Alpine Tips
Climbing Tips: Do THIS, not THAT (Part 11)
Five bite sized, quick tips of best practices. In this post: 1) why you don't need an extension for a Grigri rappel, 2) backup that hauling system 3) better hiking in your harness 4) when to use a docking cord, and 5) hauling with a Tibloc.
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In this article:
Rappel with a Grigri on your belay loop, not an extension
Backup a friction hitch or rope grab in your hauling system
Hiking in your harness? Push legs loops to the side
Use a docking cord (not a sling) to attach your haul bags to the anchor
Hauling with a Tibloc - rig it right
1 - Rappel with a Grigri on your belay loop, not an extension
For rappeling, it's best practice to clip that Grigri straight to your belay loop. Why? Because you have to pull the handle to rappel, you don't want to be reaching up over your head to do that. It's tiring, and not very ergonomic. The longer your extension, the more uncomfortable this is. It's not a catastrophic mistake, but it's also not best practice.
Also, there's no need for a third hand backup when you wrap with a Grigri. The assisted braking basically is the backup, so no third hand / autoblock is needed.
2 - Backup a friction hitch or rope grab in your hauling system
You don't want to fully rely on any sort of rope grab, friction hitch or progress capture pulley in a hauling system. Say you pulled up your load a good distance, possibly generating a lot of slack rope. If your progress capture device were to fail or slip for any reason, your load could fall a long way, and potentially put a giant shock load on the anchor, not good!
Best practice: Every few pulls, tie a clove hitch or a bight knot in the hauling strand of the rope, and clip it to the anchor. Feed slack through the clove hitch or tie additional bight knots so your system is always backed up.
3 - Hiking in your harness? Push legs loops to the side
If you have a long approach to a climb, and you want to carry a really small pack maybe up and over the route, you may want to wear your harness when you're walking.
If you do this, it can be a lot more comfortable to loosely put on your waist belt and push the leg loops off to one side. Doing this eliminates any chafing or rubbing on the inside of your legs, and gives you full range of motion.
What are the problems with using a sling to clip a heavy bag to an anchor?
How do you correctly rig a Tibloc for hauling?
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The Mariner hitch
The Mariner hitch is a load releasable hitch that can be a good one to have in your toolbox. In my opinion, it has a few advantages over more commonly used hitches; learn all about it here.
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The Mariner hitch is a solid way to make a load releasable hitch.
The Mariner hitch is usually tied with a sewn sling or cordelette. You can release it in a controlled way, even with the cordage under load. This is extremely handy in many self rescue situations.
Knot Knerd Knote: This hitch is often misspelled as “Mariner’s”, implying it's related to sailing. (That's what I thought for pretty much forever.)
Fun fact, it's named after Wastl Mariner, the Austrian guide who invented it. So, it's singular, not plural, and is a proper name so it's capitalized.
There you go, we both learned something new today. =^)
“Why do we need a NEW releasable hitch?! I learned the Munter Mule Overhand (MMO) in my guide training / rescue class, and it seems to work pretty well . . .”
If you’re well-practiced with the MMO and can tie it with different materials (cord, sling, rope) and with your eyes closed, then high-fives to you, you probably don't need to learn this one.
However, in my opinion, the MMO has a few drawbacks. It's sort of a jumble of three different knots, as you can see from the name. It is a little tricky to tie, and because it's kind of a mashed-up mess when tensioned, it's hard to check, and to me looks goofy even when you do it right.
The Mariner hitch is faster to tie, cleaner looking, and easier to check when you're done. Plus, with a small improvement, you can add a bit more friction so it's easier to lower out a big load, see below.
Even if you’re a MMO fan, the Mariner is still a useful one for your toolbox.
Here's how to tie it. It's fun to play with, give it a try!
Notes on the Mariner hitch . . .
You can use a tied loop of cord or a sewn sling for the Mariner hitch. About the minimum length is 60 cm. A 120 cm (or longer) can give more control and length on the lower, which can be helpful. I find it quite tricky to tie a MMO with a 60 cm sling, so that’s a bonus for the Mariner.
Using a longer sling or cordelette is helpful in certain applications, such as passing an knot through a lowering system. Other applications, such as going to baseline in self rescue, a shorter sling can work fine.
A Dyneema sling is quite slippery, and releasing the load in slow, controlled way is harder. Cord, or a Dyneema sling with some sort of sheath on it, gives a little more grip. This is not necessarily a problem, more something to be aware of.
You can also use a cordelette to tie the Mariner. It can be helpful to keep it “open”, or untied. Here's my article on the open cordelette
It's best if the load remains constant. If it's unweighted, the hitch can start loosening up.
Clipping a carabiner at the end to secure the tail is crucial. I'll show two different ways to do this, see below.
You can combine the Mariner with a friction hitch. This works well for load transfers, see below. If you tie the Mariner with a 60 cm sling, you’ll need a second friction hitch cord.
Start like this.
Wrap the sling once more around the carabiner.
Wrap the cord around the doubled strands (downward, away from the carabiner). Try to keep the wraps tidy.
Wrap at least four times, or until you run out of cord.
When you run out of material, secure the end of the sling.
There are a couple of ways to finish the knot. The traditional way is to pass the tail between the loaded strands and clip it with a carabiner. This works provided you have a constant load, but it's not completely secure as the carabiner could still pass through the strands.
Here's a method that I prefer:
Clip a carabiner to the end of the sling and then clip the carabiner between the two loaded strands. This ensures the spiral can’t unwrap.
Combine the Mariner with a friction hitch
Most any releasable hitch (Mariner or other), is not very useful all by itself. You usually need a way to attach it to a loaded rope. You can do this one of two ways:
Tie a short friction hitch cord onto the loaded rope and clip the Mariner to that.
With a 120 cm (or longer) or even a cordelette, combine the Mariner hitch with a klemheist or other friction hitch.
This makes a combination rope grab on the load strand, and releasable hitch on the anchor. Very helpful for many aspects of self rescue, such as going to baseline, passing a knot through a lowering system, etc.
Note: You might be tempted to use the blocking carabiner for the Mariner hitch to clip to the short friction hitch cord. You'll probably only make this mistake once before you discover that that makes a non-releasable system, whoops! You need a second carabiner, ideally a locker, to make this work.
Note that that 60 cm sling can work okay in some applications, like maybe going to baseline, and not so well in others, such as passing a knot. Like for all self rescue techniques, you absolutely need to practice this in a controlled environment close to the ground before you ever try it for real.
Here's a close-up of the Mariner hitch on a 60 cm sling attached to a prusik.
Here's the Mariner hitch with a 120 cm sling. The extra length lets you tie a friction hitch on the load, strand, here an Klemheist.
You can also use a cordelette.
Want to see a video of how to release a Mariner hitch under load?
How does the Mariner compare to the Munter mule overhand (MMO)?
What's a simple way to add additional friction for lowering an extra heavy load?
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10 rules for proper expedition behavior
Some humorous and common sense rules for proper expedition behavior, whether your trip is 3 days or 30.
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My young friend Teagan Mullen shared this with me. She's an up-and-coming climber having some great adventures, give her an Instagram follow, @teagshmeag
This is an excerpt from the book “The Cool of the Wild: An Extremist Guide to Adventure Sports” by Howard Tomb, 1994.
You might find this passage somewhat cheesy . . . or like me, make you spit out your coffee laughing. I thought some of these were pretty damn funny. Hope you do too.
(I think Rule #10 is the best!)
From the book . . .
“A good expedition team is like a powerful, well-oiled, finely-tuned marriage. Members cook meals together, face challenges together, and finally go to bed together. A bad expedition, on the other hand, is an awkward ugly, embarrassing thing characterized by bickering, filth, frustration, and crispy macaroni.
Nearly all bad expeditions have one thing in common: poor Expedition Behavior (EB).
This is true even if team members follow the stated rules, such as Don’t Step on the Rope, Separate Kerosene and Food, No Soap in the River, No Raccoons in the Tent, Keep your Ice Axe Out of My Eye, etc.
Unfortunately, too many rules of expedition behavior remain unspoken. Some leaders seem to assume that their team members already have strong and generous characters like their own. But judging from a few of the climbers we’ve encountered, more rules ought to be spelled out.
Here are ten of them.”
Rule #1: Get the hell out of bed.
Your tentmates get up early to fetch water and fire up the stove while you lie comatose in your sleeping bag. As they run an extensive equipment check, coil ropes and fix your breakfast, they hear you start to snore. Last night you were their buddy; now they’re drawing up lists of things about you that make them want to spit. You earned that. The team concept is now defunct.
Rule #2: Do not be cheerful before breakfast.
Some people wake up perky and happy as fluffy bunny rabbits. They put stress on those who wake up mean as rabid wolverines. Exhortations such as “Rise and shine, sugar!” and “Greet the dawn, pumpkin!” have been known to provoke pungent expletives from wolverine types. These curses, in turn, may offend fluffy bunny types. Indeed, they are issued with the sincere intent to offend. Thus, the day begins with flying fur and hurt feelings. The best early-morning EB is simple: Be quiet.
Rule #3: Do not complain. About anything. Ever.
It’s ten below zero, visibility is four inches and wind driven hailstones are embedding themselves in your face like shotgun pellets. Must you mention it? Do you think your friends haven’t noticed the weather? Make a suggestion. Tell a joke. Lead a prayer. Do not lodge a complaint. Your pack weighs 87 pounds and your cheap backpack straps are actually cutting into your flesh. Were you promised a personal Sherpa? Did somebody cheat you out of a mule team? If you can’t carry your weight, get a motor home.
Rule #4: Learn to cook at least one thing right.
