ATC Redirect for Lowering Ice Climbing

In this video you will see how to use the ATC redirect changing into Guide mode to both lower and belay a climber while they climb. These skills are taught individually on Hard Ice 1 but here we want to put them together for you and teach you how to do this.
TAKE NOTE - this video does not replace training from a professional guide. This video assumes that you have already went through the proper courses and are just seeking a refresher. We do not take responsibility for any injury that may result from this inherently dangerous activity.
Check out glacieradventure.is/courses/ to sign up for various Hard Ice courses.

[@shannon.lenahan]

Brothaaaaa!!! EXCELLENT teaching skills🙌🙌one of the clearest and best described/depicted videos covering top site lowers I’ve ever seen. Keep up the good work!🤙🤙

[@haukuringieinarsson8383]

Thanks Bro !!! always good to get positive feedback ;)

[@stevenclark3092]

Nice men

[@rharrisondebtfree]

Hello. Thank you for the detailed info. Wondering if the DMM Pivot would work to accomplish the same task or does it need to be redirected as well when setting up a top-down climbing system?

[@MikeReid]

Yeah so all guide plate style belay devices (like the DMM Pivot) will need to be redirected to accomplish the task or a redirected lower. PS: The DMM Pivot excels when you need to give slack to a climber and therefore temporarily defeat the guide mode.

[@rharrisondebtfree]

@@MikeReid cool...is it appropriate but heavier to use a Gri-Gri as long as the rope isn't too wet or icy?

[@MikeReid]

@@rharrisondebtfree Hey so yeah you could use a Gri Gri for lowering from the anchor as I know some guides who do that. Only issue is that getting a client over the edge is the most tricky part and with a gri gri, you would have to stand by the anchor instead of helping them over the edge. For this reason, I do not use that method. The best way is probably a munter hitch and if you are concerned about a rescue needed to happen, just put the munter on the shelf and a micro traxion in the focal so all you need to do is mule the munter and attach the micro traxtion on the line. Here is a video about it (kzbin.info/www/bejne/jn7OYqCjg7WLpas)

[@mr34]

The prussik is not going to work if the climber falls where you had it as it will pull into the ATC. Why don't you just put the prussik and the climbers side of the ATC?

[@MikeReid]

yeah thanks for the comment. The prussik is there (on the brake strand) to aid in the lower and to serve as a backup in case of a circumstance where I would have let go of the rope for whatever reason (medical emergency, etc). When the ATC is in guide mode the prussik is not necessary anymore and I could then remove it and place it on the client strand in case of a rescue. So I'm not sure when the prussic would have pulled into the ATC? Maybe you can provide some clarity?

[@ski4life9]

You guys are a bunch of bumblers. You don’t clip into the end of the rope with a locker unless you need easy escape from the system for example glacier travel. For water fall ice you should be tied in through both belay loops with a follow through figure 8

[@MikeReid]

Hey Conrad, thanks for the comment. I actually totally agree with you and in any climbing scenario with friends, I would just tie them in via the tie-in points on the harness. This video was part of a series relating to guide training in a commercial setting where we are dealing with multiple clients in a short amount of time. In this case, the AIMG (Association of Icelandic Mountain Guides) has fully accepted using a triple locking carabiner on the end for scenarios like glacier ice climbing (which this video was part of that training series). Also, you may have noticed that I clipped in the client with a "Grivel Clepsydra L K10G Twingate" which is, as noted in the name, a twingate carabiner with 2 actions to open. At this time within the AIMG, we do accept it's use in place of a triple action carabiner. Now, if we were to go waterfall climbing with clients, which would be at a much smaller client to guide ratio, we would then tie in as you had suggested.

[@ski4life9]

@@MikeReid gotcha! Just spiked my attention given the intro said it was for “ice climbing” not glacier travel