Information Highway...

I learn best by writing things down and rewriting my own little "books" to recall on forgotten information. A long time ago i did this with climbing only never made ot to book form. Rather than let it all go to waste ive decided to just post it all here and hopefully help some of you out. I apologize for how unorganized it is. Please comment and correct anything you see is misleading, it has been a while and hell, im not perfect.

Natural Anchors

.21 – “The point is that what the tree is rooted in is probably more crucial than the breadth of the tree itself.”

.21 – “Make sure it is alive” [preferably 6” or more in diameter]
“Use slings or a cordelette instead of a rope to tie it off.”
“Tie it off as low as possible to reduce leverage.”

Placing Gear:

.41 – “The direction of pull on protection changes with the next placement.” (See Pic).

.42 – “Consequently in a fall, each nut is weighted by the rope, which holds the falling climber at the business end. Often a falling leader will first impact a nut with a slight outward pull, then a heavy downward pull.”

.49 – “With steel micros, even when placed in diamond-hard granite, a moderate fall should not deform the nut’s shape, because the relative hardness of steel is quite high. However, if you place a steel micro in quartz monzonite or sandstone, where the rock is prone to shearing away, even the perfectly placed steel micro can rip out, leaving a little groove where it tore through the rock. If the rock is something less than granite or dense limestone, brass micros don’t tend to rip out, because the softer brass can deform and bite into the rock. In soft rock, brass micros tend to seat better than steel because of increased friction and bite. In diamond-hard rock, however, softer micros sometimes cannot offer enough resistance to the impact force of a stout fall, and they rip out.

.49 – “The [Yates] Screamer, and various devices like it, have tear-away stitching that activates at approximately 500 pounds to help absorb andlimit the impact force on your protection.”

.66 – “Try to shoot for placements where the bottom tips of all four cams come into line.”

.74 - SOS – Solid, Orientation, Surface Area

Fall Forces:

.35 – “…given the properties of modern ropes, a normal sized climber taking the longest possible fall cannot generate an impact force exceeding 2,420 lbs.”

.105 – “Overall Connally figures that the highest real world force on the top anchor would be in the range 5.5 kN – 8.5 kN – roughly 1900 lbs at the top end, and possibly lower than 1,250 lbf (he talks about things that would increase or decrease these forces).”

Setting Up That Anchor:

Chase Notes - SRENE = Solid, Redundant, Equalized, No Extension

.184 – “A redundant belay anchor implies that the forces generated in a leader fall will never fall on one piece of gear.”

.121 – “…although test have shown that clove hitch will in fact not slip in a dynamic rope (it can, however, slip in a static rope, making it a poor choice for hauling gear or jugging lines).”

.151 rum – “In the double-fatality on The Step at Tahquitz Rock, the belayer was attached to the cordelette with a small length of high-tensile cord, rather than with the main rope. Never do so.”
.191 – “…such as when a leader clips off to an anchor with a tech-cord daisy chain, climbs up two feet and slips, falling 4 feet directly onto the anchor. You can bust biners this way because the gear can’t handle mass decelerating that quickly.”

.138 – “A: Assume that has a failure potential of one in a thousand.
B: It follows that two equal legs would have a failure rate of one in a million.
C: Three legs would slightly increase the reliability.
D: Four and up practically make no difference.”

.149 – “…forces on the primary placements increase significantly at greater angles.”

Chase Notes- Nylon material is best for anchoring with cords.

.192 – “This suggests that for equalization purposes, nylon is the preferred material to make cordelettes.”

.165 – “Pitons, fixed pins and (to a lesser degree) SLCD’s are all multidirectional, …”

.194 – “Experience now shows that, in terms of rigging systems, the acronym KISS is valuable only up to a point.”

Cordelette:

.151 – “Clip the cordelette into the primary anchors, then pull the loops of cord down between each of the pieces.
Pull the arms of the cordelette tight toward the anticipated loading direction (direction of pull).
Align the fisheman’s knot so it is below the highest primary placement in the system, free and clear of the power point knot. [Figure 8/Overhand]
Secure the power point with an overhand knot, or if you have enough cord, a figure eight knot. Tie the power point loop about four inches in diameter, roughly the same size as the belay loop on your harness.
Clip into the power point with a section of the climbing rope, not with a daisy chain or other devices made of high-tensile cord.”

Chase Notes – The cordelette style anchor follows the Solid, Redundant, and No Extension of SRENE but never gains credible equalization, quite poor equalization to say the least. The piece with the shortest arm usually receives the greatest load no matter what and any off axis pull from the anticipated loading direction results in horrendous force distribution.

.154 – “…when the arms of the cordelette are of different length, equalization is compromised by stretch in the arms, with the arm that stretches least bearing better than half (55%) of the load.”

Sliding X:

.202 – “…why not tie a limiter knot near the power point to limit extension? If you can determine the exact direction of pull /loading –and normally you can on any top rope setup –there is little to gain by using the sliding X.”

Chase Notes - A sliding X anchor (with no limiter knots) follows the Solid, Redundant, and Equalized of SRENE but lacks the No Extension part of it. Keep this in mind.

.158 – “If the angle [for a sliding X] is larger than about 45°, use a longer sling to decrease the angle and avoid load multiplication.”

.158 – “To minimize the potential extension in longer slings, tie an overhand “limiter” knot in the long leg of the sling, just above the tie-in point.”

.159 – “Craig Connally (along with recent testing) largely disproved the prevailing paranoia about the minimal extension (with the limiter knots) possibilities with sliding X.”

.160 – “[True]… shock loading does not occur if there’s dynamic rope in the system. An example would be to picture a climber hanging on ten feet of rope. A placement blows and drops him a foot. Disaster? Unlikely, since that amounts to a fall factor 0.1, which is less than the average around 0.3 for most climbing falls. Granted, you avoid building anchors that could result in really long extension, but there’s little cause to fear in ordinary setups.”

.160 – “In fact, whenever you wish to dynamically distribute the load between two pieces, the sliding X is both effective and the best known method.”

Chase Notes – To avoid the “clutch effect,” where the X binds in on itself, use pear shaped anodized biners. That will help the X slide freely.
Page 162 and 163 have 2 photos. The first photo shows a static anchor using a sliding X for two primary placements on the left and the third placement on the right is just a sling with an overhand knot connected to the power point. That overhanded sling is what makes the system static, which is fine if the direction of pull never changes. However, photo two is the same anchor only the overhand loop has been twisted to form a sliding X around the original power point carabiner and the new power point biner has been clipped through the X. The limiter knot (old overhand knot) works to reduce the now longer possible extension. The trade was extension for equalization. Compromise.

Equalette:

Chase Notes- Tying an equalette is simple. Many argue that the equalette is “overkill,” “time-consuming,” or “fancy.” And it is, at first. With a bit of practice, however, it’s a snap.
For a three point equalette, begin by clipping your cord into the two left-most pieces. Create a two strand loop by pulling the center strand (strand between the two pieces) and the bottom strand toward the direction of pull. At the bottom center of your loop, tie an over hand loop and another approximately 10-15 inches to the left of it. (You’ll have to unclip the left leg to do this)
Adjust the overhands so they are in a horizontal line by pulling on one strand of the right leg. Clove hitch that leg to lock its position. Then, take the hanging loop of the clove and attach it to the third piece of pro. Keeping it nice and tight, clove it.
Note that if your master point is at your feet. You should consider making your overhand further left up the rope. This will make a larger clove leg, handy for hanging extra gear or rope.

Chase Notes – Equalette limiter knots can be shuffled up or down while tied so if you plan on using it again soon just leave them in.

.169 – “Tests show that the equalette allows nearly perfect equalization between the two arms, and it allows a ratio of equalization between both strands on each arm. While it is impossible (in a practical sense) to achieve perfect equalization between all four placements, the equalette achieves a degree of equalization along with solid redundancy and very inconsequential extension –to a higher degree than any system tested.”

Chase Notes – The only downsides I know of tying an equalette anchor are that too many clove hitches can result in a pretty twisted rope so consider mixing in some figure eights, and that the individual strands are less than almost perfect equalization.

Chase Notes – According to tests done by John Long, with a simulation of a factor 1 fall the average difference between two equal length arms on the cordelette was a force load of 1 kN (220 lbs). For a sliding X the average difference between two equal length arms was only about 0.2 kN, and this average was far more consistent than the cordelette, as well. For two un-equal length arms of a cordelette the average difference between the two was nearly 780lbs! Furthermore, this type of anchor had the most inconsistent measures through testing. For unequal length arms on the sliding X the average difference was approximately 1 kN, or 220 lbs. This anchor, being quite consistent however, was the only anchor to deliver an occasional extreme difference in load. To reduce chances of this later coined “clutch effect,” where the “X” binds in on itself, use a wide mouthed anodized biner.

.189 – “In fact, the equalette offers the best equalization among the unequal arm riggings considered.” (Meaning anchors tested while writing the book.)

.189 – “…in instances when one requires an anchor with unequal arm lengths, the equalette performs significantly better than the traditional sliding X and vastly better than the unequal length cordelette.”
Great Quotes:

.50 – “If you’re wobbling out there on bleak terrain and a micro is the only nut separating you from eternity, you’re not long for this world.”

.212 – “In closing let me reiterate that the anchor is the single most important part of the roped safety system, and that part of that anchor is the first placement off the belay, the Jesus Nut. But should the Jesus Nut fail, the anchor itself is your last line of defense. Remember the Golden Rule: The anchor must be able to sustain the greatest load conceivable in a given instance, or it is not good enough.”

.213 – “…the worst can befall the best of us. It cannot be overstated: Build every anchor for a worst-case scenario because someday you might experience one.”

