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Anchors: Tying In
The most common way for the belayer to tie in to the anchor is with the climbing rope itself, using the first few feet of rope as it comes from its tie-in at the belayer's harness.
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Rope Handling
Rope handling takes practice. When belaying the leader, never let the rope get taut, because that would impede the climber's next move.
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Communication
Succinct voice commands allow climbers to communicate even when they can not see each other.
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Belaying: An Introduction
Belaying is a bedrock technique of climbing safety, a system of using a rope to stop a fall if one should occur.
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Techniques: Using The Ice Ax
Knowing the technique of planting the ice-ax shaft to help guard yourself against falls while snow climbing is as important as knowing what to do if it occurs.
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Avalanche Safety
Climbers have many ways to minimize the risk of avalanches and to increase their chances of survival if one hits.
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Roped Climbing: Belaying On Ice
As in other forms of roped climbing, ice climbers have the options of using running belays or fixed belays.
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Roped Climbing: Ice Anchors
Ice climbers have several options for anchors to use in belaying or rappelling, including ice bollards, the Abalakov V-thread, and multiple ice screws.
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Roped Climbing: Protection On Ice
Modern ice screws offer dependable security on ice climbs. However, there is some sacrifice of safety in the time and energy it takes to put them in place.
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Techniques: Placing Ice Tools
The objective of placing any ice tool is to establish a solid placement with one swing.
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Techniques: Climbing with Crampons
Ice climbers usually employ features of 2 basic techniques, depending on steepness of the slope, conditions of the ice, and their ability and confidence level.
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Understanding Harnesses
Climbers tie the rope into a harness designed to distribute the force of a fall over a larger percentage of the body.
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Understanding Carabiners
Carabiners are another versatile and indispensable tool of climbing.
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Understanding Ice Axes
The ice ax is one of the most versatile and important pieces of mountaineering equipment, allowing you to venture onto all forms of snow and ice, enjoying a greater variety of mountain landscapes during more seasons of the year.
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Caring For Your Ice Ax
Modern ice axes require little special care, beyond keeping them clean and sharp.
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