One expedition trick is so old that it is no longer amusing: on the first cooking assignment, the clever cook prepares a dish that resembles, say, Burnt Sock In Toxic Waste Sauce. The cook hopes to be relieved permanently from cooking duties. This is the childish approach to a problem that’s been with us since people first started throwing lizards on the fire. Tricks are not a part of a team spirit. If you don’t like to cook, say so. Offer to wash dishes and to prepare the one thing you do know how to cook. Even if it’s only tea. Remember that talented camp cooks sometimes get invited to join major expeditions in Nepal, all expenses paid.
Rule #5: Either A) Shampoo, or B) Do not remove your hat for any reason.
After a week or so on the trail, without shampooing, hair forms angry little clumps and wads. These leave the person beneath looking like an escapee from a mental ward. Such an appearance could shake a team’s confidence in your judgment. If you can’t shampoo, pull a wool hat down over your ears and leave it there, night and day, for the entire expedition.
Rule #6: Do not ask if anybody’s seen your stuff.
Experienced adventures have systems for organizing their gear. They very rarely leave it strewn around camp or lying back on the trail. One of the most damning things you can do is ask your teammate if they’ve seen the tent poles you thought you packed 20 miles ago. Even in the unlikely event you get home alive, you will not be invited on the next trip. Should you ever leave the tent poles 20 miles away, do not ask if anybody’s seen them, and that you are sorry. It’s unprofessional to lose your spoon or your toothbrush. If something like that happens, don’t mention it to anyone.
Rule #7: Never ask where you are.
If you want to know where you are look at the map. Try to figure it out yourself. If you’re still confused, feel free to discuss the identity of landmarks around you and how they correspond to the cartography. If you A) suspect that a mistake has been made; and B) have experience in interpreting topographical maps, and C) are certain that your group leader is a novice or on drugs, speak up. Otherwise, follow the group like sheep.
What's a good rule about loading your pack?
How about some important personal hygiene?
And #10, the most important rule of all?
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The CAMP Reel lanyard
The Reel is CAMP’s latest version of a personal tether/lanyard. Here's a review of some of the key features, how it stacks up against the main competition, and a couple of videos showing some extra tricks.
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Full disclosure: CAMP sent me this gear for free. That in no way biases my review; it’s a great product and I want to tell you about it. There are no ads, brand sponsorships, or paid product promotions on Alpinesavvy. In the rare cases when I get a free product like this, I’ll let you know.
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While an adjustable personal lanyard / tether isn’t a required piece of climbing gear, it can be very helpful in lots of different situations. That's probably why most major manufacturers now offer some version of it.
Here's a review of the latest from CAMP, called the Reel.
Before we get into that, here's a short Italian lesson . . .
Did you ever wonder why CAMP is capitalized? That's because it's an acronym, and it stands for “Costruzione Articoli Montagna Premana.”
Costruzione = construction/manufacturing
Articoli = articles/products
Montagna = mountain
Premana = the town in the Italian Alps where the company was founded in 1889.
There you go, we both learned something new today. =^)
The Reel is an upgrade from CAMP’s previous tether, which was called the Swing. The main changes:
Redesigned cam device, which allows for smoother adjustments, especially under load.
9.4 mm rope versus 9.7 mm rope
Slightly longer adjustable range
A little clippy thing CAMP calls the “Reel Snap” so you can easily stow away the extra tail. It’s actually quite useful.
There’s also a version with an section for an extended rappel, called the Reel Duo.
Connect the Reel to your harness with a girth hitch through your belay loop.
Let's start with what everybody wants to know: how does the Reel compare to Petzl Connect Adjust (CA)?
I think the Reel matches up well in several ways:
The sheath on the Reel rope seems more durable and grippy than the CA rope. The older style CA was a hassle to extend, and the rope was too thick. I think Petzl might've addressed the problem too effectively on the new version, because the new CA sometimes it seems a little bit too slick and smooth. The Reel hits a nice sweet spot in the middle, easy to extend and grippy when it needs to be.
This may seem like a minor thing, but the little rubber stopper thingie that keeps the carabiner properly positioned is quite a bit more secure on the Reel than on the CA. That's a good thing, this is something you don't want sliding around after it's properly positioned. Pro tip: you can get your carabiner wet, which lets you more easily slide the stopper thing into position, then when it dries, it's pretty well fixed in place.
You can release the Reel under a full load without any sort of a separate pull cord or a carabiner, which is kind of required with the CA. (See video demo below.)
The metal cam that pinches the rope is quite a bit smaller than the Reel than the CA. I think that’s good, because the sleeve of the locking carabiner that’s clipped to your gear can’t pass through the cam on the Reel, but it can on the CA. (I don't know if this is an intentional design feature from the clever Petzl engineers, but to me it feels like a potential problem.) See video below.
Overall, I think the CAMP Reel is an excellent choice for a personal tether.
Is it wildly better than the Connect Adjust? No, I don't think it is, The CA has a few features that I really like, as I cover in this review.
Either of these tethers would be a solid choice, and it's great that top manufacturers are offering choices like this (along with some hopefully friendly competition.)
Want to see that video of how the cam in the Reel can't go past the sleeve on the carabiner, and how that compares with the Connect Adjust?
Want to check out the cool version with the extension for a rappel, which I'll give away to one of my Premium Members in September 2026?
How about a video clip showing how to release the CAMP Reel under a full load?
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“Knot migration”: what is it, how to fix it?
“Knot migration” can happen when rappelling on ropes of two different diameters. The fatter rope has more friction in your rappel device, and this can move the joining knot in an unexpected and potentially dangerous way. Learn how this happens, and how to deal with it here.
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Note - This post discusses techniques and methods used in vertical rope work. If you do them wrong, you could die. Always practice vertical rope techniques under the supervision of a qualified instructor, and ideally in a progression: from flat ground, to staircase, to vertical close to the ground before you ever try them in a real climbing situation.
This article was written with collaboration from expert American alpine climbers Jeff and Priti Wright. Connect with them on Instagram (Priti / Jeff) and their website, alpinevagabonds.com
Summary:
Knot migration can happen when you join two rappel ropes of different diameters.
The different rope diameters can have varying friction in your tube-style rappel device: fatter rope has more friction, skinnier rope has less friction.
If the joining knot is on the side of the fat rope, because of increased friction, the fatter rope may slide less (or even not at all) through your device.
If this happens, the joining knot can start sliding down away from the anchor. This can cause the rope ends to be uneven. This could range from a minor annoyance to a lethal problem.
For most climbers, in most cases, it's best practice to rig to pull the skinny rope. With proper anchor hardware, this prevents the knot from moving.
For expert climbers in certain situations, rigging to pull the fat rope can have some advantages.
Below left: the fat rope is through the hardware, so you pull the skinny rope. This is usually the preferred method.
Below right: the skinny rope is through the hardware, so you pull the fat rope. This is the experts-only method, for specific situations.
When you rig a rappel with ropes of two different diameters, you always have a choice which rope to pull. The standard rigging: pull the smaller diameter rope.
(The memory jog that I like: “PS”, or “Pull Skinny”.)
Why should you (usually) rig to “pull skinny”?
When rappelling on ropes of two different diameters, the fat rope (usually) has more friction through your rappel device then the skinny rope. This means the skinny rope might pass through your rappel device faster than the fat rope, which moves the joining knot in the direction of the fat rope.
If you rig to pull the skinny rope, the joining knot will usually be pulled a tiny bit into the anchor master point, which is what you want. If your anchor master point is a small chain link or quick link, or even a small loop tied in cord or webbing, the knot jams up against this and stops moving. Not a problem.
What happens if you rig to “pull fat”?
The same issue still happens: increased friction between your rappel device and the fat rope. However, because the joining knot is on the fat side of the rope, the knot doesn't get jammed into the anchor, but instead can “migrate”, or move downward away from the anchor.
The knot moving DOWN means the end of the skinny rope is moving UP.
This can happen with ropes that are just a couple of millimeters different, such as a 10 mm and a 8.5 mm.
It can be more of an issue with a skinny pull cord (often 6 mm) and a standard climbing rope.
I've also heard if one rope is wet and the other one is dry-ish (which could happen with a Dyneema pull cord as it absorbs minimal water) knot migration can be increased. I don't have any personal experience with this.
It can be hard to notice the ropes not moving evenly when rappelling, especially if your fat rope is a solid color and doesn't have a pattern on the sheath.
It tends to happen more at the start of the rappel, when there’s increased friction because of the weight of the rope below you.
If you're on a vertical or free hanging rappel, knot migration is more likely. If it's lower angle or a slab, it might be less of a problem.
If you're skinny rope has a very slippery sheath as opposed to one that's more grabby, that can increase knot migration.
If you have a short rappel and/or a lot of extra rope, some knot migration may not be a problem.
However, if it's a longer rappel and you're using a skinny 6 mm pull cord, knot migration can be significant, which can cause some big problems!
In July 2026, there was a fatal accident in Norway involving an American climber.
According to the accident report, the climber rappelled with a set up like the photo above on the right, pulling the fat strand, which was paired with a 6 mm pull cord.
Apparently, the climber chose not to tie stopper knots in the end of either strand. That may not have helped, because a stopper knot in 6mm cord could've pulled through the rappel device anyway. Clipping the end of both strands (or at least the pull cord strand) to their harness would probably have prevented the accident, but that’s sort of a separate issue.
The joining knot migrated down the fat side of the rope, lifting the end of the skinny rope off the ground. The end of the skinny rope passed through their rappel device, resulting in a fatal fall.
Following this accident, the Interweb was full of statements like, “You should ALWAYS rig to pull the skinny rope!”
While I mostly agree with that, it's also important to keep in mind that there are very few black-and-white, “always do this, never do that” rules in climbing. This isn't one of them.
Like most every other technique, there are shades of gray. Yes, most climbers in most situations would benefit by rigging to “pull skinny” as the default.
However, for experts in certain situations, pulling the fat rope can be a good idea, provided you’re aware of all the potential problems, and some ways to solve them.