.215 –“At some time in your climbing career, be it one or twenty years it you’ll seriously question why you are climbing at all. This is nothing less than squaring off with the Main Question of why we are alive, what are we doing, where are we going? The Main Question sneaks into the context of climbing because, well, because were climbers.”

.215 –“Let us never forget that the safety system was devised to facilitate climbing. That’s the name of the game. Climb safely. Climb efficiently. Climb on.

Self Rescue Book

Belay Methods:

Chase Notes - There are essentially three types of belay methods: Direct, Indirect, and Redirect. Direct is when the belay device is connected “directly” to the power point. Indirect is where the climber’s line moves to the anchor indirectly through you, the belayer. Redirect is where the climber’s line is redirected up through the power point to create an upward pull on the belayer.

.63 – “Compared to the direct belay using self-locking plates and mechanicals, it is easier to lose control of a falling climber using a redirected belay. This belay method also generates greater force on the anchor when holding the second. For example, assuming a 90.9 kilogram (200 pounds) climber and that the redirect carabiner acts like a 70% efficient pulley, the load side of the rope would have a force of .891 kN (200 pounds) and the counteracting force on the brake side would have .624 kN (140 pounds). The combined force (static) on this anchor 1.52 kN (340 pounds) with .267 kN (60 pounds) of force absorbed in the system. These shortcomings, coupled with improvements in belay devices, have made this belay method less desirable.”

Chase Notes – When belaying indirectly make sure to clip the belay carabiner through both your belay loop and figure eight loop.

Rappelling:

Chase Notes - To make rappelling safer you can extend the rappel device by either girth hitching a sling through your harness tie-in loops or tie a cordelette through your tie-in loops (preferred) and connect your belay device to the power point. For the cordelette, I would tie a figure eight power point because that is what I use to tie in with a rope. Once your rappel device is extended, back up your extension with an autoblock hitch by clipping another carabiner to your belay loop, and connecting it to the rope with a prusik, bachmann, klemheist, or other autoblock hitch. You can also tie it around your leg loop if you prefer that. Always remember that when you decide to use an autoblock hitch for rappelling you must extend the belay. If not, it’s likely that it will get caught in the rappel device and prevent it from properly locking during an accident. Also, by merely coming into contact with the belay device it won’t grab due to the decreased distance from the belay to the autoblock.
If you need to help someone else rappel down, consider “stacking.” Stacking is when, while you rappel down, the nervous climber rappels down from above you at the same time. Simply clip them in with a leash at the anchor and put them on an extended rappel device set-up like the ones stated before and then you rappel down first having them follow. Your weight acts as a fireman’s belay, tensioning their break strand. If you need to be with them at all times perform an “assisted belay.”
Assisted belays are great for lowering children or injured/unconscious persons. To do this, extend your rappel device with a doubled up cordelette, clipping one leg to your locking carabiner located at your belay loop and the other leg to his locking carabiner located at his belay loop. Add a back-up autoblock hitch to the person doing the actual rappelling, connect to the rope and descend.
Rescue:

Consider this scenario. You and a climbing buddy decide to do a multi-pitch route this weekend. You get out to the bottom of the route and realize the first pitch is about 160 ft. Your rope is 230 feet long (70 meters). Regardless your buddy begins leading the route. Around 130 feet he falls and hurts himself where he no longer have the strength to keep leading. You can’t lower him because the rope isn’t long enough for him to reach the ground safely. What do you do? One possibility is to lower him to the previous protection, have him clip into the piece and provide enough slack where he can pull a 4-foot loop of rope through the piece’s carabiner. Once the slack is through have him tie a figure eight on a bight and attach it to a locking carabiner on his belay loop. Now he can untie his original tie-in knot and re-tie it back in at the end of the rope. Take his slack back out and have him unclip himself from the piece. Clean it and repeat.
If your partner decides he can finish the route by following lower him to an acceptable anchor spot and have him bring you up as the second. The new anchor will have to be set up with the redirect belay method, those pieces being the redirect. Once at the anchor, switch ends of rope and continue. Do not continue passed the anchor. Remember that to ascend passed his pro you will have to unclip them leaving you pretty unprotected where he took his fall. Stop at the anchor. Switch ends or pull the rope through altogether and restart from scratch.

Climbing From the internet:

The Direct Belay:

A primary benefit is escaping belay is simple.

Swapping Leads: (no PAS)

The second clips in with a clove to a carabiner. The belayer adjusts belay device for new leader and clips new leader’s rope through master point. Leader removes cloved carabiner.

Before Multi-Pitch Climbing:

“At a belay two pitches up is the wrong place to figure out that you don’t know how to use your ATC Guide or GriGri or whatever you have correctly. Also, people drop gear all the time. Let’s say you anchor in at the top of the second pitch, you’re setting up your belay and you drop your only belay device. What do you do?

Or your leader is on the second pitch, two bolts from the top, takes a good whip, and breaks his right wrist and left ankle. Can you escape a belay? Let’s say he/she is following you up the second pitch and for some reason passes out. Can you set up a mechanical advantage hauling system to get them up to the top? Do both of you know how to jumar up a rope on prussics if you absolutely had to?

These probably won’t happen, but the point is, would you know how to handle them if they did happen?” –MP Poster

“Today’s typical beginner develops climbing ability (thanks to gyms and sport climbing) far quicker than he/she learns the needed skills to fully actualize that ability. In a nutshell: climbers are stronger than ever but the overall climbing IQ is at a low ebb.” –MP Poster

Jesus Nut

The worst thing you can do is fall directly onto your belay. Clip a piece above the belay as soon as possible. This piece has been coined, “the Jesus nut.”

Knots Instructors Should Know:

Fig 8 on a bite

Fig 8 follow through

Double fig 8

Butterfly

Bowline (back-up knot required)

Double fish

Water knot

Half hitch in webbing

Overhand knot

Square knot (Back-up knot required)

Hitches Instructors should know:

Clove Hitch (Back-up required if end of line)

Truckers hitch

Munter

Prusik

Tandem Prusiks

Sling Danger:

If two slings must be joined the strongest way to do so is with a carabiner.

All types of slings are susceptible to significant strength loss due to a girth hitch.

-Climbinglife.com

Ways to tell if your cord is of nylon or other:

Nylon fabric is shiny, polyester looks a bit like cotton.

Nylon feels lightweight and is water repellant, polyester is heavier and feels like cotton.

All nylon weakens with exposure to water, polyester is significantly more resistant to heat and water.

Nylon/Spectra (Dyneema):

Nylon Pros:

- Relatively inexpensive

- Stretches

- Holds knots

- Higher melting point than Spectra

- Holds up to repeated flexing better than Spectra

- Great “all-around” material

Nylons Cons:

- Absorbs more water

- Susceptible to UV degradation

- Heavier and bulkier than Spectra

Spectra Pros:

- Three times stronger by weight than nylon

- Very lightweight

- Low bulk

- Absorbs little to no water

- Highly abrasion-and cut resistant

Spectra Cons:

- Doesn’t stretch

- Doesn’t hold knots

- Expensive

- Low melting Point

-RockAndIce.com

To wash rope:

Loosely Daisy chain your rope (chain knot)

Throw it in washer with a small amount of extremely mild soap.

Or:

Flake out your rope into a large clean body of warm fresh water.

Pour in a mild rope cleaner or a mild soap; not a detergent or bleach!

Swish rope around for approx 10 min until water is filthy.

Empty body of water and refill with more warm freshwater.

Repeat until clean and then let sit in clean water for 30 min.

Rinse it off and squeegee gently.

Let it dry in an area that is away from direct sunlight.

Chris McNamara’s Gear for all clean routes (Example The Nose)

1 of each BD Stopper

1 set of DMM Peenuts

1 set of DMM Brass Offsets, #2 and #3, and 2 of #4-6

2 cam hooks (narrow)

2 sets of Metolius Master Cams to #5

1-2 sets of Metolius Offset Master Cams #.5-3

2 sets of BD C4’s #.5-3

1 each of BD C4’s #4 and 5

1 med BD Pecker (optional)

1 60m x 10.2mm dynamic climbing rope

1 60m x 9mm static haul line

Petzl mini traxion or pro traxion

Petzl ascenders

Petzl Wall Step Etriers

1 metolius monster daisy chain

1 BD Fifi Hook

10 BD Oz Quickdraws

50 CAMP Nano 23 krabs

10 mammut crocodile slings

BD Momentum or Petzl Sama climbing harness

Petzl gri gri or trango cinch belay device

5.10 Guide Tennie or La Sportiva Ganda

La Sportiva TC Pro or 5.10 Anasazi

VCS

Petzl Meteor or Petzl Elios Helmet

Metolius adjustable gear sling

Chris McNamara’s rack for mostly clean routes: (All Clean Route Rack Plus:)

1 Cliffhanger

1 Talon

1 Grappling Hook

2 each of mid sized cam-hooks

4 keyhole hangers

4 wire rivet hangers

yosemite hammer

5 copperheads (#2-3)

1 each Moses Tomahawk

1-2 each BD Pecker (med, lrg)

1 knife blade

3 lost arrow pitons (#1-3)

2 Baby Angles (1/2”, 5/8”)

2 Sawed Angles (3/4”, 1”)

2 Metolius Daisy Chains

2 each Yates Big Wall Ladder

Yates Big Wall Rack

Tie Off Loops

Metolius Waldo Harness

Nut Racking Options:

You can break your nuts down into Micros (0-1), Small (1-4), Medium (4-7), Large (7-10), XL (10-13).

+Easier To Sort Through

- Dropping a krab loses every of that size

All sizes on one (1-10):

+ Dropping one leaves you with another full set

- Hard to sort; real heavy

3 Krabs Mix: 1 w/ micros, 1 (3-8), 1 (6-12)…..(Doubles of 6,7,8)

+Mixed lets you choose from a set and if off a little you don’t have to entirely switch krabs

- Carries a couple of extra nuts; heavy

One website says the best racking krab is the BD Wiregate because of its

+uniform shape and broad bottom.

