Since I watched one of your abseil videos where you talk about tightening up the prusik before you thread your ATC I have always done that and it just makes it so smooth to check your prusik is holding and also makes threading the ATC so easy with no load on the ropes. Love it. Remember, slow is smooth and smooth is fast!
Not really a fan of abseiling myself unless I have to, to save myself a long walk. My ideal setup would be a sling round a nice chunky tree, with a fairly cheap screwgate. I'd much rather leave some gear than risk becoming a splat at the base of the crag. I remember a long time ago when I knew virtually nothing, I ended up in a situation where retreat entailed a 2 pitch abseil on a limestone cliff (A rock type that I really wasn't very familiar with being more into Grit). I was a student at the time and very short of money, and not really interested in leaving gear behind either. Pure luck that I survived that experience. Abseiling is an activity where one mistake can result in death, it's just NOT worth taking any unnecessary risks!
Great info! I’m certain you have saved lives through you videos! I am learning a great deal from your videos even though I have been climbing since 1975.
Me too (1975!). I love JB's videos, but I must say I found this incomprehensible. When we used to abseil in the 70s and 80s, we just wrapped a sling around a flake or chockstone and slowly abbed off using the doubled rope fed through the harness carabiner (I just missed the Dulfer age!) and later on used the Sticht plate for more friction. I'm keen to update my knowledge, so will re-watch.
Recently discovered your channel and it is excellent. Always informative without being dull. One other down side of using the leg loop for the French prusik is the tendency for it to lift the leg, if the climber becomes unconscious due to rock fall or head injury this can result in the climber ending up upside down especially if they are wearing a ruck sack. Keep up the good work.
I got my prusik jammed into my belay device while I was free hanging. I started spinning when I tried to unload the system. It was near dangerous. I was lucky to a sling to use as a foot prusik to rescue me. However I was close to panicking at first. Therefore always extend your belay device away from the prusik!!! Great Video! I would just emphasise your last argument.
Good, practical, down to earth common sense advice about the belay loop vs tie-in points for the sling. We still hear fairly often "only use tie-in pts for that". But as you mention, it's more of a wear & tear issue, so as long as one keeps one's gear in good shape, it need not be a problem.
Thanks for the awesome videos! A few related questions: Would you ever carry say 60m of 5-6mm accessory cord so you can use it as a tag line in the event that you have to cut the rope on the abseil (because rope gets stuck and you can't lead up)? Also, what do you think about tag lines in general? When tying ropes together of different diameter for doing a retrievable abseil as normal, should you use a double fishermans or is EDK fine? And how many mm difference is considered "different diameter"? Would you treat 8.7 and 9mm as the same?
Another great video Jez. I particularly like the tip with the clove hitch on the Petzl lanyard for an extended belay device and safety in one. Will deffo try that one out, thank you. Happy Climbing.
Thank you so much for that high quality content on your channel, the way you teach things is so easy to remember when i‘m out and learning it. I also like to think of your calm voice on an abseil where it gets hairy. You are the guy i recommend watching when someone asks for more information about belaying, abseiling, bulding anchors etc. Thank you so much!
What a great video. Very informative and focused on making it understandable. Great revision for me so I can somewhat put my actions into words when teaching. Get that sub
Loving your videos, Jez. A suggestion: a short video about slowing down the abseil in case of skinny ropes/ heavy pack/ wet or icy kit/ overhung terrain …
Nice video Jez! Couple of nice wee tips I hadn't thought of too. One question I have, is there a particular reason for choosing an overhand tying the ropes together? I was taught to use a double fishermans.
I appreciate that acknowledge some of the more premium options but emphasize that it can all be done safely and effectively with the basic gear and the multipurpose aspect is a benefit of using the basic equipment.
great video - thanks why use a double overhand knot when tying the two abseil ropes together? (i grew up on a double fishermans bend to join the ropes for an abseil, it avoids the cross loading of knot and the presentation of two tails that look like the abseil lines)
Cheers! Double fisherman’s is mega safe, one potential down side is it can be a bit bulky and prone to catching in cracks. The overhand seems in practice to get caught a bit less.
Question on UK mountain culture - for multiple abseils on longer routes in the UK, do people donate their own wires to the routes for fixed abseil points (knowing the hatred for bolting)? Even minimally popular multi pitches in Canada there's bolted rap stations. It's only on true big mountain/remote adventures will you find old wires/pitons/slung rocks for abseils.
It's fairly rare for us to have multi pitch abseils to be honest. Most of our longer routes end in a walk down. Where there is a more established multi pitch ab, there would usually be tat around a tree / boulder, that kind of thing, sometimes some insitu nuts.
