Vertical Darwinim: Slings 'n' Things

Recently, I was asked about the safety level of girth hitching a sling to a tricam in a top rope anchor. My gut reaction was that it is absolutely fine as I have done it many times before. Then that nagging feeling of doubt snuck up on me. Do I really know what I think I know?   So, I did my due diligence and found some research.

First of all, why would anyone girth hitch a sling to a tricam or other nylon slung piece of pro? Why not just use a carabiner?  The obvious answer is that it can get you out of a jam if you are short on biners and need to extend a piece. The less obvious situation is that your piece is positioned so that attaching a carabiner would position the biner on the edge of a rock. This is a very bad place for a biner as it may cantilever over the edge, possibly bending or deforming the biner. In this case it is much preferable to make a softer nylon to nylon connection and extend the piece around the corner. In the case of a cam a girth hitch directly to the stem will suffice, but in the case of a tricam, girth hitching nylon to nylon is unavoidable.

So, if that is the only option you have, is it okay? Will it greatly reduce the strength? I found some compelling and disturbing research posted on the black diamond quality control lab. As it turns out, girth hitching a sling to another sling can actually reduce the strength by up to 50%. (Just FYI, when it does break, it is usually the THINNER sling that breaks.) This shocking strength reduction might permanently turn you off to the idea of girth hitching slings altogether. But some simple math shows that there may be times when this practice is acceptable.

Let's break it down. We can assume that our master point carabiner can hold a maximum force of 22KN. We can also assume that a well equalized 3 point anchor should distribute this force among three points of protection leaving each piece responsible for roughly 7.33333333.... KN lets round up to 8KN to adjust for a low angle of attack. Note that a .75 Camalot is only rated to 9KN. Now consider taking a 22KN sling and girth hitching it to that Camalot to reduce its effectiveness by half.  The now 11KN sling is still stronger than the .75 Camalot which still more than handles the distributed overall fall force.  Then remember that this scenario deals with maximum forces and real forces in a top rope scenario are far less than 22KN.

In summary, in many cases even a weakened sling should be effective in sharing the load of a top roping climber. Furthermore, if the piece that you are slinging is rated to anything less than 11kn,  your piece will pop before your sling breaks. Of course all of this math is based on a new, full strength sling. An old sling will start at a disadvantage and therefore fail at a lower level of force. It is recommended that slings be replaced regularly as per manufacturers suggestions. (usually every 5 years)

I am currently looking into an alternative to girth hitching yet have not found any research to support my new strategy. Any engineers out there have a pull test machine that they would like to use to help out your climbing community?

What have we learned today?

• Always make sure slings are in good shape and regularly replaced (about every 5 years)
• Use a carabiner when you can.
• If you cannot use a carabiner, directly girth hitch to the plastic cam stem.
• If there is no cam stem, girth hitching is okay as long as you know your anchor can handle it.
• Never girth hitch to a wired nut or hex. There are other ways to extend those pieces. Ask me about it.
• Listen to your small voice of doubt. Do research. Ask questions. Know that you know.

Climb Smart MN is a grassroots approach to climbing education based on community and charitable giving. For information on donation based climbing lessons visit ClimbSmartMN and follow us on Facebook. With over ten years of climbing instruction, coaching, and guiding experience,  Chris Hesselbein strives to better the climbing community through personalized technique and safety education.

On the Rack: PMI Verglas 8.1 (Twin/Half Ropes)

How many people do you usually climb with? How many are usually with you on your multi-pitch team?  These are important questions because the size of your climbing party can determine not only the complexity of your process but also the distribution of your gear. Disproportionate weight distribution on a long approach can waste valuable team energy and change the tone from a fun day of climbing to a ruthless slog up a scree pile.

On my last trip to Red Rocks, I found myself as the leader in a party of two. Not bad for single pitch sport but considering the magnitude of the routes we were planning, it quickly became clear that we were going to need two ropes to safely descend. Through an unfortunate mishap, my primary rope was melted in half so... I was in the market for a new line.  I almost pulled the trigger on an exact replacement when I realized I had an opportunity to redefine rather than replace. I dove in and purchased a set of PMI Verglas 8.1mm twin/half ropes. This was my first outing with half/twin ropes and I have to say they were game changing. 

