A key to safe climbing is the ability to efficiently and effectively change from one climbing system to another; for example, from one pitch to the next, or from climbing to rappelling. The steps involved in these “transitions” depend on the activity and can be complex. Planning and organization are the keys.
Below are the fundamental transitions:
- from climbing to descent by walking off
- from climbing to descent by lowering
- from climbing to descent by rappelling on single-pitch climbs
- from climbing one pitch to the next on multi-pitch climbs
- from climbing to descent by lowering or rappelling on multi-pitch climbs
From Climbing To Descent By Walking Off
This is the simplest of all transitions, but precautions should be taken nonetheless. When the second arrives at the top, the simplest thing is for him or her to stay on belay and walk away from the cliff until secure. If the initial part of the walk-off is potentially dangerous, then the second should establish a quick anchor (for example, a braced stance, walk the rope around a tree, et cetera) and provide a quick belay for the leader as he or she dismantles the belay and walks off.
From Climbing To Descent By Lowering
On a single-pitch ( limb with fixed anchors, if the plan is for the leader to belay from above and for both climbers to lower from the anchors after the climb, the transition sequence is this:
1. When the leader arrives at the belay, he or she should clip into it with a sling girth-hitched to the harness instead of with a figure eight leash on the rope – this will expedite the leader’s transition to lowering later.
2. When the second arrives, he or she can be immediately lowered to the ground. The gear that the second collected can either be transferred to the leader before the lower begins, or the second can take it down.
3. After the second arrives on the ground and is off belay, he or she pulls all the rope down and puts the leader on belay.
4. The leader pulls up 5 feet or so of slack, ties an overhand loop, and clips it to the harness or the anchor to store it. This ensures that the leader will not drop the rope during the transition.
5. The leader now unties the rope from the harness, (remember, he or she is clipped to the anchor with a sling), threads it through the anchor’s lowering/rappel ring, reties into the harness, and unties the overhand loop.
6. The leader shouts “Take” to the belayer; the belayer takes in all the slack and locks off the belay.
7. The leader unclips his or her sling leash, stores it, and shouts “Ready to lower.”
8. The belayer lowers the leader to the ground.
From Climbing To Descent By Rappelling On Single-Pitch Climbs
This is another common transition that is made smoother and safer by planning and organization. We look at this transition in two ways: In the first, the first climber to rappel requires an overhead belay (because he or she is unfamiliar or uncomfortable with an autoblock self-belay), and in the second, both climbers are competent with self-belays.
Below is the procedure when one rappeller needs an overhead belay; an alternative to this method is the pre-rigged rappel:
1. When the leader arrives at the belay, he or she clips into it with a sling girthhitched to the harness instead of with a figure eight leash on the rope-this will expedite the transition to rappelling later.
2. When the second arrives, he or she clips into the anchor by tying a figure eight on a bight on the rope and clipping it to the anchor for a leash. The leader leaves the second on belay.
3. The second rope (trailed or carried in a pack by either climber) is uncoiled, one end is threaded through the anchor, the leader unties his or her lead rope, and the two ropes are tied together.
4. A figure eight on a bight loop is tied on the second climbing rope just below the knot joining the ropes, and clipped to the anchor to fix that rope.
5. The second rope becomes the rappel line; a knot is tied in the end of it and it is dropped.
6. The second attaches his or her rappel device to the rappel rope, unclips his or her leash, unties his or her figure eight on a bight, and rappels with a belay from above, on the original rope.
7. When the second is safely on the ground, the leader attaches his or her rappel device to both strands, establishes a backup belay (either an autoblock or a fireman’s belay from below), unclips the figure eight on a bight knot on the rope, unclips his or her sling leash, and rappels.
Below is the procedure when both climbers are competent with self-belays:
1. When the leader arrives at the belay, he or she clips into it with a sling girthhitched to the harness instead of with a figure eight leash on the rope-this will expedite the transition to rappelling later.
2. When the second arrives, he or she clips into the anchor with a sling girth-hitched to the harness.
3. Both climbers can now untie the rope from their harnesses anti thread the rope through the anchor’s lowering/rappel ring, tie the ends together in an overhand knot, and pull it through to the middle mark.
Note: Tie an overhand loop in the ropes and clip them to something while you work to ensure you won’t lose them.4. The first climber to rappel threads the rope through his or her rappel device, clips it to the sling girth-hitched to his or her harness with a locking carabiner, establishes the autoblock backup (for details on setting this up, see chapter 4, Retreat and an introduction to SelfRescue), unclips the sling from the anchor, and rappels.
5. The second climber can now repeat the process (a fireman’s belay from below will eliminate the need for the autoblock backup for the second climber).
From Climbing One Pitch to the Next on Multipitch Climbs
Multipitch climbing is one of the joys of traditional climbing. If you can safely lead pitches and build and use belay anchors correctly, then the sky is the limit-you can climb routes as long as your abilities and dreams can take you.
On multi-pitch climbs, the smooth transition from one pitch to the next can mean the difference between completing a long climb before dark or climbing the last pitch by headlamp. The transition is greatly streamlined by planning and organization:
- Carry what you need-including extra equipment, clothing, food, water, et cetera-hut keep the packs free from superfluous stuff that would slow you down.
- Be sure to keep the rack and equipment as organized as possible: The second should take extra care to store the gear from a pitch in a way that makes it fast and easy to transfer it back to the lead rack.
- Make good rope management a priority; nothing slows a party down like untangling ropes at each belay.
- Think before you clip things together; a lot of time can be wasted by clipping and unclipping things unnecessarily.
This is the basic sequence for the belay transition on a multi-pitch climb:
1. While the second is climbing, the leader either stacks the rope neatly on the ledge, lets it hang down out of the way (be careful that the rope cannot get hung up on things below the belay), or “butterflies* the rope across his or her leash.
2. When the second arrives, he or she clips into the anchor with a figure eight on a bight leash, making sure that the length will be correct for belaying the leader on the next pitch.
3. The second gives the gear back to the leader a piece at a time (even if the second will lead the next pitch, it is easier to give the gear hack to the original leader-it will be easy to transfer the completed rack back to the second). When transferring gear, do not hurry and do not get distracted; make eye contact and he certain that the leader has a firm grip on the gear before releasing it. Ask questions: ‘Got it?’ ‘Yup, got it.’
4. After the gear is transferred and organized, the leader of the next pitch should organize him or herself while the belayer restacks or rebutterflies the rope to put the leader’s end on top (if you fail to do this, you will inevitably get the rope tangled).
5.The belayer then puts the leader on belay and things are ready to go.
6. Before the leader leaves the belay, he or she gets in the first piece of protection (this eliminates the possibility of a fall that must he caught directly by the belayer’s harness). The best situation is one in which a bomber piece can be placed just above the belay anchor. If that cannot he done, then the leader should clip the master point of the belay as the first piece and then plan on getting the next piece as soon as possible.
7. Repeat the sequence until the top of the climb is reached.