TCS Multi-Pitch Climbing Essentials

Multi-Pitch Essentials
Welcome to the Multi-Pitch Essentials class, an introduction to the fundamentals of multi-pitch climbing.
Climbing two or more pitches off the ground means more excitement, more climbing possibilities and access to unique and amazing places. It also means more commitment, more complicated rope systems, often difficult communication, and always more difficult retreats in case of accident, nightfall or weather.
Multi-pitch climbing thus requires an even greater focus on safety. According to the American Alpine Club (Dougald MacDonald, Preface to the AAC 2018 Accidents in North American Mountaineering), you can avoid the most common accidents by ALWAYS doing these three simple things:

• ALWAYS challenge your system (weight test) before any transition.
• ALWAYS close your system (knots in the end of your rappel or belay ropes).
• ALWAYS communicate your plans before leaving the ground or the belay.

During the class we will constantly be practicing these three rules.
After reading the material below, if you have any questions feel free to call or email:
Bob Perry bperrygeo@gmail.com
303-717-2213

What you need to know/have for the class - Please be proficient with these skills and have this gear before our class:

• Top rope and lead belay skills
• Basic rappel skills
• Climb 5.7 on a top rope
• Knots (https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/climbing-knots.html)
• Figure 8 retrace
• Clove hitch
• Munter hitch
• Figure 8 on a bight and overhand on a bight
• Autoblock
• Klemheist
• Flat overhand
• Stopper/barrel
• Double fisherman’s

We will work on these key skills in the class:

• Planning
• Efficiency/speed/teamwork
• Safety and awareness - with the reality that efficiency and speed often mean safety
• Communication – or more to the point, frequent lack thereof
• Removing gear and gear management (racking/transferring)
• Rope management, two ropes and tag lines
• Belaying from above off the anchor
• Getting down – rappelling, and simul-rappelling
• Etiquette and courtesy

Planning

Climbing a multi-pitch climb requires studying the climb in advance, including how you will get down. It involves choosing a suitable partner and then choosing the right gear, clothing, food and water and checking the weather.

Speed, Teamwork and Efficiency

Multi-pitch climbing takes lots of time. Thus, speed and efficient climbing are critical for finishing the route, having fun and avoiding weather or being caught in the dark. Practice and constant focus on “what can I be doing right now to save time?” will keep you safe and having fun. Everyone on the team must feel responsible and be involved in safety, speed and efficiency.

Safety

Being 2+ pitches up on a wall introduces numerous additional complications and safety concerns compared to single pitch cragging. Rope management, especially with a tag line or more than two climbers can be complex, and requires triple checking at every step. Always follow the three main safety rules outlined above. Retreat is often complicated and always time consuming, so injury or changing weather must always be part of your thinking. When you are off the ground, ALWAYS connect your personal tether as a backup before untying ANY knot in your rope system.

Communication

Before you leave the ground, ALWAYS agree on your plan, and ALSO on your non-verbal communication strategy. It is common that long pitches, wind, river noise or being out of sight of your partner will make voice communication difficult or impossible. Learn to “intuit” what your partner is doing when you can’t see or hear her.

Gear & Gear Management

Managing gear is a key part of saving time. Dropping gear is a danger to those below you, and it might be the critical piece you need to make the next pitch safe. Stuck gear in a crack is costly and again, you might really need it above. We will practice removing, racking and handing off gear.
Rope management
Rope tangles waste valuable time, so learning to manage your rope is critical to safety and speed. Climbing with a tag line or 3 people (2 ropes) makes the process more complicated. We will practice stacking and coiling ropes to avoid problems. Even the experts can end up with a tangle, and sometimes the quickest solution is to untie from your rope. Never untie any knot or hitch without warning your partner(s) and challenging your new system.

Getting down

Before you leave the ground, know how you will be getting down. Just as important, be thinking all the time about how you might retreat from where you are in case of bad weather or injury.

Etiquette & Courtesy

It is common to follow or be followed on popular multi-pitch routes. If you are not first on the route, think carefully about choosing a different route. If you are behind a slow party things can get problematic. If you are the slow party, think about letting the faster party below you pass. If you are descending, you may have to share an anchor with an ascending party. Do your best to always be courteous and cooperative but never compromise your own safety to accommodate a pushy jerk.