Tech Tip - Aid - The Alpine Butterfly

By Pete Zabrok
Illustrations by Mike Clelland

Figure 1. Detail of the Alpine Butterfly and

Figure-of-8 knot combination.

The Alpine Butterfly — the Better Way to join free-hanging fixed ropes

You’ve just knocked off the first four pitches of Tangerine Trip, a popular A2+ trade route on El Cap’s
relentlessly overhanging southeast face. Nothin’ left but to enjoy the 350-foot-plus free-hanging rappel back
to the talus. With any luck you’ll be at Degnan’s Deli before closing, then back at first light to jug your fixed
lines and haul your stuff. Tomorrow you blast off!
You tie your fixed ropes together with a standard Figure-of-8 knot and cruise down. You can almost taste
the beer as the ground draws closer, but 200 feet off the deck, when it’s time to pass your knot (perhaps
the trickiest rope maneuver you’ll ever perform), you realize that you’ve created a monster! Not only is your
knot needlessly tough to pass, it’s also going to be a bugger to untie after you’ve welded it by hauling up
your pigs up the next morning.
The “Better Way” would be a knot that is both easy to undo, and provides the convenience and safety of a
separate point of attachment to clip into when passing the knot on free-hanging fixed ropes. What knot is
that? It’s the Alpine Butterfly Knot, the same one you use to attach the suspension-point locker atop your
haul bag to your haul line.
To join your fixed ropes using the Alpine Butterfly, first tie them together with a threaded Figure-of-8. Leave
long enough tails so that you can secure the knot by threading the free ends back through the 8.
Now take the whole assembly and put it in the middle of the Alpine Butterfly. (See page 138 of Climbing No.
176 for a step-by-step illustration.) The easiest way is to lay the joined ropes on a flat surface (like your
partner’s outstretched palms) and put two twists into them to form a “sideways eight.” The secured Figure-
of-8 is on one side of the sideways eight, while the two free ends of the ropes are on the other side. Pass
the secured 8 around the top of the free ends, then back underneath and up through the hole in the middle
(figure 1).
Voila! You have now joined your two fixed lines with a knot that is both easy to untie and safe, plus you’ve
left a clip-in loop in the middle of the knot with which to back yourself up as you pass your rap device across
the knot (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Passing the knot (and untying it later) is a
breeze with the Alpine Butterfly.

Tech Tip - Aid - Flying the flag

By Brad Bond
Illustrations by Mike Clelland

Flying the flag — how to haul an open portaledge

If you’ve climbed a big wall, you’ve endured
countless hours crammed in a belay seat,
feeding out rope at a snail’s pace while your
partner inches up sections of tenuous aid.
Impatience sets in. Your back hunches further,
and your knees go numb. You want your partner
to finish the pitch just so you can get a move on
and find a new patch of rock at which to stare.
A six-hour hanging belay may be boring (OK,
really boring), but it doesn’t have to painful.
With proper technique and a little caution, you
can safely haul your portaledge while it’s open.
By not breaking down the portaledge — saving
yourself time and effort — you’ll be able to
access it quickly, and kick back in style and
comfort at any belay. If you don’t haul an open
ledge properly, however, it’ll be torn to shreds
by the wall or whipped wildly about by the wind.
To rig your open portaledge for the haul, first clip
one corner of the ledge into the haul line while
the leader pulls it tight. Now, clip the risers into
the haul line; doing so keeps them from twisting
and tangling. Slide the portaledge up the line
lengthwise, then clip the bottom corner of the
ledge into the haulbag knot at the bottom of the
haul line.
Securing your ledge to the bottom of the haul
line will ensure that a sudden updraft doesn’t
send it whirling out of control up the line. If you
clip the corners lengthwise onto the haul line,
the portaledge will rotate with the wind (like a
flag on a pole), not entangle itself with every
strap, rope, and climber nearby. You’ll also gain
peace of mind by rigging the ledge such that it’s
secured by three separate points when
transferring it on and off the haul line.
Use common sense when employing this “flag”
technique. If you’re climbing The Shield on El
Cap, for instance, hauling the ledge open on the
approach slabs will surely shred it; wait until the
rock steepens above the Shield Roof and you’ll
be able to haul it open until the summit pitch. On
my last trip up El Cap, via Iron Hawk, we
borrowed a friend’s double ledge and hauled it
open for five days without giving it so much as a
scratch.
If you and your partner are using single
portaledges, break one down in the morning and
keep the other open for belays. If you have three
people and want to keep two ledges open, clip
them together when you attach them to the haul
line. Keeping two ledges open can turn into a
cluster (especially with the risers), but it’s worth
the trouble if you’re planning on a lengthy belay
— you’ll be free to tuck in and get cozy with your
Grigri. By the time your partner makes it to the
end of his pitch, you won’t want to leave.
Tech Tips - Aid - A game of inches
by Mike Clelland
Illustrations by Mike Clelland

Top stepping is spooky but essential

for maximizing reach. (Daisy chain
and rope not shown for clarity.)