Sharp, insightful and a great refresher. When you mentioned the scenario of bailing from a climb due to adverse weather etc, and when no belay points are in vicinity (e.g mailons) Is the aim to use a boulder or tree to pass the rope around, or is sacrificing equipment a better option to ensure recovery of ropes and allow for follow on rappels?
Depends a bit on the context. I'll often carry some pre cut "tat" to leave around a tree / boulder etc. Whilst you can sometimes just pass your rope around, they are quite prone to getting jammed so you have to be really careful that there isn't too much friction, any constrictions etc.
Haven't seen anyone larks foot one end of the prussik and clip the other, is there any particular reason for this? I suppose it makes it less likely you'll drop it when removing it? Great video, thanks.
One potential drawback I've experienced with the extended abseil where your belay device is on a sling is it can end up with the sling and belay device rubbing on an edge when you have a change in gradient. Bit scary and found it difficult to deal with efficiently. A few other people have mentioned they've had this too. Any tips for how to avoid this happening or to deal with it safely?
@@JBMountainSkills maybe the French Prussik is also more commonly known (at least in Australia) as an Autoblock...? Definitely what it looks like to me.
Leg loop 3rd hand is not safe as you pointed out in your video. There are body positions where the third hand could jam the ATC. Extended raps w/ third hand at belay loop is the safest method I have seen.
Would it be worth opting for the lanyard over the sling for the extended belay since it's dynamic? Or is it much of a muchness in this context? Cheers! Been smashing these videos.
Neither have I, but I like it. It reduces the risk of dropping the prussik loop, and if you tie it with the fishermans knot close to the larks foot it eliminates the chance of the knot being in the wrong place (which it always tends to be otherwise...)
Jez, what length are your sewn prusiks? I fancy getting a couple of the Beal jammies but they do three different lengths so not sure which one to get. Thanks.
I often struggle with load-testing my rappel setup when on a vertical or overhanging wall with no good stance at the anchor. I'm hanging on my sling and need to move the ATC up so that it takes weight, which kind of requires two hands already if you don't have a stance... Then add the need to move the prussik up too, which doesn't slide up easily either. Ugh. Any advice for such cases?
Build a Purcell prusik out of 7 mm dia. cord, it’s an adjustable lanyard that you can slide up to loosen in order to weight your rappel device. Great piece of gear I like it more than the petzl connect adjust
My tip may not be super helpful but it normally involves just being a bit brutal and yarding up on anchors on one arm, yarding up on the rope with the other.
What are your thoughts on using a single rope & tagline combination for muli-pitch sports routes? Seems like a un-trendy option but saves forking out for more ropes for the occasional long route. Also there is one less rope to manage on the way up!
It's not something I've done much of to be honest. I think especially as a weight saving thing on long mountain routes for example they can be great. They just require a good solid setup method, and a bit of management to stay tangle free.
Great explanation! But you literally untied yourself from the anker at 12:50. You were standing there for 20+ seconds unsecured trying to explain something. I don't know how safe you were at that ledge or smth but damn, watch yourself. I see no-one else has noticed this so i'm just trying to make you aware of this.
It’s not even a ledge, it’s the top of a crag, well back from the edge… I’m hyper aware of my own, and others safety close to edges. A lot of thought goes in to where I film these videos, from what looks decent and realistic, to where is super easy for me to have a safe working and filming space. Genuinely, thanks for your concern though 👊
@@JBMountainSkills I don't doubt for a second you know what you are doing! And your videos itself are evidence you clearly think about how you can portray everything good and correct but also safely. Again i was just making you aware of your action back there.
That shock in case of bad atc set up you laugh about could potentially mean death if the climber knotted a dyneema sling like you suggested. It's well known fact that dyneema is likely to fail with ff1 when knotted.
@@JBMountainSkills Not 120cm since you knotted it twice, which might weaken it even furthermore. Also the testes were done using 80kg mass, I wonder what could happen with a 110kg climber and a 70cm fall on a now 90ish cm knotted sling.
@@iacamigevaerd376 it wouldn’t even be 70cm. A knotted sling is going to be about 11kn. 11kn is still plenty. It isn’t the knot that is limiting the fall distance is it? It’s the fact you’re almost snug on the sling. Would you rather lean back to test the set up with no sling back up? Use another system if you wish of course, but I think you’re barking up the wrong tree to suggest this is unsafe.
