Posts by anatolyg
When I am abseiling, the rope is initially hard to feed through my braking device - if I take my hands away from the rope, I get stuck in mid-air. However, as I am getting lower, it gradually gets...
I plan to visit a summit which involves a few hours of easy scrambling, with a slightly more technical part at the end, which is very short (2-3 m) but exposed. I expect no problems on the way up b...
I have just tried using an automatic belay machine in an indoor climbing gym. I didn't receive any specific safety training, but it seems to be straightforward. So what safety concerns should I pay...
Everesting is an activity where the goal is altitude gain of 8848 m or more by repeatedly going up and down a selected route. This is most often attempted by biking; however, hiking/running is pra...
I never understood the reason for this technique, but let me guess. When one of the people is much more experienced than the other, he can judge where there is no risk (99% of the time), and when ...
Suppose you need to cover a fairly long distance (e.g. 30 km) in a moderately difficult hiking terrain (no climbing), in 1 day. You can either go alone or with someone, or with a group. I think (f...
When climbing a multi-pitch route, suppose I am belaying the second climber, using Reverso or a similar device. It lets me arrange the rope in such a way that when the climber falls, the rope auto...
Route finding might be a problem: If the approach is not obvious (from what I read about Snake Dike, it isn't), you could waste much time blundering there, looking for cairns and what not. You co...
I am planning a party in the wilderness, where there is no firewood. I decided to carry some firewood there, to make it more fun. It's planned for a specific day in the winter (e.g. birthday party)...
I have an abandoned quarry near my house, in which I would like to make a hiking route. Almost all of it is enjoyable hiking and easy scrambling, except one part, which requires climbing (estimate...
We are going to descend some snow-covered glacier on skis while roped-up. If my partner falls into a crack, and I stopped him (i.e. didn't get dragged down there), what should we do next? Assumin...
I am doing little kayaking and just a bit more skiing (the seasons for both are very short where I live). Both of these need helmets, but I feel reluctant to buy 2 items, each of which will see lit...
This is a pretty broad question; I'll try to answer, but this is going to be long. You have already noted many differences between indoor and outdoor climbing. What could you add to this list...
I have experience in climbing limestone and sandstone. These rocks feel rough - you get much traction (especially with sandstone) and can use it to your advantage when climbing. I think the feelin...
Climbing anchors usually have 2-3 redundant protection points, which distribute weight. So if one point breaks, this will not be a catastrophic failure. However, what should I do in practice if th...
Suppose I get to the top of a sport route ... and I want to ... end up with a top-rope setup. "Top-rope setup" implies that someone else is going to climb the same route after you get down, ...
I have got this annoying issue when bouldering: a sheared callus on the small finger: I would like to tape this and continue climbing (with extra caution). I am not an expert in taping, and any ...
Tents and tarps have these long straps (sketch here), which may be used to tie them to distant trees. When unused, they can look untidy and become tangled. This can happen both when the tent is in ...
I am used to abseiling with a prusik cord, which gives me protection for the case I lose control of the descent speed. However, I have heard that in canyoning, in some situations, using the prusik...
If you can grab your current hold with both hands: do a pull-up, as high as possible. Then release your feet, in any convenient way. While your body starts swinging, reverse the pull-up, so your ar...
Authorities have recently banned climbing in my favorite site "for safety reasons". This is, in my opinion, unfair, and was done for unknown political reasons. What can I do to hopefully change th...
Suppose I am descending the Matterhorn along the Hörnli ridge, and night falls when I am near the Solvay emergency hut (4003 m; safe bivouac is several hours of descent away). In this case, I belie...
Advanced climbers only Climbing is inherently dangerous. Soloing is even more so. Please learn from experienced people and in person, not from Internet. So this answer mainly describes physical ...
First of all, don't coil your rope in the "usual" U-shape, like climbers do! (example picture) Or in ASCII art ___ ------- //// o \\\\ |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| \\// \\//...
Maximum angle depends on the type of rock and on the type of your boots. There are too many factors to think about, so maybe the question about maximal angle is not useful. Consider the following:...