Add height advantage to

your aid climbing
It’s the same scenario again and again in
aid climbing: You’re teetering in your top
step, the tension of your daisy chain
barely keeping you in balance. Just one
more dicey move and you’re outta the
scary stuff. Yet that final nut, cam, or pin
placement is just barely out of reach.
Aid climbing has been called a "game of
inches," but it often feels more like a game of
millimeters. The smallest extra distance you
can squeeze out of a move can be a huge
advantage for reaching that next placement.
Anything you can do to extend your reach will
help.
Think tall. Sometimes this means using your
finger to push that cam just a bit higher, or
linking the cables of two nuts together to
extend your reach. Avoid easy placements at
nose-level; do whatever you can to get that
next piece of pro as far above your head as
possible.
Think short. Tie off your gear with short
runners. Hooks, pin stacks, and rivet hangers
should be tied with short lengths of 5/16-inch
tie-off webbing. The loop only needs to be big
enough for one carabiner.
Clip high. When you clip into your piece with
your daisy chain and aider, think about where
the highest clip-in point is. Though pins and
nuts don’t provide many options, camming
units do. U-stem cams should be clipped at
the bend in the cable. For single-stem cams,
tie a short loop of 5/16-inch tie-off webbing
into the stem’s eye. Don’t clip into the sewn
runner, which is where you clip your rope.
Remember, every inch counts!
Stand proud. Getting into the second step,
and torquing upward against your harness,
can be awkward and scary (it often feels like
the force is going to pull your pants off!). It
only gets worse when you need to resort to
that dreaded top step. Keep a carabiner (a
bent-gate, key-lock carabiner helps avoid
snagging) clipped into your belay loop or the
first pocket of your daisy chain. Use this as
your short clip-in point when you need to get more than waist high above your placement. A fifi hook also
works great, especially an adjustable one rigged with 6mm cord, although looking down from your top step
at the gateless fifi is a little freaky.

Tech Tip - Aid - Yosemite Secret Weapon

by Cedar Wright
Illustrations by Mike Clelland

The YSW will have you blazing up clean aid and clipping
distant fixed gear with ease.
The Yosemite Secret
Weapon — putting the
"speed" in speed climbing
Climbing an El Cap Grade VI in a day, while
now somewhat commonplace, is still one of
the greatest physical and psychological
challenges that a rock climber can
face. Covering the monolith’s thousands of feet of
vertical terrain under the 24-hour mark is no small
feat. As most accomplished speed climbers will tell
you, technique is as valuable as strength and
bravery when it comes to blitzing the Captain.
Behold, the Yosemite Secret Weapon (YSW). Born
from years of toil on the big walls of the Valley,
this nifty gadget is guaranteed to have you flying
up the thin seams, bolt ladders, and manky fixed
sections that grace El Cap and other big walls. The
YSW has been employed on many a Grade VI
speed record, and is useful on any speed climb
with continuous, uniform features.
The elements of the YSW (you will need one on
each aider) are a set of five finger-sized cams, a
rivet hanger, a cam hook, and a narrow-profile,
taped-open biner. Attach these items to your daisy
chain and aider and they’ll be positioned for rapid
deployment, eliminating the time-consuming
process of switching commonly used pieces in and
out.
There are two ways to attach the YSW:
Connecting everything with either a large locking
biner or a webbing loop on a water knot. The
webbing-loop method is sleeker and more slender,
but will wear out after just a couple of walls. The
locking biner is more durable, and exchangeable.
If your chosen route has loads of pin scars, clip a
couple of offset cams to each weapon. If a specific
pitch has stacks of 3/4-inch crack climbing, swap
in a couple extra pieces of that size.
One of the more cunning elements of the YSW is
the taped-open biner. With this handy little piece,
it’s much easier to clip slightly out-of-reach fixed
gear, especially on traverses. The taped-open
biner is also a huge asset in easing the transition
between aid and free climbing, an already tense
moment that becomes scarier yet if you have to
struggle to unclip your aider while hanging from a
finger lock or tiny crimp. With the taped-open
biner, you can flick or kick the aider out with a
hand or foot, thus increasing the ease and speed
of your transition. It should be noted that the
taped-open biner is only good for body weight.
Tech Tip - Aid - Stormy horror
by Mark Synnott
Illustrations by Mike Clelland

Stormy horror
— how to survive a night in Hell

Climb enough big walls, and sooner or later you’re going to spend a night in Hell. The most terrifying night
of my life occurred while attempting a winter ascent of El Cap’s Zenyatta Mondatta. Our double portaledge
spent most of the night bucking and swaying wildly through the air — with us inside. By morning the rainfly
was shredded, and my partner and I were lying in frigid pools of water. As with most big-wall epics, this one
could have been avoided. Here are a few things you can do — that we learned the hard way — to see
yourself safely through the storm.
Rig for a rodeo. Anchor the bottom of your ledge to keep it from flying away from the wall in strong
updrafts. This “lower” single-point suspension, which clips onto the underside of the bed’s four corners, is
essentially a mirror image of the ledge’s standard single-point upper suspension. The crux is finding a
suitable anchor point anywhere from four to seven feet directly below the middle of the bed. Any kind of
protection will work, but remember that it will be subjected to a vicious upward pull from the wind. After the
ledge is set up, rappel down and equalize all four points of the bed into the lower anchor using rope,
webbing, and aiders. Make sure to snug the system extremely tight so the side of the ledge will lie flat and
firm against the wall.
Put the pigs in the barn. If possible, hang the haul bags under the ledge. Clip a sling through the bottom
straps of all the bags and fasten it to the same anchor that holds the ledge down. When the wind gets
rowdy, this will keep the bags from flying up and smashing into you.
Seal up the fly. The best way to keep the inside of the ledge dry is to use a bomber, seam-sealed expedition
rainfly. Regardless of how impenetrable your fly looks at first, take the time before heading up on the wall to
go over every seam with rubberized seam grip. Look for any places where webbing runs through the fly, like
the anchor point. Coat the webbing thoroughly so that it won’t absorb moisture.
Bend a pole. Keep the fly from flapping in the maelstrom by bending a tent pole (which you should always
use with your fly, storm or not) along the length of the bed, flush against the fly. This keeps the fly taut so
that it won’t whip about in the wind, and stops the damp material from drooping onto you in your already
tight living quarters.
Safe, sound, and dry. Most people like to anchor themselves with the rope, which must run out of the ledge
to the anchor. Even if you leave a loop hanging down, water will eventually wick up the rope and into the
ledge. Plus, you’ll have to leave an opening for the rope — one that will quickly become an entry point for
moisture. Better to clip straight into the power point on the inside of the fly with a double-length daisy
chain.
Batten down the hatches. Try to anticipate everything you’re going to need and get it into your ledge before
sealing up — you do not want to open the fly once the storm starts. If the wind is horrendous, it may be
difficult to get the door closed again, and you risk damaging the zipper.
Tech Tip - Aid - Neatness counts
By Mike Clelland
Illustrated by Mike Clelland

