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melbatoast
Sep 9, 2004, 6:08 AM
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This is an awesome thread! Thanks, everyone. Some of these I'll try now and some I'll check back for when I have more experience and need 'em. For now I just have one stupid question.... what's a screamer? :oops:
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holdplease2
Sep 9, 2004, 6:52 AM
Post #77 of 140
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Registered: Dec 18, 2002
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Screamers are made by Yates, I think Petzl has one, too.
They look like a fat quick draw. They are a long sling which has been folded several times and then stitched by the manufacturer. Picture a 30 inch nylon sling folded over and over again into a 6 inch quickdraw shape and then stitched. A biner goes on each end.
These are shock-absorbing devices. If you fall on them, the stitching begins to rip and the sling begins to unfold. This adds a more "dynamic" link to the system...nice if just a bit of rope is out or you have a dodgy placement in soft rock. After the screamer is fully "deployed" you still have a nearly full-strength sling attached to your peice and your rope, but your gear has seen less of an impact.
They are used most often by aid climbers where the gear is very poor or by aid (and perhaps other) rope soloists where a dynamic belay is not possible.
-Kate.
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timstich
Sep 9, 2004, 7:20 AM
Post #78 of 140
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In reply to: you can use your gear sling as a runner when you get desperate.
You can use your nut wires as runners, too. Just move the nut at the head down the wire to put a biner on. I read that tip years ago and it came in very handy once.
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melbatoast
Sep 9, 2004, 2:05 PM
Post #79 of 140
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Thanks, Kate! :D
Sounds like a good name for them, too! AAAAAAAAA! Boing!
-Melinda
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brutusofwyde
Sep 9, 2004, 4:36 PM
Post #80 of 140
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Nurse Ratchet taught me this one:
You start to pull the rap rope, and can't get it moving.
You and your partner grab opposite ends of the ropes and pull, hard.
The one of you holding the "pull" strand keeps the pressure on, while the other suddenly releases her end. The rubber band effect often will get a stubborn rope moving, preventing a cold night out.
*************
If you KNOW you will be in a night fight, carry two headlamps. Apiece.
*************
If you're having trouble following the trail by headlamp, hold the headlamp down in your hand. The resulting shadows will allow far better resolution of rocks, the path, even boot prints than if the light were on your head.
*************
If a bivy fire is your only source of warmth, heat rocks by the fire, and use them to keep your "cold side" (the side away from the fire) warm.
*************
Anti-epic kit:
My water bottle is wrapped with approx. 30 feet of duct tape, roll-fashion. And one locking carabiner holds my chalk bag (which contains headlamp, extra batteries, 10 iodine tablets, a book of matches, small bit of T.P. in zip-lock bag, epi pen, and 6 benedryl tabs) One locking carabiner holds 2 prussik loops (same length as over-the-shoulder runners so they can be used as runners or gear slings in a pinch) One locker holds knife and nut tool.
With this gear, I can pad sharp edges (duct tape) repair gear (duct tape) escape a belay and ascend to an injured partner (3 lockers, prussiks, and munter-mule magic), light a bivy fire and have a good night's sleep (matches, T.P., Benedryl), purify water (water bottle, iodine) pressure-wash a wound (water, ziplock bag with small hole in it) bandage a wound (duct tape, clothing, toilet paper), treat for anaphyllactic shock (epi-pen, benedryl) Retreat off a climb (knife to cut old slings, to cut cordelette to make rap slings, use prussiks as rap slings) clip in to an anchor at a hanging rap station (lockers, 2 prussiks girth-hitched end-to-end) find my way in the dark (headlamp) signal for help (headlamp, matches, toilet paper) and a number of other critical things that slip my mind at the moment.
*************
Ropes and slings are better than nothing for insulation.
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Rain gear doubles as windproof gear in a pinch.
*************
When cleaning a pitch fast, sometimes you will have to stop and catch your breath. When you do, use that time to organize the (over-the-shoulder gear sling) rack for the next lead. At changeover, Whichever rack has the most gear becomes the new lead rack. the other pieces are quickly transferred (already being sorted and organized) and you are off and leading before you can say "Hand me a power bar, wouldja?"