-hard to make out which way the gate opens. (Tape the Nose)

To Buy: (High End)

3 Five-Packs of Wild Country Helium Quickdraws (“Editor’s Choice” -Outdoorgearlab)

1 Petzl Elios Helmet (“Best Buy” -OutdoorGearLab)

1 set of Black Diamond Pro Stoppers $115

1 set of BD Micro Stoppers

1 set of DMM Offset nuts (“Editor’s Choice” -Outdoorgearlab)

1 set of DMM Brass Offsets (“Editor’s Choice” -Outdoorgearlab)

1 Pair of Petzl Ascension Ascenders $150 (“Editor’s Choice” – Outdoorgearlab)

1 Yates Big Wall Rack $100 (“Editor’s Choice” – Outdoorgearlab)

1 Metolius Adjustable Gear Sling $25

1 Petzl Pro Traxion $135 (Heavy load) (“Top Pick” – Outdoorgearlab)

1 Petzl Micro Traxion $100) (Light Load) (“Editor’s Choice” – Outdoorgearlab)

1 Fish Double Whammy Portaledge w/ Fly $830

1 BD Cliffhanger $15

1 BD Talon

1 BD Grappling Hook

1 JetBoil Flash $100 (“Top Pick” – Outdoorgearlab)

1 SolarMonkey Adventurer $140 (“Editor’s Choice” – Outdoorgearlab)

1 Gerber RipStop Serrated Edge $15

1 Pair of Black Diamond Stone Gloves $40 (“Editor’s Choice” – Outdoorgearlab)

1 Pack of Cleanwaste

1 Metolius Quarter Dome Haul Bag $175 (“Top Pick” – Outdoorgearlab)

*Wild Country Heliums are the lightest, strongest, regular carabiners.

Mountain Project Community:

“Being Stupid and brave are different; a five year old playing with daddies loaded handgun doesn’t make the child brave.” -MP.Com forum poster

“Smart climbers live. Bold climbers die.” – Mogens from Everest: Beyond the Limit

“Classic line is a route which contains 90% moves at a stated graded. Ultra classic is nearly all moves are minimally fluctuating from the stated grade. On contraire a ‘Pile’ is a single pitch one move wonder.”

-MP.Com poster

“Two Pieces Between You And The Hospital. Tipped out Is Never A Good Idea. Ledges Hurt. Rope Drag Is A Bitch. There’s no ego in safe climbing. Drink a lot of Water. 5.9 Often means 5.11+.” -MP Poster

Anchor Building:

“Me, when not anchoring with the rope…

Arrive at ledge, get a good first piece, clip into it with a runner [or PAS], weight it, stay on belay.

Place additional two pieces… [Talks about setting anchor] …then clip a locker to the master point, double check the anchor and yank on it. Stay on belay.

Clove to the master point locker with the rope, weight/pull on the knot […Hitch] to cinch it at agreeable length, unclip from first piece and go off belay.” –Shortened quote from an MP User.

“One trick to save a bit of time is to not have the follower clip into the anchor. Just leave them on the belay they came up with, and take their belay device for setting up the next pitch. Then the last thing the new leader does is they take off the original belay and take it with them. Your swapping belay devices each pitch but who cares. Takes about 20 seconds.” –DannyUncanny from MP.com.

The Alpine Quickdraw:

“…Here’s how to do it right. First: With a carabiner on each end of the sling, thread one carabiner through the other. Second: Clip this carabiner into both strands of the sling to make a quickdraw.

-Dougald Macdonald

When developing routes:

Go into it with best intentions.

Accept rock for what it is.

Heavy Non-metal brushes should be fine. You don’t want to score the rock, or, with soft rock, shape holds.

As for flakes/gravel and the like, try to only remove what would come off in, say the first 100 ascents.

Be openly communicative about your thoughts and intentions, most climbers will respect your development.

Try to only remove vegetation that actually has to go. Greenery is all about being outside.

-mp.com user

Biner to Biner

Clipping into the master point carabiner with another carabiner… “…is a technique taught in both AMGA and PCIA guide courses. It is only really used when the master point of the anchor is so small that it is difficult to clip multiple carabiners into it, or if it is difficult to clip into once the system is weighted.”

-ROC, Poster from MP.com

“Actually it is a common guide tactic to clip a big locker to the master point of the anchor for several people to clip into. It’s especially handy when using a sliding X or equalette. The two major reasons why people say it’s not good are:

1. Unless they are both locking, they can twist against each other and unclip.

2. If they orient oddly, they can leverage each other and place weird forces on the biner.”

–Evan1984, Poster from MP.com

Caring For Your Cams:

Keep cams clean and dry.

If they get wet, dry them off as soon as possible and re-lube them.

If they corrode you can use steel wool or a Scotch Brite pad to remove the corrosion.

Keep cams away from substances and solvents.

Acids are exceptionally bad for all climbing gear.

Even fumes from a car battery can reduce the strength of your slings by as much as 90%.

If they do come into contact with any of the above, replace slings immediately.

Replace slings if you see any signs of damage.

Even if no damage is visible, the nylon will deteriorate with time so replace after five years.

Store cams in a cool, dry place away from a U.V. light source.

To clean a cam, first swish the head in near-boiling water, activating the trigger to move the lobes. Squeeze a few drops of dishwashing liquid onto the moving parts and scrub with a toothbrush. Use a q-tip for hard to reach spots on smaller cams. Swish-and-trigger in the hot water again, making sure all the soap is rinsed off. Blow-dry with compressed air, if possible, or towel and air-dry. UV light damages slings, so store them out of direct sunlight.

After cleaning your cams, always lube them, but do it sparingly. Your best bet is a wax-based lubricant such as Metolius Cam Lube or White Lightning bike-chain lube, both which repels dust and grit better than WD-40, though this also works fine. (All are likely harmless to slings, but if you do a neat job, you should be able to keep it off them.) Apply a drop or two to each joint and activate the trigger. Wipe off all excess lube. Some climbers prefer a dry, graphite-based lube, available at most hardware or auto-parts stores, which works well. Always rinse and re-lube cams(and any other metal climbing gear) after climbing near saltwater. –Jeff Achey (RockandIce.com I believe)

Other:

Average Salary for Rock climbing Instructors is 27,000.

what in the world ... ????

^^ haha
... I have problems.

Wow. Kudos to the OP for a long post.

This is a lot of information to expect people to take seriously, let alone read. I skimmed through some of it and found many notes to be wrong. For example
".165 – “Pitons, fixed pins and (to a lesser degree) SLCD’s are all multidirectional, …”

The correct elements of this are all found in Mountaineering Freedom of the Hills.

Still not really understanding the reason for this post.

