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Page Type: Article
Activities:
Mountaineering, Trad Climbing, Ice Climbing, Aid Climbing, Mixed
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Page By:
ExcitableBoy
Created/Edited: Jan 20, 2012 / Feb 12, 2012
Object ID: 772149
Hits: 4054
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Page Score: 91.13%
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Alpine speed; go light, go fast, be safe.  Spindrift avalanche
Climb efficiently. Poor fitness, heavy packs, and inefficient techniques and systems are the biggest enemies to speed. Efficiency is born through practice. Rock climb, ice climb, mixed climb, and aid climb until you can climb 5.10, WI 5, A3, and M5 at the crags quickly. Train with your partners in low stakes situations to learn each other's habits. Train fast. Hiking with a heavy pack is a common training tool, and while this helps develops strength, it trains you to climb slowly. Trail running trains you to be fast; pushing iron and cragging will make you strong.
Leading in blocks of four to six pitches is more efficient that swinging leads. The leader and follower packs do not need to be swapped and the ropes do not need to be restacked in between pitches. After a block, the belayer will be chomping at the bit to lead. Using an auto blocking belay device connected to the belay anchor’s power point will allow for one handed belaying, freeing a hand to drink, eat, and take photos. Keep a tight top rope for the followers, this will breed confidence and in turn speed. Penalty slack has no place in the alpine. For maximum efficiency, play to each climber’s strengths. If one partner is stronger on ice, that block will fall to him or her. If one climber is faster at aid or rock climbing, let them have it.
While not 'safe', soloing and simuclimbing, when done well within the party's abilities, foments speed. MVS and I climbed the remote two mile long full North Ridge of Forbidden Peak car to car in a mere 15 hours. Most parties take three days. We achieved this by packing the rope and soloing the easy sections. Soloing is safer than roped climbing if no belays or protection can be had. In these circumstances the rope only serves to bind everyone's fate should someone fall. When simu-climbing, the weaker climber leads as he or she is inherently more conservative with protection.
Weight is the enemy. Every ounce counts, however, starting off with smart decisions regarding the big ticket items will go far towards lightening the load. Packs, sleeping bags, shelters, ropes and the rack offer the greatest opportunities for weight savings. Choose these carefully and don’t be afraid to spend money. Save money elsewhere.
 12 ounce steel axe and crampons
Dress for success.  Dressed for the weather at 12k on Rainier in April
 Alpine rack loaded for bear
Cheap titanium screws with aluminum hangers are attractive for weight savings, but are unreliable compared to quality steel screws. To save weight, carry mostly shorter screws. In good ice they are nearly as strong as longer ones and in poor ice a long screw is worthless anyway. Bring at least one long one to make v-threads though. Rack the gear on a single length, sewn 9/16" sling. It weighs less than a padded gear sling and can be sacrificed for rap anchors.
Wire gate carabiners have become standard; a full rack saves considerable weight over the solid gate versions. Small locking carabiners also save weight over the full size ones. Sewn spectra slings are lighter and less bulky than nylon and absorb less water. Carry 8-10 single length slings configured as trippled alpine draws and two double length slings each with a small, locking carabiner. The 'draws' are racked on gear loops; wrap the double length slings over a shoulder, clipping both ends with a locking carabiner. This allows the climber to unclip and easily remove the slings.
Ropes. There are too many considerations regarding ropes to discuss in this article. Different routes demand different systems. Colin Haley weighs the merits of the various choices in this article: Ropes for alpine climbing. While the trend is for longer and longer ropes, the old standard 50 meter cords save weight and make rope management easier. Unless climbing a route with established 60 meter raps, 50s work just fine in the alpine. Also, shorter pitches means a lighter rack. Beware skinny single ropes achieve their weight savings at the expense of sheath durability. A half rope weighs even less and is more durable. Although not UIAA approved, for moderate routes carry one and double it for extra security on hard pitches. Steve House and Vince Anderson climbed and descended the biggest alpine face on the planet, the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat, with a 50 meter half rope and a tag line.
 Floorless shelters on an exposed ridge.
 Full three day alpine pack.
 Light stove kit
Don’t carry more water than you need. Drink plenty of water before leaving camp and hydrate well in the evenings. Fill up at every opportunity, using chlorine dioxide tablets to disinfect questionable sources. A mathmetician friend determined swapping bladders for Naglene bottles is the most cost effective way to reduce weight. Bring one bladder without a hose which tends to freeze and one Nalgene style bottle which obviates the need to carry a separate mug. Stay hydrated and fed. In the long run you will climb faster if you have to stop and melt water than if you try to climb while dehydrated and hungry.
 Kitted for a one day winter ascent of the NF Mt. Hood.
Albert Pinestart who? The alpine start is grounded in the belief that it is better to start in the dark than finish in the dark. Starting in the cold dark of night gives the climber more time to deal with route finding challenges and technical difficulties that have a bad habit of burning precious daylight. On big glaciated peaks, it is important to finish the climb before the heat of the day creates unstable and dangerous snow conditions. Climbing in the far north or south means nearly 24 hours of daylight. Many climbers choose to travel at night low down when the glaciers are solidly frozen and wait for the sun to rise high enough to warm the bitter cold at high altitudes.
 Gearing up for an alpine start
External LinksExtreme Alpinism: Climbing High, Fast, and Light by Marc Twight is still the best resource for how to climb fast in the alpine. Images
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