Rope skills for scrambling 4: rock spikes and slings

[@paulmorrey4298]

Thanks

[@peglegthered]

Any idea what 30m rope they're using?

[@DaveMorrow]

Not sure. I find this one to work really well for scrambling and light weight / 2 / 3 man glacier traverse. Mammut Phoenix 8mm x 30m Dry Half

[@owenwilkins603]

but if you take a whip on the next pitch, even if your belayer is low on the spike, the anchor will pull off of the spike..

[@shoqed]

Meaning he would fall on another piece of gear and pull the belayer up? Then they have that next piece of gear then, no?

[@JMZ369]

i'm not sure it's possible to take a whip on the west face of tryfan! this technique is for low angled mountaineering ground rather than for steep climbing. upwards pull is definitely a consideration but this is good old fashioned scrambling rather than sport climbing. he is definitely too high on that spike though!

[@MrResqueman]

02:34 "And here i am using my judgement", Why you holding the two lengths of rope with one hand then? If rob should fall, you would not be able to hold him. ( just for future reference )

[@RobJohnson]

Hi Mr Resqueman and thanks for the comment. On the ground that Rob is on the pinch grip that I use when taking the rope in works fine, have a play next time you are out. If your second is on a steeper section then adjust what you are doing. If they are on rock climbing terrain then a rock climbing belay is required.

[@tradventure]

Super common if older method of belaying in low-angled terrain. This method is less popular in NA, but is still commonly in use elsewhere. Very similar to a "body belay" in mechanics, wherein you would take the place of the spike with your own torso. Completely applicable in this scenario. As mentioned by the Rob above, you're trying to arrest a slip, not a fall in vertical terrain.

[@donalddarko3676]

(for future reference) make sure you know what your talking about before criticising someone clearly more qualified.

[@fivesfish]

I would say that if you are using slings and spikes you should use two slings and spikes for one belay. This is so that if one sling or spike fails, there is a fail safe in place.

[@andrewhunter6536]

In a rock climbing Situation redundant anchor points is more important. Scrambling sometimes requires full belay set ups and sometimes just something simple to hold a small slip. That said, a monolithic anchor can also work in rock climbing depending on the feature

[@eiskaltCui]

At 2:48 he correctly stresses the importancy of not letting go of the safe end of the rope but just before and afterwards and in all the other parts he does the horrible mistake of just grabbing it with two fingers while moving his belay hand up the rope.. this just sets a very very bad example.

[@RobJohnson]

Hi David, thanks for the comment. I think the reality is that we are using this setup in a situation where we want to stop a slip from becoming a slide, we are not trying to hold someone falling off in a vertical environment. If the ground changes then the techniques change - that is one of the hardest things to teach and one of the hardest things for a novice to understand - judgement. The pinch grip that I use when taking the rope in works fine in this context. Next time you are out give it a try.

[@donalddarko3676]

Instead of doing an italian hitch could you not just use an atc.

[@frankblangeard8865]

If you are using a rope then you are not 'scrambling'.

[@shoqed]

what if you use a rope on a sidewalk?

[@Fullsendextreme]

Class 4 and 5 scrambles, a rope is advised to have. Especially for 5 which goes into the climbing realm. Unless you solo climb. Then all the power to ya. :-)