How to Big Wall Climb - Hauling, Managing the Belay, The Changeover

This is part of my How To Big Wall Climb project. View the table of contents here

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Hauling, Managing the Belay, The Changeover

Hauling is the most dreaded part of wall climbing. It doesn’t have to be if you do two things:
 Travel light.
 Dial in your hauling technique.

Belay management is the easiest place to save time or blow it. What is the difference between a 5-minute belay changeover and a 20-minute changeover? About an extra day on the wall (15 minutes times 30 pitches). I'll show you how.


Travel Light
Because water is the heaviest item in the haulbag, and you can’t scrimp on it, traveling light mainly means not spending too many days on the wall. For example, if you cut your toothbrush in half, don’t bring extra t-shirts, optimize your rack, and generally shave pounds here and there, you can maybe save four pounds. If a team is able to climb a route in one fewer day you save 20 pounds! (20 = 2 pounds of food + 8 pounds of water multiplied by two people). So climbing fast is the easiest way to go light, which makes hauling easy, which makes you climb still faster while suffering less.

Dial in Your Hauling Technique
There two main techniques: space hauling and body hauling. Both techniques use the same principle: you attach yourself to the haul rope with an Ascender and then use your body as a counterweight to raise the haul bags. A hauling device (e.g. Petzl ProTraxion) has a pulley and a clamp. It is possible to haul without one of these (as I will show below) but it is much easier with one of these devices specifically made for hauling.

Skills to Learn
 Travel light.
 Clean belay setup.
 Envision releasing the bag.

Gear You Need
 2 Ascenders
 2 daisy chains
 2 Aiders
 3 locking biners
 helmet
 rope
 gear for anchor
 hauling device
 fifi hook
 gloves
 slings
 cordalette
 haul bag

Where to Practice
Any 30 to 100-foot cliff. If you have walking access to the top, that is ideal. Even without a cliff, you can practice/

Step-by-Step Guide to Hauling
Step 1. Choose the right bag arrangement.

On a lower-angle route like The Nose, I like to be as streamlined as possible. This means one large haul bag with as little stuff clipped outside as possible. I put the portaledge fly, poop tub etc. in the bag. If there is room I will even try to pack the portaledge in the haul bag. I do this because there is less stuff to get hung up on a roof and less stuff for the ropes to get snagged on at the belay.

On a steeper route like Zodiac it is nice to have two medium-sized bags that you haul side-by-side. This way it is easier to access stuff at hanging belays. I will often clip extra stuff to the bottom of the haul bag like a rain fly, large cams, poop tube.

Step 2. Pack the Bags
There are two key points to packing a haul bag:
 Pack so you don’t cause holes to be worn through.
 Pack so you can easily access what you need.

1) Take off the carrying straps of the haul bag and tuck them away or put them at the bottom of the bag.

2) If you are hauling non-overhanging terrain, like The Nose, it is very important to line the bag with a foam sleeping pad or two. On an overhanging route this is less important.

3) Put all the water in the bag except for what you need that day. Two-liter soda bottles are best because they are easy to pack and don’t have edges.

4) Put all the bivvy gear and extra clothes in the bag except for the rain jacket, a warm jacket you might wear while belaying and your Headlamp-Review-Review-Review-Review—they all stay at the top.

5) Put the food in except for snacks you want to eat for lunch.

6) Settle the bag's contents. Pick it up and drop it over and over, which creates more space.

Step 3. Attach the Haul Line to the Haul Bag
You want a sturdy locking biner to attach the haul bag to the haul line.

Next, it is important to protect the knot that attaches to the haul bag by cutting the top off a plastic 1-liter or 2-liter water bottle (wide mouth water bottles are best). A keeper sling is not mandatory but nice as it keeps the knot-protector in position.

I have rarely used a hauling swivel but it is nice for a low-angle route that traverses a lot like The Nose. The swivel keep the bag(s) from spinning and getting wrapped up in the lower-outline.

Step 4. Set Up the Hauling System

Hauling With a Pulley and Ascender
I much prefer a hauling device like a Petzl ProTraxion but it is helpful to know this technique in case you drop your hauling device. Also, if you ever have to pass knots you need to know a version of this system.

