Premium Member Bonus Articles

 

Every month I publish several bonus articles. These are for Premium Members only.

Here's a summary.

Do screamers really work?

The “screamer” load limiting sling is the climbing gear with the coolest name. It's designed as sort of a shock absorber, used when placing questionable trad or aid gear. Do they work? Here's some break testing on how well they actually function.

Rope gets stuck belaying second; what’ya do?

Scenario: a leader is bringing up their partner on a multipitch, and the rope between them somehow gets stuck. How would you solve this? Here's one way.

Fixed point belay - step by step changeover

The fixed point belay has several advantages for belaying a leader. Here's a nice series of diagrams from Austrian guide Jürgen Reinmüller showing a simple way to transition from bringing up your partner to leading out on the next pitch.

Get to know your LCO (Local Climbing Organization) 

In your favorite climbing area, there's probably a small group of dedicated volunteers with one goal: trying to put in good hardware to keep you safe. Find out who these fine folks are and support them in whatever way you can.

A simple, strong alpine anchor

Check out this elegant alpine anchor from IFMGA Guide Marc Hanselman. While no anchor is perfect for every application, in the right rock type this one is pretty sweet.

Slick progress capture hauling system with a Tibloc

The Petzl Tibloc is great as a micro ascender for going up a rope. But did you know you can also use it as a progress capture in a hauling system? Here’s a slick way to set it up that's compact, efficient, and uses some fairly common gear.

How does the “Twist Test” reveal sketchy bolts?

In a perfect world, every bolt that you clip would be 100% reliable. Unfortunately, as a recent tragic accident in Greece has shown, even a two bolt anchor is not always trustworthy. Here's a quick field check you can do that goes beyond a visual check.

Multi pitch efficiency: Leader organizes the rack

On a long multi pitch climb, saving a few minutes at every belay transition can really make a difference at the end of the day. Here's one easy way to do this. (Yes, the little things add up!)

Petzl Traxion - failure to grab the rope

Progress capture pulleys like the Petzl Traxion are excellent pieces of gear, that are solid and reliable in most situations. However, in these examples, it can fail to grab. Watch the videos here. And read that Petzl manual!

The better hanging belay: improvised foot stirrups

Are you multi pitch climbing a steep route without much of a ledge at the belay? That hanging belay is probably gonna hurt a bit. Here's an easy way to make it suck a little less.

Block or swing: What's your leading strategy?

Learn some of the pros and cons to both block and swing leading.

Crevasse rescue - remove snow under your pulley

How can you keep snow from getting jammed in your Traxion pulley? Here’s a simple solution.

“Top to bottom” rappel safety check

Do long, complicated “safety check” acronyms have you scratching your head, when you should be paying attention to your climbing systems? Yeah, me too. Here’s a rappel safety check method that might make a lot more sense.

Autoblock tip: make a twist to fine-tune friction

Sometimes your auto block / rappel backup is either too tight on the rope, or too loose and doesn't grab. Here's a quick trick to fine-tune that adjustment so you get a nice smooth rappel.

Why is a Petzl PURline 65 meters?

Most climbing ropes come in lengths that are a multiple of 10, typically 60 or 70 meters. The Petzl PURline comes in a rather odd length of 65 meters. Why is this? I asked Petzl; here's the answer.

What’s the “Low Impact Style” of ice climbing?

While ice climbing might feel more secure when you bury your pick halfway with every swing, doing this has a lot of drawbacks. Edelrid introduces what they call the “Low Impact Style”, a more refined technique. Their real world testing shows that delicate pick placements are stronger than you might think.

Tame that long tether with a slipknot

Good rule in climbing: avoid having anything hanging below your knees, because it'll trip you up. Here's a simple way to shorten up your personal tether, such as a Petzl Connect Adjust - tie a slipknot.

3:1 haul with no friction hitches

Standard 3:1 hauling rigging calls for some sort of a rope grab (like a friction hitch) on the load strand. Guess what: you actually don't need one! Here's how to rig it.

