Don't Let This Happen to You

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Don't Let This Happen to You

Page Type: Article

Activities: Mountaineering

Page By: knoback

Created/Edited: Jul 15, 2006 / Jul 16, 2006

Object ID: 207618

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Page Score: 88.31% - 11 Votes

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Table of Contents

Protecting Alpine and Mountaineering Routes

Strategy

Tactics

More tactics

Some things never change.

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Protecting Alpine and Mountaineering Routes

At first glance, this article may seem redundant. The subject has been covered ad nauseum in climbing magazines and texts such as Freedom of the Hills and Extreme Alpinism. Those two books in particular cover risk assessment, the basic physics of safety systems, and the specifics of gear selection and placement quite well. However, all those sources rely on some unstated premises as the basis for their advice.
Those premises are things “everyone knows”, but nevertheless are tied to numerous accidents and epics. The goal of this exercise is to fill in the gaps and say what has previously been implied or taken for granted. I hope it will also prompt some discussion.

Strategy

All climbing begins on the couch. Eyes skim a few words on the page, an image flashes past the car window and a plan begins to form. Most people research their objectives to determine how they will get to the climb, how they will get up and how they will get down. Fewer consider how they will know things are going badly and why they will bail.
Decisions about bailing are driven by commitment level. Those decisions should be based on criteria that are as specific and objective as possible. Are you willing to face a 20 ft. run out? How about a 30 ft. run out? At the crag, it pays to take a deep breath and push past that sort of difficulty. It likely represents a short obstacle on an established, 200 ft. route. It may be the same in the mountains, or it may mark the beginning of 2-3 pitches of muy picante. How long is the crux of your route likely to be? How long are you willing to climb beneath those seracs? Where do you have to be by early afternoon to get down by dark?
If you ask these questions during the research phase, you can make quick, reasonable decisions on the climb, even if you are tired and dehydrated. Many people avoid this process because they feel it is defeatist, but it leads to realism not defeatism. It might even lead you to realize you are willing to do whatever it takes to climb the route. Very well then, say, “Bushido to wa shinu koto to mitsuke tare.”, and start soloing. At least you will have chosen your fate rather than having it thrust upon you. And you will have chosen the proper tactic for your objective

Tactics

Once the research is done and the walking starts, the next crux is figuring out where the approach ends and the climb begins. Seems simple enough, but think how many people find themselves balancing on a tiny ledge or steep snow slope trying to hang on to their pack while they wriggle into their harness. No matter what the sun is doing to the ice up there, it is always faster and safer to gear up before you are forced to gear up.
After the harnesses are on, the very next thing to touch is the rack. However reassuring it feels, soloing roped together is a very bad thing. If you are uncomfortable enough to tie in, place some gear. If you don’t want to slow down and climb pitches, simulclimb. Keep as much rope out as you can. Let the terrain guide you. Most of us can’t blaze up moderate ground forever without stopping occasionally to catch our breath. So, look ahead and pick out an easy placement, then push toward it. With surprisingly little practice, you will get there just when you would need a breather anyway. And if you are taking the easy placements, stops for cleaning gear will hardly break your stride

More tactics

The same principle is true for climbing pitches. Even a finely honed team won’t get through a 17 or even a 7 pitch route unless they run it out on moderate ground. But you should start looking for a placement before the end of that romp up the easy stuff. Teetering on frontpoints trying to scrape out your first protection in 50 ft. is way slower and way more draining than placing that gear at the base of the hard section 10 or 15 ft. below. Protect the crux if you can, but if you can’t at least you are facing a broken leg rather than a broken back if it all goes wrong.
After the difficult sections, consolidate your position. Gear placed at this point will serve as a directional and offers a margin of safety if the opportunities for anchors above are poor. In the same spirit, if you see a good spot for a belay, stop and take it too. So what if you are only 40 meters out? A solid, 5 minute anchor at 40 meters is better than a rickety, 20 minute anchor at 60 meters.

Some things never change.

This approach helps you maintain a redundant safety system. That system ideally has 3 layers. The base is the belay anchor. The next layer is the intervening gear. Finally, the point is you. The leader must not fall; that is so negative. How about, skill, including knowledge of your skill, is your primary safety system. In other words, the idea is to apply yourself so you don’t get sketched out and fall rather than getting sketched out and then grimly hanging on so you don’t fall.
I can’t claim much authority to say what I have said. Much of it though, comes from my betters either through conversation or observation. No one has to abide by these principles, (except for the part about not soloing roped together), to survive, succeed, or climb well. They simply seem to make things smoother and cut down on the fear factor.