Here's a short video of how knot migration can happen. (This is kind of an extreme example because I have a thick 10 mm rope paired with a 6 mm Petzl PURline, and my device is set in the normal high friction mode.)
There are two ways that knot migration can happen.
1 - Unintentional
If you rig the standard way to pull skinny, but the master point of the anchor is large enough for the knot to slip through, it's possible that the knot could pass from one side of the anchor through the other.
If you’re rappelling with both strands through your device, this may not be a problem. However, if you're doing a knot block and only rapping on one strand, this could kill you!
You can eliminate this by using a quick link, or if you're using cord, tying a small knot of some kind that prevents the knot from sliding through.
2 - Intentional
Hopefully, fully knowing the pros and cons, you set up your rappel so you pull the fat side of the rope. Yes, this does go against the general rule of “pull skinny”, but for experts, who understand the potential consequences, it can have several advantages.
Why might you want to “pull fat”?
If you have multiple pitches to rappel, you can use the standard technique of feeding the end of the pull stand through the lower anchor and alternating strands as you go down. (If you don't do this, every other rappel requires you to secure the rope, untie the joining knot, thread the rope so you’re pulling skinny, and re-tie the joining knot. This takes more time, and introduces additional issues, like potentially dropping the rope, and maybe tying the joining knot incorrectly.)
It's much easier to pull the rope. The larger diameter rope is easier on your hands, and there's much less weight and friction through the terrain and anchor point because of the lighter and more slippery skinny rope. The heavier weight of the fat rope assists with pulling. In terrain with lots of blocks, features, and maybe slab, this can make a huge difference.
If you pull the end of the skinny rope up out of reach, and then it gets snagged, you have a fat dynamic climbing rope in your hands to hopefully solve the problem, and not a skinny static bit of alpine dental floss.
Pulling fat ONLY works with modern high strength pull cords!
Using some version of a parachute cord / accessory cord / long shoelace as a pull cord has been done for a long time. These cords were never meant to support bodyweight, and were only for pulling down the rope.
With the recent introduction of high tech, high strength rappel cords, such as Petzl PURline (15 kN), RADline (12 kn) or Edelrid Rap line (10 kN) that have a core of Dyneema or Kevlar, these fancy cords are strong enough for full bodyweight (even if the manufacturer may not be too excited about you using it that way.)
Compare that to standard 6 mm accessory cord, which is rated to about 7-8 kN.
This could be a lethal mistake . . .
In climbing 101, you hopefully learned that you should never have a moving rope running through a static cord or piece of webbing. Under bodyweight and friction, the moving rope can easily cut the static material.
If you rigged a “pull fat” rappel through cord or webbing (which is something that could happen if you make a V thread anchor in ice, for example) and the knot starts to migrate, you could have this exact situation!
Avoid this by adding a quick link to an anchor that's made of cord or webbing.
One way to avoid the problem entirely: use double or twin ropes
Because the rope diameters are the same, knot migration isn't an issue. There are pros and cons to every different rope system, and I'm sure not gonna get into that here. However, it’s worth mentioning this as a big benefit to a double rope system. I'll leave it at that.
So, for you experts who are considering “pulling fat”, how can you address the problem of knot migration?
Here are two great resources from British climbing expert Andy Kirkpatrick.
A terrific overview of the issue and step-by-step walk-through of a hypothetical scenario where this could cause a big problem, posted September 2026 on Andy's Substack. Read it here.
In Andy’s Kirkpatrick outstanding book on descending mountains called “Down”, he covers knot migration, starting on page 329. (I think this book should be required reading for all climbers.) He covers at least six different ways to reduce knot migration. I'm not gonna cover all of them here, so buy his book and read it. =^)
Here are a few options to deal with knot migration.
For the first person descending, you can fix / tie off the rope(s) to the top anchor. You can do this in multiple ways; a simple one is clipping the fat strand to the anchor with locker and a butterfly knot, which is easy to untie after being loaded. Another option is the Stone hitch.
The fat rope is tied to the anchor, so the knot can’t move. The first person down rappels on the single “fat” strand.
The first person down needs to always keep control of the skinny rope. They can clip it to their harness with a carabiner, or put it through the other slot in their tube style rappel device.
If you lose control of that skinny cord, it could swing or blow off to the side and cause a BIG problem if you can't reach it!
Another bonus, as you can see in the diagram below, this lets the first person down rap on a Grigri, which can have lots of advantages.
To prevent or reduce knot migration for the second person down, there are several solutions.
Experiment with different flavors and orientations of rappel devices. Sometimes it's as simple as flipping your device around so it's in LOW friction mode, so it doesn't grab the thick rope quite as much. (This might be counterintuitive; try it with your device and see how it works.) In my testing, having less friction causes the thicker rope to slide more easily, helping keep both ropes properly moving through the device.
Consider putting both ropes through the same slot in your device. Because the ropes strands are next to each other, this encourages them to pass through the device at the same rate.
How about that Munter hitch? With a Munter, the adjacent ropes tend to move at the same speed around your carabiner. And, if you use the proper technique, you can do it without twisting your rope. (Having said that, skinny 6 mm cords are already prone to tangling, and you could cause an EPIC mess if you get it really twisted, so keep that in mind.)
The first person down can tie both ends of the rope to the lower anchor. This is known as the J Loop. This had several benefits, one of them being that if one rope starts to creep upwards, it can only go a couple of meters. Granted, this might cause some problems for the next person coming down, but it's certainly better than rapping off the end of your rope.
The second person down can clip the end of the skinny rope to their belay loop with a locking carabiner. This doesn’t prevent knot migration, but it does stop the potentially lethal mistake of rapping off the end of the skinny cord.
Andy Kirkpatrick covers several other methods to reduce risk for the second person in his book “Down”. Get it and study this section (pg 329).
What are three types of anchor hardware that you shouldn't use with a knot block?
What's the recommended knot to use to join a skinny pull cord and a fat climbing rope?
What's a make and model of a specific rappel device that can pretty much eliminate this problem?
Want to see a video from an expert climber who talks about this issue?
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For just about all of us, in almost every situation, it's best practice to pull skinny (“PS”).
If you choose to rig it the other way, be aware of all possible problems, know some ways to mitigate them, and absolutely practice in a controlled environment with a qualified instructor.
Let's be careful out there.
The (load releasable) Helix hitch
The Helix hitch is a load releasable hitch typically used by big wall climbers to dock their haul bags to the anchor. Check out step-by-step photos on how to tie it, a video on transferring the load from the rope to the hitch, and how to release the knot.
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I think I first learned this hitch from big wall expert Mark Hudon, during an in-person clinic around 2019. Connect with Mark on his website.
The load releasable Helix hitch is typically used by a big wall climbers to dock their haul bags to an anchor.
A cousin of the Munter Mule Overhand (MMO) and Mariner hitch, this knot gives:
A secure attachment point
An easily releasable system, even under a full 100+ kg load
A long tail of cordage useful for lowering out the bag(s)
The old school method of clipping your haul bag to the anchor with an adjustable sewn loop daisy chain is the Dark Ages compared to this. Use a docking cord and Helix hitch, and TML (Thank Me Later! =^)
The extra long cord gives you some helpful length to do a short lower out of the haul bag as your partner starts lifting it from above. Also, there’s no knot or sling stitches that could potentially get hung up in the Munter at a critical time, because the free ends of the cord smoothly glides through the anchor carabiner as the bag does a lift off.
Can you use an MMO here instead of helix hitch? Sure! Try them both and see which one you like better.
What about that “Helix hitch” name?
While pretty well known by modern big wall climbers, I've never heard that this hitch actually has a name. So I'm stepping up and call it the Helix hitch, because it looks like the double helix of a DNA spiral.
Yeah, I made that up myself. And yes, I like the alliteration.
The best way to find Truth is to post something wrong on the Internet and wait for people to correct you. So, if you know this hitch by another name, shoot me an email and enlighten me. (In his excellent book “Down”, Andy Kirkpatrick refers to this as the “pig hitch”. Maybe because big wall climbers use it to dock the pig, aka hall bag?
The Helix hitch is also closely related to the “Dog-n-Tails” load releasable hitch, which I cover in this article.
I like my name better, so I'm gonna roll with that. =^)
Here's how to tie it.
Note, in this example, I’m simplifying things for clarity, so you're not distracted by the chaos of a typical big wall anchor.
Start with between 10 and 15 feet (3-5 meters) of 8mm cord. This is your “docking cord”. In the middle of your cord, tie an overhand knot. (If you want a fancier version with a sewn eye loop, you can get it from Skot’s Wall Gear.)
Clip the overhand knot to a locking carabiner that's clipped to your haul bag. (Typically, you’d do this on the ground, and that docking cord stays attached to the haul bag carabiner for the entire climb.)
Start hauling. When the bag gets close to the anchor, stop with at least 6 inches / 10 cm or so of rope between the knot and the progress capture pulley.
(Or, to put it another way, don’t yank that figure 8 knot straight into your progress capture pulley, or you won't be able to release it. Yes, I've made that mistake also . . .
Clip a spare locker onto the master carabiner. An oval locker or HMS is a good choice here. With two strands of cord, tie a Munter hitch to this locker. (Make sure this is NOT a clove hitch, ask me how I know . . .
Pull slack from the end of the cord, so the Munter hitch is pretty snug to the load.
Key move:
With the two ends of cord, start spiraling (helixing?) them in opposite directions down toward the load. Make about 6 wraps at a minimum, more is better.
Finish the wraps with an overhand or square knot.
Transfer the load from the progress capture pulley on to the Helix hitch. Tie a backup knot, done! (See video below.)
Want to see a video of transferring the load from your pulley to the Helix hitch?
How do you back up the hitch?
What does the leader still need to do to get the haul system rope ready for the next pitch?
How do you release the haul bag?
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Rope anchors: an overview
While a sling or cord might be more convenient, knowing different methods to build an anchor directly from the rope is a great skill to have. Here's an overview of rope anchor flavors for fixed lines, top ropes, and multi pitch.