ChaseLeoncini wrote:I learn best by writing things down and rewriting my own little "books" to recall on forgotten information. A long time ago i did this with climbing only never made ot to book form. Rather than let it all go to waste ive decided to just post it all here and hopefully help some of you out. I apologize for how unorganized it is. Please comment and correct anything you see is misleading, it has been a while and hell, im not perfect. Natural Anchors .21 – “The point is that what the tree is rooted in is probably more crucial than the breadth of the tree itself.” .21 – “Make sure it is alive” [preferably 6” or more in diameter] “Use slings or a cordelette instead of a rope to tie it off.” “Tie it off as low as possible to reduce leverage.” Placing Gear: .41 – “The direction of pull on protection changes with the next placement.” (See Pic). .42 – “Consequently in a fall, each nut is weighted by the rope, which holds the falling climber at the business end. Often a falling leader will first impact a nut with a slight outward pull, then a heavy downward pull.” .49 – “With steel micros, even when placed in diamond-hard granite, a moderate fall should not deform the nut’s shape, because the relative hardness of steel is quite high. However, if you place a steel micro in quartz monzonite or sandstone, where the rock is prone to shearing away, even the perfectly placed steel micro can rip out, leaving a little groove where it tore through the rock. If the rock is something less than granite or dense limestone, brass micros don’t tend to rip out, because the softer brass can deform and bite into the rock. In soft rock, brass micros tend to seat better than steel because of increased friction and bite. In diamond-hard rock, however, softer micros sometimes cannot offer enough resistance to the impact force of a stout fall, and they rip out. .49 – “The [Yates] Screamer, and various devices like it, have tear-away stitching that activates at approximately 500 pounds to help absorb andlimit the impact force on your protection.” .66 – “Try to shoot for placements where the bottom tips of all four cams come into line.” .74 - SOS – Solid, Orientation, Surface Area Fall Forces: .35 – “…given the properties of modern ropes, a normal sized climber taking the longest possible fall cannot generate an impact force exceeding 2,420 lbs.” .105 – “Overall Connally figures that the highest real world force on the top anchor would be in the range 5.5 kN – 8.5 kN – roughly 1900 lbs at the top end, and possibly lower than 1,250 lbf (he talks about things that would increase or decrease these forces).” Setting Up That Anchor: Chase Notes - SRENE = Solid, Redundant, Equalized, No Extension .184 – “A redundant belay anchor implies that the forces generated in a leader fall will never fall on one piece of gear.” .121 – “…although test have shown that clove hitch will in fact not slip in a dynamic rope (it can, however, slip in a static rope, making it a poor choice for hauling gear or jugging lines).” .151 rum – “In the double-fatality on The Step at Tahquitz Rock, the belayer was attached to the cordelette with a small length of high-tensile cord, rather than with the main rope. Never do so.” .191 – “…such as when a leader clips off to an anchor with a tech-cord daisy chain, climbs up two feet and slips, falling 4 feet directly onto the anchor. You can bust biners this way because the gear can’t handle mass decelerating that quickly.” .138 – “A: Assume that has a failure potential of one in a thousand. B: It follows that two equal legs would have a failure rate of one in a million. C: Three legs would slightly increase the reliability. D: Four and up practically make no difference.” .149 – “…forces on the primary placements increase significantly at greater angles.” Chase Notes- Nylon material is best for anchoring with cords. .192 – “This suggests that for equalization purposes, nylon is the preferred material to make cordelettes.” .165 – “Pitons, fixed pins and (to a lesser degree) SLCD’s are all multidirectional, …” .194 – “Experience now shows that, in terms of rigging systems, the acronym KISS is valuable only up to a point.” Cordelette: .151 – “Clip the cordelette into the primary anchors, then pull the loops of cord down between each of the pieces. Pull the arms of the cordelette tight toward the anticipated loading direction (direction of pull). Align the fisheman’s knot so it is below the highest primary placement in the system, free and clear of the power point knot. [Figure 8/Overhand] Secure the power point with an overhand knot, or if you have enough cord, a figure eight knot. Tie the power point loop about four inches in diameter, roughly the same size as the belay loop on your harness. Clip into the power point with a section of the climbing rope, not with a daisy chain or other devices made of high-tensile cord.” Chase Notes – The cordelette style anchor follows the Solid, Redundant, and No Extension of SRENE but never gains credible equalization, quite poor equalization to say the least. The piece with the shortest arm usually receives the greatest load no matter what and any off axis pull from the anticipated loading direction results in horrendous force distribution. .154 – “…when the arms of the cordelette are of different length, equalization is compromised by stretch in the arms, with the arm that stretches least bearing better than half (55%) of the load.” Sliding X: .202 – “…why not tie a limiter knot near the power point to limit extension? If you can determine the exact direction of pull /loading –and normally you can on any top rope setup –there is little to gain by using the sliding X.” Chase Notes - A sliding X anchor (with no limiter knots) follows the Solid, Redundant, and Equalized of SRENE but lacks the No Extension part of it. Keep this in mind. .158 – “If the angle [for a sliding X] is larger than about 45°, use a longer sling to decrease the angle and avoid load multiplication.” .158 – “To minimize the potential extension in longer slings, tie an overhand “limiter” knot in the long leg of the sling, just above the tie-in point.” .159 – “Craig Connally (along with recent testing) largely disproved the prevailing paranoia about the minimal extension (with the limiter knots) possibilities with sliding X.” .160 – “[True]… shock loading does not occur if there’s dynamic rope in the system. An example would be to picture a climber hanging on ten feet of rope. A placement blows and drops him a foot. Disaster? Unlikely, since that amounts to a fall factor 0.1, which is less than the average around 0.3 for most climbing falls. Granted, you avoid building anchors that could result in really long extension, but there’s little cause to fear in ordinary setups.” .160 – “In fact, whenever you wish to dynamically distribute the load between two pieces, the sliding X is both effective and the best known method.” Chase Notes – To avoid the “clutch effect,” where the X binds in on itself, use pear shaped anodized biners. That will help the X slide freely. Page 162 and 163 have 2 photos. The first photo shows a static anchor using a sliding X for two primary placements on the left and the third placement on the right is just a sling with an overhand knot connected to the power point. That overhanded sling is what makes the system static, which is fine if the direction of pull never changes. However, photo two is the same anchor only the overhand loop has been twisted to form a sliding X around the original power point carabiner and the new power point biner has been clipped through the X. The limiter knot (old overhand knot) works to reduce the now longer possible extension. The trade was extension for equalization. Compromise. Equalette: Chase Notes- Tying an equalette is simple. Many argue that the equalette is “overkill,” “time-consuming,” or “fancy.” And it is, at first. With a bit of practice, however, it’s a snap. For a three point equalette, begin by clipping your cord into the two left-most pieces. Create a two strand loop by pulling the center strand (strand between the two pieces) and the bottom strand toward the direction of pull. At the bottom center of your loop, tie an over hand loop and another approximately 10-15 inches to the left of it. (You’ll have to unclip the left leg to do this) Adjust the overhands so they are in a horizontal line by pulling on one strand of the right leg. Clove hitch that leg to lock its position. Then, take the hanging loop of the clove and attach it to the third piece of pro. Keeping it nice and tight, clove it. Note that if your master point is at your feet. You should consider making your overhand further left up the rope. This will make a larger clove leg, handy for hanging extra gear or rope. Chase Notes – Equalette limiter knots can be shuffled up or down while tied so if you plan on using it again soon just leave them in. .169 – “Tests show that the equalette allows nearly perfect equalization between the two arms, and it allows a ratio of equalization between both strands on each arm. While it is impossible (in a practical sense) to achieve perfect equalization between all four placements, the equalette achieves a degree of equalization along with solid redundancy and very inconsequential extension –to a higher degree than any system tested.” Chase Notes – The only downsides I know of tying an equalette anchor are that too many clove hitches can result in a pretty twisted rope so consider mixing in some figure eights, and that the individual strands are less than almost perfect equalization. Chase Notes – According to tests done by John Long, with a simulation of a factor 1 fall the average difference between two equal length arms on the cordelette was a force load of 1 kN (220 lbs). For a sliding X the average difference between two equal length arms was only about 0.2 kN, and this average was far more consistent than the cordelette, as well. For two un-equal length arms of a cordelette the average difference between the two was nearly 780lbs! Furthermore, this type of anchor had the most inconsistent measures through testing. For unequal length arms on the sliding X the average difference was approximately 1 kN, or 220 lbs. This anchor, being quite consistent however, was the only anchor to deliver an occasional extreme difference in load. To reduce chances of this later coined “clutch effect,” where the “X” binds in on itself, use a wide mouthed anodized biner. .189 – “In fact, the equalette offers the best equalization among the unequal arm riggings considered.” (Meaning anchors tested while writing the book.) .189 – “…in instances when one requires an anchor with unequal arm lengths, the equalette performs significantly better than the traditional sliding X and vastly better than the unequal length cordelette.” Great Quotes: .50 – “If you’re wobbling out there on bleak terrain and a micro is the only nut separating you from eternity, you’re not long for this world.” .212 – “In closing let me reiterate that the anchor is the single most important part of the roped safety system, and that part of that anchor is the first placement off the belay, the Jesus Nut. But should the Jesus Nut fail, the anchor itself is your last line of defense. Remember the Golden Rule: The anchor must be able to sustain the greatest load conceivable in a given instance, or it is not good enough.” .213 – “…the worst can befall the best of us. It cannot be overstated: Build every anchor for a worst-case scenario because someday you might experience one.” .215 –“At some time in your climbing career, be it one or twenty years it you’ll seriously question why you are climbing at all. This is nothing less than squaring off with the Main Question of why we are alive, what are we doing, where are we going? The Main Question sneaks into the context of climbing because, well, because were climbers.” .215 –“Let us never forget that the safety system was devised to facilitate climbing. That’s the name of the game. Climb safely. Climb efficiently. Climb on. Self Rescue Book Belay Methods: Chase Notes - There are essentially three types of belay methods: Direct, Indirect, and Redirect. Direct is when the belay device is connected “directly” to the power point. Indirect is where the climber’s line moves to the anchor indirectly through you, the belayer. Redirect is where the climber’s line is redirected up through the power point to create an upward pull on the belayer. .63 – “Compared to the direct belay using self-locking plates and mechanicals, it is easier to lose control of a falling climber using a redirected belay. This belay method also generates greater force on the anchor when holding the second. For example, assuming a 90.9 kilogram (200 pounds) climber and that the redirect carabiner acts like a 70% efficient pulley, the load side of the rope would have a force of .891 kN (200 pounds) and the counteracting force on the brake side would have .624 kN (140 pounds). The combined force (static) on this anchor 1.52 kN (340 pounds) with .267 kN (60 pounds) of force absorbed in the system. These shortcomings, coupled with improvements in belay devices, have made this belay method less desirable.” Chase Notes – When belaying indirectly make sure to clip the belay carabiner through both your belay loop and figure eight loop. Rappelling: Chase Notes - To make rappelling safer you can extend the rappel device by either girth hitching a sling through your harness tie-in loops or tie a cordelette through your tie-in loops (preferred) and connect your belay device to the power point. For the cordelette, I would tie a figure eight power point because that is what I use to tie in with a rope. Once your rappel device is extended, back up your extension with an autoblock hitch by clipping another carabiner to your belay loop, and connecting it to the rope with a prusik, bachmann, klemheist, or other autoblock hitch. You can also tie it around your leg loop if you prefer that. Always remember that when you decide to use an autoblock hitch for rappelling you must extend the belay. If not, it’s likely that it will get caught in the rappel device and