What's the max load you can put on a rappel anchor?

How strong does a rappel anchor really need to be? Good news, not very strong! Here are some real world testing numbers with climbers of different weights, static and dynamic ropes, and various degrees of jumping around.

Revive the waterproofing on your shell layers

Is your shell jacket starting to wet through? Might be time to give it a special wash with some Nikwax (or similar) products. Here's how to do that, step-by-step.

A more secure anchor with no locking carabiners

Need to build an anchor on cam placements, want the security of locking carabiners, but you don't have any? Not a problem if you know this anchor trick.

Dealing with rope twists mid-pitch

The Evil Rope Twist gremlin decided to pay you a visit, and you have a snarled mess of pigtails in the rope in the middle of a multi pitch. Here's how you get those out.

How can a “vector pull” be helpful for climbers?

The vector pull, long a #CraftyRopeTrick for whitewater rescue, has some climbing applications as well. Learn ‘em here.

First rappeller to the ground: untie stopper knot(s)

Does your rappel end on the ground? Those stopper knots in the ends of the rope are no longer needed. The first person down has a simple task - untie ‘em!

Practice rope ascending on a top rope

Proper training for your first big wall involves lots of rope ascending and related skills like cleaning, lowering out, and other rope trickery. Here's a simple way to set up a practice session with you and your partner to always stay secure.

Backup that single strand rappel anchor

Does rappelling off of a single strand of cord give you a warm fuzzy feeling? No, me neither. Here's a quick way to back it up.

Knots decrease sling strength - one may surprise you

Tying knots in any sort of rope or cord decreases the strength of that material. Usually, we think that strength can't be reduced more than about half. But there's one unusual case where you can lose almost 75% of the strength of a sling; check it out here.

Multidirectional gear anchor

It's often helpful for your trad anchor to be able to take a strong upward pull. Here's a fast and simple way to do this with minimal gear.

Redundancy at anchors with a rappel tether

If you’re using a knotted sling or a sewn loop PAS as a rappel tether, here's a simple way you can easily connect to two bolts if you need to. (Redundancy, yeah!)

Two options for rappelling loose rock

Rappelling through a minefield of loose rock is scary! Here are two techniques to hopefully reduce your risk.

How to untie a stubborn knot

Do you have a welded stuck knot that needs to get untied? Before you reach for the pliers, try this.

Hauling systems: “the Rule of 12”

When you're setting up a mechanical advantage hauling system, the “Rule of 12” can help keep your pulling force properly matched with the strength of the gear.

Aid climbing: How to retreat from mid pitch

If you run out of gear, mojo, or daylight on a long aid pitch, you might need to retreat back to your lower belay. Here's how do that with a minimum of risk and hassle.

Big wall gear reinforcement

Yes, your big wall haul bag is already pretty stout, but even heavy-duty gear can benefit from some extra reinforcement. Here’s a straightforward and effective way to strengthen it further.

Chalk weakens your rope - by a lot!

Are you concerned about getting chalk on your rope? I wasn't, until I saw this testing video from Edelrid. Short version, chalk can be bad, and it's a good idea to wash your rope regularly.

Drop proof your pack

When multi pitch climbing, you want to be sure your pack is secure at the belay. Here's a simple way to do that.

Is gate loading an HMS carabiner bad?

Yes, Petzl has a warning about it, and yes, it weakens the carabiner. But, is it something you should worry about? Get the break test results here.

Stuck rappel rope? Try the “rubber band” trick

Yep, stuck rap ropes suck. The “rubber band” is a  #CraftyRopeTrick that can be surprisingly effective to help get your rope moving again.

How much is a kilonewton? A great visual

Next time you're feeling less than thrilled about hanging off of that single sling, here's a good visual reminder of how strong it actually is. It. (Hint: it’ll hold 22 people who probably weigh more than you do. )