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(Photo by Dave Diegelman, climber Dale Bard, Sea of Dreams, El Capitan, 1978, shared with permission)
Let's take a look at some (of the many) ways you can make an anchor with your rope.
This is not meant to be a comprehensive article of every possible flavor of rope anchor, because that’d be a book all by itself. It's more of an overview of some common and some lesser-known methods.
I'm not showing half or twin rope techniques in this article, that's a separate topic.
Hopefully this will inspire you to practice and experiment on your own. Even if you have a lot of experience with rope anchors, I bet there are some here that will be new for you! Enjoy!
Why use a rope anchor?
Forgot the cord or sling, dropped it, left it with your buddy at the last anchor, your dog ate it, etc. A rope is strong, stretchy, durable, and something you always have with you.
When you want to stand / belay farther away from where the ideal anchors are. This could be 2 meters or 12 meters.
Want to earn some old school style points.
If you're British, and you apparently lose your citizenship if you use a cordelette or a quad. =^)
Does a rope reduce force on the anchor?
You might be wondering if having only a meter or so of rope involved in the anchor really does much good. The good news is yes, it helps, more than you might think. It can reduce forces on the anchor by about a factor of three, compared with a static sling.
Below is a screen grab from a YouTube video from the excellent Edelrid knowledge base, that did some drop testing comparing low stretch and high stretch materials.
Note that the stretchy ropes and (adjustable lanyard made of rope) on the right side of the graph only put a load on the anchor of about 3 kN, compared to over 10 kN with low stretch materials.
What are some downsides of rope anchors?
There are a few. Most of them are pretty minor.
On a multi pitch, it can complicate block leading (where one person is leading a series of pitches) because sometimes rope anchors don’t give a convenient place for the second to be attached to a master point. (There are solutions to that, details below.)
It can take a bit longer to set up properly.
It can complicate self rescue in some situations.
If the next pitch is the full length of the rope, and you use several meters of rope to make the anchor, that could complicate the next pitch.
If you’re at an exposed stance using several meters of the rope for an anchor, and your partner above you pulls up all the slack rope to put you on belay, you may find yourself having to break down the anchor, which could suddenly introduce lots of slack. (One solution: to clip to one good piece of gear with a PAS/tether, have your attentive partner above pull up ALL the slack rope, you clean the last piece and start climbing.)
Let's look at rope anchors in three main categories, starting with simpler and getting more advanced.
Fixed rope anchors
Top rope anchors
Multi pitch anchors
Fixed rope anchors
Fixed rope anchor - tensionless hitch
To fix a rope on a single, very stout tree, you can try the tensionless hitch. Take three or four wraps of rope around the tree, and clip or tie the tail of the rope to the load strand.
Fixed rope anchor - bowline
Another option with a single very stout tree: tie a bowline around the tree. Be sure to leave an adequate tail, and back up the bowline.
Fixed rope anchor - Bunny ears or Y hang
With two horizontal bolts, try a bunny ears figure 8.
With two vertical bolts, consider a Y Hang (figure it on a bight on the top hanger, butterfly clipped to the lower anchor.)
Fixed rope anchor - Rope as cordelette
If you need to fix a rope, and your anchor points are two or more, far back from the edge of the cliff and/or far apart, then you might want to try this method of using your rope like a cordelette.
Top rope anchors
Top rope anchor - Use a separate rigging rope to make your anchor
If you have good access to the cliff up, and the anchor points are far back from the edge, it can be very convenient to have a second rope that's used only for anchor building. It's best to use a static rope, to minimize stretch over the edge, but that's not mandatory.
Top rope anchor - belaying from above
This is a somewhat unusual set up, but can be useful in some areas where you can easily access the top of the cliff which has solid anchor points (trees), such as the Ouray Colorado (USA) ice park.
In this case, you start your route from the top, and lower or (maybe rappel) down onto your route. (A rope bag can help to keep things organized.)
Fix the end of the rope to an anchor, here a bowline around a tree.
Walk/scramble carefully, maybe protected with a friction hitch, down to where you want to belay from.
Tie yourself to the rope with a bight knot, and tie a butterfly to belay from.
Have your partner come down, have them tie into the end of the rope, lower them down the route, then they top rope back up to your belay.
Multipitch anchors
Multipitch - Old school classic: clove hitch to everything
Like the Yosemite classic photo at the top, you can clove hitch the rope directly to the protection.
Requires a bit of practice to set it up quickly with minimum slack between pieces.
Works best in a vertical crack compared to horizontal, because if the first piece blows in a horizontal crack, you're going to generate more shock load on the remaining gear.
If rigged like this, no master point to be belay from.
Multipitch - Two piece anchor, equalized with the “Alex Honnold” anchor
You can equalize the load like this. Clove hitch to each bolt with some slack in between, tie a butterfly in the slack for your masterpoint.
Multipitch - Two piece anchor, redundant (not equalized) with a series anchor
A series anchor puts all the load on one bolt, with the second bolt as a backup in the extremely unlikely event of the first bolt failing. Redundancy, yes, equalization, no. Generally, more common in Europe than the US.
This is an increasingly common European anchor method for ice screws. Because the top screw never takes any of the load, it keeps a bit more strength. It’s only loaded if the bottom one fails.
Multipitch - on a boulder
A monolith, aka single point anchor that is unquestionably stout, is usually a solid tree, or a large boulder / rock spike. The technique you use depends on the feature. If it's a boulder or rock, you can flip your rope over the top and tie a BHK (Big Huge Knot, an overhand in both strands)
Here, the boulder is quite small. You can also make it around something that's much larger.
Multipitch - on a tree
Walk around the tree, stand in your preferred belay spot, and tie a BHK in both strands. This secures you, and gives you a convenient master point. It can be any sort of a bight knot - here I'm using a butterfly because it's easiest to untie after being loaded, but an overhand works as well..
This method works well when your anchor point might be far back from the edge of the cliff.
If you want to keep your anchor point potentially higher, and maybe avoid getting tree sap on your rope, you can pass a sling around the tree and clip the rope to that instead. (Tree sap on your rope sucks, ask me how I know.)
Multipitch - stand farther from the anchor
Tie a double strand bight knot. Here it's a bunny ears figure 8, could also be a bowline on a bight.
Clip each loop to two adjacent bolts.
On the backside of this knot, tie a butterfly as a masterpoint, and belay from this. This works well if you want to stand a ways back from the bolts to belay.
This works with any solid two piece anchor: bolts, very good gear, ice screws, etc.
Multipitch - on a tree with a bowline
If it's a tree and for some reason you can't walk around it, you can tie a double strand bowline.
What about the Connecticut tree hitch?
Some people might choose the Connecticut tree hitch as a tree anchor on a multipitch.
I'm not a big fan. Here's why.
The right way to tie this knot looks very similar to the wrong way. If you tie it wrong, you could have an instant catastrophic failure mode, probably killing both you and your partner. So, I choose not to teach or advocate this on my website. If you're curious, do a web search.
When you extend your tie in point with a rope anchor, what's a trick so you have the exact right length of rope, every time?
Want to see a couple of “UK style” rope anchors, one with a masterpoint and one without?
What’s a way that you can block lead when you have a rope anchor? (Hint, it's not untying from the end of the rope.)
What's a method to fix a rope to a pair of anchors with a double loop knot, no carabiners required?
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Use your climbing rope as a “cordelette” anchor
Do you need to set up a fixed rope with a single strand, and have anchor points that are spread apart and/or far back from the edge of the cliff? Here's a clever technique that uses your climbing rope as a sort of cordelette.
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British climbing expert Andy Kirkpatrick made a recent Substack post about setting up fixed ropes for rappelling. His article had an interesting diagram I'd never seen before.
image: Andy Kirkpatrick, shared with permission
Andy's somewhat cryptic caption: “Cordelette method using the end of the static rope.”
Now, I've (thankfully) never made a five point anchor in my life, but this was a new #CraftyRopeTrick for me, so I had to play around with it.
I'll admit I was a little skeptical, but . . . hot damn, it works!
There are some other techniques (see below) that work well for two anchor points that are close together.
However, Andy's method really shines if:
you have more than two anchor points, and/or,
the anchor points are far apart, or far back from the edge of the cliff
Here's how to rig it a “rope as cordelette” anchor, step-by-step.
(To make a clear example, here the anchor points are close together. In the real world, they could be quite far apart or spread out.)
1 - Tie/clip the end of the rope to one anchor point.
2 - Clip the rope to one or more additional anchor points.
3 - Pull down the strands to make a sort of “W” shape.
4 - Tie a overhand with ALL the strands (aka “BHK”, or Big Huge Knot) to make a master point.
At this point, you might be tempted to rappel on that single strand of rope that's coming out of the knot. But that wouldn’t be a great idea, because that loads the knot in a weird way, and doesn’t apply your weight properly to the master point.
There are a couple of additional steps that cleverly solve this problem, read on!
5 - KEY MOVE: tie a butterfly (or other bight knot) in the strand coming out of the knot, with a fair bit of slack between the butterfly and the BHK.
6. Clip a large locking carabiner to the BHK master point.
Clip the butterfly to the master point. Give yourself a high five, you're done!
Now you can rappel single strand with the masterpoint properly supporting the load.
What are some other general tips about this method?
How does it work with two anchor points instead of three?
Want to see a more traditional way to fix a rope on two anchors?
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Climbing Tips: Do THIS, not THAT (Part 10)
A series of quick tips on best practices, with links to my detailed articles. This post covers: perpendicular anchor hardware, butterfly for big loads, best bail hardware, caution on slab rappels, and a crevasse rescue Traxion tip.
