have a pendulum swing, but much less if you lowered off simply being tied into the rope end.
image: Vdiff Climbing
3 - Tell your partner that you’re ready to lower. Unclip your tether, and weight your Grigri. As your partner feeds rope to you, you pull the handle on your Grigri and slowly lower yourself out from the protection.
image: Vdiff Climbing
You will come to a stop pretty much underneath the last piece of gear that the leader placed. Tie a backup knot on the other side of your Grigri and clip it to your belay loop.
Untie your original tie in knot, and be SURE you untied the figure 8! Pull the rope through the protection as shown.
If the terrain above you is climbable, climb up to your leader on belay . If it's not, have them fix the rope and you ascend the fixed rope. Here's one way to do that.
image: Vdiff Climbing
Method 2 - back roping
You can use the backroping method if you have two ropes.
You will need at least twice as much rope as the distance between the leader and the second. Be sure you have this extra rope available before you ever think about rigging this.
Here's how to set up a back rope.
1 - The second needs to be tied to both ropes. The second clips one of the ropes to a solid piece of gear, which can take a downward and sideways pull. (You’ll leave this gear behind, so give it a kiss goodbye. =^)
What are the additional two steps of correctly rigging a back rope?
What advantaged does this have over the lower out method described above?
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All about friction hitches - Part 2
Let's take a deep dive into the hitch cord, something that deserves to be on your harness. If DIY, how long a cord and what diameter? If factory made, what are the options? What about spliced instead of sewn? Are eye to eye hitch cords helpful for climbers? Answers are all here.
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I'll start with a story that a student shared with me awhile back in a self rescue class.
This person, climbing second, was traversing on a multi pitch route. They took a fall, swung into overhanging terrain, and found themselves hanging in space about 5 meters below the last bolt. All they needed to do was ascend the rope and keep on climbing. They had a cordelette and various slings, but didn’t know how to rig them as friction hitches to climb the rope. (There was too much friction in the rope for the leader to haul them up; plus the leader didn’t know how.)
This turned into a call to the local search and rescue team, and this unfortunate person had to wait almost 4 hours to get rescued, hanging there in their harness! Ouch!
A little knowledge of improvised friction hitches, and how to use them to ascend a fixed rope, would've solved the issue.
The humble friction hitch cord. Inexpensive, lightweight, and pretty much infinitely useful when it comes to #CraftyRopeTricks and self-rescue stuff.
Let's have a closer look at the hitch cord, the Swiss Army knife problem-solver of climbing gear.
Is a “hitch cord” the same as a “prusik loop”?
Terminology: I'm using the more general and accurate term of hitch cord. Why?
You can tie several different knots with a hitch cord, like an autoblock and Klemheist, not only a prusik.
It doesn't have to be a loop, it can be “eye to eye", with a small loop on each end. (More on that below.)
How do you make your own friction hitch loop?
To tie your own, a good starting point is 120 centimeters / 48 inches of 6 mm cord.
I’ve experimented a lot with the length. 106 cm / 42 inches (when tied) gives about the smallest usable loop. 120 cm gives you more wiggle room. Having a little extra length in your hitch cord is usually fine, but having one that's too short can be a problem. I suggest starting with 120 cm, tie different hitches on different diameter ropes (single and double strand) and then trim it down a bit if you want.
A common mistake is making a hitch cord that's too long. You only need it long enough to tie an effective hitch onto whatever diameter rope(s) you're using, and enough space to clip a carabiner. When you first cut the cord, it's probably gonna look too long. That double fisherman's knot, with nice long tails, takes up a lot more cord than you might think.
6 mm is a good diameter. It's small enough to be grabby on small diameter ropes, but big enough to inspire confidence when you're hanging from it way off the ground.
When you're done tying it, you want a loop that measures about 30-38 cm / 12-15 inches when you stretch it out. (The photo below shows a slightly smaller loop.)
Have the climb shop use their hot knife to seal the ends. If that's not an option, tape the cord where you want to cut it, slice it carefully with a sharp knife, and then put a few dabs of superglue on the end to seal it up. Here's my longer article on how to neatly cut a rope.
Different manufacturers make cord of various softness / stiffness. Cord that’s softer tends to work better for friction hitches, so if you have a choice, go for that.
Tie into a loop with a double fisherman's knot that's properly dressed, and really snug down the knot with tails of at least 5 cm / 2”. After you get the length dialed, you can get this knot wet and crank it tight by bouncing on it, because you're never going to untie it.
Test your rigging systems
It's good to have a go-to setup, especially for a rappel autoblock, that you use all the time. Test different flavors of hitch loops with the rope that you use most often, both double strand and single strand, to see, which works the best. This could be especially important with smaller diameter rope.
You don't want to find out in the middle of a rappel that your hitch cord has too much or not enough friction. Figure this out ahead of time in a controlled environment. Maybe start on a staircase, and then move to something vertical close to the ground.
For example, in the photo below, the auto block hitch on the single strand of 10 mm rope looks great. However, the hitch cord on the double strand is just barely big enough.
How do you rack it? Do the twist
My favorite way: “do the twist”. Hold the loop by both hands, put a few twists in it, then clip it with a carabiner. The cord sort of does a little double helix thing, gives itself a hug, and makes a neat bundle for your harness. No need for fancy macramé projects. The twist is fast, simple, and works with cordage of any length.
How strong is that DIY hitch loop?
Great question. Our friends at HowNOT2 have these specs on their website. Sterling 6 mm accessory cord, tied into a loop with a double fisherman's knot, is around 14 kN.
Can I use a Dyneema sling to tie a friction hitch?
Yes, you can, but cord is usually better. Cord is typically more “grabby”, so you might have to make a few more wraps if you use Dyneema. But hey, if you're in some unexpected situation and you need a friction hitch, like the one described at the top of this article, then go for it.
It's best practice to NOT use a Dyneema sling as a third hand / rappel backup. Because Dyneema has a relatively low melting point, the heat generated from a fast rappel could potentially damage the sling.
Autoblock tip: add a twist
Sometimes, your autoblock rappel backup might be too “grabby” with three wraps, or not grabby enough if you only use two wraps. Here's a trick that can help.
Instead of making the third wrap, instead twist the auto block sling a couple of times before you clip it to the carabiner. This effectively constricts the hitch onto the rope, which can often give you just the right amount of friction for a smooth rappel.
Here’s a bonus article on this topic (usually only available for my premium members) with a video from an IFMGA guide showing how it's done.
What about factory made hitch loops?
Most rope manufacturers offer some version of a sewn hitch loop. These are usually sewn, so they're a little less bulky and slightly easier to tie friction hitches. They're also more expensive than the DIY version.
When you're out with friends who have different flavors of these, give them a try and see what you think. Below are some that I have.
What about spliced hitch cords?
Zartman Rigging make some very interesting spliced soft goods for climbing, among them two flavors of hitch cord. One is a loop, the other is eye to eye.
Because of the splicing, there's no stitching. That makes it easier to tie a friction hitch.
Dyneema core with a Technora / Aramid sheath
UIAA rated to 24 kN
Very interesting products! Check out the Zartman Rigging catalog here.
Here's a link to my more detailed article about Zartman products.
More on the Sterling HollowBlock . . .
A common factory sewn hitch loop is the Sterling HollowBlock. This is made of Aramid/Kevlar, grabs quite predictably on ropes of various sizes, and is a popular choice as third hand back up for rappelling.
Because it doesn’t have a sheath, dirt/sand/gunk can get inside the cord and compromise its strength. As with all small diameter cord, replace if it starts looking the slightest bit worn out.
Here's a nice article from Sterling about when to retire a HollowBlock.
The current iteration of the HollowBlock is version 2, which Sterling says is made out of a stronger material. Get version 2.
HollowBlock caution: no girth hitching
Sterling says on their website to avoid girth hitching another sling directly onto the HollowBlock. Instead, they recommend a carabiner to connect the slings.
I don't know if this notice is from the legal department or from the engineering department, but I wanted to pass it along.
(Personally, I've girth hitched slings directly on a HollowBlock for rope ascending practice quite a bit and haven't seen any damage; your mileage may vary.)
What about wet or icy ropes?
Friction hitches are usually less grabby if your rope is wet or iced up. Take additional wraps with the hitch around the rope to increase friction. This is a case when having a slightly longer friction hitch to make that extra wrap can be helpful. Test before use!
What about carrying a “waist” prusik and a “foot” prusik in case I need to ascend a rope?
Don't bother. Those are pretty much single use pieces of gear, and it's very old school to carry those. Instead, improvise with the gear you have.
With a short hitch loop attached to longer slings or cord, you can make just about any rope ascending system you need. Here's a link to my article on this.
Here’s a short hitch loop, with a 120 cm sling girth hitched to it. This becomes the “foot prusik” for ascending a rope.
What about an attachment for your waist? Attach a 60 cm sling to another short friction hitch loop.
Here‘s a long 6 mm cordelette, tied with a Klemheist hitch to the rope. An overhand knot is tied close to the hitch, giving a convenient clipping point. A long cord can make a hitch loop of any length you need, nice!