Basics of Twin Roping and Half Roping:

Half roping has been around for a long time and if you don't know about it by now, you should.  The idea is to run two thinner independent lines. This leads to a bit more rope management at the belay stations but there are some major benefits. First off, you can greatly reduce rope drag by alternating ropes instead of zig-zagging a single rope on wandering routes. Secondly, you have a backup rope just incase something happens... (Half roping is commonly used in leading ice; think sharp edges or crampons and ice tools.) Thirdly, you have enough rope to do a double rope rappel without having to trail a line which can get heavy and messy as well.  Last but not least is the weight savings (discussed below), and the ability to distribute the weight of a rope across two packs.

My new best friends...
Sorry, Beer.

Twin roping means using two smaller ropes as if they were one rope. This should only be done with ropes specifically designated "twin".  Many half ropes are not up to the task of rubbing agains the other rope in the same carabiner. I should mention that we also had some straight up sport lines on the tic list and were able to use the twin rated Verglas for those lines as well without having to pack another single line in the gear suitcase.  

Weight Savings:
A an average 10.2 rope weighs in at around 69 grams per meter. At 60 meters that comes out to be 9.1 pounds of rope in your pack. On big routes you are going to need two of them, so count on 18.2 pounds of rope. (Yes, Yes, I know you can use a tagline...)  The PMI Verglas are each only 8.1 mm with a weight of 42 grams per meter. That means at 60 meters each of these ropes is only 5.4 pounds; double it up for twin/half roping and you are looking at a total of 10.8 pounds of rope compared to 18.2 pounds. Plus you can split that 10.8 pounds between two packs and share the load on the approach. With my new rack of lightweight cams and biners, the hike in was a breeze for both of us.  

Fall Performance:
Each of the PMI Verglas are individually rated to 8 falls and could withstand a climbing fall scenario on its own. However, the decreased diameter means they are less hearty than a beefy single rope and sharp edges etc could cause failure in a catastrophic situation.  That's why you double them up. They are rated as such because in a half roping situation, one rope with take the majority of the fall force and the other will serve as a backup. Used together as twin ropes, they are rated to a whopping 18 falls which is generally higher than most single ropes because they share the force of the fall. For tiny ropes, they are surprisingly durable.

Overall Impressions:
From the first unravelling to the packing up at the end of the trip, the Verglas ropes felt solid yet supple. They had a very nice feel and glide, yet were able to lock into my ATC Guide with ease. I even enjoy the available color options(Make sure you get two different colors!) You can just tell that these ropes are high quality when you work with them. I am immensely pleased with my purchase even though.. wait for it...  I payed full price! They are worth every penny.

Do you need a set? 

No.

It really all depends on what your objectives are. It would be silly to get a set for Red Wing or Taylor's or even the N
orth Shore. Only pick up a set if you are planning on a large number of long routes with double rope raps and are looking for flexibility in packing and gear placement. Otherwise it is just a whole lot of rope and, as with all half ropes, they can be a pain to manage at times. Twice the rope means twice the tangles.  Sometimes one sturdy cord is all you need, but then there are those times when we need to redefine instead of replace.

Climb Smart MN is a grassroots approach to climbing education based on community and charitable giving. For information on donation based climbing lessons visit ClimbSmartMN and follow us on Facebook. With over ten years of climbing instruction, coaching, and guiding experience,  Chris Hesselbein strives to better the climbing community through personalized technique and safety education.

Is Your Anchor Screaming for Help?: 4 Subtle Signs

Part of the fun of a day at the top-roping crag is getting to see the menagerie of anchor styles at the top of the cliff line; some better than others. We have all seen climbers using a sketchy anchor all day without incident. In fact, the number of accidents from blown anchors is surprisingly less than expected.  That is because modern climbing gear is so effective that, in most cases, one well slung boulder could be enough to hold the force of a typical top rope fall.  Even so, this is no excuse for setting non-redundant and poorly equalized anchors. If crappy anchors are not failing, how do people know the difference between a well set anchor and poorly set one?  My point here is that our anchors don't give us feedback until they completely fail...or do they?  Actually, there are several small signs that may indicate your anchors are poorly equalized.

