15
votes
Belaying with a figure 8 plate and weird mode
The small hole clips into your carabiner and the rope goes through the big hole and around the shaft, not through the small hole.
Like this (from Canyoneering USA (CUSA)):
- 9,674
13
votes
Accepted
Is there a utility / method to organize trad gear so that each piece is immediately accessible?
When racking up, you have a spectrum of possibilities between two extremes:
At one end, you could put every single piece of gear on the same carabiner. While the weight savings would be incredible, ...
- 4,179
12
votes
Accepted
How to second a "french free" / A0 move?
Assuming a vertical, as opposed to traversing, route that is not overhanging, you unclip the rope from the piece and then pull yourself up just like the leader did. Once you are high enough above the ...
- 10.7k
12
votes
Accepted
How do UIAA falls add up over time?/When to replace a rope
I am sure there is no simple formula to add everything up as the load of a high factor fall is not increasing linearly. There have been experiments conducted by Pit Schubert in which he tested a rope ...
- 7,020
11
votes
Accepted
What is the best way to place a sling on a rock spike so that it's prevented from lifting off?
Here are some ideas, with the usefulness depending on the terrain and rock quality and the terrain:
Hold it down with an upside-down nut: Place a nut below the spike and clip it to the sling. The nut ...
- 4,447
10
votes
Belaying with a figure 8 plate and weird mode
Please use safety devices as described in the manual and do not just invent your own modes of belaying.
(And ensure your carabiners are screwed close)
The first variant basically is a single ...
- 7,020
9
votes
Has any late-starting climber (36 years old) ever accomplished anything noteworthy?
I've been thinking if it is possible to achieve anything (worthy of mention) for someone who started at [36]
Lee Sheftel started climbing at 33, climbed 5.14a at 59 and 5.13b at 68
Margarita Martinez ...
- 928
8
votes
Efficient technique for handling trad gear?
I don't grab the biner first, I grab the cam first, pretty much as I would if I were placing it, I then unclip the biner from my gear loop with the cam in hand. There's no fumbling with it during or ...
- 53.5k
7
votes
Are nuts and cams less safe if the rock is wet?
The short answer to that is yes - but the real answer is it depends.
If you are climbing on sandstone, this could actually be very dangerous & unethical. The issue with sandstone is that it tends ...
- 510
7
votes
What would be the disadvantage of racking trad gear around the shoulders rather than the harness, if any?
Developing a flexible system for racking your gear
I guess that racking using a particular pack would work in certain specific circumstances, but to me it looks inflexible:
Everything is in a fixed ...
- 11.7k
7
votes
Accepted
Question about climbing in "A Line Across the Sky"
In his book "The Push" he describes this a bit. Most of the time they were using a running belay which means they were climbing at the same time with some pieces of protection in between them to avoid ...
- 7,020
7
votes
What to do when one point in a climbing anchor breaks?
I disagree with the other answer. If you are anchored to 2 "solid" pieces and one fails, you are now in a non-redundant state and your goal should be to resolve that situation as quickly and safely as ...
- 10.7k
7
votes
What is wrong with this belay setup?
I see what is essentially an direct belay but rigged off the harness serving as a pseudo indirect/body belay, you also have a direct clip-in to a third piece as a personal backup.
The good.
You are ...
- 1,323
7
votes
Accepted
Best uses for a twist-lock carabiner
Nobody ever complained of having too many carabiners; you did not waste your money no matter what you do with it right now. Clip it to a stopper knot on the end of your reserve/back-up rope, or use it ...
- 644
7
votes
Belaying with a figure 8 plate and weird mode
please do not use the figure 8 in the manner proposed if you want a much longer life.
there is a fundamental problem with your proposal in that the figure 8 descender is not attached to your body via ...
6
votes
What is wrong with this belay setup?
Your belay is freaking complex. I spent some minutes looking at it and I have a hard time to grasp it in its entirety. A complex belay in itself violates 2 important rules:
A belay needs to be fast ...
- 7,020
6
votes
Accepted
Guide mode ATC with locker to belay loop
I would definitely discourage this. Accidentially releasing the device is dangerous and can lead to fatal incidents. Moreover, releasing the device is rarely needed to my experience. Therefore this ...
- 7,020
6
votes
How do I get cam slings replaced?
The information you need is on the manufacturers website.
We offer servicing for DMM Cams (trigger wires and slings), and Torque Nuts (slings) if they pass a quality inspection. Prior to sending ...
- 1,858
6
votes
Accepted
What would be the disadvantage of racking trad gear around the shoulders rather than the harness, if any?
First of all, racking on your shoulders isn't meant to substitute racking on your belt. Supplementary shoulder racks are meant to provide you with additional racking points for climbs where you are ...
- 53.5k
5
votes
Will aid climbing make you a better trad climber?
In aid climbing the frequency of difficult placements and the length of potential falls essentially determines the grade. Basically anything A2/C2 and up is going to require you to use some ...
- 10.7k
5
votes
Accepted
Abandoning a multi pitch climb
The answer in my mind is simple and straight forward. Leave the minimum amount of gear required to make a good/acceptable anchor everytime. What that looks like will depend on the situation at hand.
...
- 9,678
5
votes
Best uses for a twist-lock carabiner
I've used a twist lock carabiner to secure a water bottle holder or glasses case to a bag. When travelling in a city, this prevents opportunist thieves from easily unhooking the item from my bag.
- 411
4
votes
Abandoning a multi pitch climb
My philosophy when bailing from routes is to first try and escape to an easier route. If that fails try and down climb/down lead. If all else fails, rappel off a single bomber piece. Ideally the ...
- 10.7k
3
votes
Guide mode ATC with locker to belay loop
This is very dangerous, the plastic retaining loop is not load bearing and it can be absent or broken, even if it holds your weight you can cause an uncontrollable fall in your second by simply ...
- 1,323
3
votes
What to do when one point in a climbing anchor breaks?
While I technically agree with Liam's answer, I think there is two reasons why I would act differently: Purely for psychological reasons (personal peace of mind) and to keep redundancy consistent.
...
- 21.7k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible