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passthepitonspete
Jun 28, 2003, 9:09 PM
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Registered: Oct 10, 2001
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IN A TEAM OF TWO
Short Fixing and Leading In Blocks will also work well in a Team of Two.
The sequence is as follows, and assumes you're hauling only one pig. Tom and I used this sequence on Bermuda Dunes, though the Leader had to set up two hauling stations since we were hauling two loads.
[*:0a11a67cc6]The Leader arrives at the belay, clips his daisies to the anchors, and shouts, "ready to zip!"
[*:0a11a67cc6]The Seconder, who has had nothing else to do for the last little while, and who has been notified in advance that his Leader is nearing the belay, has prepared the Zip Rack for immediate deployment
[*:0a11a67cc6]The Zip Rack consists [in this scenario] of one cordalette and Power Point Locker, one hauling device and dedicated Hauling Device Locker, the top of the haul line [attached to the Zip Rack with a dedicated Haul Line Locker], and the remaining Zip Line still contained in the Zip Line bag. [You can double the first three things in the above list if you're hauling two loads] Also on the Zip Rack are a few new strong D-carabiners [not] for clipping the bolts - carabiners you know haven't been bashed around too much - and a few spare lockers to use as Transient Lockers on the Power Point. Specifically one of these Transient Lockers is the Lead Rope Jugging Crab
[*:0a11a67cc6]The Seconder attaches the Zip Load to the Zip Line Bag with a designated locker [you]must use a locker as this is a critical link!] and shouts, "up on Zip!"
[*:0a11a67cc6]The Leader pulls the stuff up. This can be easier said than done with two haul lines, two hauling devices, two cordalettes, and a skinny zip line! Expect your fingers to ache and shoulders to burn. Clip the Zip Rack to the anchor, and relax a second
[*:0a11a67cc6]The first thing the Leader does now, if he hasn't done so already, is to clip the strong and new D-carabiners into the bolts. Clip clip clip!
[*:0a11a67cc6]Once the Leader gets the Zip Rack, he sets up the belay with the cordalette, puts on the Power Point Locker, and closes it. Once you put your Power Point Locker on, you close it, and you never open it again. You add Transient Lockers to the Power Point to maintain your Degrees of Freedom
[*:0a11a67cc6]Opening your Power Point Locker and failing to use Transients is a near-guarantee to cause enhosement, a specific form of clusterf*ckage unique to belays, where you are unable to open one carabiner because it is crushed by the weight of another! Use Transients - maintain your Degrees of Freedom
[*:0a11a67cc6]On the Power Point Locker, the Leader attaches two Transient Lockers
[*:0a11a67cc6]The first Transient Locker is the Lead Rope Jugging Locker. The Leader pulls up all the slack in the Lead Rope and "short fixes" the lead rope to the Power Point using the Transient Lead Rope Jugging Crab. Use an alpine butterfly knot - this is much easier to untie than a clove hitch or [shudder] a figure-8 on a bight
[*:0a11a67cc6]The next Transient Locker is the Hauling Device Locker, dedicated to the device
[*:0a11a67cc6]Without undoing the Haul Line Locker from the Zip Rack [so there is no way of dropping the Haul Line - duh] the Leader puts the Haul Line through the Hauling Device, pulls through maybe three or four feet of haul line [just enough to begin hauling] and shouts, "ready to haul!"
[*:0a11a67cc6]Back at the lower belay station, the Seconder attaches the pig to the Haul Line at this point on the Haul Line using an alpine butterfly knot. The Leader does NOT pull up the excess haul line, because the excess Haul Line down below becomes your Lower-Out Line. Get it?
[*:0a11a67cc6]So what I'm saying is, if the pitch is a hundred-and-fifty-feet long, and you have a two-fifteen-foot Haul Line like you should, there will be about sixty-one feet of excess Haul Line [sixty-five feet less the four feet already through the Hauling Device] that you can use as Lower-Out Line
[*:0a11a67cc6]The Seconder puts the excess Haul Line [on the "downstream side" of the pig] through a Locker on the anchor, and puts the excess Haul Line through a Grigri or ATC on his harness. Alternatively you could use a munter hitch, but this will twist your haul line
[*:0a11a67cc6]The Seconder shouts, "take up on Haul Line!"
[*:0a11a67cc6]Up above, the Leader cranks in the excess slack in the Haul Line so it is nice and tight, and then shouts down, "Ready to haul - cut that pig free!"
[*:0a11a67cc6]Down below, the Seconder unties the Load Release Knot in the Docking Tether which releases the pig, and causes it to begin to lower out on the excess Haul Line, which has become the Lower-Out Line. Clever, eh?
[*:0a11a67cc6]The Seconder shouts, "Crabs in Space!" or whatever, cuz when you're on a big wall, it's fun to shout stupid things. The whole exercise is pretty stupid when you think about it - sensible people stay on ground
[*:0a11a67cc6]Once the pig has been lowered out to plumb beneath the upper station, the Seconder drops the excess Haul Line. Make doggon certain that you have no knots in this excess haul line! You now have sixty-one feet of excess Haul Line dangling in space beneath the pig. Be sure to read the caveats below!
[*:0a11a67cc6]At this point, the Leader could begin hauling
[*:0a11a67cc6]But he doesn't. Instead, the Leader leaves the pig to dangle, and begins solo leading the next pitch. He remembers to take the top of the Zip Line with him. It's a Critical Link, so he attaches it to his harness with a designated locker
[*:0a11a67cc6]If the Leader is smarter, richer, and hence better equipped than me, he will be using a juggable 8mm Zip Line [extremely handy for fixing pitches] and which he has prerigged through some sort of Hauling Device [like a Wall Hauler or Mini-Traxion] which is attached to his harness with a designated locker
[*:0a11a67cc6]As the Leader takes off on self-belay, soloing the bottom of the next pitch, the Seconder strips the Lower Belay, and cleans the pitch as quickly as possible, remembering that the Leader is going to need more gear shortly. This is why when you Lead In Blocks, you should have at least a rack-and-a-half
[*:0a11a67cc6]When the Seconder arrives at the upper belay station, he first zips up whatever gear to the Leader that the Leader might need
[*:0a11a67cc6]Next, he begins hauling the pig
[*:0a11a67cc6]At some point, the Seconder and Leader may decide for the Seconder to put the Leader on an assisted belay. Sometimes, though, it's easier for the Leader to continue soloing, while the Seconder hauls the pig
[*:0a11a67cc6]The situation becomes exponentially more complicated when you have two pigs and two haul lines like Tom and I did. In this case, you have to set up two hauling anchors http://[b]Far End Hauler[/b] on your pig ahead of time. This way if the pigs get stuck, the Seconder can haul the pig from the pig since the Leader is busy doing his job, which is leading
So there you have it!
Complicated, eh?
If you're unfamiliar with this, you might consider printing these instructions and taking them with you. [You wouldn't be the first to do so!]
A few words to the wise could eliminate a lot of heartache.
"Carpe swinem!"
Dr. Piton
Note: You can click here for information on Short Fixing and Lead in Blocks in a Team of Three.
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alpinestylist
Jun 29, 2003, 8:42 PM
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Registered: Feb 22, 2002
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Short fixing and hauling don't mix IMHO.
What happens when the pigs are hanging, and all theslack is pulled up in the lead line when the pigs get hung up?
I've short fixed tons, but never hauled except on pitches where you are changing over leaders. The second usually jugs a small pack.
Seems like experience with solo aid helps this process so short fixed leader is comfy.
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passthepitonspete
Jun 29, 2003, 11:36 PM
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Registered: Oct 10, 2001
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In reply to: "What happens when the pigs are hanging, and all the slack is pulled up in the lead line when the pigs get hung up?"
Since the pigs hang plumb, even when all the slack is pulled out of the lead line, the Seconder will eventually be able to reach the pigs, once he has cleaned enough of the pitch. [If he can't reach the pigs because the pitch traverses, he will still have to clean the pitch to reach the pigs and release them, regardless of what the leader is doing]
As mentioned, if there's any chance the pigs will hang up, you might want to have your leader stand by.
But the Better Way in some instances can be to rig your Far End Hauler ahead of time so that the Seconder can do the job on his own, while the Leader does his job, which is to lead.
If you're on low-angle stuff, this can prove difficult. If you're on overhanging stuff, it's a piece of cake. Tom and I have made it work well on both of the above.
It's like anything - you need to practise.
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passthepitonspete
Jun 29, 2003, 11:39 PM
Post #4 of 7
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Registered: Oct 10, 2001
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In reply to: "What happens when the pigs are hanging, and all the slack is pulled up in the lead line when the pigs get hung up?"
Since the pigs hang plumb, even when all the slack is pulled out of the lead line, the Seconder will eventually be able to reach the pigs, once he has cleaned enough of the pitch. [If he can't reach the pigs because the pitch traverses, he will still have to clean the pitch to reach the pigs and release them, regardless of what the leader is doing]
As mentioned, if there's any chance the pigs will hang up, you might want to have your leader stand by.
But the Better Way in some instances can be to rig your Far End Hauler ahead of time so that the Seconder can do the job on his own, while the Leader does his job, which is to lead.
If you're on low-angle stuff, this can prove difficult. If you're on overhanging stuff, it's a piece of cake. Tom and I have made it work well on both of the above.
Scorched Earth climbs the steeply-overhanging Southeast Face of El Cap. After I dropped Tom's pig, and we were in danger of running out of food and water, we quadrupled our leisurely one-pitch-per-day pace using the method outlined above.
We were later told of a conversation that occured in the Meadows:
"Hey! What happened to Tom and Pete? They're gone - they must have bailed!"
"No! Look up! They're almost at the top!"
Note: Just because I can climb fast doesn't mean I have to - at least, not usually.....
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chitlinsconcarne
Jun 30, 2003, 5:13 AM
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Registered: Jun 16, 2003
Posts: 199
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LOL. Some o' the silliest shite I've read in a long time...
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kalcario
Jun 30, 2003, 5:15 AM
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Registered: Sep 25, 2002
Posts: 1601
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Gettest Thou A Life
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watchme
Jun 30, 2003, 9:49 PM
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Registered: Jun 26, 2003
Posts: 236
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Dr. Piton,
I have been perusing this web site for awhile, and I must say that your pearls of wisdom are the best part. Anyone who freely shares their knowledge is OK in my book.
Perhaps one day I may return the favor, except that I'll share a beer instead. Well, uh, I mean not each bottle; more like a six-pack.
Darren
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