Multi-Pitch Efficiency Seminar a Success!

Mick Pearson and his crew from Kaf Adventures led a seminar for WAC members on efficiently climbing multi-pitch.  It took place at Mt. Erie on Saturday, July 8th.  It was a breautiful day and I believed everyone found helpful takeways.  If you’d like to see more events like this let someone know!

Here’s an overview of what was covered:

Multi-pitch anchoring

• Anticipating forces, weighing the climber down, protecting the anchor
• Point equalized, self equalized, the quad

Belay device choices

• Grabbing vs. easy to pull (micro jewel, auto-blocking, assisted brake)

Lowering

• Load Strand Direct

Quick transition from climbing to rappelling (single Rope)

• Introduced the concept that if you have an end free, you should always be doing something

Parallel Rope Technique

• Treat the system as 1 rope clipping all protection along the way. Be careful which strand is your belay, use different color ropes.

Stance Management

• Stack whenever possible
  Hanging belays – always re-flake after the seconds come up to the belay
  Kiwi Coil’s

End Roping

• Used in terrain easy enough that both climbers can move with ease
• Transition to rappel uses the backside of the seconds clove hitch

Alpine rope coil with Nail knot finish

Reference: The Guide Manual – Marc Chauvin and Rob Coppollino