1. Pieces Popping or Walking
Repeated use unpredicted movement lead to expansion and contraction of your anchor system. Hence,  force vectors have shifted leaving your poor piece to adjust to changing conditions.  When this happens, pieces can pop out or walk back into an ineffective position. Whatever the case, if your pieces have shacked up at a new address, your anchor was not well set and equalized.

2. Fused Nuts and Hexes
Poor equalization means that one strand of your anchor takes on a disproportionately high force relative to the other pieces.  In the case of nuts and hexes(and tri-cams, for that matter), when most of your anchor force relies on one of them, it has a tendency to fuse into the crack and can be a real pain to get out. If I have a tree and a nut in the same system, I give the tree strand a little extra tension to give the nut a fighting chance.  Well set nuts and hexes should come out as intuitively and smoothly as they were put in.

3. Webbing Wear Marks
Webbing is stretchy by nature. When weighted it will move, and if placed over a rough edge it may start to wear. Padding the edge can help in this situation but those wear marks could tell you something about the forces demanded of each piece. If one of the pieces has a wear mark from the edge and the others do not, that piece took more force and was the primary contributor to your anchor. Try for equal wear or no wear at all.

4. Stubborn Knots
Clearly the master knot in your system is typically a bear to untie. But what about the other knots in your system?  Have you noticed that one of your knots is more difficult to untie than the others? That might inform you of an uneven distribution of force throughout your anchor. The greater the force on that strand, the more difficult that knot wil be to untie. This is a clear sign of poor equalization.

Shouldn't we all take time for reflection on how well our anchors performed? Shouldn't we seek advice and critique from a trained professional? Are your anchors quietly screaming for help? Are you listening?

Climb Smart MN is a grassroots approach to climbing education based on community and charitable giving. For information on donation based climbing lessons visit ClimbSmartMN and follow us on Facebook. With over ten years of climbing instruction, coaching, and guiding experience,  Chris Hesselbein strives to better the climbing community through personalized technique and safety education.

Road Trip: Top Five Car Games

Ah, Nebraska! The perfect 455 miles of nondescript landscape for us to really get to know each other. Whatever should we do? We could continue to discuss our increasingly similar thoughts on bolting.... We could have a lively debate about the potentially disruptive geopolitical events occurring in China... I know! We could play a game!

With the 4th of July weekend closing in, I assume many of us will take to the road in vehicles crammed to the dome light with gear.  My patriotic gift to you is a list of my five favorite road trip games listed in ascending order.  Buckle up!

#5 Twenty Questions

Pretend to be anything that you have wanted to be: an iguana?  a skateboard? something your father is actually proud of? Your friends have twenty yes or no questions to guess what you are. A word to the wise... You'd better know a thing or two about what you are pretending to be. None of those "maybe" answers. Also, you will be surprised how often you lose count of how many questions are left. 

Players: Anyone who still cares by question 12. 

Effective Mileage: 50

Pro Tip: Be a Spirochaete!

#4 The Alphabet Game

Start with A and get to Z before your friends can. Feel the thrill of victory when you find that last Z while everyone shares a sigh of relief that the game is finally over. Or go hardcore and not be finished until you have lapped the loser in last place. Only one letter per sign. First called, first scored. 

Players: Any literate passengers

Effective Mileage: 100

Pro Tip: Find the Quiznos! 

#3 "What's that smell?" 

Maybe it's in the cooler? Or your friends pack? Or maybe it's the dog? I don't know if it is really a game but it gives you something to do and it often takes quite a while to identify. A time tested classic, especially in climber vehicles. 

Players: Unfortunately, we are all in this one together. 

Effective Mileage: 200?

Pro Tip: It's probably you.

#2 Car Bingo

Remember the little cardboard bingo cards with the red sliding plastic windows?  Pick up a few at the only place I have ever seen them, Crackerbarrel. Whoever gets bingo first probably deserves a beer or something.  Maybe wait until you aren't driving anymore... unless you're in Texas.

For a more personalized experience, make your own cards about what you might see or stuff that could happen on the road. Don't forget your blotter!

Players: Where's my Bingos?

Effective Mileage: 500

Pro Tip: Give your buddy the card with "pay phone" on it.