prevent it from properly locking during an accident. Also, by merely coming into contact with the belay device it won’t grab due to the decreased distance from the belay to the autoblock. If you need to help someone else rappel down, consider “stacking.” Stacking is when, while you rappel down, the nervous climber rappels down from above you at the same time. Simply clip them in with a leash at the anchor and put them on an extended rappel device set-up like the ones stated before and then you rappel down first having them follow. Your weight acts as a fireman’s belay, tensioning their break strand. If you need to be with them at all times perform an “assisted belay.” Assisted belays are great for lowering children or injured/unconscious persons. To do this, extend your rappel device with a doubled up cordelette, clipping one leg to your locking carabiner located at your belay loop and the other leg to his locking carabiner located at his belay loop. Add a back-up autoblock hitch to the person doing the actual rappelling, connect to the rope and descend. Rescue: Consider this scenario. You and a climbing buddy decide to do a multi-pitch route this weekend. You get out to the bottom of the route and realize the first pitch is about 160 ft. Your rope is 230 feet long (70 meters). Regardless your buddy begins leading the route. Around 130 feet he falls and hurts himself where he no longer have the strength to keep leading. You can’t lower him because the rope isn’t long enough for him to reach the ground safely. What do you do? One possibility is to lower him to the previous protection, have him clip into the piece and provide enough slack where he can pull a 4-foot loop of rope through the piece’s carabiner. Once the slack is through have him tie a figure eight on a bight and attach it to a locking carabiner on his belay loop. Now he can untie his original tie-in knot and re-tie it back in at the end of the rope. Take his slack back out and have him unclip himself from the piece. Clean it and repeat. If your partner decides he can finish the route by following lower him to an acceptable anchor spot and have him bring you up as the second. The new anchor will have to be set up with the redirect belay method, those pieces being the redirect. Once at the anchor, switch ends of rope and continue. Do not continue passed the anchor. Remember that to ascend passed his pro you will have to unclip them leaving you pretty unprotected where he took his fall. Stop at the anchor. Switch ends or pull the rope through altogether and restart from scratch. Climbing From the internet: The Direct Belay: A primary benefit is escaping belay is simple. Swapping Leads: (no PAS) The second clips in with a clove to a carabiner. The belayer adjusts belay device for new leader and clips new leader’s rope through master point. Leader removes cloved carabiner. Before Multi-Pitch Climbing: “At a belay two pitches up is the wrong place to figure out that you don’t know how to use your ATC Guide or GriGri or whatever you have correctly. Also, people drop gear all the time. Let’s say you anchor in at the top of the second pitch, you’re setting up your belay and you drop your only belay device. What do you do? Or your leader is on the second pitch, two bolts from the top, takes a good whip, and breaks his right wrist and left ankle. Can you escape a belay? Let’s say he/she is following you up the second pitch and for some reason passes out. Can you set up a mechanical advantage hauling system to get them up to the top? Do both of you know how to jumar up a rope on prussics if you absolutely had to? These probably won’t happen, but the point is, would you know how to handle them if they did happen?” –MP Poster “Today’s typical beginner develops climbing ability (thanks to gyms and sport climbing) far quicker than he/she learns the needed skills to fully actualize that ability. In a nutshell: climbers are stronger than ever but the overall climbing IQ is at a low ebb.” –MP Poster Jesus Nut The worst thing you can do is fall directly onto your belay. Clip a piece above the belay as soon as possible. This piece has been coined, “the Jesus nut.” Knots Instructors Should Know: Fig 8 on a bite Fig 8 follow through Double fig 8 Butterfly Bowline (back-up knot required) Double fish Water knot Half hitch in webbing Overhand knot Square knot (Back-up knot required) Hitches Instructors should know: Clove Hitch (Back-up required if end of line) Truckers hitch Munter Prusik Tandem Prusiks Sling Danger: If two slings must be joined the strongest way to do so is with a carabiner. All types of slings are susceptible to significant strength loss due to a girth hitch. -Climbinglife.com Ways to tell if your cord is of nylon or other: Nylon fabric is shiny, polyester looks a bit like cotton. Nylon feels lightweight and is water repellant, polyester is heavier and feels like cotton. All nylon weakens with exposure to water, polyester is significantly more resistant to heat and water. Nylon/Spectra (Dyneema): Nylon Pros: - Relatively inexpensive - Stretches - Holds knots - Higher melting point than Spectra - Holds up to repeated flexing better than Spectra - Great “all-around” material Nylons Cons: - Absorbs more water - Susceptible to UV degradation - Heavier and bulkier than Spectra Spectra Pros: - Three times stronger by weight than nylon - Very lightweight - Low bulk - Absorbs little to no water - Highly abrasion-and cut resistant Spectra Cons: - Doesn’t stretch - Doesn’t hold knots - Expensive - Low melting Point -RockAndIce.com To wash rope: Loosely Daisy chain your rope (chain knot) Throw it in washer with a small amount of extremely mild soap. Or: Flake out your rope into a large clean body of warm fresh water. Pour in a mild rope cleaner or a mild soap; not a detergent or bleach! Swish rope around for approx 10 min until water is filthy. Empty body of water and refill with more warm freshwater. Repeat until clean and then let sit in clean water for 30 min. Rinse it off and squeegee gently. Let it dry in an area that is away from direct sunlight. Chris McNamara’s Gear for all clean routes (Example The Nose) 1 of each BD Stopper 1 set of DMM Peenuts 1 set of DMM Brass Offsets, #2 and #3, and 2 of #4-6 2 cam hooks (narrow) 2 sets of Metolius Master Cams to #5 1-2 sets of Metolius Offset Master Cams #.5-3 2 sets of BD C4’s #.5-3 1 each of BD C4’s #4 and 5 1 med BD Pecker (optional) 1 60m x 10.2mm dynamic climbing rope 1 60m x 9mm static haul line Petzl mini traxion or pro traxion Petzl ascenders Petzl Wall Step Etriers 1 metolius monster daisy chain 1 BD Fifi Hook 10 BD Oz Quickdraws 50 CAMP Nano 23 krabs 10 mammut crocodile slings BD Momentum or Petzl Sama climbing harness Petzl gri gri or trango cinch belay device 5.10 Guide Tennie or La Sportiva Ganda La Sportiva TC Pro or 5.10 Anasazi VCS Petzl Meteor or Petzl Elios Helmet Metolius adjustable gear sling Chris McNamara’s rack for mostly clean routes: (All Clean Route Rack Plus:) 1 Cliffhanger 1 Talon 1 Grappling Hook 2 each of mid sized cam-hooks 4 keyhole hangers 4 wire rivet hangers yosemite hammer 5 copperheads (#2-3) 1 each Moses Tomahawk 1-2 each BD Pecker (med, lrg) 1 knife blade 3 lost arrow pitons (#1-3) 2 Baby Angles (1/2”, 5/8”) 2 Sawed Angles (3/4”, 1”) 2 Metolius Daisy Chains 2 each Yates Big Wall Ladder Yates Big Wall Rack Tie Off Loops Metolius Waldo Harness Nut Racking Options: You can break your nuts down into Micros (0-1), Small (1-4), Medium (4-7), Large (7-10), XL (10-13). +Easier To Sort Through - Dropping a krab loses every of that size All sizes on one (1-10): + Dropping one leaves you with another full set - Hard to sort; real heavy 3 Krabs Mix: 1 w/ micros, 1 (3-8), 1 (6-12)…..(Doubles of 6,7,8) +Mixed lets you choose from a set and if off a little you don’t have to entirely switch krabs - Carries a couple of extra nuts; heavy One website says the best racking krab is the BD Wiregate because of its +uniform shape and broad bottom. -hard to make out which way the gate opens. (Tape the Nose) To Buy: (High End) 3 Five-Packs of Wild Country Helium Quickdraws (“Editor’s Choice” -Outdoorgearlab) 1 Petzl Elios Helmet (“Best Buy” -OutdoorGearLab) 1 set of Black Diamond Pro Stoppers $115 1 set of BD Micro Stoppers 1 set of DMM Offset nuts (“Editor’s Choice” -Outdoorgearlab) 1 set of DMM Brass Offsets (“Editor’s Choice” -Outdoorgearlab) 1 Pair of Petzl Ascension Ascenders $150 (“Editor’s Choice” – Outdoorgearlab) 1 Yates Big Wall Rack $100 (“Editor’s Choice” – Outdoorgearlab) 1 Metolius Adjustable Gear Sling $25 1 Petzl Pro Traxion $135 (Heavy load) (“Top Pick” – Outdoorgearlab) 1 Petzl Micro Traxion $100) (Light Load) (“Editor’s Choice” – Outdoorgearlab) 1 Fish Double Whammy Portaledge w/ Fly $830 1 BD Cliffhanger $15 1 BD Talon 1 BD Grappling Hook 1 JetBoil Flash $100 (“Top Pick” – Outdoorgearlab) 1 SolarMonkey Adventurer $140 (“Editor’s Choice” – Outdoorgearlab) 1 Gerber RipStop Serrated Edge $15 1 Pair of Black Diamond Stone Gloves $40 (“Editor’s Choice” – Outdoorgearlab) 1 Pack of Cleanwaste 1 Metolius Quarter Dome Haul Bag $175 (“Top Pick” – Outdoorgearlab) *Wild Country Heliums are the lightest, strongest, regular carabiners. Mountain Project Community: “Being Stupid and brave are different; a five year old playing with daddies loaded handgun doesn’t make the child brave.” -MP.Com forum poster “Smart climbers live. Bold climbers die.” – Mogens from Everest: Beyond the Limit “Classic line is a route which contains 90% moves at a stated graded. Ultra classic is nearly all moves are minimally fluctuating from the stated grade. On contraire a ‘Pile’ is a single pitch one move wonder.” -MP.Com poster “Two Pieces Between You And The Hospital. Tipped out Is Never A Good Idea. Ledges Hurt. Rope Drag Is A Bitch. There’s no ego in safe climbing. Drink a lot of Water. 5.9 Often means 5.11+.” -MP Poster Anchor Building: “Me, when not anchoring with the rope… Arrive at ledge, get a good first piece, clip into it with a runner [or PAS], weight it, stay on belay. Place additional two pieces… [Talks about setting anchor] …then clip a locker to the master point, double check the anchor and yank on it. Stay on belay. Clove to the master point locker with the rope, weight/pull on the knot […Hitch] to cinch it at agreeable length, unclip from first piece and go off belay.” –Shortened quote from an MP User. “One trick to save a bit of time is to not have the follower clip into the anchor. Just leave them on the belay they came up with, and take their belay device for setting up the next pitch. Then the last thing the new leader does is they take off the original belay and take it with them. Your swapping belay devices each pitch but who cares. Takes about 20 seconds.” –DannyUncanny from MP.com. The Alpine Quickdraw: “…Here’s how to do it right. First: With a carabiner on each end of the sling, thread one carabiner through the other. Second: Clip this carabiner into both strands of the sling to make a quickdraw. -Dougald Macdonald When developing routes: Go into it with best intentions. Accept rock for what it is. Heavy Non-metal brushes should be fine. You don’t want to score the rock, or, with soft rock, shape holds. As for flakes/gravel and the like, try to only remove what would come off in, say the first 100 ascents. Be openly communicative about your thoughts and intentions, most climbers will respect your development. Try to only remove vegetation that actually has to go. Greenery is all about being outside. -mp.com user Biner to Biner Clipping into the master point carabiner with another carabiner… “…is a technique taught in both AMGA and PCIA guide courses. It is only really used when the master point of the anchor is so small that it is difficult to clip multiple carabiners into it, or if it is difficult to clip into once the system is weighted.” -ROC, Poster from MP.com “Actually it is a common guide tactic to clip a big locker to the master point of the anchor for several people to clip into. It’s especially handy when using a sliding X or equalette. The two major reasons why people say it’s not good are: 1. Unless they are both locking, they can twist against each other and unclip. 2. If they orient oddly, they can leverage each other and place weird forces on the biner.” –Evan1984, Poster from MP.com Caring For Your Cams: Keep cams clean and dry. If they get wet, dry them off as soon as possible and re-lube them. If they corrode you can use steel wool or a Scotch Brite pad to remove the corrosion. Keep cams away from substances and solvents. Acids are exceptionally bad for all climbing gear. Even fumes from a car battery can reduce the strength of your slings by as much as 90%. If they do come into contact with any of the above, replace slings immediately. Replace slings if you see any signs of damage. Even if no damage is visible, the nylon will deteriorate with time so replace after five years. Store cams in a cool, dry place away from a U.V. light source. To clean a cam, first swish the head in near-boiling water, activating the trigger to move the lobes. Squeeze a few drops of dishwashing liquid onto the moving parts and scrub with a toothbrush. Use a q-tip for hard to reach spots on smaller cams. Swish-and-trigger in the hot water again, making sure all the soap is rinsed off. Blow-dry with compressed air, if possible, or towel and air-dry. UV light damages slings, so store them out of direct sunlight. After cleaning your cams, always lube them, but do it sparingly. Your best bet is a wax-based lubricant such as Metolius Cam Lube or White Lightning bike-chain lube, both which repels dust and grit better than WD-40, though this also works fine. (All are likely harmless to slings, but if you do a neat job, you should be able to keep it off them.) Apply a drop or two to each joint and activate the trigger. Wipe off all excess lube. Some climbers prefer a dry, graphite-based lube, available at most hardware or auto-parts stores, which works well. Always rinse and re-lube cams(and any other metal climbing gear) after climbing near saltwater. –Jeff Achey (RockandIce.com I believe) Other: Average Salary for Rock climbing Instructors is 27,000.

