Web-o-lette is great, but what about rescue?

[SplashClimber]

Subject: Is it ok to just carry a web-o-lette and leave the cordalette at home? What are the risk?

 

So, I really love my Mountain Tools web-o-lette (lightweight at 4oz vs 9 oz cordalette, and is very easy to use), BUT can it really replace my cordalette on trad/alpine climbs? Should I really in addition carry a cordalette? I do have a Spectra cordalette that is likley only around 6 oz that I could add to my pack, but might as well carry the 9 oz cordalette then (web-o-lette at 3 oz, plus Spectra cordalette at 6 oz = 9 oz).

 

What about needing the cordalette for rescue techniques ( load releasing hitch) or other uses?

 

This might be a acceptable level of risk question. But wondering what the considerations are!

[hafilax]

If you have to bail cord is cheaper, knots better, cuts better and you get twice as much of it in a loop versus a single strand with eye loops.

 

In the end it's all personal preference.

[billcoe]

Subject: Is it ok to just carry a web-o-lette and leave the cordalette at home?

What about needing the cordalette for rescue techniques ( load releasing hitch) or other uses?

 

They can both be left at home.

 

Just carry the clusterfuck-o-lette™ .

 

 

Basically it's all the 20-40 foot long rope ends and extra webbing you can round up. You load up with all the weight you can manage and yet still stand vertically, then cast off and pray. Here's some examples.

 

 

Rescue? What rescue? Just use the patented Mount Hood Method - the first choice when the shit hits the fan for Mt Hood climbers (cell phone)

 

 

[SplashClimber]

Halifax --- thank-you!

[powdrx]

I only carried a cord-o-lette for awhile, but after taking a self-rescue class, the cord-o-lette is money "just in case". And it is always there for bail cord. You can go as light as you want, but you always need enough to get home safe!! And I've found Spectra isn't as good for prusiks or other friction knots... cord is great!! But it really is personal preference and what you feel you can get away with out in the bush!!

 

 

 

[selkirk]

I'm a big web-o-lette fan personally. Cordolette's are just too bulky. How often do you actually end up bailing off routes anyway? For me it's rare enough (as in I haven't yet) that i'm willing to risk having to cut a web-0-lette and leaves the bits if needed.

However I usually do carry 1 or 2 tied double length 9/16ths mil-spec webbing slings. So if I'm reinforcing or building rap stations or something I've always got a bit sacrificial webbing on hand.

 

[Off_White]

Having once bailed on scary 1/2" cheap flat accessory webbing we brought for that eventuality, I've vowed to never really care about what I have to leave behind if I need to retreat safely.

 

As selkirk noted, it's good to have a few tied 9/16" runners mixed into your quiver of dyneema dental floss runners.

 

I've recently added a web-o-lette to my kit, inspired by the anchor building speed it allowed on some long routes in Red Rocks last fall, and I've liked it the few times I've used it. Still, that or a cordolette is still a bunch of new age gizmo gimcrackery to an old fart who's used to slings & clove hitches, so take my endorsement with a grain of salt.

[Peter_Puget]

I am so unsafe I have never used any fill-in-the-blank-o-lettes at all. Off were you building anchors or clipping bolts?

 

The first wave of o-lette madness seemed to overstate their advantages to me. Hasn't Long revamped the whole process in later editions of his anchor book? Extra tied runners seems enough to me.

[Crillz]

If you're talking about having a cordalette for rock rescue then you should probably take 2 because you'll burn one up setting up your anchor, right?

 

You should take 1 webolette for building your anchor. You should take 1 cordalette for rescue situations. You should take 2 prussiks for jumaring. You should carry enough gear to ensure you have a full rack at the end of the pitch to set up a belay 'cause you never know what pieces you'll need. Oh, make sure you bring at least 6 locking biners. Make sure to bring a half dozen tied runners to rap from - better bring some rap rings for safety too.

[selkirk]

and don't forget your trusty pocket tauntaun.

[LostCamKenny]

 

Just carry the clusterfuck-o-lette™ .

 

 

Basically it's all the 20-40 foot long rope ends and extra webbing you can round up. You load up with all the weight you can manage and yet still stand vertically, then cast off and pray. Here's some examples.

 

 

Rescue? What rescue? Just use the patented Mount Hood Method - the first choice when the shit hits the fan for Mt Hood climbers (cell phone)

 

 

 

[Off_White]

I am so unsafe I have never used any fill-in-the-blank-o-lettes at all. Off were you building anchors or clipping bolts?

 

Building gear anchors only, it's way too much goofy stuff for bolted anchors. As noted by others it's only a quasi-equalized anchor set up for gear belays, better for pieces horizontally spread rather than all in the same vertical crack, but it's fast compared to dinking around with several slings.

 

It's an okay tool, but there are a lot of ways to accomplish the same thing. I rather like Bill's approach, but would prefer to use mine when we go climbing together...

[shaoleung]

The first wave of o-lette madness seemed to overstate their advantages to me. Hasn't Long revamped the whole process in later editions of his anchor book? Extra tied runners seems enough to me.

 

"Advances" in anchor systems can seem pretty gimmicky... or seem like a pissing contest anyway. Especially given the fact that most experienced climbers know that every anchor can be very different depending on what the circumstances are and what gear you have. Long's equalette though... damn I love that thing! I don't use it all the time, but it goes with me everywhere. You don't even have to buy new gear... just retie your cordulette once you yank it out of your clusterfuck-o-lette.

[TRbetaFlash]

You have to remember that when you talk about (what J. Long would call) a web-o-lette, you're really just trying to get some redundancy in your system without bringing more crap along. Quit looking at the fancy names and just think about the basic concept. oh - I have one bomb piece and a lame one? equalize them with the stuff you have. If that's not going to work, take a step to the right and look at the cracks there. Everyone commenting so far has hit on the big useful points already. bring a couple tied runners, a big long cordalette and perhaps a bail biener you scored off another climb and you're usually more than set.