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The Chief

Interesting thoughts...

Hasn't voted

Interesting read on what appears to be an "Inventory" of sorts, as far as why you do or don't climb. The statement, "Decisions about bailing are driven by commitment level" may be one that you base your descision to do so. As I stated on a thread that I posted yesterday, conclude that I will "Bail" when my "Inner Voice" tells me to get the f*#k out/off of where I may currently be. That is the #1 Safety mechanism that I am so thankful for and that I have learned to listen to. It has kept me alive in far too many situtions that would have killed me, in order to return another day to retry the climb. Also, your "Tactics" philosophy sounds again like a self inventory. "Running it out" is a realitive statement. What might be running out to you might be over protecting to me. On WI5ish Vertical Ice, I may place 3-5 screws on a 50/60m pitch. That has raised many eyebrows by some folks that have climbed with be. I have also learned to "skip" clipping some bolts on "Run Out" slab routes and kept going. Why, cause I don't want to lose my momemtum. Is that valid? Some have voiced that it is "Crazy'. I feel it to be comfortable and therefore safe. I believe that the value of "Comfortable" makes more sense in this "Tactics" discussion. When one or a Team feels comfortable in the manner/style in which that they are proceeding up on a given route, that in itself breeds confindence which in turn delivers Safety. I have much more to add but will leave it at that. Good read and thanks for the thought provoking philosophy.

Posted Jul 17, 2006 12:58 pm


	knoback	Re: Interesting thoughts...
	Hasn't voted	Thanks for the comment. I guess I'm just trying to offer a starting point. If you are experienced and facing a known quantity, that inner voice has probably factored in alot of this stuff automatically. Sounds like you are more the artist than the engineer in terms of your climbing. Intuitive knowlege is still knowlege. You also raise the great paradox of ice climbing: If the ice is good and your feeling strong, who needs protection? If the ice is bad and your feeling weak, who canfind it?
		Posted Jul 17, 2006 1:29 pm


	The Ogre	Re: Interesting thoughts...
	Hasn't voted	Chief, even though I am not a technical climber, I know what you mean about the Inner Voice. A couple times soloing this past winter, I had to spend a few hours getting myself out of serious trouble, because I didn't listen to the voice. And this spring, a guardian angel or something warned me about my footing (swear to God) and saved me from a 15-foot fall into a foot of water and then bedrock, while solo scrambling a gorge. I lifted the foot I was about to transfer all my weight onto, and the foothold just crumbled and fell to the base of the waterfall. I'm going to start listening to the voice more! If this post sounds crazy, it is, but the Voice is real.
		Posted Jul 17, 2006 11:46 pm

mrwsierra

Extremely...

Hasn't voted

well written. Thanks for the thoughtful post.

Posted Jul 17, 2006 4:13 pm

The Ogre

Well put.

Hasn't voted

Knoback, I am not a technical climber, but nevertheless I appreciate your thoughts on this. Much of what you said also applies to the 4-season hiking and scrambling I do, even though that never goes beyond 3+/4- (yet). See my reply above to The Chief.
Thanks for the read!

Posted Jul 17, 2006 11:34 pm

mvs

Great article

Voted 10/10

I especially liked the tip about the 5 minute anchor at 40 meters, as opposed to the 20 minute anchor at 60. I'm adding that one to my "inner voice" :)

Posted Jul 19, 2006 5:23 am


	knoback	Re: Great article
	Hasn't voted	Thanks. Yeah I used to be a chronic violator of that one. Finally got tired of getting that look of disgust, puzzlement and concern that says "I froze my ass off down there for this?"
		Posted Jul 20, 2006 2:01 am

CdG_Manfred	Great article, thanks
Voted 10/10	I'm not sure i understood every details here, but no doubt that as I climb more, things will get clearer... Anyway, thanks. By the way, I'm studying japanese only since a month (kore wa muzukashi desu !), what does "Bushido to wa shinu koto to mitsuke tare" mean ?
	Posted Jul 31, 2006 10:22 am


	knoback	Re: Great article, thanks
	Hasn't voted	"Bushido is simply the calm acceptance of death", or so I am told. My Japanese is strictly learned from friends, so it really just consists of that and a bunch of stuff that can get you beaten up in Hiroshima or Kobe. Seems like "bushido" and "free soloing" ought to be interchangable in that phrase.
		Posted Aug 2, 2006 6:28 pm

Viewing: 1-9 of 9