CLIMBING TOOLS: Taking in coils

As the terrain changes in the mountains you will often have to change rope lengths to max out your safety. It is common to travel a good distance apart on a glacier or use large amounts of rope when dealing with technical terrain. However when traveling together on a ridge it is often safer and faster for both climbers to take in a few coils.

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[outdoorcrazy]

Mike, in what situations do you use this method versus tying in using a fishermans on a bite and using a lap coil and storing them in your pack?

[mikebarter387]

@outdoorcrazy This I would use when changeing rope lenghts often. An example would be coming off a glacier then walking on a exposed ridge. When I am short roping clients or freinds and I need them close to me but can't be hanging onto a bunch of coils. Moving together then suddenly I hit a short technical section I can drop coils place gear belay second up then quickly take in coils and keep moveing. It is a real handy tool and worth knowing.

[outdoorcrazy]

@mikebarter387 Thanks for the quick reply.

So why not use this method all the time? Seems like this would completely replace tying in with a fishermans and storing your rope in your pack using a lap coil.

[Ilovewinter]

Thank you this has really helped me refresh after 10 plus years of being away from this was in my teens back then, now I am 28 almost 29, and I have felt the call of the Mountains again. This time I am serious about it, and I would like to make a push to do Everest, but my dream is really K2 I love to climb, did a local Mtn. no ropes or gear, should have had my axe but either way being on 75 degree slopes in just my boots was enough I made summit. but will take an axe and rope next time.

[mikebarter387]

I have a couple old ropes that I use to short rope with that are suppose to be 11mm but feel more like 12.5 mm. I am talking about thickness in the terms og feel in my hand. I doubt that I would be technically climbing with a 30m rope. Maybe just never have.? Of course thicker ropes are safer of sharp edges and such. I change ropes for the job at hand so I don't have one answer.

[mikebarter387]

Sorry buy I do not recommend teaching new climbers to clip and unclip from the rope or to be landing on biners. I personally stopped using a daisy chain about 20 years ago. When tied to the rope correctly it is a piece of equipment that has a lot more options. If I need to clip in otherwise a simple double lenght sling girth hitched to my belay loop is all I use these days. If what your doing works for you fine but it certianly is not the norm in this area or anywhere else I've been.

[mikebarter387]

Must be a regional thing. If I have a first timer on a multi-route that means I have plenty of time. I will often assign clients or friend a task while I grab gear off their harness and rerack. During which time explain whats coming and what to expect. I have climbed the longest ice routes in the world and never found a need for this procedure that you are describing. But that may just be me.

[acrazedmaniac]

Are you talking about the feel of the rope (hand), or the safety of a thicker rope..cut resistance, and wear? i used to only climb w/ 11mm, now 10.5 or 10. on big walls, nothing beats a 11mm, esp. when raping over, over hangs and sharp rocks.

now days..thats "old school" im told...im old! never been hurt climbing, and 55 trips around the sun now! have seen about 500+ climbing days, and 20+ new routes. or over 150 new pitches...full 150m. pitches. not that much, but mostly on a 11mm rope,50m long

[acrazedmaniac]

usually changing leads. last in , first out. very handy and much faster then. and when guiding, OR taking someone for their first ever, very handy, cause they are dealing with so much at first, tieing a fig 8 in your face is much easier to do right, staying in w/your daisy backup as you change rope ends,asin hanging belays! an emergency, or someones screw up. much easier to get em out and onto something else. If extra links are a problem,it is usually only one link (biner)that saves your fall.

[mikebarter387]

no disadvantage. It pulls on teh harness same as the prussik would or the rope end that you are tied into.