*************
Stupid check: When leaving a belay, a bivy, or a rest, stop and take one last look around to make sure you haven't forgotten anything.
*************
Brutus
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dingus
Sep 9, 2004, 4:57 PM
Post #81 of 140
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In reply to: If you're having trouble following the trail by headlamp, hold the headlamp down in your hand. The resulting shadows will allow far better resolution of rocks, the path, even boot prints than if the light were on your head.
Especially true with LED headlamps. It seems this is the only way I can use them when night hiking, esp the 4 led units from Pretzel. There is a weird deadspot in the middle of the light zone and it causes me a lot of grief... when I CAN hike that is!
Cheers Bro
DMT
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mmckinney
Sep 9, 2004, 5:25 PM
Post #82 of 140
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Registered: Jan 10, 2004
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a climbers 1st form of protection is his/her ability to climb
dont plug up your handholds with gear.
these two things were told to me by climber in the yosemite valley when i had just started... they have stuck with me.
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keithlester
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Sep 9, 2004, 5:31 PM
Post #83 of 140
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Uh?
Whats that all about?
:?
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glowering
Sep 9, 2004, 5:31 PM
Post #84 of 140
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Registered: Oct 13, 2002
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I have to repeat a sweet one from Karl Baba from another thread.
When you are butterflying loops of rope over your waist tie at a multi pitch belay, make the loops of rope progressively smaller so they don't catch on the lower loops when you are feeding the rope out. :idea:
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davidio
Sep 9, 2004, 6:39 PM
Post #85 of 140
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In reply to: climbin_high wrote: Headies Uh? Whats that all about?
ummmm . . . . view the user name, that might give you a hint . . .
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keithlester
Deleted
Sep 9, 2004, 7:17 PM
Post #86 of 140
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In reply to: In reply to: climbin_high wrote: Headies Uh? Whats that all about? ummmm . . . . view the user name, that might give you a hint . . .
I think it must be a language thing, still dont know what it's all about, is it slang for weed? perhaps.
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off_center
Sep 9, 2004, 7:54 PM
Post #87 of 140
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To save on space while camping at a particular climbing destination, my partners and I have learned to consider beer to be both a food and a beverage. Additionally, the next day's beer farts will keep you warm on cool days and they will contribute the isolated feeling of the crag. Also, since the taste of any good beer will be lost one or two beers into the night, you only need to pack about 10% good beer, while the rest can be nice and cheap canned domestics.
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pegasusfp24
Sep 10, 2004, 6:26 PM
Post #88 of 140
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Registered: Aug 17, 2004
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Not really a trick....but everyone should take a wilderness first aid or first responder course if they have not already. As many have said your best "trick " is your brain....you will want to have the knowledge if anything ever happens, especially if it is to a member of your party.
-Shawn
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gat
Sep 15, 2004, 3:10 PM
Post #89 of 140
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I buy my four foot runners and cordalettes in bright orange. That way it's always easy to identify my life line at rap stations and anchors. Of course, anyone on a multi-pitch climb should not need colors to sort things out.
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climbingkt
Sep 15, 2004, 3:24 PM
Post #90 of 140
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Registered: Feb 7, 2004
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I cut a racketball in half and put a hole in the center of one of the pieces. I then treaded a cordalette through the hole and onto my nut tool. The cordalette can then be clipped onto the rope or harness for easy access. The racketball will make it easier for the hard to remove nuts!
And you can make your partner one too with the extra half of the racketball you will have left over!!!!
Happy climbing
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jebel_andi
Sep 21, 2004, 12:19 AM
Post #91 of 140
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Registered: May 20, 2003
Posts: 122
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- 9/16 inch webbing, lighter, just as strong and easier to tie knots with for anchors,
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bruceb
Oct 1, 2004, 3:54 AM
Post #92 of 140
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Registered: Jan 16, 2004
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Many multipitch gear routes now have bolted belays, so when leading you come to a belay with 2 bomber bolts, place a beaner on each bolt hanger and clip a 24 in runner to them equi-tension style and clip a third beaner into the equi-tension point. Clove hitch your rope into the bottom beaner, adjust the length and then back it up with a fig 8 on a bite on one of the beaners clipped directly to a bolt. presto - a simple, bomber & redundant anchor using only 3 beaners and 1 runner. No locking beaners required.