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In this article:
Make anchor hardware perpendicular to the rock
Got a big load? Use a butterfly
Bail on a carabiner, not a quicklink
Don't trap the rappel rope ends under a strand
Crevasse rescue - remove snow under your pulley
1 - Make anchor hardware perpendicular to the rock
If you're installing anchors, or improving an existing one, try to rig it so the bottom quicklink, ring, or chain is perpendicular to the rock. Doing this means the rope has less twists and friction when you're pulling it.
Avoid rigging anchors with a standard bolt hanger and single quick link. This rigging makes the quicklink lie flat against the rock, which will probably make the rope much harder to pull, and can cause some nasty rope twists. If you come across an anchor like this, you can add a couple of rings or 8 mm quicklinks to improve it.
The preferred anchor above on the left can still cause rope twists, because there's not a single lowering point. Even better: the anchor below, where the two chains come together to form a single lowering point.
Wondering about those horizontal hangers with a single welded ring? This is why. The horizontal hanger makes the ring perpendicular to the rock, giving you a nice smooth pull.
2 - Got a big load? Use a butterfly
Got a big load? Tie it off with a butterfly instead of a figure 8, or even worse, an overhand. It’ll be much easier to tie after it gets loaded. (Remember this one next time you need to lift El Puerco!)
3 - Bail on a carabiner, not a quicklink
Don't be an inconsiderate knobhead and leave a quicklink behind when you need to bail off a climb. Leave a carabiner instead.
If you're nervous about lowering from one standard carabiner, you can tape the gate closed to make a “cheapskate locker”. Leave a little tab of folded tape so it's easy for the next person to remove.
Quicklinks, even stainless steel ones, can rust or become corroded and be very hard to open for the next person who is unlikely to have a wrench. If you clip a quickdraw over a quicklink that's already on a bolt, and then you fall on that draw, it's possible to put enough leverage on the carabiner to break it, which has happened.
Yes, you may spend an extra on that carabiner instead of a quicklink. Look at it as a bit of a financial punishment for your ambition exceeding ability. Also, think of it this way: the next person on that route will be much happier to find a carabiner on that bolt than a quicklink.
Want to learn how to avoid a stuck rappel rope on low angle rock?
What's a simple trick to keep snow from jamming in your progress capture pulley?
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DIY ascending stirrups
The traditional way to ascend a rope on a big wall is with your ladders. However, there's a lighter weight, simpler, and less expensive option - stirrups. Here's a simple way to make your own.
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Back in the day, I saw a slideshow by the great Hans Florine of his Yosemite big wall speed climbing exploits.
If memory serves, there were a few slides showing him jumaring amazingly fast up fixed ropes on El Cap, using only a length of 1 inch webbing between the ascenders and his feet, rather than the standard aid ladders.
That’s simple, lightweight, and inexpensive, three things every climber should like!
Here's how you can make some “aid stirrups” for the second to clean the route.
Typically, ascending a rope on a big wall is done with the ladders that you use for leading, but stirrups have several advantages, as I cover in this detailed article.
Personally, I’m a fan of these sweet stirrups made by Skot's Wall Gear.
But like I said, if you want a DIY, low cost version to start or experiment with, you can try this setup.
Begin with about 16 feet / 5 meters of 1 inch tubular webbing. (This makes 2 stirrups. If you're tall, buy more webbing, it's cheap.)
Tie a small overhand loop in each end. (In the photo above, my loops are a little too big; you could go slightly smaller.)
Clip one loop to your ascender with a non-locking carabiner.
Push a bight of webbing through the other overhand loop. This bight becomes an adjustable loop that cinches down down on your foot when you weight it.
Don't cinch these knots down tight yet. Practice on a fixed rope to get the length dialed in. You are almost certain to make some small adjustments to the length, so be patient with this. Have some needle nose pliers on hand if the overhand knots need encouragement to loosen up.
Here’s what it looks like prior to lift off. Handled ascender clipped to rope, non-locking carabiner clipped to ascender, small overhand loop of stirrup clipped to the carabiner.
Required but not shown for clarity:
Tether connecting your harness to the ascender with a locking carabiner
Second ascender, carabiner, stirrup, tether and locker for your other foot
Why do you want to color-code your stirrups?
Why does one need to be longer than the other?
How can you be sure that overhand knot never comes untied?
What's a key technique for efficient rope climbing?
Want to see a video of expert ascending technique from a speed climb on the Nose?
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Anchors: Do you need lockers everywhere, all the time?
A topic of much debate among climbers: do you need locking carabiners on every component, of every anchor, all of the time? Let's take a closer look.
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Many people (including some highly qualified guides) advocate for locking carabiners on every component, of every anchor, all the time.
Do you really need to do this?
(To be clear, we're talking about recreational climbing and not professional riggers, rope access, arborists, etc.)
As a broad generalization: most American climbers think you don't, and many European (British?) climbers apparently think you do.
In some situations, like setting up an “all-day” top rope, lockers everywhere might be a good idea.
But for standard multipitch climbing, I feel it's usually unnecessary.
Imagine the following scenario:
You’re multipitch trad climbing with a rack of cams.
Each cam has its own non-locking racking carabiner clipped to it.
At the top of your pitch, you find a nice crack.
You place three cams to build your anchor.
You take out a sling to build your anchor.
What happens next?
Ignore the racking carabiners, and take three extra lockers and add those to the cams. (Or maybe fiddle with the racking carabiners, removing one and adding it to another cam to make opposite and opposed carabiners, etc.)
Use those convenient racking carabiners to build your anchor!
Keep in mind, if your partner did the same thing on the previous pitch, that means you're both carrying 6+ extra lockers!
A conservative approach would be #1; adding lockers to each cam.
However, for me, #2 is completely acceptable.
Why is it okay to use non-locking carabiners on a multipitch anchor?
If you don't have lockers, and you want some extra security, what are some things you can do?
What's my go-to lightweight locker?
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Transformers! Your ATC belay device is also an ascender
Your ATC Guide or similar plaquette-style belay device is great for belay and rappel, but can also be rigged as an ascender. Learn how here.
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Note - This post discusses techniques and methods used in vertical rope work. If you do them wrong, you could die. Always practice vertical rope techniques under the supervision of an experienced climber, and ideally in a progression: from flat ground, to staircase, to vertical close to the ground before you ever try them in a real climbing situation.
This is an updated version of a previous article on this topic.
First off, a few disclaimers and cautionary notes . . .
Using a belay device in this manner is not explicitly approved by any manufacturer, as far as I know. Alpinesavvy offers ideas and information, not advice. Use this at your own risk. Instruction from a qualified professional is highly recommended when learning any new belay technique.
This technique can FAIL if you use a skinny rope and a large belay device!
I was easily able to put this into failure mode with a single strand rappel using an old style Black Diamond ATC Guide, and an 8 mm rope. Under even a small load, the rope strands can become inverted. This causes them to either jam together and you can't move the rope at all, or even worse, the strands become reversed, and you will fall / slide under load. Be sure and test this in a controlled environment with your preferred rope and belay device before you ever try it for real!
This is why you should NEVER use a Reverso style device like this to rope solo!
If using a skinny rope, be extra careful. Matching your ropes to the proper size belay device is always important, especially in this case. Consider using a device such as the Black Diamond ATC Alpine Guide, specifically made for smaller diameter ropes. You’ve been warned, be careful.
A primary rule of rope ascending: always be connected to the rope by two points. These examples show a single point of connection. The second point can be a backup knot below the device, or a tether of some kind from your harness to a friction hitch above you, that you might be using for your foot.
Guide plate (aka “plaquette”) belay devices, such as the DMM Pivot, Black Diamond ATC Guide and Petzl Reverso, are standard gear. The auto locking feature when belaying your second directly off the anchor has another nifty capability: rope ascender.
You don’t want to use this for multi pitching rope ascending, like on a big wall climb, because it adds extra friction and it’s not quite as secure as a dedicated ascending system. But, for improvised rope climbing, such as in a rescue scenario, or if you find you need to ascend a rappel rope for some reason, this is a pretty cool trick.
A few notes . . .
Doing this is usually faster than the old school method of ascending a rope with two prusik loops.
The effectiveness of this system, and the ease that you can ascend, greatly depends on the type of belay device you are using, the rope diameter, how old/stiff the rope sheath is, and other variables. Generally, if you have a newer smaller diameter rope with a smoother sheath, this is going to be easier. If you have a newer style belay device made for smaller diameter ropes, and and try this with a crusty, stiff-sheath 10mm rope, you will have a L O T of friction and hassle pulling the rope through the device.
Practice, practice, practice in a controlled environment before you ever try this in the real world.
If you’re on lower angle terrain, you might just be able to step up on the rock and pull slack through your device. If it's steeper, you'll probably need to rig some kind of a step for your foot, which I cover in this tip.
There are two possible scenarios for this:
Starting from a ledge, flat ground or otherwise secure stance
When you’re already on rappel
Let's look at each one.
Method 1 - Rigging to ascend from a ledge or flat ground
Let’s start with the easiest set up, and assume you’re on the ground or a ledge and have a rope you need to climb. This rope can be a single strand or a double strand. (Hopefully this is obvious, but this rope needs to be fixed in some way at the top anchor, either directly tied, or looped through an anchor point like a standard rappel. )
You rig your belay device just like you would to belay up your follower directly off the anchor, and clip the “anchor” carabiner to your belay loop. One locking carabiner goes in the “ear”, which you would clip to the anchor master point (here, the green one), and one locking carabiner blocking the rope the rope (here, the yellow one), goes to your belay loop.
Note: this system works a bit better if the rope blocking carabiner is round metal stock, rather than some weight shaving I-beam type construction. The rope slides more easily and there’s a bit less friction on the rounded metal. If you have one, use it, if you don’t, no biggie.
Standard set up, just like you would for a direct belay from the anchor (green carabiner would clip to masterpoint, yellow carabiner blocks the rope, the strand to the “climber”, here the anchor, is always on the top.)
Now, clip the green carabiner to your belay loop. If you sit back in your harness, the rope should lock off.
