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This site presents the images from the ebook High: Advanced Multipitch Climbing, by David
Coley and Andy Kirkpatrick. In order to keep the cost of the book to a minimum most of these
were not included in the book. Although they work best when used in conjunction with the book,
most are self-explanatory.

Please use the following links to buy the book: Amazon USA (kindle) / Amazon UK (kindle) /
itunes / kobo

Back to Other Chapters

Contents
1 General Climbing Gear / 2 Sling Draws and Extenders / 3 Cordelettes / 4 Pre-tied Belay Rigs /
5 Prusik Cords etc. / 6 Daises and other Tails and Tethers / 7 Going Light / 8 The Rope / 9 Non-
Climbing Gear / 10 Coiling the Rope / 11 Tying into the Middle of the Rope / 12 Coiling a 100m
Rope / 13 Racking the Gear

In general in the book we encourage a light-is-right approach. Most of the climbing equipment
used on multi-pitch climbs is the same as that used on single pitch ones. The rock type and
route will determine the range and quantity of protection you need, however, you do need to
take enough to not only protect the leader but to also build the belays (assume on average 6
pieces will be in the belays). Big routes often meander about more, so longer draws might be a
good idea. If you are using direct belays, cordelettes or belay rigs can be useful.

Common mistakes are to bring too many screwgates, not to leave the second with the basic
equipment to mount a rescue, not to have joined in the colour-coding revolution so both
climbers can read the rack at speed, to have forgotten the head torches and to rack the gear
into a mess.

To ensure you are travelling as light as is sensible, buy light gear, consider if things can do
more than one job, think about the right combination of ropes, ensure you have what you need,
but only what you need (e.g. you don’t need all 256 pages of the guidebook)

1. General Climbing Gear

Typical multi-pitch trad (left) and bolted (right) racks. If the crack systems are more continuous,
for example on North American granite, it would be common to only take one set of wires and
double the number of cams. In other locations a large selection of micro-wires will be needed.
On desert sandstone with splitter cracks you might swap the wires for many cams of the same
size. In all cases it really helps if the rack is easy to read: i.e. not a collection of random stuff
from a large number of manufacturers with gaps between sizes: you might know your rack well,
but your partner will stress out trying to find the right size on the crux. Many climbers would
want to add a pair of cordelettes as well for trad climbs.

Only take a big rack if you really need one, as it will slow you down. (Yosemite; Photo Nick D.)
 Anatomy of an autoblocking belay device (in
this case a Reverso 4). Such devices offer far
more flexibility than normal belay plates for
multi-pitch routes.

What the second needs. At all times the second requires enough gear to do his normal jobs,
escape the system and prusik up to and rescue an injured leader. This probably means he
needs (clockwise from top): a short prusik (in this case the chalk bag cord), length of 1mm cord
to use as a knife (shown wrapped around one of the attachment points on the chalk bag), nut
tool (if it’s a trad route), Reverso with 2 lockers, locker for tying into powerpoints etc., 3 magic
carabiners for the belay (unless it’s a fully bolted route), 60cm sling for cleaning (and used in
self-rescue), 120cm sling used in self-rescue, 1 spare locker and 1 normal carabiner (the latter
could be replaced by the carabiner on the nut tool). If you plan on using a cordelette or sling to
belay off then you will need to add one. The leader will need much of this equipment too
although hopefully much of it will already be part of her lead rack, unless of course she has
placed it all on the pitch.
 If you run out of locking carabiners, use a pair of snap gates doubled up—but make sure the
gates are truly opposing. On many climbs you only need three locking carabiners each: two for
the Reverso and one to tie into the belay with.

Old screwgates like this should be thrown Use the correct sized carabiner for the job.
away—the collar can stick closed, and the Used like this, this one could easily fail.
gate is probably not as strong as modern
versions. If once the collar is screwed up the
gate doesn’t rattle, bin the screwgate.