Taking the above example a step further, you can pass the cord through your harness, tie an overhand knot to connect yourself, and then clip the carabiner for hauling or other rescue operations to the short loop close to the friction hitch. This can be helpful for crevasse rescue; I cover more about this technique in this article.
(Related tip: when you're on a glacier, you generally don't need to have your friction hitch(s) already on the rope. Keep them at the ready on your harness, and add them to the rope if you need to.)
Here’s a nice diagram from Ortovox showing this method.
image: https://www.ortovox.com/uk/safety-academy-lab-ice/chapter-3/rescuing-a-companion
What type of hitch cord works on skinny 6 mm rope?
Usually, the diameter of the hitch cord needs to be at least a couple of millimeters smaller than the diameter of the rope it's going on. This makes it challenging to use hitch cords on 6 mm ropes like the Petzl RADline.
Here's what I have that works well; a spliced polyester 5 mm cord from Ropelite. Even though it's just 1 mm smaller than RADline, a four wrap prusik holds my bodyweight on a single strand.
Ropelite makes some other similar products from Vectran and Technora, as well as other creative, lightweight cordage. Check them out on my “Innovative Gear” page.
Does it matter where the bartack / stitching goes?
What about “eye to eye” hitch cords?
What’s a (small) caution on the Beal Jammy?
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The Petzl Bug multipitch rock pack (newest version)
Looking for a small, durable pack specifically designed for multi-pitch rock climbing? You‘ve found it with the redesigned Petzl Bug. Here’s a full review.
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Full disclosure: Petzl sent me this pack for free. That in no way biases my review; I think it's great and I want to tell you about it. There are no ads, affiliate marketing links, or paid product promotions on Alpinesavvy. In the rare cases when I get free products like this, I’ll always let you know.
The button below links to my favorite climbing goodie store, HowNOT2. I provide it as a convenience; I make $0.00 if you buy from them.
My first time on El Capitan was a test run of the Nose up to Sickle Ledge. Among various other minor mishaps that day, the Yosemite granite managed to grind a silver dollar sized hole in the side of my favorite alpine climbing pack, because I didn't have a proper haul bag.
The Petzl Bug would've been a much better choice!
While Petzl makes packs for caving, canyoneering, and industrial / rope access, this is their only offering for climbing; specifically, multipitch rock climbing.
That gets my attention. I've had a few different versions of small climbing packs over the years, notably, the Black Diamond Bullet. Up until now, the Bullet was fine. I now like the Bug a lot better.
The Bug has gone through several iterations over the years. This latest version, at 18 liters and 665 gram / 1.5 pounds, has a few understated features specifically for multi pitch rock climbing. It’s also versatile enough to kick around town as a commuter / student pack, if that's your thing. It comes in several colors; I like the classic black and orange.
My first impression out of the box: “Dang, this is a solid, well designed workhorse!”, and not “This is so featherweight, I wonder if it can handle being a mini haul bag?”
Here’s what I like about the Bug.
General features:
Sturdy and smooth zippers
Nice fit
Two well-placed zippered interior pockets
Sliding adjustable sternum strap
Large front panel pocket
Sits high on your body
Padded back panel and shoulder straps
Water bladder sleeve in the back panel
Climbing features:
Durable exterior
Sturdy haul loop
Easy access when clipped to the anchor
Helmet pouch
Daisy chain loops and compression straps on the side
Shoulder strap clip loops
Removable waist belt
Rope compression strap
(Disclaimer: The photos below will make it wildly obvious that I’m not a product photographer, but I gave it my best shot.)
Sturdy and smooth zippers
Probably the most common failure point in all outdoor gear is crap zippers. Not a problem with this pack. The exterior zippers are beefy, and they have sturdy pull tabs so you're never fumbling to open anything.
Nice fit
It's rectangular-ish. The stiffer fabric holds its shape well when empty, which makes it easy to load up. The back panel is about 16 inches / 40 cm. The shoulder straps have a lot of fabric, so I think this pack would fit a fairly wide height range of folks.
Two well-placed zippered interior pockets
One of them has a key clip. These pockets are nicely tucked away in the main body of the pack and not attached to the lid, where you can easily drop things if you forget to zip it closed. (Not a problem in a commuter pack, but potentially a Big Problem on a cliff.)
Sliding adjustable sternum strap
Each sternum strap is clipped to a little plastic bit that slides on a rail in the pack strap, giving you about 5 inches / 12 cm of up and down adjustability. Especially for a small pack, this can give a more comfortable fit.
Large front panel pocket
When your pack is all buttoned up, especially with a rope on top so you can't open the main compartment, a pocket like this gives quick access to smaller items. (It opens vertically, so be sure and zip it back up.)
Sits high on your body
This pack doesn’t have waist belt gear loops. You want a pack like this riding fairly high so you can access your harness gear loops.
Padded back panel and shoulder straps
Yes, this adds a touch extra weight, but it also keeps your climbing hardware from poking you in the back and definitely adds comfort on the hike in. A good trade-off, if you ask me.
Water bladder / reservoir sleeve in the back panel
The large water bladder sleeve has a small clip loop at the top. This loop keeps your half empty water bladder from slipping down inside your pack, which can be annoying. There's an exterior hole for your bladder tube.
I'm generally not a fan of water bladders for cold weather alpine climbing. However, for warmer rock climbing, they can be handy. This sleeve fits my 3 liter reservoir.
This well-padded bladder sleeve is also a good spot for a guidebook, so it doesn’t get crunched in the main part of your pack.
If this is your urban pack, an laptop or iPad also fit fits nicely in the bladder sleeve.
Now, let's look at some of the climbing specific features of the Petzl Bug.
Durable exterior
The first thing you notice: the extra stout, rubbery material on the top and front panel. It feels like an industrial tarp, or almost a truck inner tube. I've seen similar reinforcement on canyoneering packs, where gear really gets beat up. This is great for long-term durability when dragging your pack up a cliff. It also might offer a fair bit of waterproofing (which you hopefully wouldn’t often need on a rock climb.) It’s both a distinctive look and very practical.
Sturdy haul loop
Nice to see on a pack designed for multi pitch rock climbing. This haul point is burly enough so I'm comfortable clipping only to this loop and not using the shoulder strap as a backup.
Easy access when clipped to the anchor
Related to the haul loop design: the Bug hangs nicely when you clip the haul loop to an anchor. The 3/4 zip clamshell top opens away from the haul loop, so you can access everything in the main body while the Bug is clipped in.
The clamshell top means you can never unzip the bag down the sides and have important things fall out, pretty key for a climbing pack.
Helmet pouch
You're not gonna fit your helmet into an 18 liter pack, so this is pretty important. I’m not a fan of having my helmet bouncing around on the outside of my pack on the hike in, so this pouch is pretty nice. It's easy to add or remove the pouch as needed.
Daisy chain loops and compression straps on the side
The side compression straps are long enough so you can strap down a rope so it behaves better on the outside of your pack. The top of the compression straps can be unclipped from the body of the pack, which makes it easier to put the strap around your butterflied rope. Combining the side straps with the main rope strap on the top, the Bug carries a rope better than any other small pack I've used.
The sewn daisy loops work for clipping pretty much anything else on the outside of your pack, like your smelly shoes or a messy chalk bag.
If you don't have much stuff, you can crank down the compression straps to make the pack even smaller.
Shoulder strap clip loops
A small loop of cord or webbing on the shoulder strap gives a convenient place to rack gear as you’re cleaning, maybe keep your nut tool handy, or keep the next few pieces of gear you think you'll need on lead in a quick-to-grab spot.
I've added gear loops to my other alpine packs, see this article. I don't have to on the Bug; there's one on each shoulder strap.
It’s also a handy spot to clip a two-way radio, if that's your thing.
Removable waist belt
The waist belt straps are girth hitched, so you can easily take them off for a more streamlined haul.
What's the clever design feature with the rope compression strap?
How well does the rope carry system work?
What type of climbing is the bug pack NOT suitable for?
Want to see a photo of everything I can fit into it?
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High tech climbing cordage from Zartman Rigging
To improve gear, makers keep pushing for lighter and stronger. Zartman Rigging takes this another step, with their high tech spliced, not sewn, soft goods made for climbers. Here's an overview.
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Full disclosure: Zartman Rigging sent me some goodies for free. That in no way biases my review; they are great products and I want to tell you about them. There are no ads, affiliate marketing links, or paid product promotions on Alpinesavvy. In the rare cases when I get free products like this, I’ll always let you know.
A few of the specialized spliced goods from Zartman Rigging.
Zartman Rigging - website and PDF catalog
Ben Zartman, based in Rhode Island, is a sailor, climber, and expert one-man-band producer of made in USA, high-tech spliced cordage.
“Splicing”, if you're new to the term, is the permanent method of joining rope ends or forming loops by interweaving strands of the rope. While spliced ropes and cords have been used in the boating world for literally centuries, they’re relatively new to climbing.
The main advantage of splicing is that you can make a loop, or an eye loop on the end of a length of cord, without any sewing / bar tacks. This makes a strong, light, and less bulky product, and also lets you use very thin cordage that would be impossible to sew.
Here’s Ben’s more technical description of his methods.
Something I find impressive about Ben’s products is that many of them are UIAA rated, which for a small manufacturer is a fairly expensive and time-consuming process. Ben took this extra step to give users confidence in the tested strength of his products.