#1 THE COW GAME

The Cow Game has a little bit of everything: life and death, triumph and defeat, math and livestock. Do I need to go on?  Simply choose teams; drivers side vs. passengers side. Whenever you pass cows in a field, COUNT THEM! Easier said than done. That number goes toward your total points. Whoever has the most points (read "cows") at the end wins.  But beware... If you pass a graveyard on your side, ALL of your cows DIE!  Of course you can add other rules as well. How about if you spot a military vehicle, punch the ceiling and kill 50 of your opponents cows? Pass a McDonalds on your side and loose 10 cows...or horses if you are counting them as well.  Why not throw chickens or dogs into he mix? This is your game and Nebraska isn't getting any shorter.  

Players: Two savage teams. If uneven numbers, help goes to the drivers side. 

Effective Mileage: 1,237,378 or until you are there...

Pro Tip: Surprise your enemy by instating the "_______sucks" rule, where you announce that your friend sucks and you just steal some of your opponents cows.

Have a safe trip, both on the road and on the rock!

Climb Smart MN is a grassroots approach to climbing education based on community and charitable giving. For information on donation based climbing lessons visit ClimbSmartMN and follow us on Facebook. With over ten years of climbing instruction, coaching, and guiding experience,  Chris Hesselbein strives to better the climbing community through personalized technique and safety education.

On the Rack: Black Diamond X4 Cams

Many of you may have seen the picture of my shiny new rack. I am pleased to say that all of the gear is now sufficiently scuffed and well loved after a solid  two weeks of western climbing. For my new rack I decided to invest in Black Diamond cams. I was especially excited to learn that I would be able to pre-order the nex X4 cams before I had to pack for my trips. So I ordered a set and have used them for any cam placements less than a number one. Now, after getting a few miles under my belt, I feel obligated and qualified to let people know what I think of them. So here goes...

The new BD X4 cams span the gap between Camalots and Aliens. The tried and true design of flexible stem Aliens have already been emulated by the Metolius Master Cam and lately renewed by Fixe. Black Diamond has put their own spin on that concept by creating a flexible stem cam that utilized BDs dual axle design for increased expansion range. They have an armored stem protector and they also are designed to lighter than the Camalots of equivalent size. 

So what do I think of them?  The sizing has been great and the consistent color scheme has made a very easily accessible rack, especially when paired with matching colors of the ultralight Camp Nanos. 

The flexible stem is very pliant which has given me a great sense of security especially with smaller pieces on sketchy traverses or in places with a lot of possible walking or movement. They are incredibly ergonomic as they are comfortable to hold an very easy to manipulate. The trigger action for the most part is smooth and effective. The weight is noticeably lighter than other BD Camalots of the same range. And they just look cool. 

I have not taken any whippers on them yet but here's to hoping they would hold. My only possible complaint is that they seem to be incredibly susceptible to reduced trigger action from dirt and dust etc. My regular Camalot C4s still have buttery smooth action while I already feel that I need to get in there and lube up the lobes on my X4s because the trigger motion has slightly deteriorated.  Only time will tell about their durability, especially that of the kevlar trigger cords. But at this point, I am very satisfied with my purchase and look forward to using them on many climbs to come.

Let me know if you have any questions or would like to see them in action. I can bring them along sometime.

Climb Smart MN is a grassroots approach to climbing education based on community and charitable giving. For information on donation based climbing lessons visit ClimbSmartMN and follow us on Facebook. With over ten years of climbing instruction, coaching, and guiding experience,  Chris Hesselbein strives to better the climbing community through personalized technique and safety education.

Battle of the Sexes: Climbing Technique Round

*Disclaimer* The following post contains vast generalizations for the purpose of thought provoking self-analysis. These comments pertain to broad typicalities of novice climbers. Give it some thought and find your own truth.  Also, posting this may decrease my chances of getting a date. 

Climbing is a romantic sport. It involves teamwork, encouragement, communication, intense physical exertion, grunting, and a lot of looking at your partner's backside. Who could ask for a better date?

Then why so much fighting? Men always seem to be shouting for their female climbing partners to "Just go for it!" The female partners try the monstrous move in vain and eventually find their own damn way up the wall. Then they swap belays and the women urge the men to use their feet which the men promptly ignore and usually make the route way harder than it needed to be.

Men and women have different styles of climbing due mainly to two factors: center of gravity and upper body strength. These factors matter because they determine which parts of a climber's body lead and which parts follow. This matters because leading with your top or bottom half greatly changes your balance and energy exertion on the wall.

