The Munter Mule Overhand or “MMO” is a combination of three knots that creates a releasable-under-tension method of securing a rope or cordelette. The MMO is useful in improvised self-rescue applications most often involving load transfers. In this situation I was using it to secure one end of a typical top-rope setup so my guest could practice rope ascension on the other end of the top-rope. The context here is if the climber practicing rope ascension gets a device jammed or has trouble transitioning from ascension back to descending I can remove the overhand, carefully deconstruct the Mule, then use the Munter to lower the climber back down to the ground.
Climbing is dangerous! Be sure to seek qualified instruction and practice new skills on the ground.
Questions or Comments? Please share them below!
See you in the mountains,
Northeast Alpine Start
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I’ve now had the Petzl Neox for about two weeks and have been able to form some opinions and test it in applications I’m most interested in. The most recent day I spent at the cliff with it was focused on seeing how it performed as a progress capture in an improvised hauling system and in a rope ascension system. Both these uses are important to me for assisting a seconding climber or rescuing an injured lead climber, and places where I would traditionally be using a Petzl GriGri. Here is some raw footage of this round of testing and some of my thoughts.
I assumed the Petzl Neox would work great for progress capture in this systems due to the spinning internal cog wheel and it definitely felt efficient in both the hauling scenario and the rope climbing scenario. I will be doing another round of comparisons with a more realistic full body weight load on the system but the fact the wheel still spun in my rope ascension test leads me to think it will still spin with a full load in a hauling system. This took me a little while to wrap my head around because you can seen when the device sees a full load while single strand rappelling the cam rotates, the wheel stops spinning, and you control your descent with the friction of the rope moving through the created bend. Why wouldn’t the wheel rotate and lock like that while using it as a progress capture?
The answer comes down to physics and while not having anything close to a degree in physics I can see how the device isn’t getting the full load in these scenarios. The full load is on the “tractor”, or friction hitch, or the Petzl Tibloc. When you go to pull slack through the Petzl Neox at that part of the cycle there is almost no weight on the device so the cam does not engage and the wheel spins freely reducing effort in hauling and ascending. When you relax during the hauling process all the load goes back to the Petzl Neox and the cam engages. Same with ascending, when you transfer your weight from your foot loop back to your harness the necessary threshold is exceeded and the cam engages. When you put your weight into your foot loop to progress the weight comes off the device and it is easier to pull the slack through the device then the Petzl GriGri.
Summary
It is still early in our broader exposure to this new belay device but the videos have been pouring out from influencers, highly certified guides, and rock star YouTuber’s. My opinion will likely evolve over the course of the summer as I put more days on the device, and expose more beginner climbers to it. For now I will re-iterate that I really like how easy it is to pull slack while belaying from above, and the more I think about it I do think this device may be in someways safer for a newer belayer as the instructions basically encourage you to not tough the device while paying out slack. This device may help prevent the holding open of the cam at risky moments which was likely part of the motivation of the anti-panic feature that came with the Petzl GriGri+.
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See you in the mountains!
I hope this information is helpful for your to make an informed decision. While Petzl supplied me with a Neox to review this is not a sponsored post. Affiliate links above help me continue to spend time creating these videos and posts and I thank you for your support!
Today I was able to get out to the cliff for a short bit to check out the newly released assisted blocking belay device, the Petzl Neox.
This is not a full in-depth review. It is a preliminary look at this new option in assisted blocking belay devices and I try to distinguish some of the obvious differences in the Petzl Neox, the Petzl GriGri, and the Petzl GriGri+. As time allows I will be diving more deeply into the topics I mention in the video. In the meantime please check out my initial thoughts and if you haven’t already please subscribe to the YouTube channel so I can keep sharing this type of content with all of you!
See you in the mountains,
Northeast Alpine Start
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The Munter Hitch is one of the most valuable knots used in climbing and every climber should become familiar with this versatile hitch. While Werner Munter didn’t invent the hitch, a few Italian’s did in the 1950s, he was the one who popularized it in the 1970s and why it bears his name. This hitch works best on a large pear shaped locking HMS style carabiner like a Petzl Attach or Petzl William Screwlock Carabiner. Fun fact, the “HMS” is a German abbreviated for “Halbmastwurfsicherung” which translated means roughly “half a clove hitch” which describes the structure of this hitch. You can read more on this history of the hitch here.