Method 2 - Rigging to ascend while on rappel
Hopefully this won’t happen very often, but sometimes when rappelling, you need to go back up the rope. Maybe you missed the anchors, or maybe the rope got stuck above you, and you were careless and went below it without untangling the mess. Whatever, it doesn’t really matter, you were rapping down and now you need to climb up. Here’s how to do it.
There’s two different ways this can be rigged. It depends on whether you’re rappelling from an extended rappel or from your belay loop . An extended rappel is easier and safer; lots more on extended rappels at this Tip.
Let’s look at each one.
First off, when you’re doing any shenanigans like this way off the deck, tie a hard backup “aka “catastrophe knot”) in the rope below you.
This is an overhand on a bight in both strands, clipped to your belay loop. This is insurance; if you screw up any part of the next couple steps, you’re not going to fall to the ground. So do this first.
If you were rapping with an autoblock, going hands-free to do this is easy. If not, use the old-school #CraftyRopeTrick of wrapping the rope a few times around your leg to go hands free.
“Catastrophe knot” - Overhand on a bight in both strands, clipped to your belay loop with a locker.
Note: Both these methods require you unweight your rappel device for a moment. Hopefully you can find some kind of a stance where you can temporarily unweight the rope. If you can’t do this, you’ll have to get creative. Add a short prusik plus a foot loop and standing in it, or use the #CraftyRopeTrick of wrapping a few loops of rope around your foot and standing up, temporarily unweighting your rappel device.
Note: For clarity, the catastrophe knot backup is not shown in the following photos.
A - Rappelling from an extended rappel and transitioning to rope ascending (easier and lower risk method)
An extended rappel makes this method safer, because you don’t need to unclip your rappel carabiner as described below in method B. When you do this for the first time, you might actually amaze yourself, because it’s so fast and easy, it almost seems like a magic trick.
The extended rappel rigging shown below, with a basket hitched 120 cm sling, is one of various ways to do it. The extended rappel is covered in depth here.
(For clarity, this photo doesn’t show an autoblock backup below the rappel device. If you only have a short way to ascend, you can leave it on. For a longer climb back up the rope, it's probably better to take it off, as shown in the video below. )
1 - Rig an extended rappel (The method shown below, a basket hitched 120 cm sling, is one of many ways you could do it.)
Step 2: Clip a locking carabiner into the “ear” on your rappel device.
Step 3: Unweight your device using one of the methods mentioned above, and clip the locker on the “ear” to your belay loop. Note the gold carabiner and blue rap extension sling stay attached the whole time.
Schweeeeeet, you’re ready to ascend!
Your extension gives you enough slack for the blocking carabiner to properly work. Nice! One more reason to use an extended rappel.
Bonus: one more cool thing about this method: if you want to transition back to rappel, simply unclip the blue carabiner from your belay loop and you’re back into rappelling position.
Want to see a nice tutorial video on how rig this AND ascend the rope?
How about the trick to doing this on rappel when you don't have an extension. and why you need to be really careful?
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5 differences: old and new Petzl Connect Adjust
The Connect Adjust is the original dynamic rope adjustable personal lanyard / tether. Petzl recently came out with a new version; here’s the scoop on all the upgrades.
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Petzl introduced the Connect Adjust tether / lanyard in 2015. It was an innovative product (and popular enough that most major manufacturers have since copied it.)
In 2025, Petzl introduced Connect Adjust 2.0, so let's check it out.
First off, why use a tether in the first place?
Whether it's DIY from a sling or a ready-made one like this, a tether is needed primarily when you need to clip yourself to something, and the rope is either under tension, you don’t have one, or you’re not tied into the end.
Here are a few reasons (off the top of my head,I'm sure I'm missing a few.)
Clipping an anchor when transitioning to setting up a top rope or a rappel - Yes, you can do this with other tools, but the Connect Adjust is simple, solid, stretchy, easily adjustable and distinctly different from anything else you're carrying. This can make it easier to use, especially for beginners.
Route setting and route development - Clipping yourself to ascenders, bolts, fixed lines, etc., while you place holds, drill holes, remove old bolts, etc.
Hangdogging a sport route - While you can chain together a few quick draws to rest on a bolt, it’s usually easier to clip in direct with a tether.
Lead rope solo (LRS) or top rope solo (TRS) - all kinds of scenarios where being able to securely clip yourself to something is helpful.
Aid climbing - The Petzl “Evolv Adjust” is like the Connect Adjust, except it's longer and it comes in a matched pair. This is the modern standard for an aid tether. It’s extremely handy for leading and following overhangs, roofs, traverses, redundant clipping to anchors, rope ascending, easing onto a delicate hook placement, and other big wall dark arts.
Search and rescue teams - All kinds of uses like securing yourself near the door of a helicopter, attaching yourself to a litter with a patient, etc. (or so I’m told; I don't do that kind of stuff. =^)
Climbing in moderate terrain in a larger group - You may be moving along a fixed rope with a friction hitch or two, sort of like a via ferrata. You need a tether to connect to the anchors and possibly to your friction hitches.
Skiing on a glacier - In the Alps, it's common practice to ski unroped, but have a tether attached to your harness and clipped to the top of a backpack strap. If you unfortunately fall into a crevasse, get wedged in it, and can’t access your harness, someone can hopefully drop a rope to you, you can clip it to the tether, and you get pulled out via that. Certainly hope you're never in this situation!
A lot of people like to poop on designated tethers / PAS’s like this, so here’s a word for them.
To be clear, I'm not saying it’s a required piece of gear. Many climbers get along fine using a 120 cm sling for the occasional multi pitch rappel, chaining together a couple of quick draws to clean an anchor, and other minimalist approaches.
However, consider this situation:
Say you're on a multipitch sport climbing route where you need to rappel to get back down. You must have a tether to descend. “Don't bring a Connect Adjust, it's a single use item”, they say.
Well, what kind of tether ARE you gonna use? Probably a 120 cm sling. Guess what? You’re sport climbing, remember? On the way up, that sling is a “single use item” that's not being used for anything. Just sitting there on your harness with a locking carabiner, not helping you at all.
You have to bring something to secure yourself to the anchors on the way down. Why not bring the tool that works the best?
Main changes to the Connect Adjust 2.0:
Added a Dyneema sling for harness attachment, less bulk
Changed the stopper system in the end, more elegant and ergonomic
Went from 9.5 to 9.0 mm rope Petzl Volta, MUCH easier rope feeding
Small change of the angles in the metal part, so it's easier to feed the rope through
Added a “release hole”; if you want, you can tie some cord and carefully pull it so it's releasable under load
Don't know if this was intentional, but the barrel of the carabiner can pass through the metal part, whereas before that couldn’t happen (depending on the carabiner, more below.)
Old style: chunky but serviceable. New style: short bit of Dyneema webbing to connect with a girth hitch to your belay loop, which is lower profile and more compact.
The older version had a functional, but not very attractive chunk of sewn rope as a stopper on the end. The new style has a better looking and slightly more ergonomic rope stopper.
Note that in both of these designs, it's impossible to clip a carabiner to the end. This is good, because you should never do that!
One of the biggest differences in ease-of-use is a slightly smaller diameter rope (Petzl Volta) in the new version: 9.0 mm vs. 9.5. Lots of people cut out the rope on version 1 and replacing it with various flavors of rope, from 8.5 to around 9. (I think Petzl got the hint.) You may not think that half a millimeter can make much difference, but it really does.
Another big change is the addition of a small hole in the new style, through which you can tie some cord. This allows you to release the tether when it's under full body weight, which you couldn’t do in version 1. This does take a bit of practice in a controlled environment, because it tends to go from fully locked up to fully unlocked very quickly, but it's doable.
Another change, that you can't really see it from the photo: the geometry of the aluminum part has been slightly changed to allow much easier feeding of the rope. Between this and the smaller diameter rope, the biggest headache with version 1.0 (hard to feed rope) is solved.
This last one is a head scratcher for me . . .
With the old version, it was impossible to pass the Connect Adjust over the locking sleeve of most carabiners. Combining this with the little rubber stopper thing (more than that below), it was impossible to cross load the device, and so it always was situated happily in the bottom of the carabiner. Seemed like a solid design, good job.
However, I was surprised to discover with version 2.0, you CAN pass the Connect Adjust onto and beyond the sleeve of many carabiners. This creates some potential for cross loading, removes the device from optimal position in the bottom of the carabiner, and in my mind seems kind of . . . wrong?
However, I'm sure the clever Petzl Design Gnomes, who are undoubtedly smarter than I am, did this for a reason. If you know why, please email me so I can be unconfused.
How do I attach the Connect Adjust to my harness?
What carabiner is best for the Connect Adjust?
What's the little rubber stopper thing that comes with the Connect Adjust?
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The “Chamonix” anchor
Here's a flavor of anchor you may find on alpine climbs in Europe: two vertical bolts connected with a piece of cord. Elegant minimalism, or super sketchy? Learn all about the “Chamonix anchor” here.
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Here’s a flavor of series anchor that is apparently quite popular around Chamonix, and at some other European climbing areas. If you encounter one in the wild, it's good to know how to best use it.
(If you're new to vertical anchors, check out my detailed article here.)
The Chamonix anchor is two vertical bolts connected with a tied loop of cord. The bottom bolt has a quick link for rappelling. (Adding a second quicklink or ring to the bottom bolt that would hang perpendicular to the rock would give an easier pull of the rappel rope, but that’s a minor quibble.)
The cord and the top bolt back up the bottom bolt, in the highly unlikely event that the bottom bolt fails. The anchor is redundant, but not equalized.
What do you think? Sketchy as Donald Trump's tax returns, or elegant Euro anchor minimalism?
It's basically the same design as a vertical series chain anchor (below), but with cord connecting the bolts instead of chain. (In my opinion, this is the best anchor design for a multi pitch route.)