How strong? UIAA rated 24 kN!
And yeah, I’ll be honest, a confidence boost when weighting material that looks like parachute cord may be needed!
Yes, it may cost more than your standard sewn Dyneema sling. However, if you're looking for about the lightest possible weight, and the lowest bulk soft goods, it's pretty hard to beat this.
It's not all soft goods. Ben also sells the RPL (“rappel”, get it?) a cool micro belay plate designed for ultra skinny 6 mm ropes.
Let's have a closer look at some of the Zartman Rigging goodies.
Let's start with something familiar to all climbers, single and double length loops.
These loops have a spliced Dyneema core, with an additional Dyneema sheath which protects against abrasion and UV light. These Zartman loops, which are 60 and 120 cm respectively, are about 30% lighter than the standard sewn slings of the same length. They also come in lengths of 20 and 180 cm.
These were the first UIAA certified slings (24 kN) to eliminate sewn seams.
Seamless alpine draw
This is made of similar material as the loops, but with a spliced eye on each end. This is 60 cm when extended, and is a featherweight 16 grams. You can clip it end to end to extend a placement, or shorten it up basket hitch style. UIAA rated 24 kN.
Here's a close-up of those spliced eyes, pretty cool!
Friction hitch cords: loops and eye to eye
Carabiner for size comparison . . .
This is where the lack of a sewn connecting point really shines. Keeping the knot or the sewing out of the way when you're tying a friction hitch is always a bit of a hassle. Not a problem with these spliced cords. These are quite a bit thicker than the slings mentioned above.
Normally, you wouldn’t use a Dyneema sling as a rappelling autoblock, because the standard slings are not especially heat resistant. Ben uses a Technora (aka Kevlar) sheath over the Dyneema core, which makes these cords extra durable and heat resistant. Rappel backup, no problem. “Grabbiness” on the rope is excellent. UIAA rated 24 Kn.
I think my Sterling Hollowblock just got replaced . . .
Micro loops
These loops, which come in two sizes, are very short spliced Dyneema loops that have a specialized application that may only be appreciated by aid climbers: they are perfect for girth hitching hooks. These loops break around 9 kN, and weigh a ridiculous 2.5 grams.
Attaching thick cord or webbing to hooks has always been a hassle. Up until now, the best option was to get loops custom sewn on your hooks from Skot’s Wall Gear.
Here's a before/after of two of my hooks: chunky cord and webbing on the left, micro loop on the other.
The shorter Micro loop (yellow in photo) works fine for a hook with one hole, like my cam hook.
The slightly longer “Mega” Micro loop (red in photo) fits hooks with two holes, such as the Black Diamond Cliffhanger on the right. The longer Micro loop can also be used to tie off a piton, or basket hitch to the eye of a piton, where a carabiner might sit at a bad angle.
Slight correction to photo below: on the far right, the hook with the red loop should have the loop on the other side of the hook. Doing this helps press it down and into the rock when it's loaded. Mea culpa . . .
The RPL micro friction plate
Rappelling and belaying on 6 mm ropes has become more of a thing in recent years. This is the only “metal” offering from Zartman Rigging, and it's designed for exactly this flavor of skinny cord. It has four separate functions:
rappelling on single or double strand 6 mm rope
personal adjustable tether / PAS, sort of like a much slimmer Kong Slyde
belaying in guide mode (behaves like the Kong Gigi)
rope ascending (I didn't try this)
Want to see my results about using the RPL on 6 mm cord?
Does the RPL work on a single strand of 6 mm?
How about Ben’s new offering that turns the RPL into a sweet adjustable, personal tether / PAS?
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All about friction hitches - Part 1
The humble friction hitch: probably the lowest cost, lightest weight, and most useful thing you could have on your harness for creative rigging and self rescue. Learn about 'em here.
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The humble friction hitch loop. Inexpensive, lightweight, and pretty much infinitely useful when it comes to #CraftyRopeTricks and self-rescue stuff.
(Something I've noticed over the years: the more experienced the climber, the more likely they're gonna have a hitch loop or two on their harness. Unless you're in the gym; then you look like a dork.)
Let's have a closer look at friction hitches (Part 1) and hitch loops (Part 2, coming soon), the Swiss Army knife problem-solver of climbing gear.
What is a friction hitch, and how is it used?
A friction hitch is a type of knot that is usually tied with a short loop of cord, which from now on I’ll call a “hitch cord”.
When a friction hitch is tied onto a larger diameter rope, the hitch grabs the rope when it's weighted, and can slide when unweighted. You can tie a friction hitch on a single strand of rope, or on two strands.
This makes it helpful for many common climbing techniques, such as:
Ascending a fixed rope
Backing up a lower
Backing up a rappel
Rope grab (and progress capture) in mechanical advantage hauling systems
Safety on a fixed line when you're near a cliff top or crevasse edge
Can I clip my grandma to one friction hitch?
Short answer, no. A single loop of skinny cord should not be your only safety connection in any part of your climbing system, and that includes a friction hitch.
A hitch cord holding a human sized load should always be backed up in some way.
Typically, this backup is:
An additional rope grab or friction hitch
A backup knot
Below left: the load is held only by the friction hitch, and there's no backup. Not good.
Below right: if the friction hitch slips or fails, the load is caught by the backup knot clipped to the blue carabiner. Much better. As you pull more rope through your haul system, you can add additional backup knot(s).
Is a friction hitch the same as a prusik?
“Prusik” is one of the more confusing terms in climbing, because it's a verb, an adjective, a noun, and even a proper noun! It’s named after Karl Prusik, the Austrian mountaineer (and yes, Nazi) credited with its invention. (For this article, I'm using the more precise terms “friction hitch” and “hitch loop”.)
Short version: a prusik is a type of friction hitch, but not all friction hitches are prusiks. Without being too fussy about definitions, be aware that “prusik” is used casually by climbers to mean lots of different things:
“I'm going to prusik up that rope.” (verb)
“Did you bring your prusik loop?” (adjective)
“Good thing I brought my prusik” (noun)
How “grabby” does it need to be?
Sometimes grabby is good, other times not so good. This is why it's good to have a few different friction hitches in your toolbox, so you can use the right one for the task.
Sometimes you want a friction hitch that grabs tight and is hard to loosen up, like for a tractor on a mechanical advantage hauling system. For that application, a three wrap prusik or a klemheist with a lot of wraps might work best.
Other times you want to hitch that slides easily, like when you want to ascend a rope, or as a rappel backup. In that situation, an autoblock or a klemheist with less wraps could be a good choice.
A caution on the autoblock . . .
This is a quite common and potentially lethal mistake: clipping one, but not both, rope strands into your rappel carabiner.
Lots of people, myself included for a long time, thought that if you have an autoblock properly tied below your device, the autoblock would grab both rope strands (and keep you from dying) if you made this mistake.
Well, guess what, I was wrong!
If you tie your autoblock, but then clip only ONE strand as shown above, and then load the rope, the autoblock does NOT grab the rope as you might expect.
Instead, you start sliding down like the autoblock is almost not there! I tested this on fat ropes and skinny ropes, and with several different varieties of hitch cords. Pretty much the same outcome every time. It’s easy to test. Give it a try yourself.
(If you were to use the old school method of putting your friction hitch ABOVE your device, then it DOES catch you if you make this mistake. However, that comes with its own host of problems, it's an outdated technique in most situations, and I don't recommend it.)
The best way to reduce rigging errors like this: weight the rope with your tether still attached to the anchor before you commit to it.
Autoblocks are good practice for many reasons, but they don’t solve the problem of only clipping one strand. Do your partner safety checks as standard procedure. Don't be complacent, no matter how many rappels you've done in your life.
What are the main types of friction hitches?
There are MANY different friction hitches! Riggers, arborists and other rope pros have a quiver of exotically named and specialized hitches, often made with an eye to eye hitch cord (more on that below).
Climbers, on the other hand, usually don't carry this type of gear, and need to rely on a bit of improv with slings and cordage they are hopefully already carrying.
There are three common friction hitches in climbing:
autoblock
prusik
Klemheist
Autoblock
Has a few names: aka “French prusik” and “third hand”.
Has a fairly low level of grabbiness.
Most common use: rappel or lowering backup, hence the name “third hand.”
Can usually be released when it’s loaded.
Can be loaded in either direction.
Typically tied with cord (or a HollowBlock), not webbing.
You can use as many wraps around the rope as needed until the autoblock properly grabs. (As a rappel back up, three wraps are commonly used.)
Tip on using the autoblock as a rappel backup: Best practice is to have your hand on the rope just above the autoblock when rappelling, not putting your entire hand / fist around the auto block.
One more autoblock tip: sometimes two wraps is too loose, and three wraps is too grabby. Start with two wraps, and then twist the hitch cord a few times before you clip it to your carabiner. This can add some extra tension to the knot, which might be the fine-tuning that you need. (Here's an Instagram video from IFMGA Guide Ian Nicholson that shows how to do it.)
Prusik
The “grabbiest” of the three common hitches.
Typical use: “tractor” or progress capture in a mechanical advantage hauling system and ascending a fixed rope.