Neatness counts — building a tidy big-wall anchor

A big-wall belay setup can quickly become an evil jumble of twisted runners, knotted ropes, and stuck
biners. If you’re not diligent about organization, the dreaded clusterf**k (CF) will strangle everything.
It’s essential that everything in a big-wall anchor be redundant, meaning that if any one thing — a sling,
carabiner, etc. — breaks, the anchor is still sound. You’ll have at least two people and a haul bag; the
stresses are monstrous, so don’t take any shortcuts. Also, you must have an organized work site. Consider
the following as you set up your anchor: Where will your partner clip in after she jugs up? Where does the
next pitch go? How are the ropes going to travel? How will you best get comfortable for the next few hours?
Every anchor is different, but here I’ve shown three bolts in a row as an example. Note that this setup also
requires 24 free carabiners: 16 regular and eight locking.
The first thing the leader should do is clip the big, pear-shaped locking carabiners (A) into the bolts — once
they’re locked, they stay locked. They’re big because lots of other biners will get clipped into these,
requiring plenty of room.
Clip the biners at the end of your daisies into the outside two of these big lockers (B). Now tie off the lead
rope with a clove hitch, and clip that into the central big locker using a separate biner (C). Yell, “Off belay!”
Next, clip a cordelette into the three big lockers to create the anchor’s main “power point” (D). Use a locker
to attach the lead rope here with a clove hitch (E); this is easy to untie after it’s been weighted by your
jugging partner (F). Back it up with a figure-8-on-a-bight (G), leaving yourself extra rope (H) to be re-
rigged and low for hauling. Now yell, “Lead rope is fixed!”
Build a secondary anchor — positioned higher than the power point — for the hauling/ratchet pulley (I).
Prepare a place to anchor the haulbag (J) with a “docking cord” (a daisy chain or bit of rope attached to the
haulbag) and a redundant clip-in point for the haul line (K). Make sure the end of the haul line is set up and
ready to go (L) for leading the next pitch.
The best investments you can make for CF management are rope bags, one each for the lead rope (M) and
haul line (N). You can get along without them (unless you’re soloing), but be prepared for tangles.
If possible, place the first piece on the next pitch, and add this to the anchor (O). This gear adds
redundancy and saves your partner a little hassle and time — she’ll be able to quickly clip it (P) when
starting the next lead.

Tech Tips - Aid - Avoid the big ride

By Mark Synnott
Illustrated by Mike Clelland

Figure 2. If you’re looking to climb A3

or harder, be prepared to play the
expando game.

The term “Expando” refers to any crack or flake that moves when pressured. These fissures can run the
gamut from huge, creaky flakes to micro splitter cracks. On hard aid, carelessly nailing into expanding
cracks might be the quickest way to send yourself for the big ride. When I’m on a nail-up, I look at every
crack as if it’s potentially expanding.
When you nail a piton into a crack, you’re exerting great pressure on the rock. Even if a crack appears
splitter, you might actually be hanging on a huge exfoliated sheet of rock that can shift relative to the wall
underneath. RPs and copperheads, used for the thinnest of thin, rely on precise surface contact. If that
surface shifts even a fraction of a millimeter, and you are weighting that piece, it will rip. Here are a few tips
that may help you the next time you encounter an expanding crack.
First of all, is the crack big enough to take TCUs? If so, you’re lucky, because unlike pitons, nuts, and heads,
camming devices can expand with the crack. If you flex the crack open while standing on a cam, the cam
probably won’t blow. Whenever possible, aid expando sections on cams.
If the crack is too thin for TCUs, more sophisticated trickery is required. I like to smack in the biggest pin
possible at the start of any expando section. This helps take out some of flake’s expansion range and
hopefully will also provide at least one piece of good protection.
Next, look at the crack and come up with a plan of attack. Are you going to nail it, nut it, copperhead it, or a
combination of all three? Usually, if I start with pins, I like to stay with pins. I try not to overdrive or
oversize, and I tilt the pins slightly upward (Figure 1), assuming that they will shift downwards a bit as the
crack expands. Most importantly, I daisy in tight to the piece I’m placing, just in case the one I’m on pulls. If
the piece I’m on really looks like it’s about to blow, I shift my weight onto the top piece and whale it in as
hard and as far as I can (Figure 2).
If you decide to go with copperheads and nuts, know that you’ll probably have to stay with this type of
placement for the duration. The single most important thing to avoid is nailing a pin above a thin nut or
head, since this is sure to expand the crack enough to cause your lower placement to blow. Be careful, too,
because even a head can expand a crack, especially if you’re trying to slam in a #3 above a #1 or #2 head.
Say you’re on a dicey #2 copperhead in an expanding crack, and the next placement looks like it’s going to
have to be a piton. First, consider a cam hook. Provided the flake is not horribly loose, body weight on the
cam hook shouldn’t be enough to blow the piece you’re on. Another option is to find a hook placement on
the face. Hooks are immune to expando because they’re not placed in the crack. From a sound hook, you
can whale in a pin without compromising the placement supporting your weight.
If you must drive a pin above a delicate expando placement, daisy in tight to the pin you’re placing. Use
free-climbing face holds, if possible, to help take some weight, and be ready to start swinging hard if the
head suddenly blows.