also- the fact that you are quoting techniques learned from specific MP.com users and RC.com users as if they are fact make me a little wary of anything else you may have to say.

The internet is a good place to learn ideas but private users are likely not the best place for "factual" info

ChaseLeoncini wrote:I learn best by writing things down and rewriting my own little "books" to recall on forgotten information. A long time ago i did this with climbing only never made ot to book form. Rather than let it all go to waste ive decided to just post it all here and hopefully help some of you out. I apologize for how unorganized it is. Please comment and correct anything you see is misleading, it has been a while and hell, im not perfect. Natural Anchors .21 – “The point is that what the tree is rooted in is probably more crucial than the breadth of the tree itself.” .21 – “Make sure it is alive” [preferably 6” or more in diameter] “Use slings or a cordelette instead of a rope to tie it off.” “Tie it off as low as possible to reduce leverage.” Placing Gear: .41 – “The direction of pull on protection changes with the next placement.” (See Pic). .42 – “Consequently in a fall, each nut is weighted by the rope, which holds the falling climber at the business end. Often a falling leader will first impact a nut with a slight outward pull, then a heavy downward pull.” .49 – “With steel micros, even when placed in diamond-hard granite, a moderate fall should not deform the nut’s shape, because the relative hardness of steel is quite high. However, if you place a steel micro in quartz monzonite or sandstone, where the rock is prone to shearing away, even the perfectly placed steel micro can rip out, leaving a little groove where it tore through the rock. If the rock is something less than granite or dense limestone, brass micros don’t tend to rip out, because the softer brass can deform and bite into the rock. In soft rock, brass micros tend to seat better than steel because of increased friction and bite. In diamond-hard rock, however, softer micros sometimes cannot offer enough resistance to the impact force of a stout fall, and they rip out. .49 – “The [Yates] Screamer, and various devices like it, have tear-away stitching that activates at approximately 500 pounds to help absorb andlimit the impact force on your protection.” .66 – “Try to shoot for placements where the bottom tips of all four cams come into line.” .74 - SOS – Solid, Orientation, Surface Area Fall Forces: .35 – “…given the properties of modern ropes, a normal sized climber taking the longest possible fall cannot generate an impact force exceeding 2,420 lbs.” .105 – “Overall Connally figures that the highest real world force on the top anchor would be in the range 5.5 kN – 8.5 kN – roughly 1900 lbs at the top end, and possibly lower than 1,250 lbf (he talks about things that would increase or decrease these forces).” Setting Up That Anchor: Chase Notes - SRENE = Solid, Redundant, Equalized, No Extension .184 – “A redundant belay anchor implies that the forces generated in a leader fall will never fall on one piece of gear.” .121 – “…although test have shown that clove hitch will in fact not slip in a dynamic rope (it can, however, slip in a static rope, making it a poor choice for hauling gear or jugging lines).” .151 rum – “In the double-fatality on The Step at Tahquitz Rock, the belayer was attached to the cordelette with a small length of high-tensile cord, rather than with the main rope. Never do so.” .191 – “…such as when a leader clips off to an anchor with a tech-cord daisy chain, climbs up two feet and slips, falling 4 feet directly onto the anchor. You can bust biners this way because the gear can’t handle mass decelerating that quickly.” .138 – “A: Assume that has a failure potential of one in a thousand. B: It follows that two equal legs would have a failure rate of one in a million. C: Three legs would slightly increase the reliability. D: Four and up practically make no difference.” .149 – “…forces on the primary placements increase significantly at greater angles.” Chase Notes- Nylon material is best for anchoring with cords. .192 – “This suggests that for equalization purposes, nylon is the preferred material to make cordelettes.” .165 – “Pitons, fixed pins and (to a lesser degree) SLCD’s are all multidirectional, …” .194 – “Experience now shows that, in terms of rigging systems, the acronym KISS is valuable only up to a point.” Cordelette: .151 – “Clip the cordelette into the primary anchors, then pull the loops of cord down between each of the pieces. Pull the arms of the cordelette tight toward the anticipated loading direction (direction of pull). Align the fisheman’s knot so it is below the highest primary placement in the system, free and clear of the power point knot. [Figure 8/Overhand] Secure the power point with an overhand knot, or if you have enough cord, a figure eight knot. Tie the power point loop about four inches in diameter, roughly the same size as the belay loop on your harness. Clip into the power point with a section of the climbing rope, not with a daisy chain or other devices made of high-tensile cord.” Chase Notes – The cordelette style anchor follows the Solid, Redundant, and No Extension of SRENE but never gains credible equalization, quite poor equalization to say the least. The piece with the shortest arm usually receives the greatest load no matter what and any off axis pull from the anticipated loading direction results in horrendous force distribution. .154 – “…when the arms of the cordelette are of different length, equalization is compromised by stretch in the arms, with the arm that stretches least bearing better than half (55%) of the load.” Sliding X: .202 – “…why not tie a limiter knot near the power point to limit extension? If you can determine the exact direction of pull /loading –and normally you can on any top rope setup –there is little to gain by using the sliding X.” Chase Notes - A sliding X anchor (with no limiter knots) follows the Solid, Redundant, and Equalized of SRENE but lacks the No Extension part of it. Keep this in mind. .158 – “If the angle [for a sliding X] is larger than about 45°, use a longer sling to decrease the angle and avoid load multiplication.” .158 – “To minimize the potential extension in longer slings, tie an overhand “limiter” knot in the long leg of the sling, just above the tie-in point.” .159 – “Craig Connally (along with recent testing) largely disproved the prevailing paranoia about the minimal extension (with the limiter knots) possibilities with sliding X.” .160 – “[True]… shock loading does not occur if there’s dynamic rope in the system. An example would be to picture a climber hanging on ten feet of rope. A placement blows and drops him a foot. Disaster? Unlikely, since that amounts to a fall factor 0.1, which is less than the average around 0.3 for most climbing falls. Granted, you avoid building anchors that could result in really long extension, but there’s little cause to fear in ordinary setups.” .160 – “In fact, whenever you wish to dynamically distribute the load between two pieces, the sliding X is both effective and the best known method.” Chase Notes – To avoid the “clutch effect,” where the X binds in on itself, use pear shaped anodized biners. That will help the X slide freely. Page 162 and 163 have 2 photos. The first photo shows a static anchor using a sliding X for two primary placements on the left and the third placement on the right is just a sling with an overhand knot connected to the power point. That overhanded sling is what makes the system static, which is fine if the direction of pull never changes. However, photo two is the same anchor only the overhand loop has been twisted to form a sliding X around the original power point carabiner and the new power point biner has been clipped through the X. The limiter knot (old overhand knot) works to reduce the now longer possible extension. The trade was extension for equalization. Compromise. Equalette: Chase Notes- Tying an equalette is simple. Many argue that the equalette is “overkill,” “time-consuming,” or “fancy.” And it is, at first. With a bit of practice, however, it’s a snap. For a three point equalette, begin by clipping your cord into the two left-most pieces. Create a two strand loop by pulling the center strand (strand between the two pieces) and the bottom strand toward the direction of pull. At the bottom center of your loop, tie an over hand loop and another approximately 10-15 inches to the left of it. (You’ll have to unclip the left leg to do this) Adjust the overhands so they are in a horizontal line by pulling on one strand of the right leg. Clove hitch that leg to lock its position. Then, take the hanging loop of the clove and attach it to the third piece of pro. Keeping it nice and tight, clove it. Note that if your master point is at your feet. You should consider making your overhand further left up the rope. This will make a larger clove leg, handy for hanging extra gear or rope. Chase Notes – Equalette limiter knots can be shuffled up or down while tied so if you plan on using it again soon just leave them in. .169 – “Tests show that the equalette allows nearly perfect equalization between the two arms, and it allows a ratio of equalization between both strands on each arm. While it is impossible (in a practical sense) to achieve perfect equalization between all four placements, the equalette achieves a degree of equalization along with solid redundancy and very inconsequential extension –to a higher degree than any system tested.” Chase Notes – The only downsides I know of tying an equalette anchor are that too many clove hitches can result in a pretty twisted rope so consider mixing in some figure eights, and that the individual strands are less than almost perfect equalization. Chase Notes – According to tests done by John Long, with a simulation of a factor 1 fall the average difference between