I'm barking precisely the tree that should be barked. You are online, teaching people you don't know, about things that are potentially dangerous. Did you warn people that they should NEVER go above the anchor? Did you mention nylon is safer than dyneema? Whay if they got the wrong idea from your video and died, sounds fair to you? Climbing is dangerous, teaching is hard, giving the wrong message without even being aware of it is very easy. I'm not gonna spend more energy's trying to convince you about my point. You put yourself out there as an instructor so I'm sure you are gonna spare a good hour researching the subject and confirming that what you posted is safe and sound. Have a nice weekend
@@iacamigevaerd376 yeah sorry, you sound pretty confused with your thought process. I’ve been climbing and teaching safely for years, having held climbing qualifications for a little over 20 years now. Have a good day.
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Since I watched one of your abseil videos where you talk about tightening up the prusik before you thread your ATC I have always done that and it just makes it so smooth to check your prusik is holding and also makes threading the ATC so easy with no load on the ropes. Love it. Remember, slow is smooth and smooth is fast!
Glad you liked that tip, simple but it's a good 'un!
Not really a fan of abseiling myself unless I have to, to save myself a long walk. My ideal setup would be a sling round a nice chunky tree, with a fairly cheap screwgate. I'd much rather leave some gear than risk becoming a splat at the base of the crag. I remember a long time ago when I knew virtually nothing, I ended up in a situation where retreat entailed a 2 pitch abseil on a limestone cliff (A rock type that I really wasn't very familiar with being more into Grit). I was a student at the time and very short of money, and not really interested in leaving gear behind either. Pure luck that I survived that experience. Abseiling is an activity where one mistake can result in death, it's just NOT worth taking any unnecessary risks!
Great info! I’m certain you have saved lives through you videos! I am learning a great deal from your videos even though I have been climbing since 1975.
Thanks for the kind words :)
Me too (1975!). I love JB's videos, but I must say I found this incomprehensible. When we used to abseil in the 70s and 80s, we just wrapped a sling around a flake or chockstone and slowly abbed off using the doubled rope fed through the harness carabiner (I just missed the Dulfer age!) and later on used the Sticht plate for more friction. I'm keen to update my knowledge, so will re-watch.
Must say, this video is excellently framed!
Recently discovered your channel and it is excellent. Always informative without being dull.
One other down side of using the leg loop for the French prusik is the tendency for it to lift the leg, if the climber becomes unconscious due to rock fall or head injury this can result in the climber ending up upside down especially if they are wearing a ruck sack. Keep up the good work.
@@DavidWilliams-zw2ji thanks for the kind words!
Another cracking video Jez. Always good to refresh on the most dangerous part of climbing!
Thanks!
Nice simple system. Logical approach that prepares for events as you descend. Thanks
Glad you liked it!
Outstanding. Really appreciated the video!
I got my prusik jammed into my belay device while I was free hanging. I started spinning when I tried to unload the system. It was near dangerous. I was lucky to a sling to use as a foot prusik to rescue me. However I was close to panicking at first.
Therefore always extend your belay device away from the prusik!!!
Great Video! I would just emphasise your last argument.
Excellent! This makes me want a video on building alpine rappel anchors that use as little gear as possible...
I'll give that one some thought!
Clipping the lanyard to the rope you want to pull is brilliant! I never remember 🤣
The simple tips are the best!
Yup, added it to my list. Great idea
Good, practical, down to earth common sense advice about the belay loop vs tie-in points for the sling. We still hear fairly often "only use tie-in pts for that". But as you mention, it's more of a wear & tear issue, so as long as one keeps one's gear in good shape, it need not be a problem.
Thanks for the awesome videos! A few related questions: Would you ever carry say 60m of 5-6mm accessory cord so you can use it as a tag line in the event that you have to cut the rope on the abseil (because rope gets stuck and you can't lead up)? Also, what do you think about tag lines in general? When tying ropes together of different diameter for doing a retrievable abseil as normal, should you use a double fishermans or is EDK fine? And how many mm difference is considered "different diameter"? Would you treat 8.7 and 9mm as the same?
Another great video Jez. I particularly like the tip with the clove hitch on the Petzl lanyard for an extended belay device and safety in one. Will deffo try that one out, thank you. Happy Climbing.
Cheers! You too!
even though ive had formal training its great to get some refresher stuff like this Jez. Really appreciate the vids. ill send you a coffee!
Thanks very much Corey!
Nice reminder with a fab backdrop 👍👍
Such a great spot!
This is an exceptionally thorough and informative video for a video this length. Great job!
Glad you liked it!
Thank you so much for that high quality content on your channel, the way you teach things is so easy to remember when i‘m out and learning it.