Figure 1. Placing the pin with a slight

upward angle can help keep it from
rotating into a likely-to-blow downward
orientation.
Tech Tips - Aid - Froggy goes a juggin’
By Pete Zabrock
Illustrated by Mike Clelland

Figure 1. The initial set-up for the Frog

ascending system.

You’re back at the base of El Cap, ready to jug the ropes you fixed on the radically overhanging Tangerine
Trip. Nothing to do but clip on your ascenders and start jugging. Ten minutes later, however, you’ve ground
to a halt not even 50 feet up. Your biceps are toast, but you’ve still got over 300 feet to go! Your “Yosemite
system” worked fine on low-angle rock, but it’s debilitating on a free-hanging rope.
Take a lesson from cavers — pale, anemic offspring of the underworld with nothing better to do than perfect
jugging systems — and convert your rig to the Frog System. This highly efficient “sit-stand” method moves
your lower ascender up the rope “automatically” as you climb.
The first step is to take one of your ascenders (a Croll is best, but any ascender will suffice) and mount it as
low as possible on your harness. Use the smallest locker you have (or even a quick link) to get the jug low
— otherwise it won’t work — and orient it so the ascender sits flat against your abdomen.
You’ll need to keep this ascender upright as you move up. Chest harnesses don’t work well, so many cavers
use a loop of shock cord round their necks. Keep this loop small — just big enough to squeeze your head
through — so when you’re standing on the ground you feel “hunched over” by the elastic. Pad the elastic
with an old t-shirt and some duct tape. In a pinch, you can substitute a slightly shortened shoulder-length
sling.
Better still, get a Petzl C26 Torse chest harness (under $20) made specifically for the Frog System. It’ll
improve your efficiency substantially over the shock cord, and the adjustment buckle lets you crank it tight
to “hunch” you on the vertical, then lets you back it off at belays.
Your upper ascender is attached to your harness by a daisy, with a foot loop tied from one-inch tubular
webbing (Figure 1).
To operate the system, turn the upper ascender away from your body, and put both hands on top (Figure
2). Put the rope between your toes, and separate your feet as you lift your legs. When you stand, the single
foot loop squeezes the rope between your toes and pulls it through your lower ascender. Push down, not
out, with your feet. At the top of each stroke, arch your back and thrust your hips to get a few extra inches.
If you’re touching the rock, use one foot in the loop, and the other against the wall. Using this method, an
old fart like me can jug 200 free-hanging feet in under three minutes.
Figure 2. Assume the Frog position and prepare
for takeoff.

Tech Tip - Aid - 2:1 Hauling Ratchet

By Pete Zabrok
Illustrations by Mike Clelland

Big-wall climbing is just a different kind of suffering, and never do you suffer more than when hauling,
especially during the first few days when your loads are heaviest. While “space hauling” (two climbers on
the haul line at once) works, you must wait for your partner to reach the belay — inconvenient at best and
impossible if you’re soloing. But what to do?
Three-to-one “Z” hauling is cumbersome overkill. Fortunately, there’s a Better Way to show your monster
pigs who’s boss — the Hauling Ratchet, which yields an efficient 2:1 mechanical advantage. Soloists can
rappel their haul line from a knot — rather than a toothed cam — and then later lift their weighted haul line
into their hauling device. The system consists of two parts - the Lifting Assembly, and the Holding Ratchet.
Start with a 15-foot hunk of 6 or 7mm static line — the Zed Cord. In one end tie a very small overhand loop,
then feed the cord through your two pulleys and tie a big frickin’ knot in the far end. You’ll only need the full
length of cord if you need to pass a knot on a multi-pitch haul; when you haul, you’re using just the first few
feet. Tie the shortest possible loop of 7mm cord through your upper pulley — you need this to create a
necessary “degree of freedom” — and attach it and the end of the Zed Cord to your Lifting Assembly Locker.
On the lower pulley, mount your inverted ascender on a dedicated locker — the locker stays, though you can
use your ascender elsewhere.
When constructing the Holding Ratchet, it’s critical that your hauling device be lowered to the correct pre-
measured position. You can use a dependable wired stopper but a four-inch wired Frost Draw (or use two for
redundancy) works best. You want the teeth of the inverted ascender directly beneath the teeth of the
hauling device when the Zed Cord is pulled tight at the top of the stroke, and the two pulleys are touching.
Lifting the haul bag is achieved by squatting. Adjust the clove hitch on your harness accordingly for proper
extension on each squat.
To operate, there are two motions — lowering the inverted ascender as you stand, and raising the inverted
ascender when you haul. From the squatting position, place your “strong hand” on the inverted ascender,
and push down on it to lift yourself up with 2:1 advantage. Clever, eh? Make yourself a “pull-down handle”
from a sling, and yank on it with your “weak hand” as you stand.
To haul, switch your weak hand to the free end of the haul line coming out of the hauling device. Squat
down hard to lift, and apply only as much pull to the haul line as you need to move it through the hauling
device — any excess pull decreases your lifting force. If you need extra clearance for the pulleys to close
tightly, pull the hauling device outwards and away from the pulleys in a well-timed “snapping” action as you
pull the haul line through it. Really fat porkers might require you to turn upside-down (scary!) and push
downward with your feet, or make your partner hop on the free end of the haul line for assisted 2:1 space
hauling.
Learning to operate your Hauling Ratchet is neither easy nor intuitive — the orientation of the components
must be correct, the measurements precise, the tolerances tight, and the components static. Even an inch
or two off, especially in the clove hitch on your harness, will greatly diminish efficiency. So before you take
this to the wall, practice it first by hauling rocks at your local crag. I’m not kidding!
Get this thing sussed and it’ll sing like a canary. Then you can bring all the beer you want on the wall, along
with your solar-powered shower, coffee pot, microwave oven, and color TV.

