I first discovered of the “Bottom of the Clove Hitch” in 2017 whereas studying The Mountain Information Handbook and shortly after attended a clinic on its use given by Marc Chauvin, one of many authors of this spectacular tome of information. Including this device to your repertoire will provide you with extra choices and downside fixing capability whereas climbing, particularly throughout transitions. From my expertise whereas many guides use this device it has been slower to catch on within the higher leisure climbing circles. This put up hopes to carry extra common consciousness of this handy approach.
The rope within the above video is the Mammut Crag Dry Duodess 9.5mm 60m Rope. <- Loving this rope and may have an in depth overview quickly!
Whereas the most typical method to make use of this method is to transition from climbing to rappelling it truly may be fairly environment friendly in reverse. Final week my climbing companion and I rappelled all the way down to a semi-hanging belay stance the place we wanted to tug the rope, then lead again out to the highest of the cliff. There are just a few methods to do that however using the bottom of the clove hitch approach had some actual benefits.
One of many greatest benefits with this and the related “Bottom Rappel Feed” is that one of many two climbers can at all times keep tied in to at least one finish of the rope. This ensures that the get together won’t ever drop their rope, and if a center mark is on the anchor it eliminates the necessity for a “stopper” knot within the different free finish of the rope. The free finish shall be much less more likely to get caught someplace with out a stopper knot, and there’s no want to recollect to take away the stopper knot.
Whereas the center mark and being tied in to at least one finish will forestall the potential for rappelling off the top of your rope, pre-rigging the second particular person to rappel will add even one other layer of redundancy. Within the avoidable occasion the place your center mark is inaccurate and also you handle to rappel off the free finish of your rope, with a pre-rigged companion on the anchor, you’ll primarily have simply gone from a double strand rappel to a single strand rappel. Catastrophe averted, however let’s be sure appropriate center marks are used as a substitute okay?
In its easiest type, the bottom of the clove hitch approach is simply utilizing the climbing rope from “behind” the primary climber’s clove hitch as a full energy fully adjustable tether. You’d do the identical factor with a easy overhand on a bight on that strand however the clove hitch means that you can customized the size of the attachment typically resulting in a extra snug stance. I can recall many cramped rappel stations the place had I identified about this method I might have shortly and simply secured my climbing companion just a few ft away from me so we’d not be uncomfortably on prime of one another on the station.
One essential distinction between utilizing the bottom of the clove hitch and the extra conventional particular person “tether” climbers typically use is the safety of the second climber depends on each clove hitches. The second climber must be secured by a distinct method earlier than the primary climber removes their clove hitch. Within the extra widespread state of affairs of transitioning to rappel that is merely carried out by the second climber pre-rigging themselves on rappel above the primary climbers rappel gadget. As soon as each climbers are rigged to rappel and checks have been made, all clove hitches may be eliminated and the primary climber can begin rappelling (staying tied in on the harness to one of many rope ends).
The steps we took within the beneath video have been intentional since we new that Bob can be main the pitch and I used to be acquainted with the rappel to get us on route. Essentially the most logical possibility on this state of affairs was for us to arrange a reasonably commonplace single rope double strand retrievable rappel, however I might tie in with a retraced determine of eight to at least one finish of the climbing rope and rappel first. The opposite free finish of the rope didn’t want a stopper knot which reduces the prospect of snags (or forgetting to take away it earlier than pulling the rope).
I rappelled all the way down to the belay station, constructed a fast anchor, and clove hitched myself to the anchor with the climbing rope. After I got here off rappel and signaled to Bob he might begin descending I tied one other clove hitch on the strand “behind” by clove hitch and had a locking carabiner all able to go to Bob’s belay loop when he arrived. As soon as he was clipped into that locker he might take himself off rappel, we might pull the free unknotted finish of the rope via the highest rappel anchor, stacking our rope as we pulled, and after we had the free finish in hand Bob solely wanted to tie-in and prepare to start out main out from our station.
Abstract
In leisure climbing it’s helpful to do extra with much less. A whole lot of climbers, myself included, use instruments just like the Petzl Join Regulate or a sling to tether into the an anchor throughout a transition. Utilizing the bottom of your clove hitch to quicky create a brilliant sturdy and absolutely adjustable tether to your parter is a stable talent to have in your device package. I hope this put up has clearly defined the method and demonstrated a number of the advantages of the approach. You probably have any questions please share them beneath!
See you within the mountains,
Northeast Alpine Begin
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