Cooped Up? Get Uncooped.

Beware of sharp edges. Climbing ropes are incredibly strong, and built to take abuse, but there have been cases of rocks sawing through them. If there is a chance that a rope is going to be moving or weighted across a sharp or highly abrasive rock surface, position an empty pack or a spare fleece between the rope and the rock.

Better yet, bring a sample square of carpet for that specific purpose. It helps to punch a hole in one corner of the carpet and tie a loop of accessory cord through it. This way, you can secure the carpet square to the rope with a carabiner; even if it works loose it won’t blow away.
 
Plan ahead. Before you tackle a climb, particularly one at a new climbing area, you should find out:
•    How you will retreat if a storm blows in
•    Where the nearest medical facilities are
•    How to summon emergency assistance
•    If there are unusual hazards, such as an area of very loose rock, associated with this climb
•    Any other risk-management issues that might apply

Inspect your gear regularly. Retire anything sketchy-looking, past its suggested lifespan, or that might have had its integrity compromised. You entrust your gear (and your partner) with your life every time you climb, so fork over $180 for a new rope after you accidentally spill Drano on the old one. Your life is worth more than that.

Check your gear the same way every time. Develop a routine for checking your and your partner’s harnesses, tie-in knots and belay devices before starting to climb. Go through that routine every single time. Years ago, the British Mountaineering Council came out with a good slogan to help remind climbers how important this is: “Check or deck.”

To “deck”, in climbing parlance, is to fall and hit the ground. Two other colorful euphemisms for the same unfortunate action: “to crater” and “to pancake”. Since, presumably, you don’t want to deck, crater or pancake, check your gear every time.

Don’t panic. Panic never, ever helps a bad situation. Keeping a cool head, on the other hand, can be a lifesaver.

• climbing
• safety
• rock
• ice
• mountains
• mountaineering
• rope
• helmet
• gear
• equipment