The 2:1 Hauling Ratchet makes pig hauling a breeze.

Tech Tip - Aid - Cheap aiders and daisy chains
By Jonathan Thesenga
Illustrations by Mike Tea

Figure 1 and 2.

Cheap aid — knotting your own aiders and daisy chains

Enough with the sport climbs and boulder problems — you want a new rush, you want to start aid climbing!
If you’ve got a standard rack of cams and nuts, you’re ready to roll. The only aid-specific gear you’ll need
before launching up your first pitch of C1 are aiders and daisy chains.
One problem, though: You’re as broke as a hobo, and a set of four sewn aiders and two daisy chains are
going to set you back at least $120 at the gear shop. Ouch!
Rather than cook your cash on those fancy sewn jobs (and given that you may end up loathing the
monotony and heavy workloads involved with aiding), craft your own aiders and daisies for a fraction of the
cost, and in less than an hour.
First, scoot down to the gear shop and buy four 20-foot sections of one-inch flat webbing and four 10-foot
sections of 9/16 tubular webbing. Your total outlay should be less than $35. Out on the rock, the aiders and
daisies you’ll make from this webbing will inevitably end up in a confusing mess, so be sure to buy a
different color for each section.
Now kick back at home and get comfy — it’s knot-tying time! First you’ll tie the aiders using a Frost knot.
Fold one tail of webbing 10 to 12 inches over the other, then make a simple overhand knot (figure 1). The
small loop that is formed is the clip-in point.
Next up is tying the steps. This is why you use flat webbing — it gives the steps substance. Make the first
step by tying an overhand knot in the loop one foot directly below the clip-in point. Here’s the cruxy part:
Before cinching the knot tight, take one strand of the webbing and pull three inches or so of slack through
the knot. This will give the loop a slight teardrop shape, which forms the step. Follow the same procedure
for the other steps, alternating the side on which the loop goes (figure 2). Each 20-foot section of webbing
should yield a five-step aider. It’s a touch tricky getting the steps the right length, so take your time, and
redo the knots until the aider looks right.
The daisy chains are made the same way as the aiders, with two exceptions: The loops should be much
smaller (but big enough to accept a couple of carabiners) and should all be tied on one side, not alternating
like the aider. Make the final loop big enough to allow the daisy to be girth-hitched to your harness.
Finally, do not put your system to use until you’ve cinched the knots extremely tight. Over time the knots
will weld themselves, but for the first few pitches, be sure to monitor them for slippage.

Tech Tip - Aid - A0: Aid climbing for free climbers

By Mark Synnott
Illustration by Mike Clelland

A climber resting on a fifi hook, ready to A0 a

thin crack.

A0 — quick and dirty aiding, generally without etriers — is not glamorous, but it’s a handy skill to have in
your repertoire, especially for moving fast. Whether it’s the Nose in one day or three, A0 gets the job done.
A0 covers a wide spectrum, from hangdogging on a sport climb, to speed maneuvers on walls, to aiding
through short cruxes. A0 is standard on big-wall speed ascents, and common on long free routes when
you’re racing against darkness or an imminent storm — or when you’re just plain blown and trying to get
the hell off.
Let’s say you’ve tried that crux move several times; it’s just not happening, and you’d rather finish your
climb than beat yourself up any longer. If there’s a piece in front of you, grab it and pull through to the next
good hold. If this doesn’t work, clip a sling to the piece and step into it — this will give you more reach and
be less strenuous. With a single-length runner, you’ll be seriously high stepping, so make sure the piece is
solid. If it blows when you’re rocking onto it, you could easily take an upside-down fall. This technique works
well on short bolt ladders. If the rock is low angled, you may be able to yard through on draws with your
feet smeared on the bolt hangers.
On steep rock, yarding on gear is strenuous, so don’t hesitate to fifi into a piece to rest. Even if you’re free
climbing instead of pulling on gear, it’s more efficient to take a quick break than to push until your arms are
completely flamed. If you don’t have a fifi hook, a biner (keylock biners are preferable because they don’t
catch) clipped to your belay loop will serve the same purpose.
For speed, A0 works especially well on parallel-sided cracks, such as Boot Flake on the Nose. Sure, you
might be able to free the pumpy 5.10d pitch, but A0 will leave you more energy for the summit dihedrals
you’ll be facing in the evening. Try leapfrogging the same sized cam, one in each hand. Some people put
their hands through the slings and use the cams in the style of leashed ice axes. Use your feet exactly as if
you were free climbing, either stuffed in the crack or on face holds. A good A0 practice is to move the cams
up with you, clipping fixed gear or placing nuts when you want protection. Conserving cams this way, you
won’t get left in a lurch if you come across the same sized crack higher on the pitch.
Survey the rock in front of you and don’t be afraid to move back and forth frequently between free and A0.
The legendary Layton Kor is an example of a climber who had an uncanny intuition for when to move from
free to aid and vice versa, finding the balance that maximized that essential quality: speed. If you find
yourself spending time and energy figuring out how to free a move, it will be more efficient to yard through
this section (provided there is gear). On the other hand, don’t hesitate to step out of those slings and fire
short sections free if they look doable. (Free climbing will always be faster than A0 as long as you keep
moving.) To rest, you can either fifi into a piece or clip your lead line and call for tension. The latter works
best when you want to leave one of the pieces you’ve been leapfrogging, or switch into free mode, saving
you the awkwardness of clipping and unclipping. And don’t forget that it’s often best to mix it up; you might
be yarding with one hand and finger jamming with the other, while one foot’s in a sling and the other’s
smearing on a fixed pin or a small edge.
Consider how your second will get through an A0 section. Let’s say you yarded through a short bit of aid,
but back cleaned the pro. If the rock is less than vertical, the second can batman the locked-off lead line
until he reaches the next piece. Once he’s fified in and unweighted the rope, you can quickly reel in the
slack. On steeper rock, the second may be able to aid through using the gear he’s cleaned. In general, a
super-tight belay can expedite things when the second is A0-ing.
With a little practice you’ll find A0 relatively painless. And what’s nice is that you don’t need anything more
than what you’d normally carry for a free climb. When done right, A0 can speed things up, help you avoid
epics, and even open access to routes that might otherwise be out of reach.

