guidedmountain-articles

Climbing above your gear

2011-06-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

Recent courses have looked at the strategies climbers use to control the rising panic that is sometimes felt when leading above placed gear - I am not a psychologist, but I have climbed above my protection quite a bit - sometimes a bit too far ! and I have some suggestions which I use when coaching lead climbers: -
Pre-empting the scary moves ahead might reduce the negative effects of anxiety :-
1. Try to arrange good gear and qualify it ( score 1to 10 ) - a good bit of gear is always going to make you feel more secure.
2. Plan your route - is there a resting / secure place to aim for - this gives a positive target.
3.Warn your belayer to focus on what's going on - the last thing you want is rope drag !
4.Physically prepare - chalk up, rest arms, clean boot soles, arrange gear on your rack for the next placement.
5.Half commit yourself to the next moves - how does it feel ?

Next is decision time:-
1. If your preparation is positive for the above, this may help you to fully commit to the moves with confidence and lessen the feeling of insecurity.
2. If any of the above is negative - try and do something about it, eg. find better gear or look for a different set of holds.
3. If you can't improve on the above - it really is decision time ! and your anxiety levels will start to rise, - do you retreat or go for it ?

Above the gear:-

Although a little anxiety / adrenalin can help, if your anxiety level is too high you may stop breathing or hyper-ventilate, your muscles tire quickly and become tensed, movements become rushed and uncoordinated and you start to focus on the negative - this all has a very detrimental effect on your climbing performance, which will raise your anxiety levels even higher - a spiral into panic !

To help prevent this some climbers use the following strategies :-
1. Take a breath ! Talk or sing to yourself, count to ten, try and get your breathing under control.
2. If you are climbing at your normal grade - remind yourself that you can do this route.
3. See this as a chance to prove that you are up to the challenge - some climbers use aggression / swearing / shouting to stimulate an extra effort - you're not going to be beaten !
3. Remind yourself about the gear you have placed and that your belayer is watching you - the system does work !
4. Focus on the doing the next move - not the last, once committed it is very often better to carry on rather than try and down climb to the last place of security.
5. Get some gear in, don't waste time on useless gear, but don't climb past good gear - if you have the strength left !
6. Breath out and congratulate yourself -so that you are ready to repeat the process all over again !

For most lead climbers it is self-preservation that limits their climbing performance, consolidation at a given grade will help prepare you mentally and physically for the next challenge and a positive progression - don't count on 'getting away with it' that over-ambition sometimes encourages !

Ice axe choice

2010-09-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

Choosing the right axe for your intended route can be a bit tricky nowadays - there are a multitude of designs, each offering advantages and disadvantages, some listed below:
General mountaineering axe:
Usually used as a single tool - to aid balance,cutting, probing,digging, as an anchor, ice axe braking etc. an indespensable peice of winter equipment !
55cm to 60cm in length - shorter if you are below average height or are using on steep ground , longer if you are taller than average - but too long and it will get in the way ! ( good guide for most use - when axe head is held in hand with arm relaxed, hanging parallel to teh body, spike will be about level with top of boot )
Straight shafted, simple spike on end and gently curved pick, with an adze for cutting and a hole for attaching a leash is best suited for general purpose - might not be glamorous, but it will do the job !
Avoid ultra-light axes unless you have a specialised use as they are difficult to use as a tool and are not suited to some of the more robust uses you might put your axe to.
Leashes enhance the security of a grip when cutting steps or on steep ground and prevent axe from being lost if dropped.
Leashes get in the way when holding the axe by the head, changing hands when required is complicated and they get in the way when packing on the rucsac.
One compromise is to use leashes which can be easily attached / detached to suit the situation.