Formation
To tie the Munter Hitch you form a twist in the rope similar to the Clove Hitch and drop a strand into the carabiner as well. It is really easy when learning this hitch to remove the twist when you add the second strand which leaves you with the rope just double looped through the carabiner which should be obviously incorrect. Watching a few videos of how to tie it along with plenty of practice tying it inside your home or on the ground should proceed you tying it for real life application.
One of the cool aspects of the Munter Hitch is that it is “reversible”, meaning it will flip through the carabiner into a different orientation depending on which strand is being loaded. During instruction we use the terms “load” strand and “brake” strand. If you only apply load to the “load” strand the hitch will end up in what is referred to as the “lowering” orientation. If we only apply load, or more commonly pull in slack while belaying, the hitch will flip through the carabiner into what is referred to as “belay” orientation. Generally when creating the Munter Hitch it is common to create an “air” hitch like demonstrated in the above video and then install it onto the carabiner. With a little practice it becomes efficient to tie the hitch directly onto the carabiner.
Advanced Formation
For those with a strong grasp on the basic ways to form the hitch it can be useful to learn how to tie the hitch onto the carabiner in the orientation it will first be operated. For example tying it so it is already in belay orientation, or tying it is it is already in lowering orientation. These methods can add efficiency especially when progressing to advanced self-rescue skills and for those seeking out guiding certifications in rock and alpine guiding.
Application
Belaying– The most common use for the Munter Hitch is an alternative to a plaquette style belay device like a Petzl Reverso or Black Diamond ATC Guide when belaying a second directly from the anchor. This choice may be because of a dropped belay device, or it may be for speed and efficiency, or it may be out of necessity (ice’d up frozen ropes while ice climbing can work better in this hitch and be near impossible to install into a plaquette).
Lowering– The smoothest way to lower a climber directly from above is by using a Munter Hitch and lowering directly from an anchor. A common misconception is this method will twist your rope up and/or greatly wear your rope as the hitch rubs on itself. Both of these conceptions are false with proper use of the hitch, which primarily means keeping the orientation of the BRAKE strand PARALLEL to the LOAD strand while lowering. Doing so will prevent any twisting of rope. The second consideration is conducting a smooth, steady, non-high speed lower. This will not damage the rope and modern rope have sheaths that can easily handle the minimal wear using this hitch hundreds of times will put on your rope. It is a good practice to use a “third hand” friction hitch on the brake side of the hitch connected to your belay loop while conducting anything but the shortest and simplest of lowers.
Rappelling– While it is possible to rappel short distances with the Munter Hitch attached to a locking carabiner on your belay loop it is a bit awkward to do so and the dramatic difference in angle that the two strands leave the hitch leads to massive rope twisting (and where this hitch probably got a misguided bad-wrap). In truth if you rappel by holding your brake strand parallel to the rope you can manage this without twisting your rope but this practice is very unintuitive to other modes of rappelling and I would only use it as a last resort.
Summary
The Munter Hitch should be in your top five familiar climbing knots. From belaying to lowering it has a lot of applications in climbing, especially in the self-rescue world when we start looking at tension releasable solutions (coming soon). If you haven’t used this hitch in your climbing take sometime to build it at home and see how it operates. Even with all the advanced and great belay devices on the market it is wise to have a fall back plan that only requires a single locking carabiner.
See you in the mountains,
Northeast Alpine Start
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On April 28th, 2024 a climber fell almost 400 feet sustaining serious injuries when their rappel system failed. The suspected mechanism of failure was an improperly threaded girth hitched rappel ring. In this video I demonstrate how this occurrence is possible.
Some key take home points;
For better and/or worse we are seeing girth hitched rappel rings on fixed rappel anchors
Careful inspection of the hitch and proper placement of your threaded rope is CRITICAL
Best practice is to ALWAYS stress test your rappel connection BEFORE you remove your lanyard from the anchor.
Alpine Savvy also has a nice post with more information and some opinions on this situation here.
See you in the mountains,
Northeast Alpine Start
Psst… You can get 10% off Rocky Talkies with “AlpineStart10” at this link!
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The Clove Hitch is the most common knot used to secure oneself to an anchor and in this video I share the multiple ways I have learned to tie this excellent hitch.
