TECH TIP GUIDE DEVICES
Q: “What’s the difference between a guide and a large cheese pizza?” A: “A large cheese pizza can feed a family of four.”
So goes the joke about finances in the guiding profession. But if that’s the difference, a question still remains…
W
hy will guides pay $10 more for a ‘guide’ belay device instead of the standard belay
tube?” The answer is “Versatility.” Guide devices—or “plaquettes”—like the Black Diamond ATC Guide or the Petzl Reverso 3 have applications useful to an array of climbers in a spectrum of situations far beyond top roping— though there is an astounding amount of climbers using it solely as a belay tube.
Some climbers seem to fear that attaching the belay directly to the anchor is risky, because they think it’ll stress the anchor more. First off, if your anchor is so mank that you are afraid to connect your follower directly to it, you should probably be rope soloing—don’t involve someone else in your tragedy. Secondly, it actually stresses the anchor less than a redirect. While there are situations in which attaching the device directly to the harness might make sense, for the most part this is silly.
AS A HANDS-FREE
BELAY: Incredibly, many people I see on multi-pitch climbs use their plaquette in the standard tube mode, either going right off the harness or redirecting the belay off their harness and through the anchor. This defeats a primary advantage of plaquettes—the hands-free capacity. The appropriate way to use a plaquette is as follows:
AS A FULL-ON HAUL THROUGH A DIFFICULT SECTION (OR
OVERHANG): There are lots of great climbs out there that would be moderate if not for a section or two of devilishness. Even if your second isn’t a devilish climber, you can still scale these routes using the plaquette as a quick-haul system. Essentially you create a quick 3:1 haul system using the plaquette as your brake. Also keep this technique in mind also if your second falls out into space on an overhang and can’t get back to the cliff.
AS A QUICK ASSIST
FOR A SECOND: If you’re out climbing with a friend who might need a little boost now and then through a crux, configure the plaquette as follows: Whenever your second needs an assist, you can simply lean back against the anchor and provide them a body-weight assist.
IN A CREVASSE RESCUE SYSTEM: Using a plaquette eliminates the need for a friction hitch brake in mechanical advantage hauling systems used for crevasse rescue. The configuration is the exact same as in the previous photo, only you’re on a snowfield…and your “second” is in a crevasse…
Having just shared this bit of info with you, now is the time for my unabashed plug for appropriate instruction: People won’t hesitate to call an electrician when their circuit is fried or to call a physical therapist when they need some muscle healing—but for some strange reason many people have a pretty DIY attitude toward climbing. Use columns like these to advance your climbing toolkit, but don’t overlook and undervalue the power of skilled instruction. You’ll appreciate the outcome—and guides will appreciate the money for pizza!
Kel Rossiter is the owner/lead guide of Adventure Spirit Rock+Ice+Alpine Experiences. Kel combines climbing and instruction with a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Vermont and Rock Guide Certification from the American Mountain Guide Association. Check out the guiding and instruction he offers at www.
adventurespiritguides.com
32 climber MAGAZINEism | MAY JUNE 2011 |
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