Needs to be dressed perfectly to work correctly, so it's a little finicky.
Usually takes longer to tie, and is harder to tie with gloves or cold hands.
Typically tied with three wraps around the rope, but can use two or four wraps.
Can be loaded in either direction.
Needs to be tied with cord, not webbing.
Klemheist
Has a medium level of grabbiness.
Can be tied with either cord or webbing.
Can add or removes wraps adjust the grabbiness.
Generally works best when loaded in one direction.
Works without being perfectly tidy / dressed, which is nice when you need to do it fast and maybe have gloves on.
The Klemheist is a good choice when you’re tying it with something very long, like a cordelette. It's faster to tie because you don't need to pass the ends through the knot with every wrap, only once at the end.
You can tie a Klemheist hitch with a sling/webbing or cord.
Here’s a Klemheist hitch tied with a 60 cm Dyneema sling. Lots of wraps, very grabby!
Note: because Dyneema has a relatively low melting point, it's not a good idea to use a Dyneema sling for any sort of a rappel backup. A fast rappel could potentially damage the sling.
How do you tie a “cowboy” Klemheist (with a video demo)?
Does it matter where the bartack / stitching goes on a friction hitch?
What's the real world force where these hitches start to slip or break (with video of the testing?
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Canister stoves for climbing
For most climbers, canister stoves are the modern standard for boiling water and melting snow. Here are some pro tips on: maximizing performance in the cold, figuring how much fuel is left in the can, a great way to make a hanging stove, and how to keep your stove from killing you.
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Unless you're on a long and cold expedition like Denali, or to a part of the world where fuel cartridges are hard to find, canister stoves like the Jetboil and MSR Reactor / Windburner are the standard for mountaineering.
Here’s some assorted #CraftyStoveTricks:
General tips (and cautions)
Melting snow with a canister stove
How much fuel is left in the can?
Hanging stove safety tips
A great way to make a hanging stove
Cold weather performance boost
General tips and cautions . . .
Generally, it's best if you only use your stove to boil water. If you’re going to actually cook food in it, be sure it’s completely clean before you use it to melt snow . . . or the following might happen:
from Andy Kirkpatrick:
“A great story to illustrate this point was Colin Haley's solo of Mount Hunter. Being very thirsty and dehydrated, with little gas left, he stuffed his Jetboil stove with snow and just cranked it up and waited for it to boil. Unbeknownst to Colin, the remnants of his last meal in the pan just turned to carbon, creating a foul-tasting and undrinkable slushy, meaning he was not only out of gas and water but also had a mouth full of foul poison.”
Jetboils don't work too well in the wind. MSR Reactor / Windburner stoves do. If you think you'll be using your stove a lot in more exposed areas, the MSR stoves are the way to go. (The Reactor is the snow-melting blast furnace. The Windburner is for lighter duty.)
On that note, be VERY careful with a windscreen and a canister stove. The stove can overheat, melt, maybe even explode. Fortunately that’s never happened to me, but I've heard a few stories! If you do use a windscreen, keep it back away from the stove, at least 4 or 5 inches. Or leave it partially open with the screen side facing the wind so the stove doesn't overheat.
Be VERY careful about using any stove in any enclosed are, like a snow cave or zipped up tent! Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. Always have adequate ventilation, and don't go to sleep while the stove is running.
The built-in piezo igniters are handy . . . when they work. Always carry a backup way to light your stove; at least a lighter. Some sort of sparking device works when it's wet, cold, at high altitude, and never runs out of fuel. (Check out the photo below, even MSR sells their own branded fire steel.)
Melting snow with a canister stove
Most important: start with a small amount of actual water in the bottom of the pot, bring it to a near boil, and then introduce snow/ice slowly. Doing this prevents scorching the pot or even damaging your stove.
Go slow. When you’re starting without much water in the pot, keep the heat down low. If you crank it too fast, you'll evaporate, not melt.
Look for snow or ice with higher water density than fluffy surface snow. If you can find actual ice, try to smash it up a bit before you put it into the pot.
Consider melting snow during the warmer part of the day, rather than at night when it's colder.
To get clean snow, collect it far away from a well-used camp. A stuff sack can work well to transport it back to your tent.
It's nice to have a small cup to scoop snow into the pot. Be careful with some plastic cups; they can break in the cold.
Keep the lid on loosely. If you set it tight, excess pressure or steam can cause problems.
Your pot can get top heavy with a lot of water in it. It can be a bit safer to use a hanging system when you're melting snow, see below.
Better yet, look for any source of melt water. If there's a rock outcrop nearby with snow above it, and you have moderate temperatures, you can probably find some sort of trickle running down the rock. Use that first.
Here's one way to “harvest” water trickles, from IFMGA Guide Ian Nicholson. @washingtonalpineguide
image: @washingtonalpineguide https://www.instagram.com/p/DNlPznJOW_M/
How much fuel is left in the can?
Probably the single biggest annoyance with canister stoves is never quite knowing how much gas is left. Here is a clever trick that's straight from the MSR stove product manager.
“The canisters will float upright when placed in water, and the water line will vary depending on how much fuel is remaining in the canister. If you float a full canister and then float an empty canister, you can measure those water lines and mark them on your new canisters, then re-measure after the canister has been partially used. If the water line is halfway between the ‘full’ water line and the ’empty’ water line, the canister is half full.” Source
MSR cannisters conveniently have “Full” and “Empty” lines on the outside of their can, thanks MSR!
If you want to do a little math and have a scale handy, you can weigh the canister, and subtract the weight from the gross weight of 211 grams. That should give you an estimate of how much fuel remains.,
For other fuel canisters that don't have full and empty marked, you can put some tape on the can.
For cans I've tested, empty is about halfway down the side.
Want to learn some safety tips for using a hanging stove on a portaledge?
How about a great way to make a DIY hanging stove?
What's a safe and effective way to boost your stove output when it's cold?
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“Long link” chains for fixed anchors
“Long link” chain is about what it sounds like; the links are quite a bit longer than standard. They have a few benefits over normal chain links; learn ‘em here.
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A “long link” chain is about what it sounds like: the individual links are longer than a standard chain.
Why is this helpful? Because you can clip most any size carabiner (or multiple carabiners) into a link much more easily.
Usually you want to clip the bottom link or the hangers so you don't torque your carabiner in some strange way, but having the option to easily clip any link in the chain can be handy.
This can be especially true in big wall climbing, where you often need multiple full strength clipping points for all your extra crap.
Another plus: (a bit) less expensive. Three links are less metal and I'm guessing fewer steps to manufacture, so it’s slightly lower cost than five links.
So, route developers, how about using long link chain more?
How much does long link chain cost?
Where can I buy it?
How many big chunky carabiners can fit in one link?
What's a part of the world where you can see anchors with REALLY long links?
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Trees for climbing anchors: Part 4, Multipitch
Trees can be great for multi pitch anchors. Learn a few simple rigging techniques that are fast, simple, and strong, along with a few extra tricks.
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Trees can be some of the best climbing anchors, whether it's for top rope, rappel, or multipitch.
This is a big topic, so I'm tackling it in four different parts:
Let's get to it.
Keep rigging simple when possible
A 240 cm sling or about 3 meters of 6-7 mm cord are very helpful for building tree anchors. Here's a simple way you can rig it.
If there’s a decent size live branch at a convenient height, pass the sling above the branch to hold it in place. This assumes that the tree has a large enough diameter so you can safely put your sling at around head height. If you have any doubts, attach the sling near the tree base to reduce leverage.
Basket hitch the sling or tied loop of cord around the tree. If you have a sturdy and live branch, pass the cord over the top of the branch to hold it in place.
Tie a bight knot for a redundant master point. If you're short on cord, you can make it a girth hitch master point.
Done! This anchor is fast to build, simple, strong, redundant, equalized, no extension, all that good anchor acronym stuff. =^)
Ways to attach a sling so it doesn't slide down the tree
If there's no branches, attach a cordelette or 240 cm sling as shown below. The extra wrap should keep it nicely in place.
Here's a short video of me tying an anchor like this.
If you have a 120 cm sling and a smaller tree, you can make a “shoelace wrap” anchor.
Start with the sewn part of your sling on the front of the tree.
Make a basket hitch, and bring the sling arms to the front of the tree.
Wrap the ends a couple of times around each other to hold it in place. (That's the “shoelace wrap” part).
If you have enough cord left, tie a girth hitch master point to make the entire thing redundant.
If you don't have enough cord, simply clip both ends of the sling with a locking carabiner.
Photo: “shoelace wrap” with redundant girth hitch master point.
Photo: “shoelace wrap” with basket hitch (not redundant)
I first saw this “shoelace wrap ” method from IFMGA guide Dale Remsberg on Instagram. Dale caught a LOT of crap from when he posted this, with comments along the lines of “that's not redundant, you're multiplying the load because of the bad angle, you're gonna die, blah, blah, blah.”
Well, guess what, Dale is right and the haters are wrong. Yes it's redundant and yes, it's plenty strong. How do I know?
I tested it with Ryan Jenks from HowNOT2.com;
It broke at 16 kN!
Then we cut one strand, and it broke about 8 kN. #SuperGoodEnough!
Here's a short video of me demonstrating this flavor of anchor.
