All blogs
Every full length (longer than 60 seconds) video and accompanying blog post
Getting Your Gear Where It Needs to Go! Logistics Planning for Expeditions
For any expedition, whether to climb, trek, or do anything else, we’ve got to get ourselves and our gear to the right places at the right time. What we need for the travel segments will be different than what we need during the adventure portions of the trip, and we need to make sure that - as silly as it sounds - the people and the gear meet up when needed. That’s logistics. And there is a lot that goes into logistics planning for an expedition. Here's a mental model to help get us started.
Want a Skinny, Light Tag Line on Your Rappel from a Climb? Consider These Risks, First
The proliferation of new light-but-strong materials has led to some questions about just how skinny and light a tag line (a static rope used just to retrieve your main rope) can be when used for a rappel (abseil). Well, there are some considerations that we need to keep in mind if we decide to save weight by going super light with a tag line. Here, we get into the risks we add as well as how to mitigate them.
The "Double Fix" Knot Pass Technique on Rappel (Abseil)
If we have a single point of damage on our climbing rope and need to rappel (abseil), two climbers can work as a team and use two different instances of fixing the rope to perform two different single-strand rappels. We then avoid having to use time-consuming knot passing techniques by avoiding, rather than passing, that knot. Here's how we do it.
It's More Than You Think! Why Modern Tools Help Ascending the Climbing Rope
It used to be the case that ascending the climbing rope was done using two soft goods wrapped around the rope with two friction hitches. That method requires that we put the waist prusik further up the rope than the leg loop. But modern tools have inverted that configuration. The major benefit of that setup is more than efficiency of ascent; it's much simpler to overcome a lip of rock or ice, now. Here's why.
Six Climbing Friction Hitches and Their Pros and Cons
We use friction hitches in many different circumstances in climbing. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of different hitches can help us select the right hitch for the right situation. Here are six hitches that I turn to most frequently along with a discussion of their pros and cons so that we can better match a hitch to a need.
What is End Roping in Climbing? When Can We Use It and How Do We Do It Safely?
End Roping is a technique that allows us to move a climbing party of three quickly through moderate terrain without the fuss of more complicated rope systems. But there are risk mitigations we should implement to set the system up and there are circumstances when it would not make a safe option. Here's some information on when and how to employ an end roping system.
Improve Climber Communication with Extended Master Points On Moderate Terrain
The kind of blocky, ledgy terrain that we often see on moderate climbs presents both ample natural protection points as well as communication and rope abrasion challenges. Well, we can use the former to help mitigate against the later. Here are a few different methods for extending a belay stance and master point out when faced with a comparatively safe, but large and communication hindering, ledge.
Slings, Prusiks, and Cord I Have Added to My Climbing Rack
As new materials are developed into climbing tools, and as my needs on my climbs have evolved, I've changed up some elements of my standard climbing rack. Here is a look at some soft goods (slings, prusiks, and cords) that I have begun carrying on all my climbs including some pros and cons.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Prism Pack Review After 4 Years of Use
For nearly four years, I have been taking the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Prism pack for most of my alpine climbs, whether that be on rock, snow, or ice. After that long of throwing the pack on my back, here are some of the pros and cons that I've experienced while using it.
I Didn't Enjoy Scrambling (Easy Rock Climbing) Until I Started Using These Types of Shoes
Ever hear climbers talk about “insecure climbing” and the fear that brings to them? Well imagine feeling insecure at every step up a rock face. This is what a scramble, which should be a fun romp, can feel like in the wrong footwear. Scrambles are examples of where approach shoes can really make a difference in our enjoyment of the outdoors. Here’s how their specific features combine to make such a big difference.
Safely Camping on a Glacier: Glacier Mountaineering Fundamentals
When our mountaineering objective demands that we camp on a glacier, we need to consider objective hazards like seracs, rock fall, and crevasses. This video gets into those considerations as they relate to identifying a potential camp location and the methods we may use to ensure the location is safe.
Crossing Crevasses Safely: Three Techniques
When a crevasse is unavoidable and must be crossed on your glaciated mountain climb, the technique you and your team employ will often be dictated by circumstances. This video gets into three different procedures to be chosen and applied based on terrain slopes and crevasse sizes.
Using a "Running Belay" to Simul-Climb on a Glacier has Pros and Cons
A “running belay,” a form of simul-climbing that is frequently used on snow climbs and climbs up glaciated peaks, helps mitigate certain risks, but it also adds new risks into the equation. Let’s talk about how a running belay is performed and what pros and cons result from employing this climbing tactic so that we can best decide when it may make sense to use.
Fundamentals of Moving Roped Together on Glacier as Part of a Climbing Team
As we continue our glacier travel series and before we get into more advanced movement techniques we first need to understand the fundamentals of moving as part of a group who are, literally, tied together.
Avoiding Crevasse Falls with the Basics of Glacier Navigation on Your Next Climb
As a climbing team on a glacier, we need to be prepared for a crevasse fall, but we also want to have the route planning and navigation skills to reduce the likelihood of having a crevasse fall. This video provides ideas on how to plan route paths that help avoid crevasses.
Spacing, Coils, and Brake Knots to Determine Glacier Travel Climbing Rope Length
Deciding how much climbing rope you need for glacier travel is a product of many factors. The number of teammates, the snow conditions, crevasse sizes, and preferred rescue systems are all inputs into how much space to have between climbers, how much length to keep in spare coils, and whether to have brake knots in the rope. All of that will calculate out to your total rope length. Let’s explore some of these considerations.
Choosing from Rope Tie-In Options for Your Glaciated Mountain Climb
In this next episode of our glacier travel series, we are presenting several options for climbers to tie into the rope and how we may choose to match our tie-in setups to our circumstances, gear, and position on the rope.
Building a 6:1 Drop Loop Crevasse Rescue Haul System and Modifying It for Climbing Scenarios
Continuing our glacier travel series, we are showing the 6:1 drop loop crevasse rescue haul system and discussing how to modify it to meet some of the gear we may have, the rope we have available, and the status of the fallen climber.
Matching Climbing Systems to Glacier Travel Specifics to Reduce Risk
As we get deeper into a glacier travel series, we want to note that there are many effective ways to develop our climbing systems for safe passage on glaciated mountains. Maybe the single biggest thing we can do wrong, however, is get dogmatic about those systems and assume that, while risks change from glacier to glacier, our systems don't have to change as well.
Choosing the Best Carabiner for Connecting to a Rope on a Glacier Climb
We will frequently choose to connect ourselves to the climbing rope with a carabiner, rather than a knot, when on a glacier in order to facilitate things like crevasse rescue systems. We need to be considerate of the strengths and weaknesses of carabiner types in order to select the best carabiner for our climb of a glaciated peak. Here's some of the criteria I use to help me choose.