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kachoong
Oct 1, 2004, 4:04 AM
Post #93 of 140
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In reply to: Many multipitch gear routes now have bolted belays, so when leading you come to a belay with 2 bomber bolts, place a beaner on each bolt hanger and clip a 24 in runner to them equi-tension style and clip a third beaner into the equi-tension point. Clove hitch your rope into the bottom beaner, adjust the length and then back it up with a fig 8 on a bite on one of the beaners clipped directly to a bolt. presto - a simple, bomber & redundant anchor using only 3 beaners and 1 runner. No locking beaners required.
...I personally would use locking biners at all three of those points.... the clove hitch is fine, but I would instead use a figure eight on bight....
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bruceb
Oct 1, 2004, 4:05 AM
Post #94 of 140
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Registered: Jan 16, 2004
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when traveling by jet, put your heavy climbing gear in a big cooler. Duct tape it and check it. Airport security may open it up but they will retape it when they're done. User you pack for lighter carry-on stuff. This way you'll have a nice cooler for the beer ( and food ) when you arrive.
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cfnubbler
Oct 1, 2004, 12:12 PM
Post #95 of 140
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Registered: Oct 31, 2003
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If you've botched your belay station management and find that the leader of the next pitch's end of the rope runs under something else important, rather than doing stupid human tricks and yoga exercises climbing around over one another trying to get things cleaned up, use the "revolving door" trick.
Take the rope you need to free up and clip it into a biner that's part of the strand holding it captive. Now rotate that biner so that the gate faces the other direction, then remove the rope from the biner. Presto- you've passed the trapped rope through the intervening strand without clambering over/around/behind your partner or ever unclipping any portion of your anchor.
Difficult to visualize, but experiment and you'll see- it's like magic!
-Nubbler
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jkarns
Oct 1, 2004, 1:59 PM
Post #96 of 140
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In reply to: Keep a fresh cigarette in one of those super glue containers with the red cap. Just big enough for the job without being too big for a pocket. Almost impossible to crush. Now you'll be ready for that summit smoke. DMT
I thought that was where you put the joint...
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jkarns
Oct 1, 2004, 2:21 PM
Post #97 of 140
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In reply to: also, start drinking water as soon as you get upi the morning. you can only absorb about 250 ml (about a big mug's worth) of water per hour. drink steadily until you start climbing. better and extra 1/2 litre carried than starting w/o enough water.
I have hear this claim before but every person who has made it has been unable to explain the physiology of it. If you don't absorb the water, it would just sit in your stomach, or you would poop it out. In order to piss, you need to absorb it out of your stomach into the bloodstream and then process it though the kidneys. If I chug a who bunch of water, within an hour I will have to piss very badly, therefore I HAVE abosrbed the water,. I don't and have never met anyone who then gets the runs.
Can anyone elaborate from a physiology perspective?
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viciado
Oct 1, 2004, 2:55 PM
Post #98 of 140
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Registered: May 9, 2003
Posts: 429
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Super simplified: A well hydrated system is more efficient in terms of metabolic activity including waste removal. Higher blood levels of waste means less efficient muscles. The sooner you start hydration, the better off you are. Some sports medicine experts say that starting drinking water in the morning may be too late for peak performance.
If thats too short and simple, try: http://www.trainingforclimbing.com they have an "ask the trainers" mail link.
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straightedgeteen
Oct 4, 2004, 5:21 AM
Post #99 of 140
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Registered: May 8, 2002
Posts: 367
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i rack diffeent than most i donno its just a little biner trick !
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bilias
Oct 4, 2004, 6:01 AM
Post #100 of 140
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Registered: May 24, 2004
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I try and watch "Cliffhanger" at least once a week for tips on safety and technique.
...................................................................................................
Ok, seriously....
To anyone carrying wired hexes on their rack: To avoid the cowbell sound, pull them up the wires at different lengths. They don't clunk together so much this way.
.................................................................................................
Also, if you've got access to any spare carpet, cut a square of about 18"X18" and cut a small hole in the top center. Run some webbing or cord through here and form a loop to attach to top rope anchors that might have a sharp ledge or lots of rope-on-rock contact.
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