Tech Tip - Aid - Block leading

By Mike Shore
Illustration by Mike Clelland

You’ve done some walls, you’ve got your system dialed, and you move efficiently on the rock, yet you find
yourself asking, “Why does it take me four days to do a route that locals hike in a day?” The honed aid
climber knows when to be careful and when to take chances, but he’s also mastered a few tricks, and one of
them is block leading.
Block leading means that each leader will lead multiple pitches in a row; each group of pitches led is called a
block. Block leading on multi-pitch aid and free routes helps your party move more continuously, keeps the
leader focused and climbing efficiently, allows mental relief for the belayer, and minimizes clustered belays.
Moreover, with the right system, block leading can significantly reduce the amount of time that a leader is
stuck waiting at a belay, as he can continue leading while the other members of his party deal with cleaning
and hauling.
The most efficient group for block leading is a party of three. Climber One leads, Climber Two belays and
hauls, and Climber Three cleans. Besides knowing how to jug, haul, and aid, every party member must be
competent with self-belaying techniques (the clove-hitch method is simplest).
Start by having all three climbers at a belay, anchored with a cordellette. The leader takes off carrying the
entire rack, trailing a zip line. When he reaches the belay he builds an anchor with a second cordelette, pulls
up the haul line (with extra gear if needed) via the zip line, then ties off the haul line to the anchor’s power
point. The leader then pulls up all the slack in the lead line, fixes it to the power point (this will be his belay
anchor), and continues up the next pitch using standard self-belay techniques. He continues climbing until
he runs out of rope or gear, or is put on belay after the pitch below has been cleaned and the gear zipped
up to him.
Once the haul line is fixed, the second immediately starts ascending it (for a fast and efficient jugging set-
up, refer to the Aid Tech Tip in Climbing, issue 226), reaching the belay much faster than if he had to clean
the pitch a la traditional wall style. The third climber cannot leave the lower belay until the second reaches
the new anchor and rigs the hauling system. Once this is done, the third releases the pig and immediately
starts cleaning. The faster the second and third complete these jobs, the less likely it is that the leader will
have to pause.
When the second reaches the anchor, he sets up the hauling device and rigs the haul line so that Climber
Three can release the haulbag(s), at which point the second can start hauling.
If the leader has run out of rope, he will have to wait until Climber Three reaches the new belay and the
lower section of the lead line is freed. Once Climber Three arrives, he puts the leader back on a normal
belay. The leader then can zip up the cleaned gear and continue his block as the third belays and the second
hauls.
The team can continue this process, passing gear and ropes up the zip line until its time to change leaders.
Practice this method before you get on a wall. The advantages of leading in blocks are immeasurable as you
approach more complicated wall situations. Climbing and hauling with three people is simplified, the mental
game is broken up, and the movement is more continuous.
A team of three block leading efficiently.
Tech Tip - Aid - Hooking
By Mark Synnott
Illustration by Mike Clelland

Treading lightly, testing thoroughly.