For multi pitch tree anchors, the leader is tied into the end of the rope, so you need to use rigging methods that don’t require the end of the rope.
Method 1: Make an anchor on the tree, clip to it, belay from backside of anchor point.
Got a long sling or cordelette? This is probably the easiest method.
Pass a long (240 cm) sling or cordelette around a tree.
Tie it off to make a master point.
With your rope, tie a clove hitch or a bight knot and clip it to your master point, with enough rope so you can stand at a convenient spot. This length can be a short or as long as you need.
If you make your connection with a bit more rope than you actually need, you can take up the slack by clove hitching to your harness, or tying an overhand knot to take up the extra rope.
Tie a butterfly knot on the backside of your connection to the tree. Belay your partner from that butterfly.
Advantages to this method: if your partner takes a fall and loads the rope, it doesn't pull your strand down, only the belay strand. Also, there's no chance of getting tree sap on your rope.
Method 2: Walk around the tree, tie a BHK in both strands, belay from BHK
This method works well if 1) you can walk around the tree, and 2) you don't have a long sling or cordelette.
Downsides to this method: 1) The rope can slide down to the base of the tree, so anticipate this. 2) If your partner falls or needs a take, it loads the strand you’re tied to, so this might be more comfortable if you're sitting on a ledge. 3) Chance of getting tree sap on your rope, yuck.
Walk around the tree, then walk to where you want to belay from. This could be right next to the tree, or it could be some distance away.
Pull up about 2 meters of rope, and tie a BHK (Big Honkin’ Knot; / 2 strand butterfly or overhand) in both strands. The BHK both secures your position, and gives you a convenient spot to belay from. I'm a fan of the 2 strand butterfly, because it's easier to untie after it's been loaded.
Belay your partner up from the BHK knot.
What's a tree anchor “elevator”?
How is the shelf on a tree anchor different than a shelf on a bolt anchor?
What's my take on the Connecticut tree hitch?
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Crevasse rescue: the drop loop 6:1
Want to learn a simple, minimal gear, high mechanical advantage rigging that's great for crevasse rescue? Look no further than the drop loop 6:1. Here’s how to set it up.
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Do you want an efficient, simple and minimal gear mechanical advantage rigging system to pull your buddy out of a crevasse (or maybe your car out of the ditch?
Look no further than the drop loop 6:1.
Let's learn how to rig it.
Gear you need for the drop loop 6:1:
A fair bit of extra rope you can use for the rescue. This could be the rope that you were tied in with when walking on the glacier, or an extra rescue rope that’s in your pack
Some sort of friction hitch, or rope grabber like a Petzl Tibloc
Some sort of progress capture system at the anchor, ideally a progress capture pulley like the Petzl Traxion
A few spare carabiners, two of them locking
A pulley if you have it (optional)
Notes . .
To keep the rigging easier to see, I’m not showing the original rope that might be attached to the unfortunate person in the crevasse. In this example, let's assume a team of two people skiing on a glacier unroped, and one of them falls in. Each skier is carrying a 30 meter rescue rope, so the person on top has all the gear to do the rescue.
One other benefit of this system: you’re dropping a new rescue loop to your victim. So, if the original rope they fell in on has brake knots in it, or is deeply entrenched in the lip of the crevasse, it doesn't matter.
Step 1: Build a solid anchor, and attach the rope to the master point. This could be the end of the rope, as I'm showing in this example, or a bight knot that the person on top was clipped to.
Step 2: Clip a locking carabiner to the rope, and lower it down to the person in the crevasse. Instruct them to clip the locker to their belay loop.
This is the “drop loop” portion of the anchor. If you have an extra pulley, you could put one here to reduce friction a bit.
For this to work as shown, you need to have a bit more than twice the amount of rope available to drop this loop to your partner. If you don't have that, you need to get resourceful with some other methods, such as the drop end 3:1 or the simplified drop loop 2:1.
Step 3 - Pass the other side of the loop that you dropped through some sort of progress capture on your anchor. A progress capture pulley (here, I’m using a Petzl Nano Traxion) is the easiest. You can also use some other options like a friction hitch on a carabiner; here's an article about different ways to do progress capture.
You now have a 2:1 mechanical advantage system, with the progress capture on the anchor.
If you have more than one rescuer, you might start pulling on this to see if you can move the load. (With hauling systems, it's usually best to use the lowest mechanical advantage that gets the job done, so try this first.)
In our case, let's assume that the you can’t pull up your buddy, so we need to add more boost to our system.
Step 4 - Tie a friction hitch to the side of the drop loop that’s coming up from your partner to the progress capture. Clip a pulley (if you have one) to the friction hitch. Clip the tail end of the rope to the carabiner / pulley on the friction hitch.
Give yourself a high five! You just built a 3:1 system on top of a 2:1 system, giving you a 6:1.
If you pull 6 meters of rope through your hauling system, your load will move 1 meter.
This is a compound pulley system.
What's the real world mechanical advantage of this rigging?
Wanna see a video of me going through the “T method” with this exact anchor to show the mechanical advantage?
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Trees for climbing anchors: Part 3, Top Rope
What are some good ways to rig trees for a solid top rope anchor? Learn basic rigging techniques, a few common mistakes to avoid, a crafty way to use a rope protector, and more in Part 3 of my detailed series on tree anchors.
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Trees can be some of the best climbing anchors, whether it's for top rope, rappel, or multipitch.
This is a big topic, so I'm tackling it in four different parts:
Let's get to it.
If you have cliff top access, some decent nearby trees and a rigging rope (a separate rope in addition to the one you're climbing on) you’re all set to build a solid top rope anchor.
Here's one way to do it.
Tie one end of your rigging rope around a solid tree. A bowline is a good choice.
Walk out toward the edge of the cliff. If it’s sketchy, loose rock, exposed, whatever, you can belay yourself with a friction hitch or Grigri. Bring your actual climbing rope along with you.
When you're at the edge, pull in a few meters of slack on your rigging rope. Tie a bight knot for your masterpoint. For two redundant loops, tie a BHK, or double strand overhand. (You can also tie a figure 8, which gives you one loop.)
Clip two locking carabiners, opposite and opposed, to the master point.
Clip the middle of your climbing rope to the two locking carabiners.
Toss both strands of your climbing rope down the cliff.
Walk back up toward your first anchor. Find a second tree. Basket hitch a sling around the tree, and clip a locking carabiner to the sling.
Pull up on the other arm of the rigging rope that's going down to your master point. When you feel it getting a little snug, that’s the weight of the rope going down the cliff. Tie a clove hitch (or figure 8 on a bight) and clip that knot to the second tree.
If the cliff edge is rough or sharp, consider putting some kind of padding under each rope strand at the cliff edge to help protect it.
Done, ready to top rope!
See a video at the bottom of this page for a step-by-step.
Here's a close up of the BHK, or “Big Honkin’ Knot”.
Here's a short (0:48) video on how to tie the BHK.
Keep the rigging low on the tree
For rappel anchors and multi pitch anchors, it’s often convenient to have your rigging about head height on the tree. That's not the case for a top rope anchor.
There's no real advantage to have your top rope rigging high on the tree.
By rigging at the base of the tree, you eliminate any chance of the rope slipping down the tree, the master point suddenly shifting under load, and you have maximum strength by minimizing leverage.
What about protecting the tree?
Conifer trees tend to have bark that’s thick and tough, while deciduous trees often have bark that’s thinner. The loads on the tree from top roping are gonna be minimal, but in some cases you might want to protect the tree.
Some ways to protect the tree include using scrap carpet, a floor mat from your car, or a backpack between the tree and your rigging. These often need encouragement to stay put over the course of the day, as they can fall down if the anchor isn’t under regular tension.
Here's another option: find some sticks / short branches (or maybe rocks) and put those between your rope and the tree trunk. The force goes onto the sticks and not on the trunk.
To do a better job of holding those branches in place all day, you could use a cam strap, or tie a trucker’s hitch with a wrap or two of a cordelette.
For top rope anchors with a rigging rope and convenient trees, you'll need to secure two strands of the rope to the tree(s).
There are LOTS of ways to do this! Here are a few of the more common methods for climbers.
Probably the simplest is to pass a long sling or cordelette around the tree, tie a figure 8 on a bight in the end of your rope, and clip that bight knot to the sling with a locker.
If the sling has a girth hitch master point or overhand/figure 8 on a bight, then the sling is redundant.
If you tie a a basket hitch like this, it’s plenty strong, but not redundant. If one strand is cut or fails, the entire anchor fails. Very unlikely, but possible.
You can also skip the sling, and tie the rope directly to the tree. Here are some ways to do that.
Retraced figure 8
Bowline
“Tensionless” hitch
Tying your rope directly to the tree can be nice because it uses minimal gear. Possible downsides: may get sap on your rope, and the tensionless hitch requires lots of extra rope and a bit more time to set up.
1. Retraced figure 8
A knot you know and love. Be sure and tie your 8 in about the right spot to give you enough slack. Hint: pull up more slack then you think you need. Should not be a problem to untie after loading, because you're top roping, not taking lots of whippers on it.
2. Bowline
Probably the fastest and simplest way to tie a rope directly to a tree. Be sure and leave a nice long tail and tie a stopper knot.