1) Put the haul line through a pulley. A one-inch diameter pulley should be minimum. More than three inches is overkill unless you have massive loads to haul.
2) Clip the pulley to the master point with a locking biner.
3) Clip one Ascender to the master point with a short quickdraw.
4) Clip a backup draw into the rope (in case the pulley fails, this will catch the rope).
5) Attach an Ascender(s) to the rope, depending on which technique (see below) that you choose.
6) Ready to haul!

Hauling With a Hauling Device
The setup is the same as the pulley/Ascender technique—just more simple.
1) Put the haul line through a device and clip to the master point.
2) Clip a backup draw to the rope (in case the device fails, this will catch the rope).
3) Attach an Ascender(s) to the rope, depending on which technique (see below) that you choose.
4) Ready to haul!


Step 5. Haul the Haul Bag

Body Hauling
Body hauling is when you stay at the anchor, attach an Ascender to your belay loop, clip the Ascender to the rope, and use your body as a counterweight to the haul bag.

The key to body hauling is getting your body in the right position:
 Eyes level with hauling device.
 Feet at the same height and on either side of the haul line.
 Arms at same height and on either side of the haul line.

If the haul bag is really heavy, you may need to use one hand to pull up the bag.

TIP: Attach a sling to the top of the Ascender and then put it in your mouth. You use your mouth to pull the Ascender back up instead of your arm. This allows you to keep your body in a better hauling position and use both arms instead of just one to balance.

Space Hauling
Space hauling is the most efficient way to use your body as a counterweight. To do this you need two Ascenders and a hauling device like a ProTraxion.

1) When you are setting up the anchor, make sure to pull up at least 20 feet of slack before fixing the rope. This way you have a 20+ foot leash.
2) Then set up the hauling system using a hauling device.
3) Attach your Ascenders to the haul line just like you were getting ready to clean a pitch.
4) Unclip from the anchor and start walking down the wall until you get to the end of the leash.
5) Jumar back up to the anchor.
6) Repeat until the bag is up.

Warning: Space hauling is dangerous if done improperly. (Insert Flyn Brian story.)

Here are some things that can go wrong: TO BE CONTINUED…

When to space haul and when to body haul
In general, you use the space haul whenever possible because it is more efficient. However, when the bag gets too light, you can’t use it because you would basically be falling to the end of your leash as the bag shoots up. Not safe.

As a general rule of thumb, if the haul bag weighs more than your bodyweight minus 60 pounds or so, you can space haul. However, it all depends on how low angle the hauling is, what size pulley you are using, etc. If the bag “feels” light then you want to body haul.

NOTE: I am not a fan of 3 - 1 systems... only because I don't believe in hauling loads that big. Or if I do have a load that big, I would rather just get the second to help space haul. But some people swear by the system (generally people who spend 6+ nights on the wall). Here is a good forum thread on 3 to 1 hauling.

Step 5. Clip in the Bags
You want to haul the hags to within an inch of the pulley and then get ready to clip them to the anchor. If there is a bomber bolt, I usually clip the bags to that but otherwise I clip the bags to the master point. There are three ways to clip the bag in:

1) Daisy chain. I usually clip in the bag with an adjustable daisy chain because it allows me the clip the bags efficiently into the belay, easily lower and raise them, and quickly release them. However, if the bags weigh more than 150 punds, an adjustable daisy chain may slip so you need to either use a normal daisy chain or a munter mule.

2) Munter mule knot. Many people love it because it is a “pre-made lower-out system.” I almost never use the munter mule because it is harder to keep the bag high and exactly where you want it (it usually slides down a few feet). And, to be perfectly honest, I just never got very good at tying the knot so it wouldn’t slip a few feet. People who master the technique swear by it. If you are using the munter mule, you need an extra 20 to 30+ foot lower-out line. You don’t want to tie up the end of your haul line because if the leader needs more haul line, there won't be any way to get more.

After clipping in the bags with either a daisy or munter mule, it is important to back up the bags. You can usually do this with either the lower-out line or part of the haul line. Just tie a figure eight with the rope you are using and clip it to another bomber piece or the master point.

Step 6. Manage the Haul Line
Once the bag is clipped in, quickly stack the rope in a rope bag or coil it in ten big coils and girth hitch it to a shoulder-length sling. Start coiling from the end of the rope that connects to the bag.

