| Short roping is a range of techniques that cover the | | | | normally goes in front and the team move together at |
| use of the rope to protect and give confidence to | | | | a speed which keeps the rope off the ground, but |
| members of a party on scrambling terrain. The | | | | which does not restrict movement. It is vital that there |
| techniques employed depend on the difficulty of the | | | | is no slack in the system and that the hand coils are |
| terrain and the competence and experience of the | | | | locked off to prevent any slip becoming a serious fall. |
| party. | | | | On more serious and difficult terrain where you want |
| The techniques are an extension of those used in | | | | some protection or where both hands are needed to |
| alpine environments and provide climbers with a | | | | make progress, but where all members of the team |
| compromise between pitching the route (safe, but | | | | still feel confident that a fall is unlikely you need to use |
| slow) with the speed of moving un-roped (fast, but | | | | a different system. This involves dropping the hand |
| potentially dangerous). Short roping also has the | | | | coils and climbing simultaneously, placing runners in the |
| advantage that by dividing the route into smaller | | | | rock as well as weaving the rope around natural |
| sections there is better communication, less rope drag | | | | spikes and blocks to give the team members |
| and less danger of the rope knocking down debris. | | | | protection. It is recommended to have at least three |
| Short roping involves shortening the rope by wrapping | | | | pieces of protection as running belays on the rope at |
| coils around the body and then tying them off so that | | | | any one time and as the seconds remove a piece of |
| between 2m and 20m of rope connects the leader to | | | | protection the leader places another one. Once again |
| the rest of the party. The amount of rope out depends | | | | all the climbers should move at the same speed and |
| on the terrain and the techniques being adopted. At | | | | avoid any slack building up in the system. |
| one extreme confidence roping on exposed, but non | | | | On more difficult sections where a fall is quite possible |
| serious terrain will only need 1m-2m of rope out whilst | | | | then you will need to revert to pitching the route until |
| at the other extreme hard, sustained sections of | | | | easier terrain arrives. It may be necessary to extend |
| climbing may need up to 20m of rope out in | | | | the rope, but try not to have more than about 20-25m |
| conjunction with belays and leader placed protection. | | | | paid out between the climbers - treat these sections |
| Short roping can be used in both ascent and descent | | | | as mini-climbs by taking proper belays, placing runners |
| and is normally deployed on terrain that is exposed | | | | as required and belaying as normal. Once again try to |
| and where the consequences of a slip are both | | | | keep the pitch lengths short and utilise natural anchor |
| serious and possible. It is most often used where the | | | | points such as spikes and blocks – this will make |
| route has ground that the party feel competent | | | | communication easier, the rope will most likely run |
| climbing interspersed with short technical sections or | | | | straighter and pitches can be done quickly and |
| the odd hard step – the party staying roped-up | | | | efficiently |
| along the whole route, but adjust the amount of rope | | | | All these techniques require each climbing partner to |
| out and the protection techniques according to the | | | | make judgments on the move and should be practiced |
| relative difficulty of the terrain. | | | | in a safe learning environment before being used in the |
| Short roping requires constant re-evaluation and needs | | | | mountains for real. |
| good situational awareness and an ability to change | | | | Rope Coils for Scrambling |
| techniques quickly and safely. This is quite a skill and | | | | There are several ways to set up coils – soft lock |
| the ability to make the judgments about which | | | | or hard lock and high or low. |
| technique to use and when only comes with practice. It | | | | Soft locked coils are easier/faster to adjust for length, |
| is all about correctly matching the team’s ability with | | | | but there is serious risk of the coils tightening under |
| the section of route at hand and choosing an | | | | load – this can be uncomfortable at best or but has |
| appropriate rope technique. | | | | also been known to impede breathing. Thus it is |
| On easier terrain take chest coils so that there is | | | | recommended to always use hard looked coils |
| 10-15m of rope between you and then take small, neat | | | | When short roping on glaciers high coils (sternum level) |
| hand coils so that there is 2-3m of rope free between | | | | should be used as this high anchor point will help keep |
| members of the party. There should not be too much | | | | you upright if you fall into a crevasse, but in a |
| rope in your hands – a good guide is that if you can | | | | scrambling situation low coils are best as it is easier to |
| not close your hand around the coil then you are | | | | hold falls with the anchor point tied off low close to |
| holding too much rope. The most capable climber | | | | your waist. |