The first method I learned was to create the two asymmetrical loops and then “slide” the loops in front or behind each other. Then I learned the “crossed” hands method which takes a little practice but once you get it dialed it is a very fast way to form the hitch. The one-handed clove hitch is a bit of a party trick but still fun to learn. Finally learning to tie the clove hitch directly onto a carabiner with one hand is a worthwhile skill to master as you can increase your security on a small stance by holding onto the anchor with your off hand. I use this method most often while ice climbing but it’s useful in any climbing context.
One tip to assist learning how to tie the clove onto a carabiner is to just start with a clove hitch already on the carabiner, and then slowly “deconstruct” the hitch only strand at a time. Then build the hitch again, and deconstruct again, and repeat until the muscle memory is gained!
While you can also tie a clove hitch around a solid object, like a tree, I’ve never found a practical use for that method in the climbing world, so I do not demonstrate it here.
How do you like to tie your clove hitch? Know any other methods that I haven’t listed here?
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The first knot most climbers learn is the “Retraced Figure Eight” knot. While a minority of climbers choose to connect the rope to their harness with a double bowline knot most of the climbing guides and instructors I have met greatly prefer to the more easily recognizable Figure Eight. Since there are a few ways to create a retraced Figure of Eight there is only one way that is becoming more known as “ideal”. When all these points are met I refer to this as the “Optimized” Figure Eight Knot.
Only the amount of rope needed to create the knot is used
The loop that has captured the harness tie-in point is no larger then the belay loop
All the strands are parallel with no cross overs
After all four strands exiting the knot are “dressed & stressed” there is only 6 inches of tail
The load strand entering the knot ends up on the “inside” of the knot
Your partner checks your knot before you start climbing
In this video I demonstrate the methods I use to tie this correctly each time.
There is a really in-depth look at this by “Hard is Easy” on YouTube here, though I use a mirror image of his method to achieve the same result. There are also some great pictures showing some of the nuances over at Alpine Savvy.
Do you tie your eight like this? Any questions or comments? Please let me know below!
See you in the mountains,
Northeast Alpine Start
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“The Fairy Tale Traverse”, Northeast Ridge of the Pinnacle, Huntington Ravine, Mount Washington. Photo by Peter Brandon
Oftentimes we have anchors that are set back from the cliff edge. If we belay at these anchors communication can be hampered. In this video I demonstrate some of the methods you can use to extend yourself back to a position to improve communication (and provide better photo opportunities!).
A question from a follower last week asked “Can I just estimate the length, clove in, and leave my belay device up at the anchor?”. While that could work, it is generally a better practice to keep your belay device within arms reach. In the event you need to lower your partner, or build a 3:1 haul system to help them, it is more easily handled when the belay device is still within reach.
Another great way to improve communication is to climb with a pair of Rocky Talkies! These radios are incredibly rugged, lightweight, and are so much better to use than straining your vocal cords yelling “off belay” from 50 meters away. You can use promo code “AlpineStart10” at this link to get 10% off your own set of Rocky Talkies! A portion of every sale also sends money to Search & Rescue teams so I am quite proud to support this company!
If you found this video useful please take the time to like and subscribe so that I can keep putting effort into creating instruction videos like this one! Also you have any questions or comments please let me know below!
Affiliate links above support the content created on this blog. Making a purchase after visiting one of these links earns the author a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you.
While the New England ice climbing season is off to a bit of a sluggish start a follower recently asked if I had a gear list for what I take ice climbing. Thanks for the inspiration for this post Kyle! I’m going to list items in the order that I usually pack my pack.
I’ve tested over a dozen packs specifically designed for waterfall ice climbing and this pack has held onto my #1 spot for best ice climbing pack. You can find my full review of this pack here.
If there is any chance of mixed or liquid precipitation I prefer the reliability of a synthetic insulated belay parka, and the Patagonia DAS Parka is an industry leading choice.
If there is zero chance of encountering mixed or liquid precipitation I prefer the warmth and packability of a down insulated belay parka, and for that the Rab Mythic Ultra Jacket is an excellent choice.
If it is wicked cold out I’ve been known to pack a second light puffy so I can “double up” on my belay jackets. Conversely, if it’s really mild out I might just up for carrying a lighter puffy then the two jackets I mention above. For that the Black Diamond First Light Hybrid Hooded Jacket is a great choice. You can find my recent detailed review of this one here.