two equal length arms on the cordelette was a force load of 1 kN (220 lbs). For a sliding X the average difference between two equal length arms was only about 0.2 kN, and this average was far more consistent than the cordelette, as well. For two un-equal length arms of a cordelette the average difference between the two was nearly 780lbs! Furthermore, this type of anchor had the most inconsistent measures through testing. For unequal length arms on the sliding X the average difference was approximately 1 kN, or 220 lbs. This anchor, being quite consistent however, was the only anchor to deliver an occasional extreme difference in load. To reduce chances of this later coined “clutch effect,” where the “X” binds in on itself, use a wide mouthed anodized biner. .189 – “In fact, the equalette offers the best equalization among the unequal arm riggings considered.” (Meaning anchors tested while writing the book.) .189 – “…in instances when one requires an anchor with unequal arm lengths, the equalette performs significantly better than the traditional sliding X and vastly better than the unequal length cordelette.” Great Quotes: .50 – “If you’re wobbling out there on bleak terrain and a micro is the only nut separating you from eternity, you’re not long for this world.” .212 – “In closing let me reiterate that the anchor is the single most important part of the roped safety system, and that part of that anchor is the first placement off the belay, the Jesus Nut. But should the Jesus Nut fail, the anchor itself is your last line of defense. Remember the Golden Rule: The anchor must be able to sustain the greatest load conceivable in a given instance, or it is not good enough.” .213 – “…the worst can befall the best of us. It cannot be overstated: Build every anchor for a worst-case scenario because someday you might experience one.” .215 –“At some time in your climbing career, be it one or twenty years it you’ll seriously question why you are climbing at all. This is nothing less than squaring off with the Main Question of why we are alive, what are we doing, where are we going? The Main Question sneaks into the context of climbing because, well, because were climbers.” .215 –“Let us never forget that the safety system was devised to facilitate climbing. That’s the name of the game. Climb safely. Climb efficiently. Climb on. Self Rescue Book Belay Methods: Chase Notes - There are essentially three types of belay methods: Direct, Indirect, and Redirect. Direct is when the belay device is connected “directly” to the power point. Indirect is where the climber’s line moves to the anchor indirectly through you, the belayer. Redirect is where the climber’s line is redirected up through the power point to create an upward pull on the belayer. .63 – “Compared to the direct belay using self-locking plates and mechanicals, it is easier to lose control of a falling climber using a redirected belay. This belay method also generates greater force on the anchor when holding the second. For example, assuming a 90.9 kilogram (200 pounds) climber and that the redirect carabiner acts like a 70% efficient pulley, the load side of the rope would have a force of .891 kN (200 pounds) and the counteracting force on the brake side would have .624 kN (140 pounds). The combined force (static) on this anchor 1.52 kN (340 pounds) with .267 kN (60 pounds) of force absorbed in the system. These shortcomings, coupled with improvements in belay devices, have made this belay method less desirable.” Chase Notes – When belaying indirectly make sure to clip the belay carabiner through both your belay loop and figure eight loop. Rappelling: Chase Notes - To make rappelling safer you can extend the rappel device by either girth hitching a sling through your harness tie-in loops or tie a cordelette through your tie-in loops (preferred) and connect your belay device to the power point. For the cordelette, I would tie a figure eight power point because that is what I use to tie in with a rope. Once your rappel device is extended, back up your extension with an autoblock hitch by clipping another carabiner to your belay loop, and connecting it to the rope with a prusik, bachmann, klemheist, or other autoblock hitch. You can also tie it around your leg loop if you prefer that. Always remember that when you decide to use an autoblock hitch for rappelling you must extend the belay. If not, it’s likely that it will get caught in the rappel device and prevent it from properly locking during an accident. Also, by merely coming into contact with the belay device it won’t grab due to the decreased distance from the belay to the autoblock. If you need to help someone else rappel down, consider “stacking.” Stacking is when, while you rappel down, the nervous climber rappels down from above you at the same time. Simply clip them in with a leash at the anchor and put them on an extended rappel device set-up like the ones stated before and then you rappel down first having them follow. Your weight acts as a fireman’s belay, tensioning their break strand. If you need to be with them at all times perform an “assisted belay.” Assisted belays are great for lowering children or injured/unconscious persons. To do this, extend your rappel device with a doubled up cordelette, clipping one leg to your locking carabiner located at your belay loop and the other leg to his locking carabiner located at his belay loop. Add a back-up autoblock hitch to the person doing the actual rappelling, connect to the rope and descend. Rescue: Consider this scenario. You and a climbing buddy decide to do a multi-pitch route this weekend. You get out to the bottom of the route and realize the first pitch is about 160 ft. Your rope is 230 feet long (70 meters). Regardless your buddy begins leading the route. Around 130 feet he falls and hurts himself where he no longer have the strength to keep leading. You can’t lower him because the rope isn’t long enough for him to reach the ground safely. What do you do? One possibility is to lower him to the previous protection, have him clip into the piece and provide enough slack where he can pull a 4-foot loop of rope through the piece’s carabiner. Once the slack is through have him tie a figure eight on a bight and attach it to a locking carabiner on his belay loop. Now he can untie his original tie-in knot and re-tie it back in at the end of the rope. Take his slack back out and have him unclip himself from the piece. Clean it and repeat. If your partner decides he can finish the route by following lower him to an acceptable anchor spot and have him bring you up as the second. The new anchor will have to be set up with the redirect belay method, those pieces being the redirect. Once at the anchor, switch ends of rope and continue. Do not continue passed the anchor. Remember that to ascend passed his pro you will have to unclip them leaving you pretty unprotected where he took his fall. Stop at the anchor. Switch ends or pull the rope through altogether and restart from scratch. Climbing From the internet: The Direct Belay: A primary benefit is escaping belay is simple. Swapping Leads: (no PAS) The second clips in with a clove to a carabiner. The belayer adjusts belay device for new leader and clips new leader’s rope through master point. Leader removes cloved carabiner. Before Multi-Pitch Climbing: “At a belay two pitches up is the wrong place to figure out that you don’t know how to use your ATC Guide or GriGri or whatever you have correctly. Also, people drop gear all the time. Let’s say you anchor in at the top of the second pitch, you’re setting up your belay and you drop your only belay device. What do you do? Or your leader is on the second pitch, two bolts from the top, takes a good whip, and breaks his right wrist and left ankle. Can you escape a belay? Let’s say he/she is following you up the second pitch and for some reason passes out. Can you set up a mechanical advantage hauling system to get them up to the top? Do both of you know how to jumar up a rope on prussics if you absolutely had to? These probably won’t happen, but the point is, would you know how to handle them if they did happen?” –MP Poster “Today’s typical beginner develops climbing ability (thanks to gyms and sport climbing) far quicker than he/she learns the needed skills to fully actualize that ability. In a nutshell: climbers are stronger than ever but the overall climbing IQ is at a low ebb.” –MP Poster Jesus Nut The worst thing you can do is fall directly onto your belay. Clip a piece above the belay as soon as possible. This piece has been coined, “the Jesus nut.” Knots Instructors Should Know: Fig 8 on a bite Fig 8 follow through Double fig 8 Butterfly Bowline (back-up knot required) Double fish Water knot Half hitch in webbing Overhand knot Square knot (Back-up knot required) Hitches Instructors should know: Clove Hitch (Back-up required if end of line) Truckers hitch Munter Prusik Tandem Prusiks Sling Danger: If two slings must be joined the strongest way to do so is with a carabiner. All types of slings are susceptible to significant strength loss due to a girth hitch. -Climbinglife.com Ways to tell if your cord is of nylon or other: Nylon fabric is shiny, polyester looks a bit like cotton. Nylon feels lightweight and is water repellant, polyester is heavier and feels like cotton. All nylon weakens with exposure to water, polyester is significantly more resistant to heat and water. Nylon/Spectra (Dyneema): Nylon Pros: - Relatively inexpensive - Stretches - Holds knots - Higher melting point than Spectra - Holds up to repeated flexing better than Spectra - Great “all-around” material Nylons Cons: - Absorbs more water - Susceptible to UV degradation - Heavier and bulkier than Spectra Spectra Pros: - Three times stronger by weight than nylon - Very lightweight - Low bulk - Absorbs little to no water - Highly abrasion-and cut resistant Spectra Cons: - Doesn’t stretch - Doesn’t hold knots - Expensive - Low