Anyone who’s done much hooking can tell you that there’s something undeniably special about hanging from
a fingernail-sized piece of chrome-moly steel. Whether you’ve done it once or a thousand times, the thrill’s
the same.
Not every edge, flake, or hole is the same, so you’ll want a variety of hooks for most . A standard hook rack
looks like this:
1 Cliffhanger
1 Hawk (see illustration)
2 Talons
1 medium-sized hook (e.g., the Black Diamond Grappling or the Pika Ibis)
1 extra-big hook (e.g., the Fish Captain Hook)
This basic setup will get you up almost anything. You often encounter similar moves back to back, so
double-up on commonly used hooks. The Black Diamond Talons have three different hooks built into the
same tripod-style tool, so having two of them on your rack essentially gives you doubles on three small
hooks.
Racking. Sort your hooks into two similar groups and carry them on two biners on your bandolier. Never
carry all your hooks on one biner: If you drop it you’ll be up a creek. Carry hooks towards the back of your
gear sling since they have a bad tendency to get tangled with the rest of your rack.
When you begin hooking, clip one biner full of hooks to each aider for the duration of the hooking section.
This minimizes clipping and unclipping, reduces your chance of dropping a hook, and enables you to move
efficiently from one move to the next.
Happy hooking. Before you start a hooking section, obtain the best protection possible before you go.
Next, stand up high in your aiders and inspect any likely edges within reach. Determine which hook best fits
your edge of choice. You’ll want to use the best hook placement possible, even if it’s low. It’s much better to
do three short, solid moves than one dicey one.
Avoid sloping or flat placements in favor of incut features. Small flakes usually have very positive edges for
hooking, but use them with caution as they can break. On most well-traveled granite routes, you’ll
encounter obvious gouges in the rock where hook placements have been either intentionally enhanced or
simply gouged out by repeated use. Standard practice is to lay your hook on a likely edge, then slide it
horizontally until it drops into the approved divot.
Bat hooking. Bat-hook holes — shallow, drilled holes that can be hooked — are common substitutes for
dowels or rivets on big-wall climbs. Many a climber has done a super-sketchy aid move only to later notice
that he’s bypassed a bat hook. Keep your eyes peeled for these tiny holes, especially in places that
otherwise look completely blank. Look where you think you’d drill — that’s where you’ll usually find them.
Talons work well for most bat-hook holes.
Stepping up. Do not bounce test hook placements! Apply too much force and a hook can bend open or the
rock will snap. Carefully and gradually shift your weight onto the hook. It’s OK to look at the hook as you
test it, but safety glasses are a good call in case it blows. If the hook hasn’t blown after 10 seconds, I give it
a slight spring with my foot. Finally, I’ll push my body against the rock in an effort to make the hook pivot a
bit before I fully commit. I’m now trying to see just what the hook can handle. Remember, when moving
from one hook to another, keep some weight on the lower hook until you’re ready to commit to the new
placement. If you completely unweight a hook, it may fall off whether you’re ready or not.
Metal shop. Standard Cliffhangers often are the best tools for hooking fragile flakes, but a “pointed” version
will bite better in small dimples. You can simply file the end of the Cliffhanger to a point — the standard
pointed hook — or you can take off a full centimeter of metal to change the geometry of the hook before
making the point, creating the “Hawk,” one of my favorite hooks. I use a grinding wheel, taking great care
to work slowly, constantly cooling the hook in ice water so I don’t ruin the temper of the metal. I’ve found
the Hawk to be the most useful hook on my rack.
Ramping up. Eventually you may find that you enjoy hooking so much that you want to try a really hard
route like Wyoming Sheep Ranch or Plastic Surgery Disaster. Here’s a sample hook rack for a hard Yosemite
route:

2 Talons
2 Cliffhangers (one pointed)
2 Hawks
2 Leeper-Logan pointed-tip hooks
2 Leeper flat-tip hooks
2 medium-sized hooks
2 large hooks
Many of the hardest hook moves involve long reaches between placements. I like to wear a free-climbing
boot, just in case I want to have one foot in a ladder and the other on the rock. I also carry a chalk bag so I
can hold onto thin edges for steep top-stepping.
Many famous hooking testpieces are no “harder” than easy hook routes, just much more sustained, with
greatly elevated consequences. The main challenge of hard hooking is keeping your cool. Thoroughly testing
each hook move helps to keep the mind from coming unhinged. If you get too strung out, remember that
down-hooking or lowering off hooks is possible.
The Hawk, an easily crafted
modification.