I typically only carry one 32 ounce wide mouth water bottle for most ice climbing day trips. I do not use any type of insulated parka to keep it from freezing. I just pack in above my belay jackets and close to the small of my back. In the coldest of temps I have never had it freeze when packed up against my back. If I want something with more flavor then water I reach for some of my Skratch Labs stash. If it’s a really cold mission, or a really long day, I also pack an insulated water bottle with some Borvo Broth. This stuff really tastes amazing and is an excellent mid-day energy refresher!
This case is perfect for packing and protecting my ice screws. I’ve used Petzl and Black Diamond screws for over two decades of ice climbing with few complaints. This season I have swapped out almost my entire rack for a set of the new Blue Ice Aero Ice Screws. I’ll have a review out on these as soon as Mother Nature brings the ice back into condition. For sizes my typical set up is one 22cm, eight 13cm, and one 10cm. If heading to the bigger ice at Willoughby I will add four 17 to 19cm screws. I carry a Grivel Candela V-Thread Tool which conveniently nestles inside my 22cm ice screw. In the zippered pocket in the ice screw case I have some zip ties and the allen wrench for my CAMP USA X-Dream Alpine Ice Tools.
Author on Black Pudding Gully, WI4 – photo by Brent Doscher
Next I stuff my warmer Black Diamond Guide Gloves in. It has to be heinous out there for me to end up switching into these beasts but I won’t risk not being able to keep my hands warm in the winter so these get packed even though I rarely wear them. I do most of my ice leading wearing CAMP USA Geko Ice Pro Gloves and Rab Power Stretch Pro Glove Liners.
November 25th, 2023 early season ice mission into Tuckerman Ravine, Mount Washingon
In the top pocket of my pack I stick my Petzl IKO Core Headlamp along with some hand warmers, my snacks and food for the day. And since I know you are wondering what my favorite on mountain food choice is I’ll share that hands down the best food to take ice climbing is left over pizza from Flatbread NoCo!
For a rope I prefer the Sterling Rope Fushion Nano IX 9mm by 60m rope. It’s a triple rated rope (single, twin, half) so it is ideal for guiding two clients on multi-pitch ice. I have two of them in the bi-pattern.
While I already mentioned it above my ice tools of choice are the CAMP USA X-Dream Alpine Ice Tools. You can find my original in depth review of these tools here.
Finally on the outside of my shoulder strap I clip my Rocky Talkie Mountain Radio. If you’ve been following me for awhile you know I’m a huge fan of these radios. They make climbing & skiing so much better than it was before. Did you know you can get ten percent off of them with code “AlpineStart10”?
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Well that pretty much sums up what I pack for a day of ice climbing in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I can go into my clothing system in another post if there is interest. Did I miss anything? What do you bring that I don’t? Got any questions about anything in my kit? Please comment below if you do have a question or if you found this post helpful in anyway. Temperatures are finally getting colder so I’m hoping to get out later this week and actually use this gear for what it is intended for!
I’ve been testing the new Black Diamond First Light Stretch Hoody since early October and after a half dozen trips into the alpine with it I’m ready to share my thoughts.
TLDR Version: This is an outstanding addition to the “light puffy” market and I’m stoked to have this in my current rotation of outdoor clothes.
How I Tested: Two ice climbing trips to Mount Willard, an ice climbing trip into Tuckerman Ravine, two Mount Washington attempts (one successful summit, one bail at Lion Head due to very poor visibility and extreme winds higher)
Before I get into my personal opinions on this jacket let’s look at the manufacturer description and specifications:
Manufacturer Description:
The perfect layer for backcountry rock walls, big alpine faces, and frigid weekend ski tours, the Black Diamond First Light Stretch Hoody is the ultimate in dynamic four-season insulation that breathes efficiently and stretches with your every movement. The jacket packed with migration-resistant Primaloft Gold Active, maintaining breathability during even the most intense high-output pursuits. The 20D nylon ripstop face fabric and stretch liner resists weather and encourages full range of motion, while remaining incredibly durable through rugged talus, brushy approaches and daily use. Additional features include an adjustable, climbing-helmet-compatible hood, a low-profile, single-adjust hem and a highly packable design that stuffs into the internal stretch mesh pocket and clips onto your harness, all your needs are covered. Fit and overall design has been entirely overhauled for 2023.