3. “Tensionless” hitch
The rope is basically held in place by friction, because of the several wraps of rope around the trunk. After wrapping the trunk 3-4 times, you can tie a bight knot and connect that to the load strand with a locker, or you can tie a retraced figure 8 around the load strand, no carabiner required.
If the tree has fairly smooth bark, you might want to take a few extra wraps.
This also tends to spread the load out around the tree in different places which may minimize damage to the tree bark. Here’s a more detailed article on the tensionless hitch.
Finally, here's a sort of a hybrid between the bowline and tensionless hitch. Take two wraps around the tree, then tie your bowline. The extra wrap of rope spreads out load and is probably nicer to the tree.
Can one tree be your entire top rope anchor?
Yes, if it’s unquestionably strong. If you're making a top rope anchor out of a rigging rope, you can use the same tree for two different arms of the anchor.
One nice benefit when doing this: both arms of the rigging rope are coming straight from the tree, so you can use a single rope protector if needed on the edge of the cliff.
What if I have two small trees, how can I rig that?
There are many options. You could equalize two questionable trees, just like you would with placing gear. You can also use trees in series, provided they are growing more or less in line with the direction of pull, sort of like this.
Avoid this . . .
This is a pretty common beginner technique for securing the end of the rope to a tree. It’s probably gonna be okay, but definitely not best practice. The carabiner is being loaded in a weird way, and there's simply lots of better ways to do this.
Here’s an improvement over the anchor just above.
Butterfly in the load strand, clip the bight knot in the end of the rope to the butterfly. Much better loading of the carabiner. Still non-standard rigging, but nothing wrong with it. (Hint - go practice your bowline . . . =^)
How can you use a single rope protector if the rope is tied to two trees that are far apart?
If you’re top roping from the top of the cliff, and there's a tree a long distance from you, how can you set up your anchor?
Want to see a video showing this anchor rigging, start to finish?
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Climbing Tips: Do THIS, not THAT (Part 8)
Five more quick tips on best practices. In this article, why you should: remove rope twists before pulling your rappel rope; warm up your phone before you try to charge it; keep Velcro away from Dyneema slings, do NOT use these ways to tie a tagline to your main rappel rope, and use one type of latitude longitude coordinates to describe any point in the backcountry.
Premium Members can read the entire article here:
In this article:
Remove twists before pulling your rappel rope
Warm up your cold phone before you try charging it
Keep Dyneema slings and velcro shoes separated
Tying your tagline to your rappel rope
Use decimal degree coordinates to describe any backcountry location
1 - Remove twists before pulling your rappel rope
If your rope has some evil pigtails in it, it's really important to get those out as best you can before you pull your rappel rope!
If you don't, those twists can start to spiral around each other as you pull your rope, which can cause it to get absolutely stuck.
Here's a photo of a rappel rope getting stuck because of twists in the rope; don't let this happen to you!
image: @aledallo91, shared with permission
2 -Warm up your cold phone before you try charging it
Phones are kind of like people - they don't much like below 30 and above 90 degrees fahrenheit, and do best around 65,. Cold weather not only decreases battery life and messes with phone sensors, it can cause your phone to completely shut down; the phone is programmed to do this as a sort of “survival instinct.” This situation is temporary. Once the battery warms back up, it returns to normal performance.
Important: Don't charge a cold “dead” phone. Doing this can permanently damage your phone battery. Rewarm the phone before you try to charge it. This might be under your armpit of an inside pocket. Once the battery warms up, it should show the proper charge and you might be happily surprised.
Or, as I heard it once described, “a phone battery isn't dead until it's warm and dead.” =^)
Keep your phone (and auxiliary battery) warm. Best choice is usually an inside pocket close to your skin. If your base layers don't have a large secure pocket, considering having one custom sewn.
You DO have a powerbank / portable charger and an appropriate charging cable, right? That's pretty much mandatory gear these days.
The “battery percentage” may be wrong. Ever had your phone battery say 50% left on a cold day, and then a few minutes later it’s seemingly dead? It's probably not completely dead; the cold is confusing the phone hardware. Rewarm it in an inside pocket (or armpit), and it’ll probably come back to life.
More AI image fakery, intended to deceive the public, steal from artists, and probably take over the world at some point.
3 - Keep Dyneema slings and velcro shoes separated
The Velcro on rock shoes loves to grab onto Dyneema slings, making the slings fuzzy. (This is not a safety issue, more of a minor annoyance.)
Try to store slings and shoes away from each other. Or at least, fasten the velcro on your shoes when you put ‘em in your pack.
There are several incorrect ways to tie your tagline to your rappel rope. Do you know which ones to avoid, and why they can be a problem?
Latitude longitude coordinates are a great way to describe a precise point in the backcountry. There are three different formats of lat-long coordinates; which is the best? How can you use free mapping software to find ‘em? (Bonus: secret superb Oregon campsite location shared as an example. =^)
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Two ways to (neatly) cut a rope
Yes, the electric hot knives in the climb shop work great. But I bet you don't have one in your garage when you need it. Here are two great ways to neatly cut a rope with simple tools and technique.
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Sure, those nifty hot knife tools in the climbing shop are great. But if you need to cut a rope without one, and want a nice clean end, here are two ways to do it.
Rope cut method 1 - DIY hot knife
Notes:
Do this outside, nasty fumes are generated!
Wrapping with tape is the key move. This gives you a much cleaner cut.
Use a disposable utility knife, and NOT any sort of a good knife and especially one that’s ever going to touch food. The blade is going to have some discoloration and baked on melted rope yuckiness.
Stuff you need:
your rope (duh)
athletic tape
cheap utility knife with thin blade, get it at most any hardware store
piece of scrap wood
source of hot flame, like a camping stove or propane torch
Wrap a bit of tape tightly around the rope.
Heat up the knife blade in the flame. Orange hot is good.
Press / slice the hot knife down in the middle of the taped section. The hot knife should nicely melt through.
If needed, you can heat the knife up again and press the side of the blade against the cut end.
That's it! The end of your rope should be completely cauterized and ready to use.
Rope cut method 2 - Superglue
Notes:
Do this outside, and on a work surface you don't mind dribbling some glue on, because you probably will.
Important: the chemicals in superglue may not play nicely with most ropes. In this case we're using them only at the very END of the rope, which will never see a load. When you're doing this, be careful not to get glue on any other part of your rope.
Stuff you need:
your rope (duh)
athletic tape
sharp knife. Disposable utility or razor knife works well. Scissors generally don’t work well.
piece of scrap wood
Superglue
Wrap some tape tightly around the rope where you want to cut it.
Cut through the tape.
Holding the end of the rope vertically, scoooooge glue into the rope end, covering the core and the sheath.
Wait at least a minute before you take the tape off or you'll probably get some glue on your fingers, ask me how I know about this.
Sweet, give yourself a high five. You now have a perfectly sealed rope end.
What’s a common method used to cut and seal a rope that really doesn't work very well?
What's the best kind of superglue to use on ropes?
Which of these two methods should you use to cut an Aramid/Kevlar rope?
If you need to cut a lot of rope or webbing, what’s a low cost tool you can use to do this easily (that's not an expensive climbing shop rope cutter.)
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The retraced overhand knot
A close cousin of the retraced figure 8, the retraced overhand knot has a few niche applications, like making retreat anchors. Learn about it here.
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All climbers know the retraced figure 8. Meet the cousin: the retraced overhand.
Here I’m using it to tie a 6mm anchor cord through a fixed piton. You could tie a retraced figure 8 here as well and it would be fine.
However, the retraced overhand is a little simpler to tie, and it uses less material. So in this particular application, it may be a better choice.
It’s also is gonna be a little harder to untie after loading, so that's the trade off. In this case, you're leaving it behind for a rap anchor, so untying it is not an issue.
Being able to directly tie to fixed gear like this is one more benefit of carrying an open cordelette, as I detail in this article.
This knot is closely related, but a bit different from the “brotherhood” or “competition” knot. See the photo at the bottom of the page.
How to tie the retraced overhand knot
Start by tying a loose overhand knot about 1 foot / 30 cm away from the end of your cord.
Pass the end of the cord through the gear, here a fixed piton. (Check the piton to be sure it doesn't have any sharp edges.)
Start retracing the knot, very similar to how you tie a retraced figure 8.
Continue tracing the overhand knot with the end of the cord.
This is the shape of the knot before it gets “dressed and stressed”.
Dress the knot well - snug down all four strands, and be sure you have a tail of at least 3 inches / 8 cm or so.
(And yes, the loop in the knot could be even smaller if you wanted to use even less cord.)
Done!
What's a practical application for this, and how would you rig it?
What's the difference between this and the so-called “competition” or “brotherhood” knot, another flavor of the retraced overhand?
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Trees for climbing anchors: Part 2, Rappel
Trees can make great rappel anchors, but there are definitely some best practices and things you want to avoid. Have a look at Part 2 of my detailed series on tree anchors.
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Trees can be some of the best climbing anchors, whether it's for top rope, rappel, or multipitch.
This is a big topic, so I'm tackling it in four different parts:
Let's get to it.
Is there an option for bolts?
