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Tips for Block Leading?

Sturge

13-Apr-2011
3:10:23 PM

Does anyone have any tips or tricks for making life easier/minimising clusterf**ks when climbing with a party of 3, and 1 climber is to do all the leading on a multipitch?


ajfclark

13-Apr-2011
3:33:29 PM

Climb on doubles. Don't use the rope in the anchor. Pick routes with large belay stances.

bones

13-Apr-2011
3:45:49 PM

Provided you always switch rope ends with the last person to arrive at the belay it should be fine


nmonteith

13-Apr-2011
3:49:07 PM

Cordalettes. And also the leader should create the anchor for the others to clip in easily BEFORE they reach the belay. That way one person has control over the belay! Each climber should have a long double length sling girth hitched to their harness with a screwgate on the end so they can easily clip in and out of a belay anchor.


The good Dr

13-Apr-2011
4:39:43 PM

For fast ascents with 3 on a multipitch block leading is great as you get into the swing of it and know when your block will end. The following really helps:

- Double ropes
- Two Cordaletts/webelettes (one for each belay)
- Autoblock belay device for double ropes
- Personal daisy chains for clipping into the anchors
- Make the seconds carry all water, food and clothing that is needed.

As Bones said, switching rope ends works really well. Try to make sure they don't get twisted, but the seconds can sort that out prior to leaving the belay.

Having the seconds follow simultaneously with about 10-15m between speeds things up a lot, if they are likely to fall off a lot then maybe do something that is less challenging.

Efficient change overs at each belay. When the first of the followers gets there they rack the gear on a separate sling and help sort the ropes whilst the last person arrives. They then place the rack on the same sling. Rack up first then change the rope ends. The seconds can sort rope things whist the leader racks up. Tie in, check it, have some food and water and then off you go again.

Have used this method quite a few times. Bid a 700m, 19 pitch route in 8 hours as a party of 3. Each pitch was taking us an average of about 25 minutes to lead, second, sort, rack and replenish stuff and we were not really sprinting. Admittedly it was all bolts so racking was pretty quick but having a system means it doesn't take long to rack up gear either.

singersmith

14-Apr-2011
5:23:28 PM

Disagree re: cordelettes. Considered highly time consuming. What's wrong with slings and rope?

Agree re: simuling every inch you can.

Cleaner needs to sort all the gear properly rather than just ripping it out and dumping in on a sling. Then it just gets handed over rather than trying to sort it out while dancing over each other at the anchor.

Cam hooks! (if aiding)

Sturge

14-Apr-2011
6:38:37 PM

So, swapping rope ends seems to be the concensus as opposed to re-stacking the rope?
I've heard of people using a locker on their harnesses instead of tying in directly, to speed up the changeover. This kind of gives me the willies. Am I paranoid?

On 14/04/2011 singersmith wrote:

>Agree re: simuling every inch you can.
>

As in simul-climbing? I should have been more specific in my OP. I was thinking about one climber leading everything, when climbing with 2 less experienced climbers.

Dr, you were talking about bringing both of the 2nds up to the belay at the same time, correct?

kieranl

14-Apr-2011
7:45:16 PM

On 13/04/2011 Sturge wrote:
>Does anyone have any tips or tricks for making life easier/minimising clusterf**ks
>when climbing with a party of 3, and 1 climber is to do all the leading
>on a multipitch?
Try to get John Fantini to be the climber doing the leading.


nmonteith

14-Apr-2011
9:02:48 PM

On 14/04/2011 singersmith wrote:
>Disagree re: cordelettes. Considered highly time consuming. What's wrong
>with slings and rope?

How are they time consuming? I place three bits of trad, attach and equalize in about 5 seconds and clip in.


shortman

14-Apr-2011
9:25:10 PM

On 14/04/2011 nmonteith wrote:
>On 14/04/2011 singersmith wrote:
>>Disagree re: cordelettes. Considered highly time consuming. What's wrong
>>with slings and rope?
>
>How are they time consuming? I place three bits of trad, attach and equalize
> in about 5 seconds and clip in.

I wondered this too?


tnd

15-Apr-2011
8:23:06 AM

Me too.


Miguel75

15-Apr-2011
9:03:55 AM

Count me in as a wonderer too...:)


Sabu

15-Apr-2011
9:10:13 AM

Likewise. I often get my second to carry a spare cordelette for multipitches so i never have set an anchor with the rope.


skink

15-Apr-2011
11:19:44 AM

On 14/04/2011 singersmith wrote:
>Disagree re: cordelettes. Considered highly time consuming.

Yeah? By who?

>What's wrong with slings and rope?

Slings and rope = clusterfcuk

widewetandslippery

15-Apr-2011
11:27:48 AM

I've never been a cordellete fan. Don't like using things I can't pronounce or spell.


salty crag

15-Apr-2011
1:16:54 PM

On 15/04/2011 widewetandslippery wrote:
>I've never been a cordellete fan. Don't like using things I can't pronounce
>or spell.
Snake sling is easier to spell and pronounce, err thats assuming you don't have a lisp.


The good Dr

15-Apr-2011
1:18:15 PM

Remember - 'real punks can't spell capucino'

widewetandslippery

15-Apr-2011
1:37:29 PM

yeah, don't drink them either

grangrump

15-Apr-2011
5:02:46 PM

On 15/04/2011 The good Dr wrote:
>Remember - 'real punks can't spell capucino'
cappuccino no
Al Pacino yes


Eduardo Slabofvic

15-Apr-2011
5:47:30 PM

To avoid clusterfcuks when guiding kiddies I behave like the drill Sergeant in Full
Metal Jacket so they don't move, then its just like pulling up a line of party lights that you don't own (so you don't really care if one gets broken once in a while).

There are 21 messages in this topic.