The three basic shapes of locking carabiners: Use triple action auto locking carabiners like
Left, HMS, or pear-shaped; middle, standard the one on the right. Not ones that can be
D-shaped; right, oval. Large pear shaped opened by just turning the sleeve.
carabiners are better if several ropes will be
tied to the same carabiner, or when using a
Munter hitch. A mini-, or micro-, traxion
requires an oval carabiner.
 Assuming you are swinging leads, you both
need to be happy using the rack and be able
For most jobs, snapgates without a tooth to select the correct piece as quickly as
(keylock, left) are better than ones with a tooth possible. This will be easier if the rack is
(right) as they won’t keep getting snagged in uniform and easy to read. (If you are short of a
slings. birthday present, buy a set of coloured
carabiners to make the cams even easier to
identify.)

 
The yellow carabiner on the left has a ledge at the nose that can hook a bolt, wire or sling and
lead to the carabiner failing; the red one on the right is a better design with no ledge. You can
find an example of what happens when this occurs here: www*. A hooked-up carabiner can fail
at only 10% of its rated strength (http://blackdiamondequipment.com/en/qc-lab-weakness-of-
nosehooked-carabiners.html).
 Although not needed on A belay loop that is a different Bunches of wires are often
most routes, on long routes colour to the rest of the harness best carried on larger,
with several easy pitches is a good safety feature; brightly possibly oval, carabiners so
with bolted belays a micro- coloured gear loops also help. they are easier to handle.
traxion will make moving Some people like to use a
together less dangerous. It toothless (keylock) carabiner
also makes a great to make the wires snag less.
ascender or rescue pulley. I (DC) prefer using one with a
tooth to reduce the chance of
wires being dropped when
the gate is opened. It is hard
to get oval carabiners in
different colours, so you may
have to paint them so you
can quickly pick the right one
on your harness. A different
colour for: micros, small,
medium, and large.
 
 Mark your wires to match the carabiner that
carries them. This will greatly speed re-racking
at belays particularly by someone not used to
your rack. Bass micro-wires don’t normally
need to be marked, as it is obvious these all
go on the one carabiner.  

3 Sling Draws and Extenders

Using short extenders when the rope passes through an angle causes more drag, increases the
effective FF and means pieces are more likely to unzip. Folding 60cm slings up to create “sling”
or “alpine” draws will help greatly, as these can be rapidly deployed as long or short extenders
as and when required.

Forming a sling draw from a 60cm sling. On trad routes consider carrying half your extenders in
this form and leaving your 10cm sports draws at home.
The bottom sling has been sewn so as not to Sling draws are also useful for extending
leave any ends that can catch; this is a better pieces when bring up two seconds. On trad
solution for sling draws and slings in general. gear or bolts, clipping with a sling draw also
creates a foot hold for gorilla aid.

Be careful of retainers on sling draws or just Shock-absorbing extenders (commonly called

don’t use them. These can cause a fatal screamers): top, stitching based and not reusable
mis-clip if the sling draw isn’t formed once deployed (made by Yates); bottom, friction
correctly. (This is not an issue in normal based and reusable (made by e-climb).
draws with retainers.)
 The two basic types of extender. Top: closed
(also termed a dog bone, or express,
extender). Bottom: open. An alternative is a
half bone, which has dog bone stitching along
half its length: this possibly ensures the rope
carabiner is well fixed, but the flexible upper
half puts less leverage on any protection that
might rotate out – and unlike a open extender
gets less entangled with other gear on the
harness.

3. Cordelettes
 

Cordelette. Left: sling-style (i.e. a circle made of Cord-based cordelettes can be finished
cord or webbing). Right: snakeloop-style (i.e. a and used sling-style (left) or snakeloop-
length of cord, or webbing, with knotted or sewn style (right). Note a triple fisherman’s has
loops at the end). been used on this spectra cord.

4. Pre-tied Belay Rigs

 
A belay rig is a sling or length or cord used to link anchor bolts together. It is much shorter than
a cordelette and, unlike a cordellete, is carried with all its carabiners and the reverso attached.
Commercial versions include a harness-style buckle to make adjustment even faster. There are
to basic ways to set one up: so the bolts are connected in series, or so they are connected in
parallel. The latter is termed Banshee style.