melting Point -RockAndIce.com To wash rope: Loosely Daisy chain your rope (chain knot) Throw it in washer with a small amount of extremely mild soap. Or: Flake out your rope into a large clean body of warm fresh water. Pour in a mild rope cleaner or a mild soap; not a detergent or bleach! Swish rope around for approx 10 min until water is filthy. Empty body of water and refill with more warm freshwater. Repeat until clean and then let sit in clean water for 30 min. Rinse it off and squeegee gently. Let it dry in an area that is away from direct sunlight. Chris McNamara’s Gear for all clean routes (Example The Nose) 1 of each BD Stopper 1 set of DMM Peenuts 1 set of DMM Brass Offsets, #2 and #3, and 2 of #4-6 2 cam hooks (narrow) 2 sets of Metolius Master Cams to #5 1-2 sets of Metolius Offset Master Cams #.5-3 2 sets of BD C4’s #.5-3 1 each of BD C4’s #4 and 5 1 med BD Pecker (optional) 1 60m x 10.2mm dynamic climbing rope 1 60m x 9mm static haul line Petzl mini traxion or pro traxion Petzl ascenders Petzl Wall Step Etriers 1 metolius monster daisy chain 1 BD Fifi Hook 10 BD Oz Quickdraws 50 CAMP Nano 23 krabs 10 mammut crocodile slings BD Momentum or Petzl Sama climbing harness Petzl gri gri or trango cinch belay device 5.10 Guide Tennie or La Sportiva Ganda La Sportiva TC Pro or 5.10 Anasazi VCS Petzl Meteor or Petzl Elios Helmet Metolius adjustable gear sling Chris McNamara’s rack for mostly clean routes: (All Clean Route Rack Plus:) 1 Cliffhanger 1 Talon 1 Grappling Hook 2 each of mid sized cam-hooks 4 keyhole hangers 4 wire rivet hangers yosemite hammer 5 copperheads (#2-3) 1 each Moses Tomahawk 1-2 each BD Pecker (med, lrg) 1 knife blade 3 lost arrow pitons (#1-3) 2 Baby Angles (1/2”, 5/8”) 2 Sawed Angles (3/4”, 1”) 2 Metolius Daisy Chains 2 each Yates Big Wall Ladder Yates Big Wall Rack Tie Off Loops Metolius Waldo Harness Nut Racking Options: You can break your nuts down into Micros (0-1), Small (1-4), Medium (4-7), Large (7-10), XL (10-13). +Easier To Sort Through - Dropping a krab loses every of that size All sizes on one (1-10): + Dropping one leaves you with another full set - Hard to sort; real heavy 3 Krabs Mix: 1 w/ micros, 1 (3-8), 1 (6-12)…..(Doubles of 6,7,8) +Mixed lets you choose from a set and if off a little you don’t have to entirely switch krabs - Carries a couple of extra nuts; heavy One website says the best racking krab is the BD Wiregate because of its +uniform shape and broad bottom. -hard to make out which way the gate opens. (Tape the Nose) To Buy: (High End) 3 Five-Packs of Wild Country Helium Quickdraws (“Editor’s Choice” -Outdoorgearlab) 1 Petzl Elios Helmet (“Best Buy” -OutdoorGearLab) 1 set of Black Diamond Pro Stoppers $115 1 set of BD Micro Stoppers 1 set of DMM Offset nuts (“Editor’s Choice” -Outdoorgearlab) 1 set of DMM Brass Offsets (“Editor’s Choice” -Outdoorgearlab) 1 Pair of Petzl Ascension Ascenders $150 (“Editor’s Choice” – Outdoorgearlab) 1 Yates Big Wall Rack $100 (“Editor’s Choice” – Outdoorgearlab) 1 Metolius Adjustable Gear Sling $25 1 Petzl Pro Traxion $135 (Heavy load) (“Top Pick” – Outdoorgearlab) 1 Petzl Micro Traxion $100) (Light Load) (“Editor’s Choice” – Outdoorgearlab) 1 Fish Double Whammy Portaledge w/ Fly $830 1 BD Cliffhanger $15 1 BD Talon 1 BD Grappling Hook 1 JetBoil Flash $100 (“Top Pick” – Outdoorgearlab) 1 SolarMonkey Adventurer $140 (“Editor’s Choice” – Outdoorgearlab) 1 Gerber RipStop Serrated Edge $15 1 Pair of Black Diamond Stone Gloves $40 (“Editor’s Choice” – Outdoorgearlab) 1 Pack of Cleanwaste 1 Metolius Quarter Dome Haul Bag $175 (“Top Pick” – Outdoorgearlab) *Wild Country Heliums are the lightest, strongest, regular carabiners. Mountain Project Community: “Being Stupid and brave are different; a five year old playing with daddies loaded handgun doesn’t make the child brave.” -MP.Com forum poster “Smart climbers live. Bold climbers die.” – Mogens from Everest: Beyond the Limit “Classic line is a route which contains 90% moves at a stated graded. Ultra classic is nearly all moves are minimally fluctuating from the stated grade. On contraire a ‘Pile’ is a single pitch one move wonder.” -MP.Com poster “Two Pieces Between You And The Hospital. Tipped out Is Never A Good Idea. Ledges Hurt. Rope Drag Is A Bitch. There’s no ego in safe climbing. Drink a lot of Water. 5.9 Often means 5.11+.” -MP Poster Anchor Building: “Me, when not anchoring with the rope… Arrive at ledge, get a good first piece, clip into it with a runner [or PAS], weight it, stay on belay. Place additional two pieces… [Talks about setting anchor] …then clip a locker to the master point, double check the anchor and yank on it. Stay on belay. Clove to the master point locker with the rope, weight/pull on the knot […Hitch] to cinch it at agreeable length, unclip from first piece and go off belay.” –Shortened quote from an MP User. “One trick to save a bit of time is to not have the follower clip into the anchor. Just leave them on the belay they came up with, and take their belay device for setting up the next pitch. Then the last thing the new leader does is they take off the original belay and take it with them. Your swapping belay devices each pitch but who cares. Takes about 20 seconds.” –DannyUncanny from MP.com. The Alpine Quickdraw: “…Here’s how to do it right. First: With a carabiner on each end of the sling, thread one carabiner through the other. Second: Clip this carabiner into both strands of the sling to make a quickdraw. -Dougald Macdonald When developing routes: Go into it with best intentions. Accept rock for what it is. Heavy Non-metal brushes should be fine. You don’t want to score the rock, or, with soft rock, shape holds. As for flakes/gravel and the like, try to only remove what would come off in, say the first 100 ascents. Be openly communicative about your thoughts and intentions, most climbers will respect your development. Try to only remove vegetation that actually has to go. Greenery is all about being outside. -mp.com user Biner to Biner Clipping into the master point carabiner with another carabiner… “…is a technique taught in both AMGA and PCIA guide courses. It is only really used when the master point of the anchor is so small that it is difficult to clip multiple carabiners into it, or if it is difficult to clip into once the system is weighted.” -ROC, Poster from MP.com “Actually it is a common guide tactic to clip a big locker to the master point of the anchor for several people to clip into. It’s especially handy when using a sliding X or equalette. The two major reasons why people say it’s not good are: 1. Unless they are both locking, they can twist against each other and unclip. 2. If they orient oddly, they can leverage each other and place weird forces on the biner.” –Evan1984, Poster from MP.com Caring For Your Cams: Keep cams clean and dry. If they get wet, dry them off as soon as possible and re-lube them. If they corrode you can use steel wool or a Scotch Brite pad to remove the corrosion. Keep cams away from substances and solvents. Acids are exceptionally bad for all climbing gear. Even fumes from a car battery can reduce the strength of your slings by as much as 90%. If they do come into contact with any of the above, replace slings immediately. Replace slings if you see any signs of damage. Even if no damage is visible, the nylon will deteriorate with time so replace after five years. Store cams in a cool, dry place away from a U.V. light source. To clean a cam, first swish the head in near-boiling water, activating the trigger to move the lobes. Squeeze a few drops of dishwashing liquid onto the moving parts and scrub with a toothbrush. Use a q-tip for hard to reach spots on smaller cams. Swish-and-trigger in the hot water again, making sure all the soap is rinsed off. Blow-dry with compressed air, if possible, or towel and air-dry. UV light damages slings, so store them out of direct sunlight. After cleaning your cams, always lube them, but do it sparingly. Your best bet is a wax-based lubricant such as Metolius Cam Lube or White Lightning bike-chain lube, both which repels dust and grit better than WD-40, though this also works fine. (All are likely harmless to slings, but if you do a neat job, you should be able to keep it off them.) Apply a drop or two to each joint and activate the trigger. Wipe off all excess lube. Some climbers prefer a dry, graphite-based lube, available at most hardware or auto-parts stores, which works well. Always rinse and re-lube cams(and any other metal climbing gear) after climbing near saltwater. –Jeff Achey (RockandIce.com I believe) Other: Average Salary for Rock climbing Instructors is 27,000.

This is quite possibly the most n00beriffic thing I have ever seen posted to a climbing website.

did Rainman take up rock climbing?

The quote that you said was wrong was quoted from pg. 61 in JL's climbing anchors. It has "..." After it showing me that there was more to the sentence. This is all reference material. The first half is all quotes from books, the second half is identified as internet reading. Everything you read on the internet including this should be read with caution.
Read it or dont, doesnt bother me.
To those who need a little extra info, enjoy. Hope it helps.

PS Mountaineering Handbook is a great read. Unfortunately, i didnt do this technique with that book.

Honestly, this is the turning point for me. The internet is just so random and out of control it's best to just turn it off.

infinite monkeys + infinite typewriters

That was the most random 15 minutes of my life. What on earth is the poster trying to do with that?

...Course its 3 something in the morning and I have to be up at 6 soooo I guess I make pretty dumb choices myself.

god that was a strange post.

I can see ONE person quoting this keyboard diarrhea "for posterity", but two people quoting it? That's just stupid.

For the record, I skimmed/read maybe 1% of that load.

If Ihad known it was this complicated I never would have started climbing.

Jesus nut?