So I'm relatively new to this winter climbing thing. I guess you would call this my first proper season too and what a season it's been so far. I think kick starting my winter career during the best winter for like a million years has really helped. I've learnt so much since my first winter route in wales and I'm still trying and changing what I do until I find a system that works. Obviously a single system isn't going to work for everything, anyway. After alot of reading of Winter Climbing Plus by Rockfax (Ian Parnell and Neil Gresham), Ice & Mixed climbing by the Mountain expert series (written by Will Gadd), pretty much everything Andy Kirkpatrick has ever written and all the other knowledge I could find on the internet (mainly papers on ice screw testing and reboring, thrilling!). My point is is that I've been out with Stewie once or twice and that about as much help from an experienced individual as I've got. It's not like Stewie hasn't passed on knowledge either, but it's hardly a long serving winter apprentship. So before this turns into a rant all my book knowledge, multi-pitch rock climbing, and Stewie's help meant that I want to try out a few things. So these are my thoughts...
Monopoint Crampons:
I'll start from the bottom and move up. Monopoint poons, whats the deal? for those who don't know what they are you have a single vertical frontpoint instead of 2 frontpoints on your crampons. Why would someone do this? Well I started out rock climbing and having a single frontpoint gives much more precision on mixed climbs. as for pure ice they worked really well especially when seconding. I could just carefully hook placements with my tools and poons. For walking on snow they probably made it a little harder as they didn't bite so well in crapy snow, but it was a small price to pay. Just walking in general I didn't really notice any difference. My final verdict? borrow some off a friend and try them out, I did and I think they're awesome.
Bandoliers:
One of Stewies hints and tips to pass on. Basically using a bandolier in winter is where it's at as far at Stewie is concerned. So I endevoured to test one out. Now I've been climbing mainly multipitch routes, with my sack on which sit's high enough over my harness that I can still use my gearloops. Changeovers however involve a passing of gear and with gloves on in bad conditons dropping something is a real possibility. So just rack it all on a bandolier and hand that over instead (and if you do drop it, loose all your rack in one go!). So I tried it this winter borrowing a Metolius Gear sling with loops on it (x4).
Well I thought It was crud. IT hung in my way, I couldn't get to the gear I needed when I wanted it, I felt it on my shoulder and constricted me. I think most of my problems with it came from over loading it, carrying awkward items (mixed hooks) and it having gear loops. I would have much rather just had a sling to use instead.
But there is hope for the humble bandolier yet! I saw the benefits of it as well, especially on chinmeys (which I think I love climbing in winter). I've got an old sling and produced a simple bandolier with no loops on it, and I'll carry my mixed hook else where. I'm not giving up on this one!
Leashless Tools:
And finally we arrived at what the world has been raving on about. Apparently Leashless tools are the new way of climbing and the way forward! I had to try this out, but unfortunatly I'm not exactly rolling in it so out came the titanium tipped drill bit and some quark pinky rest and boom... leashless flys. I followed the idea first done by Martin Brown and adapted my own. I've also got some elastic and camp nano 'biners to make some tether's as you know I'll have dropped them and lost them if I hadn't.
so how did they perform. Well I took them out on our first day with a pair of clipper leashes I'd made but I didn't even bother taking the leashes to the bottom of the route. I figured I'd just grim and bear it. They where excellent. Admittedly I did get a little pumped, but I think this was more from overgripping my axes as I didn't get it once I relaxed my grip. I could shake out if I needed too, place gear quickly, with either hand. As the week went on the ability to just swap my hands occasionally and grip higher up on the shaft made the climbing even easier.
I did find the tether a bit annoying occasionally, especially when seconding, but it was more than worth it for the freedom of leashless.
I would recomment anyone to try leashless, and really give it a try before you discount it. It makes for less hassle climbing as far as I'm concerned meaning I could climb faster, and safer because I could pace gear quicker, so placed more gear.
2 comments:
Leashless is definitely where it's at when it comes to tools - I must say for pure ice I've now fallen in love with the new fusions (and the nomics, both of which I've used) - they are just so much FUN. I wouldn't use them on the sort of stuff I do in the UK but on pure ice they are fabulous fun.
Bandoliers, yep I still hate them too!
As for monopoints, don't like them. Seriously, for me, on pure ice they are much harder work as they are much less stable than decent dual points. Mixed, yeah I can see the plus side, but for anything up to about tech 5 (so usually about IV overall), my stubby pointed Grivel Airtechs are superb. Horizontal points are better on snow and the stubby secondary points mean there's less leverage on rock. Doesn't mean I won't be trying my G14s as mono's again, but for the time being I'm firmly back in the dual point camp.
My partner climbs in stubby little airtechs and had such trouble on a couple of pitches due to the lack of protrusion at the front of his boot that he back off them.
Yeah for walking I prefere a stubby crampon, but the monopoints just paid off on the mixed terrain. For pure ice they meant I had to me more careful with my foot placements.
You going Llanberis Mountain Film Festival this weekend?
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