“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.”
T.S. Eliot
Climbing long, multipitch routes—a climb with several intermediate belay stations—is one of the greatest joys for many rock climbers. Multipitch routes take you far off the ground into the big wild and fantastic exposure. You have to find your way up the face, figure out all the moves, and place protection and belay anchors to keep the team safe. It all adds up to a great adventure. On long climbs, a team’s efficiency is critical. Spend an extra 15 minutes at each belay transition and it will cost you 2 hours on an eight-pitch climb. Dial in your rope systems and anchor placements, practice climbing confidently and efficiently, and climb a few easy multipitch climbs before embarking on longer, harder ones.
If you climb long enough, it’s likely that you will be involved in a climbing mishap, either yours or someone else’s. To be prepared, study the self-rescue section in Chapter 14, Climbing Safe, take a self-rescue course from a certified guide, or be disciplined to do an exhaustive self-study on rescue methods. Self-rescue methods are not only important in case of a mishap, but give you the techniques you need to get out of sticky situations and avoid trouble in the first place.
As with any outdoor pursuit, taking a wilderness first-aid class may save someone’s life. Heading up multipitch routes without basic rescue and first-aid knowledge is irresponsible.
Pitch 1: One climber leads the pitch, placing protection anchors and clipping them to the rope for safety. At some convenient point, ideally at a good ledge with ample protection opportunities (usually indicated in the guidebook description or on the topo), she stops and sets a solid belay anchor and belays the second climber up. The second climber cleans (removes) the protection as he climbs. When he reaches the belay the team reorganizes the rack to prepare for the second pitch.
Pitch 2: Next, one of the two climbers leads the second pitch. At the top of the pitch, he establishes the second belay anchor, and then puts his partner on belay. Once she is on belay she removes the lower belay anchors and follows the second pitch, cleaning the protection as she goes. When she arrives at the higher belay, the team again reorganizes the rack.
Pitch 3 and beyond: One climber leads the third pitch and the team repeats the process, climbing pitch after pitch to the top of the climb, never untying from the rope until they reach the top.
The difficulty of the pitches, and the experience and ability of the climbers, helps the climbing team decide who will lead which pitches. Sometimes the more experienced or stronger climber assumes all of the risk and responsibility of the “sharp end” by leading every pitch. Other times, the climbers pick and choose the leads that are most appropriate for each climber (but beware that some “easier” pitches may have poor protection or be awkward and more difficult than the grade indicates). A common tactic is to swing (alternate) leads, with one climber leading the odd pitches and the other leading the even pitches.
Swinging leads is efficient, because the previous leader stays tied into the belay anchors while the second climber arrives at the belay, regroups, and starts off on the next pitch. Also, the team does not need to restack the ropes, because the new leader’s rope end is on top of the stack after she followed the last pitch. Swinging leads gives each climber a good dose of the challenge and exhilaration of leading.
After the second climber arrives at the belay station, the climbing team must regroup so the new leader can begin the next pitch. Inefficient transitions at the belay are one of the greatest time killers in climbing. While a highly experienced climbing team can perform most belay transitions in a couple of minutes, less experienced teams can lose a lot of time making belay transitions. On a multipitch route, this can result in the team getting caught by an afternoon storm or evening darkness. The key to making quick belay transitions is to be organized and systematic, with both climbers quickly performing transition tasks until the new leader leaves the belay.
One systematic approach follows this sequence:
1.The climber leads a pitch, builds the belay anchor and clips into it, and then belays his partner up. While the second climbs, the belayer prepares a clip-in point for the second climber. This can be a sling attached to the anchor master point with a carabiner to clip (a nonlocking carabiner is fine). On large ledges, where the climbers can stand comfortably, this clipping sling may be unnecessary.
2.When the second climber arrives at the belay, he clips into the sling and hangs from it. While keeping his rope in the belay device, the belayer ties a figure eight loop on the brake side of the climbing rope (A).
3.The team then reorganizes the rack: The fastest method here is to have all four hands (two from each climber) involved. One good system is for the climber who just followed the last pitch to hand the gear, one or two pieces at a time, to the belayer, who reorganizes the equipment onto the gear sling. Any gear that will be carried on the new leader’s harness gear loops should be clipped directly there.