I also like to think of your calm voice on an abseil where it gets hairy.
You are the guy i recommend watching when someone asks for more information about belaying, abseiling, bulding anchors etc.
Thank you so much!
What a great video. Very informative and focused on making it understandable.
Great revision for me so I can somewhat put my actions into words when teaching.
Get that sub
Glad you liked it and thanks for the sub!
Mate id love to see a vid about multi pitch sport climbing, specifically setting up belay for the lead.
I'll add it to the list :)
@@JBMountainSkills I'd love this as well!
Loving your videos, Jez. A suggestion: a short video about slowing down the abseil in case of skinny ropes/ heavy pack/ wet or icy kit/ overhung terrain …
That bit about the near miss made stomach church -thinking about it 😬
“I know my videos go on at the best of times” hahaha cracked me up. You’ve always got great content mate, keep it up 👌
Cheers!
I started extending my belay Device with a sling few years back and like you find it much more clearer. Great video
Cheers!
Nice video Jez! Couple of nice wee tips I hadn't thought of too. One question I have, is there a particular reason for choosing an overhand tying the ropes together? I was taught to use a double fishermans.
Cheers! Overhands tend to get snagged a little less when pulling ‘em 😊
Was just hoping you'd do a video on this! Thank you
My pleasure!
I appreciate that acknowledge some of the more premium options but emphasize that it can all be done safely and effectively with the basic gear and the multipurpose aspect is a benefit of using the basic equipment.
Glad you liked it!
Well done. Thats the textbook way of doing it. Might want to get a better camera angle and get closer so we can see it a bit better
great video - thanks
why use a double overhand knot when tying the two abseil ropes together? (i grew up on a double fishermans bend to join the ropes for an abseil, it avoids the cross loading of knot and the presentation of two tails that look like the abseil lines)
Cheers!
Double fisherman’s is mega safe, one potential down side is it can be a bit bulky and prone to catching in cracks. The overhand seems in practice to get caught a bit less.
Nice video! Thanks!
Great overview, thanks!
Cheers!
Question on UK mountain culture - for multiple abseils on longer routes in the UK, do people donate their own wires to the routes for fixed abseil points (knowing the hatred for bolting)? Even minimally popular multi pitches in Canada there's bolted rap stations. It's only on true big mountain/remote adventures will you find old wires/pitons/slung rocks for abseils.
It's fairly rare for us to have multi pitch abseils to be honest. Most of our longer routes end in a walk down.
Where there is a more established multi pitch ab, there would usually be tat around a tree / boulder, that kind of thing, sometimes some insitu nuts.
Sharp, insightful and a great refresher. When you mentioned the scenario of bailing from a climb due to adverse weather etc, and when no belay points are in vicinity (e.g mailons)
Is the aim to use a boulder or tree to pass the rope around, or is sacrificing equipment a better option to ensure recovery of ropes and allow for follow on rappels?
Cutting a section of rope or leave a sling. Life sepends on what ever you do.
Depends a bit on the context. I'll often carry some pre cut "tat" to leave around a tree / boulder etc. Whilst you can sometimes just pass your rope around, they are quite prone to getting jammed so you have to be really careful that there isn't too much friction, any constrictions etc.
Haven't seen anyone larks foot one end of the prussik and clip the other, is there any particular reason for this? I suppose it makes it less likely you'll drop it when removing it? Great video, thanks.
Yeah, just to make it drop proof 😊
One potential drawback I've experienced with the extended abseil where your belay device is on a sling is it can end up with the sling and belay device rubbing on an edge when you have a change in gradient. Bit scary and found it difficult to deal with efficiently. A few other people have mentioned they've had this too. Any tips for how to avoid this happening or to deal with it safely?
Is there any particular reason to do an overhand knot to tie the ends together? Would you ever use a fisherman's knot?
Fishermans is super safe, you're just left with a slightly bulkier knot which is a bit more prone to getting stuck.
It looks like Klemheist, as it's a bit different from prusik. Ain't sure if they both are called as prusik
It’s a french prusik, releasable under load, unlike a klemheist or classic 😊
@@JBMountainSkills maybe the French Prussik is also more commonly known (at least in Australia) as an Autoblock...? Definitely what it looks like to me.
Yeah same thing, here the name is interchangeable but I think French is probably more common, exactly the same though 😊
Leg loop 3rd hand is not safe as you pointed out in your video. There are body positions where the third hand could jam the ATC. Extended raps w/ third hand at belay loop is the safest method I have seen.
Would it be worth opting for the lanyard over the sling for the extended belay since it's dynamic? Or is it much of a muchness in this context? Cheers! Been smashing these videos.