Belay rigs: left, 120 cm sling with a double overhand (this is the most flexible); middle, 120 cm
sling with a clove hitch made using both strands of the sling (the easiest to untie). Never clip
anyone into the shelf if using a clovehitch – if anyone removes the carabiner with the clovehitch
the shelf could fatally collapse); right, 60 cm sling with an overhand in the middle and the locker
clipped across the overhand (using a 60cm requires the bolts to be closely spaced). Other
arrangements are possible, for example a sliding-X. With these rigs the bolts are connected in
parallel.

60cm banshee belay rig—a 120cm sling is A cheaper alternative a sling is to us 7mm to
best unless the bolts are close together. The create the Banshee rig. With a banshee rig the
small loop containing the lockers is formed bolts are linked in series.
from a bowline on a bight.
 A banshee belay rig in action: the bolts are
linked in series.

Edelrid’s Adjustable Belay Station. Can be

used in powerpoint or Banshee mode.
COPYRIGHTED IMAGE

Edelrid’s Adjustable Belay Station in use. Close up of Mammut’s Belay Eight banshee
COPYRIGHTED IMAGE belay rig. Although heavy, such rigs are very
hardwearing and don’t leave you with a difficult
to untie knot at every stance.

5. Prusik Cords etc.

 

You will need one or more prusiks to climb the rope, use as a third hand when abseiling or to
mount a rescue. 5.5mm seems a good diameter. Cord is much easier than webbing to thread
through small holes in the rock when building your own rap stations.
 
 Attaching a chalk bag (left), and three not so good ways to do it: you need to be able to easily
rotate it to either side so you can access it even in a chimney. An advantage of attaching it with
a piece of cord is that you will always have at least one prusik to get you out of trouble.
 

6. Daisies and Other Tails and Tethers

 

Having some way of attaching yourself without using the rope is often useful. As is being able to
extend the abseil device away from your harness.

Cow’s tail made from a 120cm Standard daisy. Lamb’s tail (i.e. a open
sling. Girth hitching it to the extender) girth hitched to belay
belay loop rather than the tie-in loop.
points probably makes it more
comfortable.
 
 Lamb’s tail clipped to the PAS Purcell Prusik in 7mm nylon
belay loop using the two cord. This should provide
snap gates from the draw greater dynamic properties than
itself. This produces a slightly a cow’s tail made from a
longer tail. dyneema sling.
 

Lamb’s tail made from a doubled A cordelette can be used to make a very
60cm sling. This can be passed strong tether. Triple it up into a loop and put
through the belay loop or the tie-in an overhand in the middle then girth hitch it to
points. the harness. This should also be slightly
dynamic. One nice thing about using the
cordelette as a rap tether is that it is much
easier to undo at the end of the day than
knots in a 6mm dyneema sling!
 
Another cordelette tether: Clip the far end to the belay Then place the overhand.
first double it up and girth loop with a locker.
hitch it to the belay loop.
 

   
 

 
For those concerned about shock loading a tether, or just wanting a very strong adjustable
system, a 7mm nylon cordelette can be made into a Purcell prusik leash. Because the cord is
so thick, the prusik will not grab well enough on new cord, so wear the cordelette in first. Note
how when the cordelette is doubled up in the first stage the double fisherman’s is offset slightly
from one end to leave room for the girth hitch.
 If you want to make maximum use of your cordelette as a tether, fold it with one loop twice the
length, put an overhand at the midpoint of the four stands and a Purcell in the long strand. You
now have one tether to clip into the anchors and one for your rap device. (Or you could forget
the cordelette and just use a sling with a knot in it and stop making things so complex.)
 

Mammut’s Belay Sling is Beal’s Dynadoubleclip (left) and Dynaclip (right) lanyards.
strong, and unlike a COPYRIGHTED IMAGES. Such rope-based lanyards greatly
traditional daisy cannot reduce the effective fall factor that might arise if the user falls off the
be mis-clipped). stance (see data below).