Technical axes :
For use on steeper terrain where an axe and matching hammer are used, mainly for security as hand holds - usually 50cm to 55cm in length, reverse curve to mountaineering axe above, often with a curved shaft and ergonomic design at the end of the shaft to enhance grip - all these attributes help with ease and security of placement on steep ground but are a disadvantage when used for general mountaineering. There is further specialisation for technical tools depending on use, eg. for use solely on water ice, dry -tooling, competition etc.
Leashes enhance the security of the grip on tools and prevent losing the tool if dropped, however, many climbers choose not to use leashes - this helps with swapping tools, placing gear, using hand holds etc.
Compromise systems include the use of lanyards to prevent losing a dropped tool or leashes which can easily be attached / detached

Crampons advice

2010-09-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

If you intend walking or climbing in icy or snowy conditions, depending on what you expect to encounter crampons may be required:
flexible / articulated walking crampons,
flexible / articulated mountaineering crampons ( for snow / ice and mixed climbing )
rigid crampons ( for steep ice )
These are graded as C1, C2, C3 crampons ( C3 being the most rigid ), there are a few designs outside this general rule ( in-step or pavement crampons, competiton and dry-tooling boot/crampon hybrids ).
Boots and crampon need to be compatible - with a relatively flexible boot ( B1 ) only suitable for C1 crampons and a fully stiffened boot ( B3 ) for rigid C3 crampons.
a B1, B2 or B3 boot is required for a C1 crampon,
a B2 or B3 boot is required for a C2 crampon,
a B3 boot is required for a C3 crampon
It should be noted that boots can lose their stiffness with use ( reducing a B2 boot to a B1 ) also small sizes are stiffer than big sizes ( if you take a large size, your boots may lose their stiffness quicker ).

A good fit of boot to crampon is very important, some designs / manufacturers don't mix well ( Scarpa boots often have a pronounced 'rocker' shape to their boot sole - Petzl crampons often have a flatter surface - leading to a space between the crampon and boot at the toe )
so make sure your boot and crampon are compatible ( take one or other to the shop )
Once you've fitted the crampons a good test is to try going onto the front points ( like a ballerina ) to see if there is any movement, or stressing the front points on an edge of a step - again looking for movement between boot and crampon - and adjust the fit accordingly.
There are a number of different attachment systems available today - generally these take the form of straps and / or locking clips ( like a ski bale ).
Attachments which rely on straps are more fiddly to use but are more tolerant of a poor boot / crampon fit
Attachments which rely on ski bale type clips can be easier to operate but require a good boot /crampon fit

Losing a crampon whilst on a route can be dramatic - spend time getting the boot and crampon attached properly ! A small repair kit may be worth taking ( allen key, small nut & bolt, wire etc. )

Rock boot sizes

2010-09-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

Several climbers attending courses this season have complained of aching feet, especially those who have bought rock boots for indoor climbing :
It would seem that they have been advised when buying, that their boots need to be at least one size smaller than their normal shoe size; where climbs have been short and they have been able to quickly change to more comfortable footwear, this hasn't been too much of a problem, however, where longer climbs have been attempted or the boots have been worn for longer, sore feet has hindered their performance and detracted from their enjoyment. Boots do stretch, and a 'snug' fit is required to get the best out of them, but if you can't walk in them in the shop without being in pain, they probably aren't going to be any better when you start climbing ! For general use, they should be 'snug' around the whole foot without wearing socks, with enough capacity in the lacing system to tighten or loosen the boots for more specific use.

Belaying a heavy climber

2010-09-07T23:38:00.000-07:00

Weight disparity between climbers and belayers can result in the belayer being pulled off balance and losing control - even if this doesn't end in someone being hurt, it can lead to a lack of confidence in the system and stressful climbing sessions !
A few simple tweaks to the belay set-up may help avoid this:
A good belay stance helps:
1) Belay within 3m max. of the base of the climb ( to limit the angle between the live rope and the climbing face ).
2) Belayer takes a 'defensive' stance - rear foot parrallel to the climbing face, front foot perpendicular to the climbing face - ideally braced against something solid, legs then act as 'shock absorbers'
3) If belayers tie into the rope - the belay device can be attached to the central loop of the knot rather than using the sewn belay / abseil loop of the harness, again providing a degree of 'shock absorption'
4) Using a belay device with high friction - they vary a lot !
5) Keeping any slack in the live rope to a minimum whilst top / bottom roping reduces the shock loading on the belayer
6) Using ground anchors, with the belayer tied in and the connecting rope correctly adjusted, the belay becomes 'semi- direct' with any resulting force from a falling climber bypassing the belayer to the anchor.
All the above can be used to reduce the effort required from a belayer to safely control a heavier falling climber - my son was easily belaying me at the age of 8 !