4.The belayer passes over any equipment required from his harness gear loops to the new leader.
5.The belayer transfers the rack to the leader (being careful not to drop it!) (B), who places the slings over his shoulder on top of the gear sling, so he can pull them off when needed.
6.The climbers double-check their safety systems. Then the new leader unclips from the sling and takes it with him. The belayer unties the backup figure eight knot, prepares to belay, and the leader casts off, clipping the top anchor in the belay for protection (C and D), or better, setting a bomber piece just above the belay to clip.
At first, it takes a little effort to learn how your partner likes to arrange their gear, but once you become familiar with each other’s styles you’ll move like a well-oiled machine.
When you’re climbing longer routes, it’s good to always think, “What could I be doing right now to speed the party up?” Then do it. One way to speed up the team is to make super-long pitches to minimize the number of belay transitions, but this can cost you time if you misjudge the complexity of the next belay or run out of gear too early. Also, if you expect that the second might struggle with the climb, it’s better if you’re not 200 feet above him.
There are three primary situations when it may be better to lead in blocks where one climber leads several pitches or more in a row rather than swapping leads. The first is when only one climber is capable of leading; the second is when following one pitch and then immediately leading the next is too exhausting; and third, leading in blocks is a common technique used to gain maximum efficiency when trying to do long climbs in a short amount of time.
For the belay station transition when leading in blocks, one system is to:
1.Rig belay anchors with a cordelette or slings to create a single master point for clipping in and out of all the anchors.
2.As the second cleans the pitch, she puts all the gear on a sling.
3.Once the second arrives at the belay, she ties into the belay anchor and passes the sling with the cleaned gear to the leader.
4.While the leader reorganizes the rack, the second restacks the rope so the leader’s end comes out on top and then prepares to belay the leader.
5.The team double-checks the safety systems, then the leader unties from the belay anchors and begins leading the next pitch.
Of course, extremely experienced climbers have many shortcuts not explained here, but the steps above describe an efficient transition that does not sacrifice safety.
Many climbing teams lose time through sloppy rope management. You don’t need to rush up every climb, but on longer routes, efficiency and speed can be important. Good rope management—stacking or coiling the rope(s) in the best available places, keeping the stacks or coils clean and untangled, and not moving the rope around any more than necessary—is important for efficiency on longer routes.
Coils cradled by the sling
Stacking. If the belay ledge has ample room, flake the rope (uncoiling it one loop at a time) into a random pile within reach of the belayer, where it cannot slide off the ledge. This is quicker and easier than making lap coils. As you feed rope into the stack, push it down occasionally with your hand or foot to keep the stack tight and clean (this is especially important on small or sloping ledges, so the rope cannot slip off the ledge).
If you lead two pitches in a row, stack the rope in the second-best spot on the ledge, so that when your partner arrives you can restack the rope in the best place to put your end on top.
Stack or coil a lead rope and haul rope separately. When climbing with half or twin ropes, flake, stack, or coil them, strands together, in the same pile.
Lap coil. If the ledge is tiny, sloping, or nonexistent, a lap coil is the best way to stack your rope. Simply stack the rope back and forth across the rope running from your harness to the anchors. If the rock below is blocky, flaky, or adorned with other features that may snag the rope, or if the wind is blowing hard enough to whip the rope around, make the coils short. The first coils should be the longest, and each new coil should be slightly shorter than the last one. This way, when you feed the rope out, the shorter coils will feed first without tangling on the longer coils.
If the rock below is smooth, make the lap coils longer so you have fewer coils and therefore less rope stacked over your harness. Don’t let the coils hang low enough that they could snag on a feature or go out of sight. On a perfectly smooth slab, the coils can be very long. Longer coils are faster to make and easier to manage—unless they get stuck below, out of your reach, which could strand the leader, who cannot move because the rope is stuck.
