Premium Member Expert Videos

 

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Here's a summary.

Rappel rope management tips

Some simple attention to rope management on your rappel can save you lots of time and hassle. Learn these two tips from Ian about lowering your rope instead of tossing the whole thing, and the right way to rig a saddlebag.

Featuring IFMGA Guide Ian Nicholson

Sharing an anchor (going up)

When two teams converge on one anchor, you can have a fair bit of chaos. Or, with the right method and two good bolts, it can be pretty simple and cluster free. Here's a great method I recently learned from IFMGA Guide Dale Remsberg, (thanks Dale!)

Featuring John Godino / Alpinesavvy

Improvised progress capture

A more detailed video covering seven different ways to do an improvised progress capture. (Even if you know this topic pretty well I bet there's a couple here you haven't seen before.)

Featuring John Godino / Alpinesavvy

Two potential failure modes of anchor hooks

Anchor hooks (aka Mussy hooks) are found across the United States, usually on single pitch routes. They have a lot of good qualities, but they're not perfect. This video highlights two failure modes with anchor hooks; with one the rope can come completely off, and the other the rope can unclip from one hook. Learn both of ‘em here.

Featuring John Godino / Alpinesavvy

Two ways to tie the Kiwi Coil

The kiwi coil is a great method for shortening the rope, which often handy in alpine climbing. This video shows two different methods, one for rock and one for glacier travel. (Bonus tip: how to use your sternum strap when tying the kiwi coil.)

Featuring IFMGA Certified Guide Kel Rossiter

1:1 haul with pulley and ascender

Progress capture pulleys such as the Petzl Traxion are great for hauling, but you may not always have one. Here's a way to rig a 1:1 haul with a pulley and an ascender.

Featuring John Godino / Alpinesavvy

Self tending progress capture with carabiner

Those fancy progress capture pulleys are great for crevasse rescue, but sometimes you might not have one. Here's a clever way to make a self-tending friction hitch by adding just a single regular carabiner to the system.

Featuring AMGA Certified Guide Jere Burrell

How to avoid edge loading a carabiner

When loaded over an edge, a carabiner is much weaker.  Here's a little #CraftyRopeTrick to avoid this problem. 

Featuring John Godino / Alpinesavvy

The 2 locker rappel

Did you (or your partner) drop your rappel device? Better have a plan B. One option: the two locker rappel.

Featuring IFMGA Guide Ian Nicholson

The "reverse stack pull down" rappel

The reverse stack pull down - kind of a fancy name for a simple idea. If you have a fairly low angle rappel on a snow slope, where it's gonna be hard to throw your rope without having a tangle, this can be a good trick for the toolbox.

Featuring John Godino / Alpinesavvy

Rock Rescue - Getting to baseline

"Getting to baseline" in rock rescue is the process of a climber, usually a belayer, removing themselves from their belay position and transferring the climber's weight fully onto an anchor. This is a starting point where rescue actions like rappelling, hauling, or lowering the climber can happen. Here’s how to do it from a loaded plaquette belay device.

Featuring IFMGA Guide Karsten Delap

Try the "microline" to avoid stuck rappel ropes

A free falling rappel rope has a greater risk of getting stuck. Instead, you can give it a slow, controlled descent right back into your hands by using a “microline”. (Credit for this concept goes to Andy Kirkpatrick from his excellent book, “Down”.)

Featuring expert alpine climbers Jeff and Priti Wright

Quick hip belay on snow

On a moderate snow slope, sometimes the old-school seated hip belay might be the best choice. It's simple, fast to set up, and uses minimal gear.

Featuring AMGA Certified Guide Jere Burrell

The "knuckle buster" knot pass

The “knuckle buster” knot pass can be a good choice when you know you have a knot to pass through your lowering system. You need to extend your anchor with a short sling, and initially lower from a munter hitch.

Featuring IFMGA Guide Ian Nicholson

Multi pitch rope management tips

If you're block leading on a multi pitch, you can stack the extra rope in butterfly coils (made long to short) and clip them off with a quickdraw or sling. This makes rope management much easier for your partner when they arrive.

Featuring IFMGA Guide Karsten Delap

The "Munter pop" knot pass

Yep, you can pass an overhand knot directly through a Munter hitch when lowering. It looks like a magic trick! This is best used on lower angle terrain.

Featuring IFMGA Guide Ian Nicholson

Improvised harness - cordelette Swiss Seat

The “Swiss seat”, an old-school improvised harness, is typically tied with a long piece of 1 inch webbing . . . which few people carry. Here's an more practical alternative, using a standard cordelette.

Featuring IFMGA Guide Ian Nicholson

Improvised harness - Bowline on coil

The traditional bowline on a coil was a standard technique for more than 100 years, and is still worth learning if you need an improvised harness and only have a rope.

Featuring IFMGA Guide Ian Nicholson

Improvised chest harness with a 120 cm sling

Need to keep an unconscious person upright? Are you aid climbing some wicked horizontal roof and need to take a rest? A chest harness can make these a bunch easier. Here's how to make a quick one with a 120 cm sling.

Featuring IFMGA Guide Ian Nicholson