Men have a higher center of gravity, and relatively greater upper body strength. The high center of gravity leads the male climber to lead with the chest and follow with the feet. The upper body strength tends to focus the male climber's attention on the handholds and less on the footholds.  This means that men often pull themselves into moves, lock off, and fix their balance by finding feet after the fact. While bold and daring, this tactic uses a lot of energy and often leaves men scrambling to correct with their feet, or more likely, giving up on good feet all together.  Just watching this style makes me tired!

Women generally have a lower center of gravity and relatively weaker upper body strength. The low center of gravity means that women tend to lead with their lower half and follow with their upper half. The less powerful upper body strength causes women to trust their footholds more than their handholds.  This means that women are more likely to push themselves as far as they can with their legs and then scramble to find hands that will allow them to balance on their feet. This method requires less pulling energy but also tends to throw women off balance as they find themselves stuck in the middle of a move instead of confidently resting in between the moves. This style looks to be unconfident and tenuous at best.

Who is right? Should men climb more like women? Or should women climb more like men?

As with all relationships between men and women, the answer lies in compromise.  Women and men both could stand to take a lesson from each other in terms of movement and balance. Men have the upper body thing down pat, so they should focus on finding feet to remain in balance throughout the move instead of finding balance as an afterthought.  Women should learn to dial back on the legs and not always push into the next move before they are balanced and ready. Hanging straight from your arms, instead of pushing your legs to full extension, will help you find your optimal resting posture and make you feel more confident on the wall in the long run.

My hope is that we all can learn to get along, or at least spray meaningful, gender-thoughtful beta at our opposite-sex climbing partners.  Regardless, a little bit compromise can go a long way in smoothing over not only the differences in our climbing, but also in our day to day relationships.

"Be excellent to each other."
-Bill S. Preston Esq. 1989


Climb Smart MN is a grassroots approach to climbing education based on community and charitable giving. For information on donation based climbing lessons visit ClimbSmartMN and follow us on Facebook. With over ten years of climbing instruction, coaching, and guiding experience,  Chris Hesselbein strives to better the climbing community through personalized technique and safety education.

On the Rack: Keylock Carabiners

I was recently in the process of creating a new set of alpine draws to accompany my new trad rack.  I had already decided on 8mm Mammut contact slings because of their light weight and non-snagging profile.  But I was still searching for a lightweight, keylock style carabiner. I know that there are a lot of light weight wire gates that would have worked, but very few of them (with maybe the exception of the Heilum and the Hoodwire/OZ) were keylock-style. This was an important feature to me for a quick, smooth release while leading.

Carabiner choice is really based on style, weight, price and personal preference.  I had already decided on the style. I wanted to go light, I wanted to save money, and ultimately I wanted something that just felt good to use. My research lead me towards Wild Country Heliums, but I didn't like the nose design. I considered the OZ and the Hoodwire but the gate action was not as comfortable for me. (*While the Helium, Oz, and Hoodwire are not true keylock biners, their design achieves the same goal) I wasn't sure about the Ange L with the new mono-wire design, and again, the weight to price ratio just wasn't quite right.

On several occasions I almost jumped in and bought a full set of biners just because they were on sale.  I am glad I waited.  At the last minute, I found an option which I had not previously researched. I settled on the Ange S (On sale for $8.50 each). At 28g each they were lighter than the Heliums, with a great nose shape and excellent action. They only thing I wasn't sure about was the size.  They are slightly smaller than a full size biner and I thought they might be awkward to use.

After several large, multi-pitch climbs, I am glad to say that they have performed really well on the wall and the weight savings on the approach have been a godsend. The smaller size took a little getting used to, but I was able to clip and extend my alpine draws without any incident. Even with a smaller gate opening, they took my twin ropes with ease.   It actually has made other biners feel too big! Go figure!

Here is a chart from my research with a price to weight comparison for your enjoyment. The prices used are all MSRP. Of course, the prices you find will hopefully be less.  Happy shopping!

Climb Smart MN is a grassroots approach to climbing education based on community and charitable giving. For information on donation based climbing lessons visit ClimbSmartMN and follow us on Facebook. With over ten years of climbing instruction, coaching, and guiding experience,  Chris Hesselbein strives to better the climbing community through personalized technique and safety education.