Is there a reason for larksfooting the prusik to your harness? I have never seen that before
Neither have I, but I like it. It reduces the risk of dropping the prussik loop, and if you tie it with the fishermans knot close to the larks foot it eliminates the chance of the knot being in the wrong place (which it always tends to be otherwise...)
Yup, just makes it drop proof 😊
Jez, what length are your sewn prusiks? I fancy getting a couple of the Beal jammies but they do three different lengths so not sure which one to get. Thanks.
60cm 😊
Why not put the prusik above belay device? Perhaps a dumb question
Good question! By having the prusik below, the belay plate is doing most of the work, so the prusik has to do less.
I often struggle with load-testing my rappel setup when on a vertical or overhanging wall with no good stance at the anchor. I'm hanging on my sling and need to move the ATC up so that it takes weight, which kind of requires two hands already if you don't have a stance... Then add the need to move the prussik up too, which doesn't slide up easily either. Ugh.
Any advice for such cases?
Build a Purcell prusik out of 7 mm dia. cord, it’s an adjustable lanyard that you can slide up to loosen in order to weight your rappel device. Great piece of gear I like it more than the petzl connect adjust
@@chadhayden4309 well, 7mm (or even 6mm) is what I have, and I already use prusik hitch. I may need to try autoblock: some say it releases easier
My tip may not be super helpful but it normally involves just being a bit brutal and yarding up on anchors on one arm, yarding up on the rope with the other.
Love your videos…even though my American ears only understand like 97% of what you’re saying!😆
Hahaha, I’ll shout louder 😉 Glad you like ‘em!
What length cord do you recommend for making prusiks?
depends on your preference. 150cm is about right for me.
What are your thoughts on using a single rope & tagline combination for muli-pitch sports routes? Seems like a un-trendy option but saves forking out for more ropes for the occasional long route. Also there is one less rope to manage on the way up!
It's not something I've done much of to be honest. I think especially as a weight saving thing on long mountain routes for example they can be great. They just require a good solid setup method, and a bit of management to stay tangle free.
Great explanation! But you literally untied yourself from the anker at 12:50. You were standing there for 20+ seconds unsecured trying to explain something. I don't know how safe you were at that ledge or smth but damn, watch yourself. I see no-one else has noticed this so i'm just trying to make you aware of this.
It’s not even a ledge, it’s the top of a crag, well back from the edge… I’m hyper aware of my own, and others safety close to edges. A lot of thought goes in to where I film these videos, from what looks decent and realistic, to where is super easy for me to have a safe working and filming space.
Genuinely, thanks for your concern though 👊
@@JBMountainSkills I don't doubt for a second you know what you are doing! And your videos itself are evidence you clearly think about how you can portray everything good and correct but also safely. Again i was just making you aware of your action back there.
ازنزدیک فیلم بگیر مشخص نیس چیکارمیکنی
That shock in case of bad atc set up you laugh about could potentially mean death if the climber knotted a dyneema sling like you suggested. It's well known fact that dyneema is likely to fail with ff1 when knotted.
Let’s be realistic here, you’re not going to break a sling in that scenario. It would not be ff1, you wouldn’t fall 120cm..
@@JBMountainSkills Not 120cm since you knotted it twice, which might weaken it even furthermore. Also the testes were done using 80kg mass, I wonder what could happen with a 110kg climber and a 70cm fall on a now 90ish cm knotted sling.
@@iacamigevaerd376 it wouldn’t even be 70cm. A knotted sling is going to be about 11kn. 11kn is still plenty. It isn’t the knot that is limiting the fall distance is it? It’s the fact you’re almost snug on the sling.
Would you rather lean back to test the set up with no sling back up?
Use another system if you wish of course, but I think you’re barking up the wrong tree to suggest this is unsafe.
I'm barking precisely the tree that should be barked. You are online, teaching people you don't know, about things that are potentially dangerous. Did you warn people that they should NEVER go above the anchor? Did you mention nylon is safer than dyneema? Whay if they got the wrong idea from your video and died, sounds fair to you? Climbing is dangerous, teaching is hard, giving the wrong message without even being aware of it is very easy.
I'm not gonna spend more energy's trying to convince you about my point. You put yourself out there as an instructor so I'm sure you are gonna spare a good hour researching the subject and confirming that what you posted is safe and sound. Have a nice weekend
@@iacamigevaerd376 yeah sorry, you sound pretty confused with your thought process. I’ve been climbing and teaching safely for years, having held climbing qualifications for a little over 20 years now.
Have a good day.