If a suitable ledge for stacking the climbing rope is not available, coil the rope over your anchor attachment. For maximum efficiency your coils should either start longer and end short, or start short and end long (never the same size coils!).
Choosing the right choice depends on who is leading the next pitch. If your partner is leading the next pitch you want to start with long coils progressively getting smaller. That way, when they start to lead, the smaller coils on top should feed off smoothly. This prevents looping under a longer coil, which creates tangles.
If you are leading the next pitch you should start with smaller coils progressively getting bigger. Then, after your partner tethers to the anchor, you can carefully “flip” the whole lap coil over onto their tether. The smaller coils (your end of the rope) should now be on top of the lap coil. They should feed off smoothly.
It takes some practice to do this neatly to avoid tangles. When done correctly the climbing party will lose very little time at the belay transition. If the lap coils are not tidy, re-stack or recoil the rope. This ensures the leader end will feed smoothly during the next pitch.
Have you been doing this?
Ever have a rope coil mess that you just toss down the cliff below you hoping for the best?
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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!
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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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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Rigging to lower from a sport climb is faster, more efficient, and safer than setting up a rappel. Here’s the why and the how!
Faster and More Efficient
When one rigs to lower one only needs to pull up enough rope to pass a bight through the fixed anchor and tie a bight knot that can be clipped to one’s belay loop. If one chooses to set up a rappel instead one needs to pull up at least half the rope (if the rope has an accurate middle mark) or the entire rope up (if the rope does not have an accurate middle mark). This is not only faster than setting a rappel, but safer!
Safer
As mentioned the fact that you do not need to locate the middle of the rope when being lowered leads to a reduction in risk. There are many examples of accidents that resulted from the two ends of a rope not being even during a rappel. When rigging to lower you also have the benefit of still being on belay. If you have led the route prior to rigging the lower the rope will still be traveling through quick draws below offering some protection against an unexpected slip. Finally this method keeps the climber attached to the rope in some form through out the process eliminating the risk of dropping the rope (it happens!).
How
The process isn’t too complicated but there are a few considerations and options.
The first of which is whether or not to tether into the anchor during the process. The best practice depends on the situation, more specifically, the stance. When you arrive at the anchor if there is a decent stance you can omit tethering into the anchor and doing so reduces clutter and speeds the process. If the unexpected slip occurs at this stage your rope is still through the anchor. If you have passed a bight through the anchor some security can be obtained by keeping tension on the bight as you bring it down to your belay loop and tie the bight knot. However if the stance is small and insecure it would be best to tether into the anchor so you can rig to lower more comfortably. While there are a few appropriate tether systems out there one of the best options is the CAMP USA Swing Dynamic Belay Lanyard.
Pull up some slack and thread a bight through the fixed rings on the anchor. Continue to lengthen this bight until it reaches your belay loop and pull it about 8 inches past (below) your belay loop.
Tie a bight knot here. There are a couple bight knots you could use to attach the rope back to your climbing rope. An overhand on a bight works, but is harder to untie then a figure-eight on a bight. I often tie a figure 8 on a bight with an extra wrap or two around the two strands. This makes a secure bight knot that is very easy to untie after it has been loaded (sometimes called a figure-9).
After the bight knot is tied connect it to your belay loop with a locking carabiner. Some climbers might chose to add a second reversed/opposed carabiner (locking or not). If only using a single locking carabiner make sure it is locked and properly orientated when you call for “take” and weight the new attachment. Best practice here is to get a little closer to the anchor so when your belayer “takes” you can weight the new attachment and verify everything looks correct the next step.
Untie your original tie in knot and pull the long tail through the anchor.
Remove the quick-draws (or whatever your top-rope anchor was), weight the rope, and ask to be lowered. Watch that you don’t get tripped up on the long tail coming from the backside of the bight knot! Once you are on the ground remove the locking carabiner and bight knot and retrieve your rope by pulling from the belayer side (less rope to pull). Move on to the next climb or head to happy hour (depending on time of day).
Close Your System!
One important caveat to this system, and almost all climbing systems, is to be sure to “close your system”. Essentially this means during your partner check (before anyone starts climbing) you ensure that the unused end of the rope either has a stopper knot tied near the end, is secured around a ground anchor, or tied into your partner. In order to explain the avoidable accident we are preventing I’ll share this simple example. You successfully lead a 35 meter tall route without realizing you are climbing on a 60 meter rope. After rigging to lower your belayer lower’s you and when you are about 10 meters from the ground the unsecured end of the climbing rope slips through the belayer’s brake hand and belay device and you fall to the ground. As unavoidable as this sounds it happens every single year! Close your system!
“I heard lowering through anchors is discouraged as it wears out the fixed gear?”
Professional mountain guides and climbing institutions around the country are actively trying to correct this common public misconception. It stems from the very real and modern ethic that active top-roping through fixed gear is discouraged. Over time, depending on the fixed hardware, this can lead to pre-mature wear on the fixed anchor. It’s easy enough if you plan on top-roping for a bit to use your own carabiners to save some wear on the fixed anchor. Only the last climber will lower through the fixed gear, and modern stainless steel rappel rings and “mussey hooks” can handle this type of use for many years to come. The gains in efficiency and reduction in rappelling accidents justify this technique, and the organizations that promote education and conservation are the same organizations promoting this technique, namely groups like the American Mountain Guide Association, The Access Fund, and The American Alpine Club. There may be some areas where locals are still resisting this modern technique. It’s possible their routes have more aluminum fixed anchors or they don’t have an organizing body that works to keep anchors updated like the Rumney Climbers Association. In those areas it’s best to check with local climbers on accepted practices, but hopefully these areas can be updated to better support lowering as an option.
Rappelling Instead
All this said there are times where rappelling will be a better choice. The American Alpine Club created this video which covers the steps to rig a rappel from a sport anchor instead.
Summary
Rigging to lower from a sport climb is definitely faster and arguably safer than setting up a rappel. I hope this post has you thinking critically about your process while climbing and that it was clean and concise. At the end of the day double and triple check what ever system you are using especially during transitions and climb on!
See you in the mountains,
Northeast Alpine Start
Disclaimer: Climbing is dangerous. Practice new skills at ground level and under the guidance of a qualified guide, instructor, or mentor. Climb at your own risk. Affiliate links above help support this blog.
