Forget that bulk webbing... by Blake Herrington

[Coldfinger]

Kinda like the cordelette as one can cut it up on descent, unlike dyneema slings.

[obwan]

A good discussion regarding anchors - it certainly depends on the situation at hand. Obviously for descending it should be backed-up, and bomber in a perfect world - but as one can realize in the alpine scenario, you may be down to your last cordelette, webbing; and come on - we all have some of those "leaver" beaners that have outlived their use for lead falls, but would make nice rap or belay stations. It's not that we would be setting up a picture perfect anchor for Top Roping/ Teaching, or belaying on multi-pitch. You have to do the best with what you got, and beware - webbing will melt thru, especially if it is sun bleached/aged.

[mattp]

...you may be down to your last cordelette...

 

...or there may just be nothing resembling good anchors...

 

In any event, I think most of us agree that climbers need to be resourceful and skills would help;

 

also I bet most agree that Blake's original thesis that you probably won't benefit from carrying the ten essential self-rescue and rap-route items on a standard climb is probably correct.

[Julian]

One other nice use of a cordelette is that if you are short on gear you can always tie it into an appropriately-sized knot and jam it for pro.

[Coldfinger]

Or use a cordelette for a v-thread.

 

or

 

Untie it and use it single strand if you really need a LONG runner, say to wrap around a big tree, horn or boulder (which you can't do with a sewn runner).

 

or

 

If you need to make makeshift ascender/etrier or etrier (for say aiding a few moves or climbing up a fixed tag line or out of a crevasse).

 

or

 

You need cord for splinting.

 

Kinda seems like a weight/bulk SAVER for all the uses IMHO.

I actually fixed my cordelette once so I could self belay down and up a section of 4th class downclimbing in a 100+ mph hurricane to tag a summit with a BIG drop below.

[Coldfinger]

PS Just noticed something funny about Blake's review:

 

He tells us not to bring a cordelette and then tells us not to bring bulk webbing b/c cord is better!

 

 

[Buckaroo]

yeah depending on the route you could take a 5mm tech cord cordalette

[chris]

Here's my take-away:

 

Cordellettes: Blake finishes with, "If you expect having to build multiple belay stations, some 6mm or 7mm cord is a great choice, but as a must have item for all multi-pitch climbing, the cordellette doesn't fit the bill." (Emphasis mine) I'd add: especially on multi-pitch climbs with bolted anchors. I'll carry a single 5mm for ski mountaineering, glacier travel, and rescue/bail cord on multi-pitch bolt-anchored climbs; a 6mm for multi-pitch trad. I like using the rope/slings to build anchors, but since I lead more often in blocks or entirely, keeping the rope out of the anchor system is necessary.

 

Rap Rings: Stopped carrying them when I decided that quick links were more versatile.

 

Daisy Chains/PAS: I hate these. I can do everything these items accomplish with a rope and/or quickdraws, which I'm already carrying. They add clutter and confusion to my harness, and my partner's harness, and do not increase my security more than the techniques I use without them.

 

Quicklinks: On multi-pitch routes, I typically carry my own nut tool and a headlamp tied off, each on its own leaver-biner. Both of these are currently wiregates that I found on other routes, so they're lite-weight as well. Since I didn't pay for them, I won't miss them. BUT, if I know that I'm going to be passing through a lot of established rappel stations I'll carry one, two, or even more quicklinks - its easier to thread than a rap ring. Almost every quick link on the NE Ridge of Triumph is from my 2006 ascent. I know this because I climbed the route again last summer.

 

Bulk webbing: I think Blake is referring to the 1" webbing that many of use remember being the standard in 1990, and still found in various forms of organization on many climber's harness today. Sewn runners are cheap, pack and organize tighter, and are useful for other things, like climbing. Blake called it right - save this for the slack line in camp.

 

Lockers: If you're belaying the second(s) off the anchor, you'll need three - one to anchor yourself in with, one to hang the belay device, and one to belay. Coincidentally, you'll also need three to do multiple rappels - one to anchor with, one to rappel with, and one for your autoblock back-up. Sometimes I'll bump it up to four for the leader - a quick anchor is two quickdraws with a locker as the anchor point. I prefer the biggest pearabiner for my belay device, and the smallest, lightest lockers for everything else (although that fourth biner is often something like an attache).

 

The real take home lesson? Use your judgement. Look at the route description, the topo, whatever. Consider the descent - you often don't need extra gear for emergencies, since, being emergencies, you'll be willing to use/toss/destroy the gear you actually need for climbing to get the job done getting down.

[chris]

I wanted to add that I don't carry quick links 90% of the time. On popular routes, I anticipate there being a lot of junk that I can scavenge and use. For me, quick links are useful when I anticipate needing to replace/beef up existing anchors.