Search Results for: Knots
Prusik Knots: Different Types Explained
This article about prusik knots is part of the book – The Trad Climber’s Guide To Problem Solving. A prusik (also known as a friction hitch) is a short piece of cord which can be wrapped around your climbing rope to add friction. They can slide up and down easily, but lock around the rope […]
Aid Climbing and Big Wall Gear
Big wall gear: In addition to regular trad gear, you’ll need some specialist stuff to aid climb. Here is a full description of everything you need.
How To Climb a Big Wall – Leading
Check out the full big wall video course, or download the e-book. Step 1 – On BelayBefore you leave the belay (or ground), you’ll need to get set up for the lead. Both climbers tie into the rope and the leader is put on belay, just the same as for any other climb.The figure-8 is […]
How To Climb a Big Wall – The Belay
Check out the full big wall video course, or download the e-book. Setting up a big wall belay is more complicated than a standard trad belay but follows some of the same principles. Belays are bolted on most popular routes which makes this process much quicker.If you’re building a big wall belay from trad gear, […]
How To Climb a Big Wall – Following
Check out the full big wall video course, or download the e-book. Cleaning an aid pitch is different than cleaning a trad pitch. Instead of climbing the rock, you will use jumars to ascend the rope. There are two reasons for this:1) It is much quicker and less strenuous to remove gear when ascending the […]
How To Climb a Big Wall – Hauling (Part 2)
Docking the Haulbag Once the haulbag is at the belay, you’ll need to ‘dock’ it. This means attaching the haulbag to the belay in such a way that it is secure and can also be released easily.Step 1Attach a screwgate to the main anchor point and fasten your docking tether to it with a munter […]
How To Climb a Big Wall – Descending
Check out the full big wall video course, or download the e-book. The same principles are used when descending from a big wall as when descending from a multi-pitch trad route. The only real difference is the added weight you need to take down.Some walls have a walk-off descent, some have sections of fixed ropes […]
How To Climb a Big Wall – Living on the Wall
Check out the full big wall video course, or download the e-book. Portaledge Setups You should position your portaledge in such a way that it is easy to access things from inside your haulbags. The main challenge is usually making the belay wide enough so the portaledge can hang next to the haulbags.Some belays have […]
How To Climb a Big Wall – Fixing Pitches
Check out the full big wall video course, or download the e-book. When to Fix Pitches on a Big Wall It is common to fix ropes on a big wall. Often this is because you’ve climbed the first few pitches and want to have a final night of luxury on the ground before committing to […]
How To Climb a Big Wall – Short-Fixing
Check out the full big wall video course, or download the e-book. To speed up the ascent, some climbers prefer to lead in blocks (the same person leads several consecutive pitches), with the leader short-fixing (self-belaying the first section of each pitch). Short-fixing can be very dangerous if not performed correctly and is not recommended […]
Glacier Travel – Fundamentals
These Glacier Travel articles are part of the book – Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue. Travelling on a glacier is an exciting element of exploring the high mountains. Many alpine rock climbs can only be accessed by travelling across glaciers, or the glacier itself may be the best route to an alluring summit. Before stepping […]
Glacier Travel – Using the Rope
These Glacier Travel articles are part of the book – Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue. It can be tempting to cross a glacier without bothering to get the rope out, especially if it looks easy or if other climbers have crossed without problems before. This attitude is extremely dangerous. Not being roped up will greatly […]
Crevasse Rescue – Raising Systems
This Crevasse Rescue article is part of the book – Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue. Imagine you are travelling on a glacier as a team of two, and your partner in front suddenly disappears down into the snow. Step 1The first and most important thing is to hold the fall. This will not be easy! […]