PRODUCT FEATURES
Migration-resistant PrimaLoft® Gold Active Insulation
20D nylon ripstop face fabric with PFC-free DWR Technology
Lightweight, stretch lining for added breathability
Mapped insulation throughout body, shoulders, and arms
Adjustable, climbing-helmet-compatible hood with drawcord adjustment
Underarm gussets for added range of motion
Low-profile, single-adjust hem
Stows in internal left hand pocket with carabiner clip loop
Two concealed-zip hand pockets
Primary fabric is Bluesign approved
ECO Label Status
Fit: Regular
Claimed Weight: 14.29 ounces
November 25th, 2023 early season ice mission into Tuckerman Ravine, Mount Washingon
Personal Opinions:
The “light puffy” has become a staple in my winter outdoor clothing scheme. My biggest requirements in a quality piece are; high warmth to weight ratio, high breathability, high packability, decent water resistance, wind proof, well fitting. The Black Diamond First Light Stretch Hoody checks all the boxes!
High Warmth to Weight Ratio: Black Diamond uses mapped PrimaLoft® Gold Active Insulation. Primaloft® Gold is one of the best synthetic insulators available with a CLO value of 0.92, which is roughly equivalent to the warmth of 500 or 550 fill-power down and achieves 98% thermal efficiency (and still retains heat if it gets wet, unlike down). The nylon shell fabric is lightweight and soft to the touch, allowing for the whole jacket to weight less than a pound. For a synthetic insulated hooded jacket this is quite impressive, so I give this a 5/5 in the warmth to weight ration category!
High Breathability: The biggest test of the breathability of this jacket came yesterday as I was breaking trail in thigh deep new snow from tree line to the summit cone on Mount Washington. Temps were 6 degrees Fahrenheit (-14 Celcius), winds were around 40 mph (64 Kph), and the wind chill was about -23 Fahrenheit (-30 Celcius). The uphill battle was slow going and a bit exhausting. I needed more than my base layers and soft shell jacket to stay comfortable but I was working pretty hard. I pulled this on over my soft shell and kept working uphill thinking I’d likely start to overheat soon and need to take it off. That didn’t happen and I reached the summit with it still on. So it is definitely breathable. I didn’t take it off until I was back to tree line and out of the wind for the quick walk back to the trailhead.
High Packability: While similar down jackets can pack smaller I prefer the extra insurance of synthetic for my light puffy jackets and only have one big down parka these days that is always in my pack for the most arctic of trips. Despite being a synthetic hooded jacket I am impressed with the Diamond First Light Stretch Hoody ability to get small. Without much coaching it will pack into it’s own zipper right side hand pocket at takes up just a little more space then your standard wide mouth Nalgene water bottle.
Decent Water Resistance: Black Diamond uses pretty standard PFC-free DWR Technology to give this jacket some water resistance. I was only exposed to a little dripping water on a warmish ascent of Hitchcock Gully earlier this year and as expected any drops that hit me just rolled off the fabric. Since it is a synthetic and not down I’m less concerned about how water resistant a light synthetic puffy is as I will still pack a hardshell if there is a significant chance of liquid precipitation on my trip.
Wind Proof: 100% this jacket is indeed windproof as I tested it in those 40+mph conditions I mentioned above. All I can really add here is I am impressed with how windproof the jacket seems while being so breathable at the same time. Must be the 20 denier fabric that Black Diamond used for the shell fabric, it just strikes the right balance in this regard.
Well Fitting: Ok I kind of saved the best for last here. I love the way this jacket fits and movies. Black Diamond says it’s a “regular” fit and while that means it isn’t supposed to fit like your tapered skinny jeans I don’t find the fit to be too bulky at all either. For my 5’9″ 185 pound frame the large fits over my skin layers and soft shell jacket perfectly. The length is perfect for tucking in under my climbing harness, and the stretchy panels under the arms keep in tucked in while I’m ice climbing and raising my hands far above my head often. The insulated hood is comfortable and well fitting with or without a climbing helmet on thanks to the drawcord adjustment. The fit is somehow technical while casual as I’ve found myself grabbing this jacket for everyday where and not just saving it for mountain missions.
Summary: The synthetic light weight hooded jacket is one of my favorite categories of gear to test. You can find many of my reviews of this style of jacket over the years on my review page. If your “light puffy” is ready for replacement or upgrade, or you have yet to add the “light puffy” to your outdoor wardrobe, I highly suggest you check the Black Diamond First Light Hooded Jacket out!
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