Tech Tip - Aid - Taming dicey aid

By Dave Sheldon
Illustration by Mike Clelland

Sketchy aid climbing can be a brain-numbing, adrenal-gland-tapping affair, especially when the
consequence of falling is a monster whip or a trauma-inducing impact. Despite the notion that honed aid
artistes keep company with the Grim Reaper, and head up onto horror-show leads with a blasé attitude;
most experienced wall climbers employ a few tricks to keep themselves from visiting the dark side.
Stack the odds. Wear a helmet. Folks have been maimed by slipping out of their aiders and flipping upside
down on clean A1. Now imagine what your noggin might collide with during a lengthier fall ... yikes.
Fingerless gloves are another great idea, as are eye protection and
supportive, aider-friendly shoes.
Clip the iron. If you’re carrying a hammer, clip it into your harness when you’re not using it — an ice-
climbing clipper biner works great for this task. During rapid descents, that hunk of steel can do some
serious damage when it’s dangling on its leash. (Hooking, bounce testing, and free climbing are three prime
instances when a fall is possible and pounding pins isn’t necessary.)
Light is right. Eyeball your pitch from the belay, and only take the gear you need to climb the first twenty or
so feet. Paring down the rack can easily cut 10 to 15 pounds — this weight reduction just might be enough
to keep that number-one head or tipped-out TCU from ripping. When more gear or a specific piece is
required, the belayer can send it up.
Another weight-reduction strategy is to use an 8.5- or 9-millimeter dynamic tag line. When the leader hits
the belay, she can pull up one end of the static haul line, along with the jugs, hauler, cordelette, locking
biners, and any other gear she needs to set up the anchor and hoist the pig.
Attention. Keep your belayer aware and ready. Make sure she is positioned near the anchor’s hard point,
with her brake hand securely gripping the rope. It’s disconcerting to look down and see your buddy
stretched out and half asleep on the portaledge when you’re strung out above multiple copperheads. One
strategy is to frequently request gear to be zipped up, forcing your belayer to be more interactive, and thus
more attentive. If the leader is a heavyweight, the belayer may wish to anchor in with a directional to keep
from kissing the rock should her fall-management skills be tested.
Limit your loads. Carry a few load-limiting quickdraws. Several companies make these nifty draws, but Yates
has
cornered the market with aid-specific load-limiters. When hit with a fall, their specially designed bar-tacks
rip sequentially, absorbing some of the impact’s energy. Load limiters also increase the time over which
force is transmitted to
a fall-arresting piece, allowing the rope to dissipate more energy than normal. Clipping load-limiters to
micro-nuts or tied-off knifeblades might give the suspect gear a fighting chance if fallen on. Old rusty bolts
and rivets are another great place to hang these shock-absorbing beauties.
Buckle up. Clip your double-sided gear sling into your harness. Every now and then, an unlucky soul has his
or her rack stripped from their body when they come to a screeching, upside-down halt at the end of a
cartwheeling whip. This unfortunate scenario may leave the party in a very serious position, as rapping off
or climbing upwards without the lost equipment may be impossible. Also, using a full-strength chest harness
with double-sided gear slings is a good idea for a lot of aid routes.
Last resort. By using a skinny dynamic zip line, you have the option of a second lead line should you
encounter an extremely hazardous, rope-cutting scenario. The leader can retie his zip line into his harness’
hard points, clip the zip line into the last solid piece of gear, and yell down to his belayer to put him on belay
with both the lead and zip lines. The leader must remember, however, to lower down and unclip the zip line
from the protection after climbing past the rope-cutting section — otherwise, pulling up the haul line at the
end of the pitch will be impossible. If you ever find yourself in a situation where this technique may be
needed, weigh all of your options and proceed with extreme caution.

Taking the teeth out of a sketchy aid lead.

Tech Tip - Aid - Topstep Mania
By Chris Van Leuven
Illustrations by Mike Tea

Highstep with confidence, on walls big and small

After several seasons in Yosemite, tallying sloth-like aid lead after sloth-like aid lead — as does
many a big-wall nOOb — I finally got it: if I efficiently highstepped in my aiders by using the top
rung/s, aka topstepping, I could drastically reduce lead times and clip those oh-so-distant fixed
pieces. (Revelation!) In fact, by doing this, you, too, can shave hours off rivet and head ladders. Just
don’t try harder aid leads until you’re confident with this technique — and keep in mind that it works best
with bomber, multi-directional pro.

The Quickdraw Method

Unless you enjoy unexpected daisy-chain (read:a shock-
loading) falls, never totally trust your fifi hook. Back it up
with a quickdraw — a shock-free grab for sketchy moments
— clipped to your belay loop and that you can clip into a
free aider or daisy biner. For steep pitches, use a short draw
to optimize reach; on slabs, extend your quickdraw with
extra biners and/or slings to compensate for the low angle.

What About Fifi?

The fifi hook is crucial for quickly advancing/stabilizing your
feet in your aiders. When efficiently bumped up your daisy
loops — or hooked behind a wire or tat — the fifi improves
torque and keeps your hips close to the wall. Your fifi should
sit extremely close to the hip-and-leg-loop juncture, girth-
hitched through both for maximum torque and easy postural
adjustment.
Giant Steps
Once standing/hanging from the quickdraw clipped to your
daisy biner, you’re ready to topstep. First, grab the spine of
an accessible aider biner for balance, advance your
dominant leg up one step, and fifi into the daisy biner. Next,
place your weaker leg into the next step up of the opposite
aider and slide the fifi up the daisy biner until it hooks the
top; straighten your legs almost entirely. Allow the leverage
from the quickdraw to hold you in place — you may have to
transfer the fifi onto your pro, be it a bolt hanger, cam sling,
wire, or tat — or simply disengage it to lean back on the
draw, for maximum reach. Repeat as necessary. Once at
your desired height, free your hands by pushing your right
heel into the arch of your left (in a “V” or “T”),
simultaneously posting your toes against the wall. It’s
possible to gain some extra reach by forcing the toe of your
shoe into a grab loop. Alternately, you may keep one foot in
the next step down.

Finally, place or clip the next piece, transfer your fifi to the
lead daisy at hip level, and step down at least one step in
your lower aiders (to decrease impact force in the event of a
blown placement). Bounce-test. In many cases, moving one
aider up to a loop in the advancing daisy chain helps increase force when testing — but keep a good grip on
the quickdraw. Is the piece good? Keep going ... unclip the draw and transfer your other aider to your daisy
chain or biner, and advance the fifi. (In some awkward situations, say reaching over a bulge during a
traverse, it’s best to clip the aiders to a daisy loop.) Finally, unclip the lower daisy and clip your rope to the
last piece, now below your waist.

Feather the Edge

Topstepping is uncomfortable, so plan ahead to minimize your pain. While still in your second or third steps,
pre-select your next piece and clip it to the end of your free daisy chain, which you can link to your gear
loop or neck of your T-shirt for easy access. Carry a chalk bag — grabbing the rock provides quick
stabilization — and wear stiff, approach-type shoes for foot protection.

Contributing Editor Chris Van Leuven now topsteps, highsteps, and steps correct wherever he might climb.

The Topstepper’s Checklist

• 2 140cm daisy chains with an oval biner at each end
• 2 five- or six-step aiders with an oval biner clipped on top
• 1 fifi hook
• 1 15cm quickdraw