Crevasse Rescue – Prusiking
This article, ‘Crevasse Rescue – Prusiking’ is part of the book – Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue. Prusiking Out of a Crevasse Falling into the dark, icy depths of a crevasse sounds like a scene from a bad movie or a worse nightmare. But this is a real risk when travelling across a glacier, so […]
How To Coil a Climbing Rope
If you are storing your rope for a while or stuffing it away in a back pack, coiling a climbing rope is worth the effort and will save you lots of time untangling knots that have mysteriously tied themselves in the middle of it. Coiling a Climbing Rope Step 1Hold the middle of your rope […]
Figure-8 on a Bight
‘Essential Knots: Figure-8 on a Bight’ is part of the book – Sport Climbing Basics. The figure-8 on a bight is used for:- Attaching the rope to a belay anchor- Creating a master point in a cordelette or sling- Attaching yourself to the rope when cleaning an anchor How to Tie the Figure-8 on a […]
The Overhand Knot
‘Essential Knots: The Overhand’ is part of the book – Trad Climbing Basics. The overhand knot is useful for:- Creating a master point in a cordelette or sling- Joining ropes for abseiling (rappeling) How to Tie the Overhand Knot Step 1Clip the sling to both bolts and pull the strands down so they are equal. […]
The Clovehitch
‘Essential Knots: The Clovehitch’ is part of the book – Trad Climbing Basics. The clovehitch is a useful knot for attaching the middle of the rope to an anchor, among many other things. They can take a significant load without slipping and are super easy to adjust. How To Tie a Clovehitch Step 1Make two […]
The Girth Hitch
‘Essential Knots: The Girth Hitch’ is part of the book – Sport Climbing Basics. The girth hitch (Larksfoot) is used for:- Attaching slings to your belay loop- Attaching slings togetherStep 1Feed a sling through your belay loop. Step 2Put one end of the sling through the other. Step 3Pull it tight. Strop BendYou can also […]
Sport Anchors – Part 3 of 4 – Cleaning the Anchor
This ‘Clean a Sport Anchor’ article is part of the book – Sport Climbing Basics. Cleaning a sport anchor means removing all of your gear from it. Three of the main ways to do this are described below.Which you choose depends on the type of anchor and whether you plan to lower or abseil. How […]
Sport Climbing – How To Descend
This article is part of the book – Sport Climbing Basics. Lower, Abseil or Walk Off? There are basically three ways to descend; walk off, lower or abseil (rappel). You will either lower or abseil to get down from most sport routes. Your choice largely depends on the type of anchor, how it is positioned […]
Advanced Trad Anchors > Part 2 of 5 > The Sliding-X
This article about the sliding-X knot is part of the book – The Trad Climber’s Guide To Problem Solving. AdvantagesThe main advantage of using a self-equalizing anchor is that it continues to distribute the load equally between the anchor pieces as the loading direction changes. This maintains a lower force on each piece, therefore decreasing […]
Advanced Trad Anchors > Part 3 of 5 > The Quad Anchor
Check out the full self-rescue video course, or download the e-book. The ‘Quad Anchor’ is an anchor system which self-adjusts to keep an equal force on each anchor point. It can be better than other methods of equalizing in certain situations. Advantages- Distributes the load equally between the anchor pieces. This puts less force on […]
Trad Anchors – Part 3 of 4 > Attaching to the Anchor
This ‘Trad Anchor’ article is part of the book – Trad Climbing Basics. You’ll need to attach yourself to the anchor in a way that you can see your partner as they follow the pitch and brace yourself if they fall.Make sure you are positioned in a straight line between the anchor and the climber. […]
Trad Climbing > Accident Prevention
This article about preventing climbing accidents is part of the book – The Trad Climber’s Guide To Problem Solving. The First Bad Decision The vast majority of climbing accidents are preventable. They typically happen due to a series of bad choices. A single bad decision is often not a problem – if you realize it […]
How To Abseil
Abseiling (or rappelling) is a technique used to descend climbing ropes. This article explains how to attach yourself to the anchor, and abseil with an ATC.