Especially in high use areas, trees can be damaged, not only from ropes and slings, but from soil compaction and erosion around the roots. It may be better in the long term to place a bolted anchor nearby, even if a tree looks convenient.
Let's try to reduce damage like in the (unhappy) photo below.
image: Christian Fracchia / Richard Goldstone, shared with permission
The loads when rappelling are low, so the tree can be smaller
You’re never going to load a rappel anchor with more than about 3x your body weight, so the anchor doesn’t have to be super strong. This means you can probably use a well rooted single tree, with a circumference about the size of both your hands at the base.
Got a big tree? Make your anchor high
With a sturdy tree, it's usually best to rig the anchor around head level. Look for a solid branch or crotch/fork in the tree trunk.
Easier to rig and check
More convenient to start
Probably less friction when you pull your rope
Smaller tree? Keep the load low
If you have the slightest doubt about the strength of the tree, you reduce leverage on the tree (and increase the strength of your anchor) by rigging your rappel anchor close to the base of the tree, maybe even on the ground.
This might make a more inconvenient start to your rappel, but that's the trade-off.
Keep rigging simple and easy to check
Don't overthink it. Rappel anchors (trees or otherwise) are ideally simple, strong, and secure.
Separate strands of webbing or cord, ideally different colors
6 mm cord at a minimum, 7 mm will last longer
Here's one way to rig a solid tree rappel anchor.
Two separate strands of webbing and cord, each tied into a loop. The two independent strands make it easier to replace one it gets compromised.
The wider 1” webbing takes the load, so it's nicer to the tree. The cord is tied a bit loose as a backup. (If you have additional webbing, and you want to spread out the load to the tree even further, you could rig this as a “wrap 2 pull 1”.)
One quick link as the master point. Yes, technically one link isn’t redundant, but an 8 mm quick link is rated to about 40 kN, so it’s #SuperGoodEnough for me. If you want to add another quick link or cheapskate locker, go right ahead.
Can't tell from the photo, but it's rigged about head height over a solid branch.
Inexpensive, easy to check, quick to rig, absolutely strong enough for the job. One more good reason to carry some extra 6 mm cord (and a knife).
Generally, avoid rappelling with your rope directly around the tree. Why?
The extra friction from the tree bark can make it impossible to pull your rope! This can depend on variables like the diameter of the tree, how rough the bark is, how “slickery” your rope is, etc.
It can damage the tree.
If it's a conifer, you can get tree sap on your rope, which is a real bummer.
Even if it's not a conifer, you can get dirt, moss, bark fragments etc. ground into your rope, not so good.
Like most “rules” in climbing, this has some flexibility. If you don't have any cordage to leave behind for an anchor, the tree has fairly smooth bark, and it's in a fairly remote area, it's probably gonna be okay to put your rope directly around the tree. But in general, it's best practice to avoid it.
Damage to tree from being used as a rappel anchor.
image credit: Richard Goldstone, used with permission
Remove the rat nest!
This applies to pretty much any anchor that you find in the wild that has a mess of old cord and webbing, not just trees.
Cut away the junk, add one or two good bits of cord yourself, and make it clean and easy to inspect. Everyone who rappels after you will appreciate it.
Photo below isn’t a tree anchor, but you get the idea. It's a mess. Clean it up.
image credit: Silas Rossi, @silasrossi
Several short strands are usually better than one long one
If you have one long strand of cord, it may be better to cut it into two smaller pieces, and tie a pair of independent loops. (Even better if your cord is two different colors.) Why?
A single tied loop is easier for someone else to inspect and to replace than one long piece.
Having two different colors of cord makes it even easier to check.
In the photo above, the orange cord could be easily retied into two separate loops.
Use standard knots
Avoid esoteric knots that other people can’t easily check. You may know it’s solid, but if the next person at your rappel anchor isn’t familiar with the triple reverse Portuguese bowline, they're gonna waste time deciding if it's safe or not.
For cord, go with a double fisherman’s or the Flemish bend.
For webbing, use a water knot (aka ring bend). Make the tails plenty long, like 4 inches / 10 cm minimum, and cinch down the knot really well.
Photo below: the “Roy knot”, advocated (by some) as a good rappel anchor knot. Sort of a double strand Flemish bend, I think . . . ?
Probably solid, but can you check it in 10 seconds and have full faith it’ll hold you? (Personally, if I had this much material, I’d cut it in half and tie two independent loops.)
If you tie a loop of webbing on a tree, do you need an overhand knot for the master point?
What are some considerations for making a more permanent tree anchor in a popular area as opposed to a remote alpine route?
What are pros and cons of reliable hitches, like the equivocation hitch or the CEM?
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How to 1:1 haul a load that’s heavier than you
A 1:1 haul is the big wall standard for moving up your vertical camping supplies. But when it starts to be close (or even a bit more) than your bodyweight, it can be very hard to lift. Here’s a #CraftyRopeTrick that let’s you haul extra-heavy bags 1:1.
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The standard way to haul on a big wall, with moderate loads, is a 1:1 haul with a redirect on the anchor.
By standing in a sling or aid ladder attached to the haul strand, you use your bodyweight to lift the load, rather than pulling up with your arm muscles, always a good thing!
Step down in the sling, and the load moves up. Slide the ascender up, repeat about 100 times, and your pig is at the anchor.
It looks something like this:
Let's say you rig your haul system with a highly efficient progress capture pulley on the anchor (such as a Petzl Traxion). If you apply your bodyweight to the pulling side of the rope, AND your bodyweight is greater than both the load and the slight added friction from the pulley, the load should lift.
For example, if you weigh 75 kg / 165 lbs, and you have a haul bag that weighs 50 kg / 110 lbs, simply applying your bodyweight by stepping onto the pull strand should lift your load.
So far so good. But . . .
What if your haul rope runs over rock between you and the load, adding additional friction?
What if your load is more like 60+ kg instead of 50 kg?
Now, simply standing with your static bodyweight on the haul strand may not be enough to lift the load.
If this happens, many climbers think . . .
They need to resort to a more complicated 2:1 hauling system.
Or do something more physically extreme, (photo below) or have your partner also attach to the rope to do a tandem haul, or something like that.
Guess what? There’s a clever trick to still use a 1:1 hauling system, even when the load you're lifting might be greater than your bodyweight.
There are two components.
Lifting UP on the load strand with one hand. (To be clear, you're not trying to lift the entire haul bag with one arm; just giving it a little bit of pull so you can lighten the load enough to move the load by pushing down with your foot on the other side.)
Bouncing / shock loading the hauling strand with your foot.
When you do these two things simultaneously, it both slightly reduces the load on the anchor AND multiplies your bodyweight on the haul side, letting you lift a load that weighs more than you do. Cool!
Want to see a video of this technique on El Capitan?
How about an example of the wrong way to 1:1 haul a big load?
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Trees for climbing anchors: Part 1, Overview
Want to learn some #CraftyRopeTricks for using trees as climbing anchors? This deep-dive series on tree anchors covers general principles, and rigging systems for rappel, top rope, and multi pitch climbing.
Premium Members can read the entire article here:
Trees can be some of the best climbing anchors, whether it's for top rope, rappel, or multipitch.
This is a big topic, so I'm tackling it in four different parts:
Let's get to it.
How big does a tree need to be?
There's not a firm answer; it depends.
Is the (well-rooted) tree a single point anchor, or is it one of several points?
For a single point anchor, a good general rule is 12 inch / 30 cm minimum diameter at the base of the tree.
If the tree is one component of a multi point anchor, 5 inches / 13 cm base diameter is a bare minimum.
General guideline: if the tree is too big for your fingers to touch around it, it's probably gonna work for an anchor. More on that below.
How strong are trees?
Obviously there’s huge variability between species, diameter, and how well it's rooted. Often in alpine environments, a tree may be growing in gravel with a shallow root system, which is hard to evaluate.
Ideally, a tree is alive, has a reasonable diameter, and has solid roots going deep into good soil. Some people use the memory jog “5 and Alive” which refers to 5 inches at the base and healthy. (This doesn't help with the deeply rooted part.)
If you're using a deciduous tree in the winter after it’s dropped leaves, it might be harder to determine if the tree is alive or not. Ask me how I know this . . .
Some people advocate giving the tree a shake, or even kicking it. But I find this a little disrespectful to the tree so personally, I avoid it.
Warning, anchor nerd section ahead . . .
John Morton, a Seattle area rescue expert, examined different species of trees, of different diameters, that have been exposed to high winds and came up with the following table. Here's a longer article that discusses this.
In the graph, there's no legend, but I'm guessing that the magenta refers to anything under 28 kN and green is super strong enough for anything over that. These colors are geared more towards rescue / SAR applications; it's fine to rappel off of a tree that’s 15 kN, because the maximum load you're going to put on it will never be much more than 3 kN.
image: John Morton, from http://blog.alpineinstitute.com/2019/09/tree-ratings-in-kn.html
So, that's a pretty cool chart! For people like me who don't have any idea what 14 inches of circumference looks like, for me it's the diameter of the upper part of my calf just below the kneecap.