Fall factor Measurement Dynaclip Nylon sling Dyneema tape

(80kg) sling
 1 Force 6.2 kN 11 kN >15 kN
1 Number of falls >20 4-8 0-1
before failure
2 Force 9.5 kN >15 kN >15 kN
2 Number of falls 8 0-2 0
before failure

Data from Beal of forces produced by test falls on various lanyards

(http://bealplanet.com/sport/anglais/longes-dynaclip.php). It is clear that a rope-based lanyard is
less likely to fail, and produces a lower shock to the body.

Girth hitching a daisy or cow’s tail to a harness. Either method is fine, but most people find the
left-hand one more comfortable if it will be in place all day.

Making a lamb’s tail from a standard open extender - nothing could be simpler. Note the two
snap gates have been reversed so another locking carabiner is not needed.
 Keep your weight on the daisy if possible at all times, and never put your waist above its
attachment point. You should be just as worried if you partner does: it might be the whole belay
that fails, not just her daisy.

How not to shorten a daisy. If the stitching One way to shorten a daisy. As two carabiners
between the pockets fails, you might find are being clipped together, they should both be
yourself unattached. Look very closely. locking carabiners. It will be quicker if both are
twist-locks.
 
 Another way to shorten a daisy. The right hand How not to clip a daisy. If the screwgate
carabiner probably only needs to be a snap gate, is subsequently clipped to the anchor the
but some people will be happier with a twist lock, as climber is only hanging from the stitching,
if it became unclipped a high effective fall factor which isn’t designed to hold much more
could result. than body weight.

7. Going Light
As always the key is to think creatively but to play safe. Think about whether some of the gear
could be replaced by lighter alternatives or simply left at home. Finding a lightweight alternative
might mean you can take some safety equipment that you were not going to because you had
assumed it would be too heavy

If you are climbing many If you use the right bindings, Getting seriously
grades below your crampons can be fitted to approach traditional: Woollen socks
maximum, why cram your shoes to get you up or down small grip a lot better than rock
feet into rock shoes for patches of snow – don’t try ice shoes on snow. (Rock
eight hours when you climbing in them. shoes on snow are
could walk and climb in extremely dangerous.)
approach shoes? The socks go over the
shoes.
 8. The Rope
 

Web forums are full of endless debates as to whether a single, double or twins are best. The
important thing is to understand the advantages and disadvantages to each and to have fully
experimented with each. This will allow you to choose the right rope for you and the route.

These photos show a pull line, a twin, a half and a single. When carried they might not look very
different, but the weight difference is substantial, as is how small they can be compressed into a
sack.
 

Different ropes feel very different when you start walking A 50m 5.5mm pull line will fit into a
uphill whether they are in the sack or on your back. In this small fanny pack (bum bag)
case: 0.9kg (5.5mm), 1.9kg (7.7mm), 2.3kg (8.5mm), alongside the food, knife and head
3.0kg (10.5mm); all 50m. torch, but practice using one
 before you head up a committing
route: you may wish you had
brought along a proper second
rope.

Relationship between weight per metre and Relationship between weight per metre and
diameter for accessory cord to lead ropes. diameter just for lead ropes.

Centre Marks, Ends and Care

A rope needs a clear centre mark so you can find the middle quickly when setting abseils.

A good, easy to spot centre mark. Ropes ends cut straight across (top) and
wrapped in tape can catch when being pulled
down from raps—consider smoothing the
ends of the rope into a point with a hot knife,
or a flame and your fingers (bottom).
Removing the manufacturer’s tape will
remove any information about the date of
manufacture, length and type of rope and
An even better solution (Mammut 9.8mm Tusk therefore needs to be done with caution and
rope). This approach also means you are less not when others may use the rope.
likely to untie your partner at a belay when
trying to untie yourself, as you end of the rope
looks different from her’s.