Sling coil. You can also stack the rope in a sling attached to the anchors. This is useful on big walls or when you have more than one rope to stack, but usually a lap coil is faster and easier to manage. You can also grab a lap coil and easily wrap a sling around it. Don’t coil into the loop of a sewn runner—if the rope tangles around the runner it can be extremely difficult to untangle, especially while giving the leader a safe belay. Instead, wrap the sling around the coil, clipping two loops of the sling into a carabiner so you can easily release one end of the sling to remove the sling from the rope in case of a tangle.
Rope bag. Another option is to stack your rope in a rope bag. Rope bags can work great on big walls and for rope soloing, but outside of those uses, they are extra weight that you don’t need. At least one company produces a convenient hook for stacking your rope, which may be great on a big wall, but for general free climbing it’s just another thing to carry.
If your route is described in a guidebook, the recommended belay stations will be shown or described. You don’t have to belay there, but often they will be the most convenient or comfortable spots. Teams gunning for speed may bypass some belay stations to make longer pitches and reduce the number of belays, while teams with an inexperienced partner should make shorter pitches so the climbers can see each other and communicate better.
The most important aspects of a belay station, in order of decreasing importance, are:
Cracks or other features for solid anchor placements or fixed bolts
Protection from rockfall (this is especially crucial in areas with loose rock and can be the most important element of a belay station)
Availability of good lead protection immediately above the belay
Does not cause the rope to run across loose rocks
Provides a comfortable spot for the climbers to conduct the belay transition
Minimizes rope drag on the next pitch
Allows visibility and verbal communication between partners
The belay station may not meet all of these criteria, so it’s a matter of balancing the demands and finding a station that is safe, comfortable, and efficient.
If no ledge exists, set a hanging belay, where you hang off the anchor rather than standing or sitting on a ledge. You must have a bombproof anchor, with the master point at chest level or higher so you can lean back and relax. You can place additional gear just for psychological comfort in a hanging belay.
Seek at least a tiny ledge for your feet, which will help make the hang more bearable. The first few hanging belays can wrack the nerves, because you must completely trust the anchors and lean against them. Inexperienced climbers may try to stand entirely on that tiny ledge, afraid to weight the anchors, but this wastes energy and creates insecurity. It’s much easier to just lean back and hang from the anchors. Once you’re comfortable doing this, a hanging belay is a spectacular experience—what a view—especially if you have a comfortable harness.
If you hang for a long time, shift your weight periodically to change the pressure points on the harness and keep your legs from going numb. This will help you stay reasonably comfortable. If there’s no foot ledge at all, you can stand in a sling or a loop tied in the rope to shift some weight to your feet.
Fast and light: It sounds so appealing, cruising long routes with little gear so you move fast. Some climbers who pioneered the wild 1800-foot routes in Colorado’s Black Canyon of the Gunnison during the 1970s and 1980s climbed with the audacious motto “A rope, a rack, and the shirts on our backs.” They carried absolutely no extra gear and through boldness, commitment, and talent, they usually succeeded on their climbs. In fact, they had to succeed, because they had no spare rope or sufficient anchors for retreating, no extra clothes or water for making a reasonable bivouac, and they often made huge runouts because they carried a small rack. On top of that, rescue was not an option: There was no rescue team. They took commitment to new levels and succeeded in opening a number of classic routes.
That style of climbing is to be commended, but not recommended. On longer routes, it’s wise to carry a little extra gear to deal with bad weather, and an extra rope or tag line so you can retreat when the chips are down. However, carry too much extra gear and the climbing will become much slower and more difficult, and you will end up needing the extra gear, perhaps while spending an uncomfortable night.
It’s a fine line between carrying enough gear and carrying too much. Skimp on clothing, and you may suffer if it gets cold. Bigger than normal climbing shoes are comfortable on longer routes. Bigger shoes sacrifice some performance, but comfort over a long day can be worth it. Wear a thin pair of socks for warmth if it’s cold. Never forgo the knife, or you may become stranded if your rope gets stuck. What to bring depends on the route, the approach and descent, the climbing team, and the weather.
