Posts by Felix
You could try adding in a few bouldering sessions if you're mostly doing roped climbs. I find that bouldering strengthens the fingers much more than roped climbing, simply because it's higher-inte...
I've heard that pouring boiling water into a Nalgene-style bottle is either completely fine or definitely going to kill you. Which is it? Are there any scientific studies demonstrating exactly wha...
Belay glasses are (in Europe) so common that they are basically now part of the standard gym/crag equipment, just like an autolocking belay device. In some places, it can be rare to see someone wit...
Some things you can try to hold the boot in place that work for me: Strap the toe, then the heel. Strap the rest of the foot straps. Then, re-tighten the toe & top straps so they are really t...
In another question someone posted a photo of a skier going up an apparently extremely steep slope on skins. This slope looks so steep that skinning would be really difficult (especially on an icy...
In a 3:1 (Z-pulley) haul, the victim's rope is used for hauling directly. As you point out correctly, a surface rescue is impossible if you have knots in the rope, since the rope is under tension a...
Short roping is an advanced technique, but it is a necessary one to progress quickly and safely in the mountains. As with most techniques, knowing when to apply it just as important (or more) as th...
I have been told that electronics can possibly interfere with avalanche beacons (cell phones, radios, etc., but even flashlights). Is there any truth to this? A source would be helpful, ideally fro...
These shoes are pretty far gone. At the very least you'll need a new toe rand in addition to the resole, which is going to cost you a significant portion of the price of a new shoe. Your shoes may ...
All harness manufacturers instruct users to put carabiners through the belay loop and not the tie-in points. Petzl has it in their manual: Black Diamond's Director of Global Quality Kolin Powic...
After using tape gloves for crack climbing, I always have some tape gunk left over on my skin. While it doesn't hurt and goes away a few days of rigorous scrubbing, it doesn't look super great at t...
I'll address the mountaineering viewpoint (as opposed to the other good answers about the climbing viewpoint). Mountaineering usually involves covering a lot of distance over a bunch of different ...
I really love wearing an altimeter watch while in the mountains. I know that it's affected by weather, but unfortunately I don't actually know how it is affected. This usually causes me to ignore t...
This question is the opposite from this one: What would the consequences of using a US two-way radio (GMRS/FRS) in Europe? I know Europe has their own frequency range for two-way radios (PMR), but ...
While belaying two seconds at once using the method ShemSeger pointed out is my favorite, it does take a fair amount of experience so I would not recommend it to someone climbing for the first time...
The American Alpine club publishes this data for North America annually, though it's unlikely to cover all accidents. One of the best visualizations of this data I've found is from Steph Abegg: Mo...
I have a bunch of partially-full Jetboil canisters from various trips, and I'm trying to figure out approximately how much fuel is left in each of them. How much does a full canister weigh (fuel +...
Will Gadd's book Ice & Mixed Climbing states that if you mess up the first attempt at a V-thread, start over in clean ice. This includes if your screw holes intersect only partway down the hole...
I would argue you've left off the most subjective of metrics, but the most useful: similarity to other routes in the same area. I don't think there's going to be a single equation to grade a route...
My two favorite John Muir quotes: One day’s exposure to mountains is better than a cartload of books. and I never saw a discontented tree.
Coming up with emergency information for a recent trip got me thinking: What information should you leave with your emergency contact? I imagine the answer depends on the length of the trip, remot...
This, probably more than any issue in climbing, has generated more discussion, heated debates, and vitriol (especially on the internet) than any other issue in climbing. Both sides (lower vs. rappe...
The clove hitch is probably what you're looking for. You can even tie it directly on the branch/beam/bar without worrying about adding a carabiner. You could also tie it to the carabiner, adjust th...
I alternate between the double fisherman's (which everyone has already talked about) and the flat overhand. Lately I've been leaning towards the flat overhand. The benefit of the flat overhand is ...
I seem to have accumulated a good number of carabiners that, while probably still safe, I won't climb on anymore. They might be worn, of questionable origin, or just plain made obsolete by an upgra...