Standard identifying marks found on climbing ropes. From left: twin, half, single.
 What to do with the Second Rope

Most of the time it is best for one of the

climbers to carry the spare rope on her back,
or in a backpack, however an alternative is for
the second to just tow the rap rope. (Tom
Blight towing a rope. Riglos, Spain.) This
approach is not popular outside of North
America and I (DC) think it only sensible if the
route includes a lot of chimneys (making
carrying it on the back difficult), or if there is
nothing much for the rope to catch on and no
loose rock.

9. Non-Climbing Gear

Even if you like to be Modern windproofs are tiny Shoes will fit comfortably on
comfortable, try not to take too and weigh about the same as the back of your harness or
much. a screwgate. fanny pack (bum bag).
 The sack doesn’t need to be Even if you think you have Tall man, small tent, tight
big enough to take the the muscle, don’t take a sack shoes: Make sure your
climbing equipment and unless you really have to, equipment is up to the job, you
everything else unless the especially on steep terrain. fit it and it fits you.
walk in is long; just strap half (Carl Hubbard fighting harder
the load on the outside. Maybe than needed because of a big
you don’t need a sack at all. sack, Tete D’Aval, French
Alps.)

An example of two jobs done The amount of food required If you are climbing for many
for the weight of one: If taking depends on the length of days in a row and returning to
water, consider using sports route: preparing for a base between routes, try and
additives as it won’t add much multiday route at Camp 4, eat well to perform well.
weight but will add calories. (El Yosemite, USA.
Cap, Yosemite, USA.)

The weather can turn, even in What you need will depend Take enough to stay warm,
summer in benign looking on the route, location and but not enough to slow you
places like Yosemite. You time of year, but on anything down. (Jane drying out after a
 need to be prepared, but not except a short route it is likely storm whilst soloing Lurking
too well prepared – your to include: shoes (to get back Fear, Yosemite, USA.)
speed will suffer if you carry down), phone (if there will be
too much. Having an escape reception), water, windproof,
plan might be just as important knife and head torch; food
as having storm gear, and a and sunscreen are often
plan doesn’t weigh anything. useful as well.

Often equipment can have If you go somewhere cold A classic alpine clothing
more than one function: why and don’t take a team of dilemma. One moment you
take a duvet jacket just for the porters, a degree of suffering are playing around in the pre-
bivvy when an inverted is inevitable. Some people dawn dark on cold snow, the
sleeping bag will do almost as seem to be better at suffering next hot from pulling hard on
well—think creatively. than others, but the idea is to rock and trying to move as fast
try and not suffer by using as possible. (Ecrin, France.)
the right equipment.

Try not to carry the whole guidebook around. Route descriptions can be copied in various ways
(some of these probably breach copyright). Make sure you take the details of how to get to the
route and off the top, and include details about alternative routes and rap descents nearby. You
might like to take the details of adjacent routes in case yours already has climbers on it. On a
multi-day route, or if the weather could turn bad, consider laminating the topo and/or carrying a
spare. Carry the topo in a pocket, not in the sack so you can access it quickly.
 A water filter can save carrying a A length 1mm cord can be used instead of a knife to cut
lot of water into the hills. through ropes, cords and slings by using a sawing motion.
Always keep a length wrapped around a tie-in point on
your chalk bag.

Backup plastic buckles that are If you are going An alternative to a satellite
critical (i.e. a bum bag (fanny pack) somewhere truly remote phone is a GPS beacon that
containing your head torch, keys your cell phone won’t work, can send a message with
and passport) need to be backed so consider renting a your position to the rescue
up or replaced with ones that can’t satellite phone. services. COPYRIGHTED
unclip mid move. COPYRIGHTED IMAGE IMAGE

What happens if your shirt

doesn’t cover your hips on a
multiday route, and hence a
reason to take along some
finger tape.

*awaiting images
For photos that tell a story it is often worth trying to get the camera away from the climbers. Left,
gorillapod self portrait; right, trekking pole shot.
    