If you have a pile of gear to carry, take a hard look at each piece and pare it down. Why carry hiking shoes if the descent is short? Why lug the second quart of water when you can hydrate before the climb? Why lug a big lunch when a couple of energy bars will do? Each piece of gear should be essential and as light as possible, because it all adds up.
Here’s a list of extra gear to consider bringing on a long route:
Light, compact rain jacket (and possibly rain pants)
Small knife for cutting a stuck rope (carefully) or replacing bad webbing at anchors
Lighter for starting a fire if you get benighted
Water
Energy bars and/or gels for maintaining blood sugar
Lightweight hiking or approach shoes if you have a long hike from the top of the climb
Warm, synthetic clothes for alpine areas or colder temps
Hat and gloves
Lightweight headlamp with fresh batteries
Small first-aid kit
A compact, light pack that fits close for climbing
How much water and energy food to bring depends on how long you plan to be on the rock and how warm it is. For long days, you might want a few energy bars, gel packs, and a sandwich or bagel. To decrease the amount of water that you need to carry, tank up on liquids (not alcohol) the night and morning before your climb. Start off well hydrated to maximize your climbing performance. Many climbers carry a water bladder with a hose and bite valve in a tiny pack so they can drink easily all day. Others tape a piece of webbing or cord to a water bottle so they can clip the bottle to their harness. The tape also protects the water bottle.
It’s wise to carry a decent first-aid kit in your approach pack and just a few key essentials on the route, sometimes as little as a roll of athletic tape. More important than the contents of the kit is knowledge of wilderness first aid.
Depending on the route, a light first-aid kit might include:
Athletic tape
2 percent betadine for cleaning wounds
Pads for dressing wounds
Triple-antibiotic ointment
Band-Aids
Tweezers for removing spines or splinters
Eyedrops for removing foreign matter from an eye
Many climbers prefer not to climb with a pack because it pulls you backward on steep terrain and makes the climbing harder. If you have a few extra items, though, a pack is the cleanest way to carry them. Choose the smallest pack possible and load the heaviest gear close to your back. On moderate climbs, each climber carries his own small pack. This helps keep the packs light and allows each climber to access his clothes, food, and water at will.
On harder climbs, the best strategy is to put the team’s gear in a single pack to be carried by the second climber. This makes sense, because the leader is already carrying the rope and rack and has the risk of a leader fall. Don’t load the pack heavily, though, or following the pitches will become more desperate than leading them.
You can clip some spare gear on your rear harness gear loops. This works for carrying a water bottle and tiny rain jacket, but add much more gear and a pack starts to make sense.
On hard pitches, on steep pitches, or if the pack is heavy, haul the pack rather than carrying it. You’ll need a haul rope that does not get clipped into the lead protection. A 7- to 8-millimeter rope works fine for hauling and saves weight over a fatter rope. The spare rope also allows full-length rappels. Buy your haul rope or tag line 10 feet or so longer than the lead line to allow for stretch. The leader clips the haul line to the haul loop on the back of her harness with a locking carabiner. If the load is relatively light, she’ll pull the load up hand over hand. It’s good to tie off the haul line after pulling it up partway so it doesn’t cream your partner if you drop it. A small wall-hauling pulley makes light work of a heavy load, but it’s more gear to carry.
A time budget is a projection of how long it will take to accomplish each part of an approach, climb, and descent. Here’s an example of a time budget for a fit climbing team heading up the Diamond on Colorado’s Longs Peak from Boulder, Colorado.
| 12:45 AM | Wake up and eat breakfast |
| 1:30 AM | Leave Boulder in the car |
| 2:45 AM | Begin hiking |
| 5:30 AM | Arrive at the base of the North Chimney and gear up |
| 6:45 AM | Arrive at the base of the Diamond |
| 7:00 AM | Start climbing |
| 10:00 AM | Reach the top of pitch four, at 45 minutes per pitch |
| 12:15 PM | Reach Table Ledge, eat a quick lunch |
| 1:00 PM | Arrive at the top of Longs Peak |
| 5:00 PM | Return to the car |
Having a time breakdown like this helps the team stay on pace. On Longs Peak, for example, you can count on an afternoon thunderstorm arriving most summer days starting around 2:00 PM, so you don’t want to be on the route or the top of the peak then. If a team projects the time plan above and they arrive at the base of the North Chimney at 6:30 AM, they are off pace. They would be wise to turn around, unless they can make up the time somewhere else soon. If they continue on, still losing time from the budget, they might arrive at the base of the Diamond, and begin climbing at 8:15. If they climb at one pitch per hour, they’ll hit Table Ledge at 3:15 PM, if they haven’t already been besieged by rain, hail, and lightning. This team should have started earlier, approached the day before, or chosen a shorter route. Estimates in a time budget should be slightly conservative so you’ll have some leeway—it’s easier to lose time than to make it up.