Attaching to the Anchor – Slings, Daisy Chains and Common Mistakes
‘Slings, Daisy Chains and Common Mistakes’ is part of the book – Sport Climbing Basics. Attaching to the Anchor: The Top Shelf To free up space at the central point, you can clip in to the ‘top shelf’ of the cordelette. This is useful when:- Belaying in guide mode- Using a redirected belay- There will […]
Self Rescue > Escaping the Belay
Check out the full self-rescue video course, or download the e-book. The belay escape is a technique whereby the belayer frees themselves from the responsibilities of belaying. This fundamental skill is necessary for many rescue situations.Situations when you may need to escape the belay include:- If your partner needs hauling through a crux while following- […]
Self Rescue > Mid-Pitch Retreat
Check out the full self-rescue video course, or download the e-book. Sometimes, a climb may prove to be too difficult, forcing you into a mid-pitch retreat. This is fairly straightforward if you:- Can downclimb- Are less than half a rope length up a pitch- Can reach an anchor by french-freeing, aiding or pendulumingHowever, if you […]
Self Rescue > Rope Soloing
This article, Self Rescue > Rope Soloing, is part of the book – The Trad Climber’s Guide To Problem Solving. Rope soloing is a technique where you belay yourself instead of being belayed by your partner. You can use this technique to lead or top rope belay.More complicated techniques are needed to solo an overnight […]
Self Rescue > Prusiking Up a Rope
Check out the full self-rescue video course, or download the e-book. Knowing how to prusik up a rope transforms a potential epic into a mere inconvenience.This article explains how to ascend a rope using prusiks, assuming that you already know how to tie one. If you don’t know how to tie a prusik knot, you […]
The Munter Hitch – How To Belay Without a Belay Device
This ‘Munter Hitch’ article is part of the book – The Trad Climber’s Guide To Problem Solving. Uses:- Belaying without a belay device- Abseiling without a belay device- Creating a releasable knot when escaping the belayThe munter hitch tends to ‘kink’ the rope when used for abseiling or belaying. It can also cause slight abrasion […]
Abseiling > How To Abseil with a Damaged Rope
Check out the full self-rescue video course, or download the e-book. If you climb long enough, you will inevitably end up having to abseil with a damaged rope at some point. Unfortunately, getting a core-shot (when the white core is visible) seems to be more common on long multi-pitch climbs where the terrain is blocky […]
Abseiling > How To Abseil Past a Knot
How To Abseil Past a Knot is part of the book – The Trad Climber’s Guide To Problem Solving. Times when you might need to abseil past a knot:- When descending a single strand ‘fixed’ rope, where a knot has been tied to isolate a damaged section- Passing a knot joining two ropes during an […]
Abseiling > How to Deal with Stuck Ropes
This article, How to Deal with Stuck Ropes, is part of the book – The Trad Climber’s Guide To Problem Solving. You try to retrieve your ropes after abseiling and they get stuck. What do you do? Stuck Ropes – Prevention If you are about to abseil down complex terrain, consider the following prevention strategies […]
Abseiling > How To Abseil On Two Ropes With a GriGri
Sometimes you may want both hands free while abseiling to do things like clean a route, free a stuck rope or swing under an overhang. Using a GriGri is a safe way to do this. Or maybe you have a damaged rope and still need to abseil. Here’s how to abseil on two ropes with […]
Nylon or Dyneema Slings?
‘Nylon or Dyneema Slings?’ is part of the book – Trad Climbing Basics. Nylon Climbing Slings Usually around 16-20mm wide, nylon climbing slings are much bulkier (and more durable) than lightweight 6-14mm Dyneema slings.This makes them the best choice for situations such as extending a belay device, replacing anchor webbing or attaching yourself to an […]
Improvised Aid Climbing
This article, Improvised Aid Climbing, is part of the book – The Trad Climber’s Guide To Problem Solving. * This article is about using improvised basic aid techniques while trad climbing. To learn more about aid climbing on big walls, see our articles here. Using protection pieces as hand or foot holds is generally regarded […]
The Double Fisherman’s Bend
“Essential Knots: The Double Fisherman’s Bend” is part of the book – Trad Climbing Basics. The double fisherman’s bend is used to tie two ends of equal diameter cord together to make a prusik or cordelette. It can also be used as an alternative to the overhand to join ropes for abseiling. Step 1Loop one […]
The Double Bowline
‘Essential Knots: The Double Bowline’ is part of the book – Sport Climbing Basics. The double bowline is commonly used to secure the end of a rope around a large object such as a tree. It can also be used to tie the rope into your harness. How to Tie the Double Bowline Step 1Wrap […]