Is this chain anchor obviously stronger and longer lasting? Yes!
Is it also heavier, more expensive, and perhaps not as versatile? Also yes!
More on the pros and cons below.
For a multipitch anchor when ascending, equalize the two bolts with a sling.
Would you want to use the Chamonix anchor in a high-use sport climbing area? No; better to use all metal hardware that will last longer.
Where might the Chamonix anchor be suitable?
In a more remote alpine area on routes that don’t get a lot of use.
Where you want to save weight and cost establishing a long multi pitch route.
Hopefully, where the local ethic is that you carry spare cord (and a knife) in the bottom of your pack and replace old ratty anchors as needed.
Keep in mind, there are probably thousands of anchors like this throughout the Alps. Are we hearing reports about them failing? I wonder if a failure of the bottom bolt AND the cord has ever actually happened in real life? I don't know. If you do, send me an email and tell me about it.
It's easy to say, “Always use metal anchor hardware” and never soft goods like this. However, learning from the incredibly wide range of anchors in the climbing world, there might be some cases when the Chamonix anchor makes sense.
On this website, I strive to share information and ideas, and not offer advice or (usually) share my opinion.
Chamonix anchor: Don’t clip the cord
One big potential problem: clipping the single loop of cord, and not building your own anchor or using the bottom quick link. That obviously is not redundant! If the cord is old and crusty, it could break under a modest load, and then you have a complete anchor failure, yikes!
Pros and cons of the Chamonix anchor. . .
Pros:
Low cost
1 meter of 8 mm cord, @ $2, AND one 8 mm quicklink @ $5, total about $7, VS
Four links of stainless steel chain, @ $8, AND two 8 mm stainless steel quick links, @ $5 each, total about $18
Cord is about 2.5x less expensive
Lightweight
40 grams for 1 meter of 8 mm cord, AND 75 grams for one 8 mm quicklink, total 115 grams, VS
190 grams for 15 cm of chain links, AND 150 grams for two 8 mm quick links, total 340 grams
Cord is about 3x lighter
Strong enough - provided the cord is newish and replaced as needed. (See strength test results below.) A good bolt should be good for at least 20 Kn+ each. The 8 mm quick link is rated to 30 kN. The weak link is clearly the cord.
Easier to place bolts in an ideal position in the rock, because you can adjust the length of the cord between them, as opposed to drilling in the spot that's dictated by the lengths of chain that you have with you.
Cons:
Not nearly as strong or long lasting as chain and quick links connecting the two bolts. Soft materials like cord, and especially webbing, can degrade quickly when exposed to the elements, especially sunlight.
Relies on climbers to carry cord with them to replace the old ratty stuff.
As mentioned above, not good to clip the cord, which some people are still gonna do.
Want to see the break test results (with video) for this anchor?
What are some simple ways to increase the strength and security of this anchor?
What about using a hanger with cord-friendly rounded edges?
How about an IFMGA Guide approved alternative to this, that uses no cord?
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What’s a “Universal” piton?
A Universal piton has a sort of a Lost Arrow shape, but with a rounded eye that’s offset. This makes it easier to clip, allows it to cam for more secure placements in cracks, and can be a good problem solver when it comes to alpine rappel anchors.
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CAMP universal piton (with carabiner for size comparison)
I get it - hammerless / clean climbing started about 50 years ago. These days, pitons are used mostly on hard big walls.
However, for certain alpine climbing applications, especially making rappel anchors, sometimes a piton is just the ticket.
You’ll be pretty glad you have one if you're staring at a crack that's smaller than your smallest stopper!
The universal piton (like this one made by CAMP) is a clever design.
Similar in shape to a Lost Arrow piton, the blade is offset about 45 degrees from the head. This makes the piton rotate / cam into a (hopefully) more secure placement when loaded, whether it's a vertical or horizontal crack.
They come in hard steel (black) and softer steel (silver). The hard steel is better in most cases.
Universal pitons seem to be sort of a European thing. I don't think any American company (including the largest piton maker, Black Diamond) makes them.
You can get all different flavors of pitons, including the Universal, from HowNot2.
Because of the head is offset about 45 degrees from the blade, a universal piton rotates / cams into place when loaded in both a vertical and horizontal crack.
What are the downsides of universal pitons?
If you're doing hard big wall climbs, they don't replace standard pitons. (Get some beaks / Tomahawks instead.)
If you're placing them in a roof, or where the sides of the crack are at different depths (sort of like the left photo above) you may not be able to hammer it all the way in.
Some are made of soft metal, which may not hold up so well long-term.
They’re a bit heavy.
They’re a bit expensive, about $30 (spring 2026)
You need something to whack ‘em into place. (Don't have a hammer? You might get away with going caveman on it, with a baseball sized rock.)
Do you want to carry one on every climb? No. However, on a route where you need to maybe make rappel anchors, and especially if you have a hammer with you, you might want to consider it.
PS - don't leave it dangling on your harness at the rock gym . . .
Plus, whacking in pitons is just fun! (When you're practicing, be sure to do it in an area of rock where nobody is ever gonna climb.)
Because of the offset shape, a universal piton usually plays well with most shapes of carabiners, no matter how you clip it.
This makes it a bit easier to use than a more classic angle piton (below), where you usually want to clip it with the gate facing away from rather than toward the piton.
image: vDiff climbing, shared with permission
This is not a great way to clip an angle piton. The carabiner can get torqued and loaded in some strange ways; avoid this.
image: vDiff climbing, shared with permission
Want to see an example of using a universal piton for a rappel anchor?
What’s another size and style of piton that can be extra helpful for alpine climbing?
What are three different types of hammers that you can use to whack a piton?
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How can you safely lower from a crap anchor?
If you must lower off a suspicious anchor, putting a friction hitch on one strand of the rope MIGHT prevent a catastrophic fall if the top anchor were to fail. Here's the scoop on how to rig it, some of the potential problems, and a graphic video demonstration.
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In spring 2026, there was a tragic and fatal accident in Kalymnos, Greece. Short version: a climber reached the top of a route, lowered from a two bolt anchor, both anchor bolts failed, and the climber took a long fall.
Pretty much every climber's worst nightmare, not being able to rely on redundant fixed hardware!
(Yes, the bolts were apparently weakened by the rust and corrosion at this coastal area, and in a perfect world all hardware near the ocean would be corrosion-proof titanium. But that doesn't always happen, and it’s a separate issue.)
Here’s a simple way to test a bolt, rather than just looking at it and hoping.
If you need to lower off an anchor (or a bolt mid-pitch) that looks extremely dodgy, what can you do to reduce your risk?
Here's one method that might, repeat MIGHT, work.
Rig the rope to lower from the anchor as normal.
Tie a friction hitch, probably a three wrap prusik with cord, to the strand of the rope that is going from the anchor down to your belayer.
Clip the friction hitch with a locker to your belay loop.
Call for “take and lower” from your partner below.
As you lower off the anchor, rest one hand above the friction hitch, and slide it down the rope strand. (Gloves are a good idea here, hint, hint.) Clean the gear as you’re lowered.
Now, if the anchor were to completely fail, you should only take a fall down to the next piece/bolt below you, because the prusik isolates the increasingly larger loop of rope that’s being created as you descend. One more reason to carry a prusik when you lead.
(If you did not have the friction hitch, and you have cleaned more than 1/3 of the route, and then the anchor fails, you would fall to the ground.)
Would a fall on this be terrifying? Yes!
Might the prusik melt and damage your rope? Possibly yes!
Are these better than the alternative? Yes!
What are some possible problems with this method?
This best works if you have gear placements below you. If there’s no gear below you, and the anchor fails on a single pitch, you will hit the ground.
If there's no gear below you on a multi pitch, you will take a factor 2 fall. If the anchor fails right after you load it, you'll take a very long factor 2. If it fails close to your partner down below, it will be a short factor 2. (See diagram below.) Either way, it's gonna suck.
You are relying on a thin (5 or 6 mm?) friction hitch cord to reliably grab onto the rope in a significant fall. Could it melt or damage the rope? Maybe.
You need to be guiding the friction hitch down the rope with your hand above the hitch pushing it down, rather than your hand grabbing onto the hitch, which may cause it to not grab the rope properly.
This method pretty much requires the anchors to be vertically in line with each other. If they're not, you’ll probably end up stuck on the rope between the anchor and the belayer. This can also increase the force on the top anchor because the rope is now being tensioned off to the side, which is not ideal.
Want to see a diagram that illustrates this problem of a diagonal route?
How about a video that shows this entire process, including what happens when the anchor fails?
Would a step-by-step diagram from Petzl showing this process, along with testing results, be interesting?
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Climbing Tips: Do THIS, not THAT (Part 9)
Quick tips on best practices, with links to my detailed articles. This post covers: How to clip horizontal ring anchors, be nice to your cams, how to rap from a tree, a caution on the HollowBlock, and why to avoid the flat figure 8 bend.
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In this article:
Horizontal ring anchor? Clip the rings
Treat your cams nicely - wrap with a sling or strap
Tree rappels: Don’t rap directly from the tree
Avoid girth hitching a sling to a Sterling HollowBlock
Use the Flemish bend, not the flat figure 8 bend
1 - Horizontal ring anchor? Clip the rings
The horizontal hanger with a welded ring is a nice minimalist approach to anchors, because the ring hangs perpendicular to the rock. This minimizes friction and rope twists when you pull your rope.
Apparently, there’s still debate as to where you should clip a horizontal ring anchor: the hanger, or the ring?
Clipping the ring is best practice. Why?
Clipping the ring is fast, convenient, and ensures your carabiner doesn't get twisted in some odd way.
The ring is absolutely strong enough. Typically these are 10 mm stainless steel; I've seen break testing on over 90 kn!
Your aluminum carabiners are never going to damage the much harder stainless steel ring. It's like using a plastic ice scraper to get snow off your car windshield; your windshield will never get scratched.
Clipping to the rings gives plenty of room above your carabiners for someone else who might be rappelling to use the anchor. If you clip the hanger, that often interferes with someone else who may need to rappel through you.
To be clear, if you do clip the hanger, and your carabiner is hanging properly without getting torqued in some weird way, there's nothing catastrophically wrong with it. Having said that, I want to point out that clipping the ring is considered best practice, and to counter the common objections.
The new style hanger/ring from Fixe can’t even fit a big carabiner!
Fixe, the Spanish company who is the main manufacturer of this flavor of anchor, recently (2025?) changed the design.
The new design has a hanger that can't even fit a larger carabiner. So . . . There’s only one place to clip, and that's the ring!
The manufacturer designed their product to pretty much force you to clip to the ring. What does that tell you?
Check out the photo below. The new version is on the right. As you can see, there's barely room to clip a carabiner in the hanger. (Smaller ones fit, larger ones don't.)
Yes, I do buy all this hardware to nerd out on it and give you the scoop so you don't have to wonder . . .
2 - Treat your cams nicely - wrap with a sling or strap
When you put cams in your pack, clip them to a long-ish sling, let them all hang down together, and then wrap either the sling around them (or my preference when I remember it) a ski strap.
The trigger wires are delicate, and can be damaged or even broken if you casually toss all of your rack into your pack and then cram more stuff on top of it.
3 - Tree rappels: Don’t rap directly from the tree
When rappelling from a tree, it’s usually best to use use cord or webbing for an anchor, rather than rapping directly from the tree.
Reasons:
The friction from the tree bark can make it very hard to pull your rope!
Pulling your rope can damage the tree.
If it’s a conifer tree, you might get tree sap on your rope, no fun.
In some situations, such as if you don't have any anchoring material, and/or the tree has smooth bark, it can be acceptable to rappel straight off the tree. But generally, it's not best practice.
Want to learn a specific caution from Sterling about clipping their HollowBlock?
What are the potential problems of using a flat figure 8 to join two rope ends? What are some situations when you might want to use a Flemish bend?
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Rope blocks 101
A rope block (aka Reepschnur), is a technique where you block one strand of your rappel rope to prevent it from running through the anchor. This lets you do a single strand rappel on the other side. Conceptually it's pretty simple. In reality there are some nuances, and definitely some ways to lethally screw it up. Learn them here.
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Note - This post discusses techniques and methods used in vertical rope work. If you do them wrong, you could die. Always practice vertical rope techniques under the supervision of a qualified instructor, and ideally in a progression: from flat ground, to staircase, to vertical close to the ground before you ever try them in a real climbing situation.
This article was written with collaboration from Ben Wu, AMGA Certified Rock Guide. Connect with Ben at www.benwu.photography.
This is an updated version of a previous article on this topic.
Rope block. Knot block. Carabiner block. Static block. Reepschnur.
They all mean pretty much the same thing: creating an obstruction on one strand of your rappel rope, that cannot be pulled through the anchor master point.
The rope can slide freely in ONE direction, but not in the other.
Doing this lets you rappel a single strand on the “fixed” strand of rope.
Main climbing application: it allows a full length retrievable single rope rappel; you carry less rope and weight.
To retrieve your rope, typically you use a lighter line such as a 6 mm pull cord (like the Petzl PURline) on the free running strand of rope.
Like everything in climbing, there are some definite pros and cons to this technique. If you’re considering using it, it's good to be aware of all of them. So let's get into it!
Conceptually, it's pretty simple. In practice:
There are some subtleties to doing it correctly.
There are some downsides to it even when you do it correctly.
If you screw it up, you could die or get your rope hopelessly stuck.
For these reasons, I consider it an advanced technique that you absolutely should practice with a qualified instructor. And, even when you’re confident with it, I feel it should generally not be part of your regular practice. It can definitely get you out of a jam in certain situations, but there are enough moving parts that I feel it's not a routine technique for most recreational climbing situations.
Here are articles on two closely related techniques that use rope blocks:
Not to dwell on the potential problems, but here are two reports of fatal accidents from rope blocks gone wrong:
First off, let's be clear on the Golden Rule of a rope block: it absolutely, positively cannot pull through the rappel hardware.
If you have not closed the system by attaching the pull side of the rope to the rappel side of the rope and the block pulls through the hardware, you will probably die.
If you have closed the system and the rope pulls through, your rope will probably be hopelessly stuck.
Take a close look at the anchor hardware and the diameter of your rope. If there is the slightest chance that you think the blocking knot could pull through the anchor hardware, then don’t use a knot block! (Consider a carabiner block instead, more on that below.)
There are really only a few times in recreational climbing when you might want to use a rope block.
You’re using a pull cord to do full length rappels. In this case, a rope block is pretty much mandatory. (Yes, there are some advanced ninja rope tricks like using a Stone hitch and a Fiddlestick to use a pull cord a different way, but we're not gonna get into that here.)
Your rope is too short to make the rappel. Lower your partner to the next station, make a rope block, and then extend” the “pull” side of the rope with whatever extra cordelette, slings, etc. until your DIY extension reaches the next anchor station.
There are two other situations where people often think they need a rope block, but there are other techniques you can use instead.
You damaged your rope and need to rappel. You rappel on the good half of the rope and use the damaged half of the rope with a knot block as a pull cord. To avoid doing this, you can do a counterbalanced rappel, read about it here.
If both partners have a Grigri, and you both need to rappel. It's pretty unlikely that both partners will have Grigris and not a tube device, but I suppose it could happen. You could use the counterbalanced rappel technique described just above. If one person has a Grigri and the other person has a tube style device, there are lots of other options for getting both people down without using a knot block, see some of them here and a photo example below.
Potential problems of a rope block (and pull cords)
The big one was already mentioned, but it's worth saying again: if the knot pulls through the hardware, the entire system fails and you die, or your rope gets stuck.
You’re adding an extra knot and carabiner to your system, which are two more things that can potentially get snagged when you're pulling your rope.
There are increased steps and complexity, which can increase the chances of making a mistake. This is especially true because for most people, this is a non-standard system that doesn’t get used regularly. See accident reports at the top of the page.
If you're using a lighter weight pull cord, if you pull your rope and it gets snagged after the end of the climbing rope is out of reach, you only have a pull cord in your hands to deal with the problem. Not good.
Maybe you forget what side to pull, whoops. It can be good practice to establish which side you block and which side you lower off of and do this pretty much all the time. For example. “L”=Left=Lower, and “R”=Right=Retrieve.
If you're doing multiple rappels, you can’t do the standard trick of feeding the pull strand through the bottom anchor and then pulling the rope. Why? Because you’re pulling the skinny cord, but the thick rope needs to be the one through the anchor. This means you have to re-rig the entire system at each rappel station, which takes additional time.
Yarding on a 6 mm rope can be rough on your hands. Consider adding a Tibloc or Micro Traxion on the pull cord to make the pulling easier. Gloves are recommended.
Pulling the rope can be significantly harder, because you don’t have a counterbalanced weight on the pulling strand to assist your pull.
You’re rapping on a single strand of rope, which might be uncomfortably fast. Be sure you know some ways to add friction to your rappel.
If you keep the safety carabiner clipped when you pull, it can add a significant amount of extra friction, making your rope pull more difficult. This can be especially true on a low angle slab.
If you keep the safety carabiner clipped when you pull, sometimes the ropes can more easily twist together, which can cause your ropes to get stuck.
If you keep the safety carabiner clipped when you pull, you've essentially created a closed loop that you then need to pull down. If the two sides of the rope making this loop happen to go on either side of some rock spike, boulder, shrub, ice blob, etc., the loop is going to get caught when you pull down your rope, causing your rope to get stuck. This is probably difficult to visualize, so check out the photo below. (Yes, it’s a flower pot, but I think you get the idea . . . =^)
Rope block backups, pros and cons . . .
It's good practice to backup a rope block by clipping the blocking knot onto the rappel strand with a locking carabiner. In the unlikely event of the block pulling through the hardware, this will save your life.
The backup stays in place for everyone except maybe the last person.
If the block is closely inspected after being fully loaded, and you are 150% sure that it cannot pull through the hardware, then the last person has the option of removing it. In many cases, this is a good idea.
Removing the block for the last person eliminates several of the problems mentioned above.
This is a call that the last person gets to make. (Like most everything in climbing, this is a subjective choice, and not a black and white rule.)
What’s the best anchor hardware for a rope block?
Small-medium size quick links, chains or small rappel rings are the most secure hardware for knot blocks. The openings are small and it's pretty much impossible for a blocking knot to be pulled through them.
Lots of people like to hate on carrying quick links, but this can be an outstanding time to use one. Keep in mind that a 5 mm, stainless steel, CE approved, 25 kN rated quicklink from CAMP costs about $6 and weighs just 22 grams. So weight, cost, and strength are not issues with carrying quick links, provided you get the right ones.
Some not-so-great hardware for a knot block would be a carabiner or Mussy hook. These have larger openings and greatly increase the chance of the knot pulling through. Remember, the knot will shrink as it’s loaded.
Nice diagram from the superb Petzl website. Small quicklink on the left, probably good. Large ring on the right, bad, the knot could pull through.
image: https://www.petzl.com/US/en/Sport/Multi-pitch-rappelling-with-a-single-rope?ProductName=PUR-LINE-6-mm
What about a carabiner block?
Will the blocking carabiner get damaged when I pull the rope?
What knot should I use for the block?
What about rapping with a Grigri, don't I have to use a block to do that?
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There you have it: my thoughts on the pros and cons of rope blocks.
Under ideal circumstances with proper anchor hardware, they can work pretty well. But as you can see, there are a lot of subtleties to doing it correctly.
Once again: I consider this an advanced technique that I highly recommend you practice in a controlled environment with a qualified instructor before you ever try it in the wild. Choose wisely, my friends.
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?