I have pretty small hands. If I extend my thumb and middle fingers on each hand to make a big “O”, that's about 16 inches. So, according to the chart, that means just about any tree that I can circle with my fingers is gonna give me between 9 and 19 kN, depending on species. That's certainly good enough for a rappel anchor, but. maybe not enough for a single point anchor.
(In the photo below, my thumbs are touching and my middle fingers are not, so all good.)
If you want something more objective than the size of your hands, a single length sling is about 18 inches / 45 cm from the stiching to the end.
Do I need to protect the tree?
Maybe. Conifer trees tend to have bark that’s thick and tough, while deciduous trees often have bark that’s thinner.
Climber inflicted tree damage typically comes from two sources:
Direct damage to the bark
Soil compaction and erosion around the base of the tree
When using a tree for an anchor, especially in a high use area, consider the material and how you rig it.
Small diameter cord or sling, especially if rigged with a girth hitch, might damage the bark.
1 inch tubular webbing (yes, old school, but can work great here) is a wider material, which can spread out the load.
Multiple wraps of material around the tree, such as a basket hitch, can also spread out the load.
Some other methods to minimize tree damage include using some sort of scrap carpet, a floor mat from your car, or a backpack between the tree and your rigging. These often need encouragement to stay put over the course of the day, as they can fall down if the anchor isn’t under regular tension.
Here's another method that works pretty well. Take a couple of nearby sticks, and wrap a cordelette around the sticks to hold them in place. Now you can put your primary rigging around the sticks, and the tree should be fine.
Example of soil compaction and erosion around tree anchors, not good!
image: Christian Fracchia / Richard Goldstone, shared with permission
Are there any local regulations against tree anchors?
There are some climbing areas where trees are protected by law (or local tradition) and can’t be used for anchors. Or, they may require some sort of padding between rigging and the tree. Be sure and check about any rules like this in your climbing area.
Materials for tree anchors
Here are some useful materials for rigging tree anchors.
Second rope only for anchor building, aka rigging rope
Sewn 240 cm / “quad length” sling (a 240 sling is great; get one if you build lots of tree anchors)
1 inch tubular webbing
Cordelette
5 or 6 meters of cheap 6 mm nylon cord
Your climbing rope (not shown)
Rigging methods for trees
When you're using cord or webbing, there are various ways you can attach it to the tree. Here are a few different methods, with pros and cons.
Girth hitch - Pros: fast, simple. The bend in the hitch can secure the sling in place on a tree to keep it from sliding around. Cons: making a bit of a pulley effect on the sling, not so great, increased load can damage the tree. Not redundant, Generally not a preferred option.
Loop(s) of tied cord or webbing - Pros: inexpensive, easy to check, good to leave behind for a rappel anchor. Cons: Single strand is not adequate for a belay anchor, takes a bit of time to tie, might need a knife to cut material the correct length. (In this example, the angle is a little wide; slightly longer material would be better.)
Sewn sling or cordelette, basket hitch - Pros: fast to rig, very strong, no knots to untie. Cons: not redundant, can slide down the tree.
Sewn sling, basket hitch with girth hitch master point: Pros: fast to rig, usually stays in place on a vertical tree without sliding down. Girth hitch at the master point makes it redundant. Cons: Can require a long cord or sling on larger trees, which you may not have.
Cordelette wrapped around tree, girth hitch master point: Pros: stays in place on a tree without sliding down. Girth hitch at the master point makes it redundant. Cons: Requires a cordelette, which you may not have.
Girth hitch master point (GHMP) often works better
Often with tree anchors, you'll find you don't have a long enough sling to tie a bight knot for a redundant master point.
The GHMP uses minimal material, making it easier to add redundancy to anchors compared to tying an overhand or figure 8. This is especially true with shorter slings and/or larger trees. I have a detailed article on the GHMP; read it here.
Caution on water knots
A water knot is a standard for joining webbing ends together and is perfectly safe when done correctly. However, if the knot isn’t dressed down tightly, and/or has short tails, some studies show that it might loosen over cyclic loading (being loaded and unloaded multiple times) which happens at a busy rappel station.
So, if you do use a water knot, tie it with long tails, at least as wide as your hand, and be sure to “dress it and stress it” thoroughly.
Here's a tip for making a knot difficult to untie, which is what we want in this case. Tie your water knot in webbing, get it wet, and then pull it tight as hard as you can. Or even step and bounce on it a few times if possible, which will load it with about three times your body weight.
Now, when it dries, it's gonna be welded in place. At a rappel anchor with webbing, that's a good thing.
Be careful of those dead nubbins . . .
A common mistake when putting a sling around a tree for an anchor is to think it's being held up by something secure, only to find it's draped on a dead twig about the size of a pencil. (I know this is common, because I seem to do it quite regularly.) If that twig breaks and the anchor suddenly falls/slides down the tree, that’s no bueno.
Much better option: put your sling around a solid branch that is clearly alive.
Reduce leverage: anchor low on the tree
Got an unquestionably strong tree? Great; it doesn't really matter where on the tree you build your anchor. Around head height is often convenient, as it gives you a nice high master point.
However, if you have any doubts about the strength of the tree, it's good practice to put your material closer to, or even on, the ground. This reduces leverage on the tree, so increases the strength of your anchor, and it makes it impossible for the rigging material to slide down the tree.
Like most things in climbing, there's a trade-off . Yes, you've increased the anchor strength by putting your material around the base of the tree, but it also might make it less convenient or ergonomic to use your anchor.
In the example below, the preferred way method on the left is both low down AND goes around both tree trunks, super strong.
On the right, the higher connection point may be more convenient, but you're using only one trunk, and increased leverage on the tree, so not as strong.
What if you have two small trees that are close together?
If you have to use a tree that's dripping with sap, what can you do?
What about the various flavors of “wrap and pull” anchors? Are those relevant for climbers?
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Climbing Tips: Do THIS, not THAT (Part 7)
Five more quick tips on best practices. In this article: Best place to put your pulley in a hauling system, how to rack pickets, why it's good to have waypoints rather than just a track on your GPS, minimizing cluster at big wall anchors, and why it's good to stand away from the cliff when you pull your rappel rope.
Premium Members can read the entire article here:
In this article:
Mechanical advantage hauling: where to put the pulley?
How to (and how not to) rack pickets
GPS tracks: better with waypoints
Big wall anchors: use “links”
Pulling a rappel rope: step back from the cliff
1 - Mechanical advantage hauling: where to put the pulley?
I only have one pulley. Where should I put it to get the most efficient pull?
Excellent question! We often have to improvise with limited equipment, and the location of the pulley can make a difference in the efficiency of your hauling system.
You should use your “good” pulley on the position that’s closest to your pulling force (a.k.a, your hands).
A simple explanation, in the words of rigging expert Richard Delaney: "...the best place is closest to where the effort is applied, as this preserves maximum effort moving into the system rather than wasting it at the first bend."
Or, to say it another way, any inefficiency at the first pulley is compounded throughout the system, so you want your most efficient pulley closest to the pulling force (that’s you).
A lot of folks think the pulley always should go on the moving part of the load to gain easiest pull, but this is not always true. Below, in the 2:1 with a redirect, the pulley should go on the anchor (tree). Again, it’s because the anchor is closest to where you’re actually pulling on the rope.
2 - How to (and how not to) rack pickets
What beginning snow climber has not cursed the clanking cowbells and the strangle, tangle and dangle of pickets, hanging from ill-placed runners around your neck and shoulder, threatening to trip you up at each step!
Here’s a better way to rack pickets. You can carry 6 pickets like this, with them (more or less) out of the way yet still easily accessible.
Think of this method as the least of all evils. Pickets are still a drag to carry, no matter how you do it, but this way sucks the least.
Assuming a mid clipped picket, girth hitch a sling to the middle hole. (Yes, this is plenty strong, about 11 kN. I tested it.
Wrap the sling around the picket and then clip a carabiner to the hole next to the middle one.
Now, clip that carabiner to your harness gear loop or to your backpack strap. The picket should hang down vertically, pretty much out of your way.
Finally, this is what you don't wanna look like. Pretty self-explanatory and unfortunately very common for climbers.
(I know this well because that's about what I looked like on a few of my early trips, when I was at the back of the rope team cleaning all the gear. =^)
A GPS track file can be a great help in the backcountry to help you stay on route. What’s even better? A track file with waypoints added.
Why? Because a GPS device (usually a phone app like CalTopo) can tell you distance and bearing between waypoints. This lets you break your trip down into a series of segments from one waypoint to another.
Use the “Guide Me” (or similar) function on your GPS to see the distance and bearing to the next waypoint. Then, set that bearing on your compass (if needed) to get you started in the right direction, put your phone in your pocket to help save battery, and shift your attention “heads up” to the landscape around you, and away from your screen.
Compare this with a track without waypoints. Here, you don't have any distance and bearing between points, just a line on your screen. In more complicated terrain, or with low visibility, you may need to check your GPS every few minutes to see that you haven’t wandered too far left or right from the track. This runs down your battery, leads to “heads down” travel, and decreases your situational awareness by shifting your focus to your screen, and not the terrain.
What's one of the simplest things you can do to minimize a frustrating (and maybe dangerous) cluster at a big wall anchor?
When you're pulling your rappel rope, why is it often helpful to stand farther away from the cliff?