A battery bundle. Think about how you plan to replace the batteries in your torch in the dark with
no light to see what is going on. Note the tape on the bundle is offset from the centre and the
matching tape on the headlamp indicating which way around the bundle should be inserted (you
will be able to feel this in the dark). Only use a single wrap of tape, or the housing won’t close.
 

   
On serious routes you can’t afford to lose your head torch, so back the plastic clips up if you
think you might be taking falls. A length of 1mm cord can be left permanently on your helmet for
this.
 10. Coiling the Rope
The following photos show one (good) way of coiling the rope. We all have our favourite way,
but this method: starts from one end (so you don’t have to separate the two ropes), doesn’t
require you to keep lifting the coils to head height, produces a rucksack so you can carry it on
your back and doesn’t require you to pull the ropes through at the start of the climb (this can be
important on unstable ledges or at the base of sea cliffs where there isn’t much room, or if you
are doing it repeatedly on multiple raps).
 Assuming you have coiled it in the way just
described, you won’t need to pull the rope
through at the start of the route as long as
you very carefully uncoil it. Unwrap the final
turns, lay it down carefully and tease the two
ends apart all the way to the main coils. The
leader ties onto the end that looks like it is on
top.
 An alternative to the normal
rucksack coil—which you strap
to your back—is a pack coil.
(Start by coiling the rope as
suggested above.) This is a
way of finishing the coils so
they fit nicely onto a small sack
with compression straps. By
undoing the finishing turns, you
can quickly turn it into a
rucksack coil for carrying on
your back once you get to the
face

11. Tying into the Middle of the Rope

To tie into the middle of a 100m rope use a bowline on a bight with a step through. (The knots
appendix shows a close-up of the knot.) This takes no longer than a normal bowline with a
stopper. There is a video of this here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzIP4IUnqvI&feature=player_embedded
 Thread the bight through the tie-in points and form the hole of
the bowline as normal. The rabbit goes up the hole, but instead
of going around the tree and back down the hole, pass the loop
over your head and then under your feet. Finally adjust the
knot to bring it close to the harness. The knots appendix and
Chapter 8 show other ways of tying into the middle of the rope.

12. Coiling a 100m Rope

Coiling a 100m rope (coil it into two 50m bundles as normal but with a short length of rope
between them, roll them toward each other and secure as normal but through both tunnels.
 13. Racking the Gear
With small pieces such as wires and micro cams it is logical to keep them in bundles of similar
items on a single carabiner. In part this is because there are simply so many of them that
keeping them on separate carabiners would need a massive number of carabiners, but it is also
because you often need to be much more precise in choosing the right piece with smaller
pieces as the expansion range of a small cam or range in width along a stopper (nut) will only
be a few millimetres, or less. This means you might need to try several pieces before you get
the right one. However, keeping two or three medium or large cams on the same carabiner is a
false economy, most of the time it should be obvious whether it is a 1 or 2 inch cam straight
away, and if you do keep them on the same carabiner you won’t be able to clip one as quickly
when you need to.
 

Rack everything in a sensible, simple A mess will slow you Racking cams in
manner throughout the whole climb. Here down. pairs if you have two
the climber has cams on one side and sets saves harness
wires on the other, but there are many real estate. Note the
alternatives. Most climbers keep the small coloured carabiners
pieces at the front, large pieces at the and that each cam
rear. has its own carabiner
unless you always
extend your cams.
 On easier pitches or easier bolted routes, try
carrying the extenders in bunches; this makes
it easier to pass them between you at each
stance. It helps if each bunch only contains
extenders of the same length. On bolted
routes the second can clean onto bunches on
his harness and simply clip them onto the
leader’s gear loops as he reaches the belay.

On items that are best clipped in a certain way or at a certain point, for example Dragon cams,
mark the clip point with tape (here in red). The right-hand image shows the cam sling incorrectly
clipped. (Plea to DMM: please mark the stitching area in bright tape to make it is easier to see
where to clip and pull the webbing.)

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v 19 November 2014

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