Work backward to create the time budget. Say you want to summit Longs no later than 1:00 PM. If you conservatively estimate 45 minutes to pack up the climbing gear, eat a quick lunch, and hike to the top from Table Ledge, plus 45 minutes per pitch, that means that you should be at the base of the wall by 7:00 AM. Work backward on the approach and drive to calculate that you should awaken at the painful hour of 12:45 AM—if you can hike and climb fast. A slower team needs to start even earlier. For a team on a long route that is close to their upper limit in difficulty, planning for one hour per pitch is a good starting estimate.
Starting early on long routes, especially in alpine terrain, helps avoid epics. Bring a headlamp, but use all the morning light to avoid getting caught by dark or in an afternoon thundershower. An early start also helps you beat other climbing teams to the route so they don’t delay you. Starting 15 minutes later can sometimes cost you 2 or 3 hours by day’s end if you get caught behind a slow party. Along with a time budget, it’s good to know where you can easily retreat or route variations that may be easier or quicker.
In most situations, a pair of climbers is quicker than a team of three. But it’s not always about being the fastest team on the block. Climbing is meant to be fun and social. Teams of three can be fun, because you have someone to hang with at the belays (though be careful not to get distracted from your all-important job: belaying). The bigger team also gives you an extra pair of legs for carrying the gear to the climb and sometimes an extra leader for dealing with the hard pitches.
For recreational climbers, it’s often best to climb “caterpillar style.” The leader leads on one rope, then the second climber follows on that rope and trails a second rope for the third climber. The second climber unclips his rope from the protection and then clips the trailing rope below, to protect the last climber from a swinging fall if the pitch traverses. Tie the trailing rope into the second climber’s harness tie-in points so it’s easy to clip protection. The trailing rope can also be attached to the haul loop (on the back of the harness), but then it’s harder to clip the protection. If the pitch is straight up, the second climber does not need to clip the trailing rope into protection. When the second arrives at the belay, he takes over the belay by clipping his belay device into the trailing rope, and then the third climber climbs and cleans the protection.
For highly experienced climbers, simul-belaying helps the team move fast. The leader belays the second and third climbers up at the same time. The third climber should stay at least 15 feet below the second climber so there’s less chance of a collision if the second falls, but not so far away that rocks or anything that is dropped has time to accelerate; 15–20 feet apart is ideal. The leader, who must belay two ropes simultaneously, needs excellent belaying skills. Be sure to protect both ropes on traverses.
It works best to belay the two ropes directly off the anchors with an autolocking belay device that works with two ropes. It locks the rope if a climber falls, yet allows you to continue pulling the other rope through. Thoroughly read and understand the manufacturer’s instructions before operating these devices. It is not recommended to belay two climbers simultaneously without an autolocking device.
When using communication signals, finish the commands with the rope color. For example, if the team has a blue rope and a red rope, once The simul-belay both ropes are on belay, the belayer may call, “Belay on blue! Belay on red!” During the pitch, if one of the climbers needs the rope taken up, she may call, “Up rope red!” This keeps the communication clear.
The simul-belay
The leader can also climb with both ropes and then belay her partners up one at a time. It’s wise to clip both ropes into all the protection so you don’t create a pendulum fall if the pitch traverses. The second climber removes his rope from the protection but leaves the other rope clipped in. If the pitch climbs straight up, the second climber can clean the protection so the third can just climb, but it’s easy to underestimate how much a pitch traverses and create a dangerous swinging fall.