Note: If it is really windy and you feel the haul line will swing over and hook on something, you might need to coil up the haul line as you haul.


NOW WHEN YOU ARE DONE WITH THE NEXT PITCH AND ARE READY TO HAUL

Step 7. Lower Out the Haul Bag
 Take off the backup knot.

If you are not using the munter mule technique
 Clip a biner or draw to the anchor above the haul bag.
 Clip the lower-out line through that biner and bring it back to your belay device.
 When the leader hauls the bag up a foot or two you can just unclip the bag and lower it out. Or, you might have to use your belay device and lower-out line to lift the bag up a little, unclip the bag from the anchor, and then be able to lower it out.

If you are using the munter mule, you just need to undo the mule knots and you are good to go.

Communication While Hauling
Communication can be very tough on a wall, especially when you are 150-plus feet apart, it is windy, and you are coordinating the fixing of ropes, hauling, etc.

The first tip for good wall communication: the less you need to communicate, the better.
The second rule is that the in general the leader should be telling the belayer what is happening and the belayer should be affirming back that he heard and everying is okay with “okay” or “thank you.” Or if everything is not okay with “stop” or “hold on.”
If you have your systems dialed, the typical conversation goes like this:

(L = leader and B = belayer)
L: Ten minutes from the belay. B: Okay.
L: At the belay. B: Okay.
L: Rope is fixed. B: Thank you.
L: Ready to haul. B: Haul away.

Now compare that to a scenario where systems are not dialed:

L: At the belay. B says nothing (Thinks to self: "Oh crap. The belay is a mess and I have not put anything away.”)
L: Ready to haul! B: One second!
L: What? I am ready to haul! B (Screaming now): Hold on!
L: Are you ready? B: Okay. (Bag goes up a little but belayer realizes the back-up is still tied in). Stop!
L: Are you ready now? What's going on? B: One minute, one minute. Okay it's free. Is the line fixed?
L: What? Is the bag ready to haul? B: Is the lead line fixed?
L: Yes! Can I haul?

All the extra yelling back and for makes it unclear what is happening. Everyone feels less safe and things take longer. All that would have been a lot smoother if the leader and belayer had their systems dialed and just used the minimum communication to double check they were on the same page (as in the first example).

In fact, when things are really dialed, you almost don't need to verbally communicate at all. When the leader is more than half way into the pitch, the follower starts to visualize breaking down the belay. When the lead line starts getting pulled up really fast, the belayer knows the leader is probably at the belay and pulling up rope to fix it. When the haul line starts being pulled up really fast, the belayer knows the leader is getting ready to haul. When the haul line comes tight, the leader knows that it is probably the bag and should stop pulling and give the belayer a second to get ready to free it.

Of course, you would never want to depend on non-verbal communication for an entire wall. And that is why concise communication in the first example is important. But if/when the wind is howling and you can’t hear a thing, then having your non-verbal communication dialed is essential.

Radios
Radios make big wall communication way easier. The trick is to find radios that are light enough that you will actually lead with them. You will still want to have your verbal and non-verbal communication dialed in case you run out of batteries or drop a radio.

Freeing a Stuck Haul Bag
The first tip for dealing with stuck haul bags: Don’t get them stuck in the first place. Often bags get stuck because the top was not closed as tight as it could be. The top of the haul bag should look more like an egg and less like a trash can. Just a little bit of material unnecesarily sticking out can get you stuck.

Also, the lighter the bag is, the easier it is to get unstuck. Yet another reason to travel as light as is safe.

If the bag does get stuck, and it will, there are two steps:

First, just lower the bag six inches. Pause. Then try to pull the bag up as much as possible in one go. This usually frees it.

If not, you will need to get more agressive. Lower the bag back down six inches or a foot. Now start hauling really hard while pulling the bag especially hard and “bouncing” it when you start to feel resistance. If you put some real effort into it, and make a couple tries, this usually works.

The last option, sigh, is to wait for you follower to come up and free the bag.

Belay Management
Leaving belays and setting up belays can be a huge time waster if you are not careful.

Here is what NOT to do:
 Leader gets to the next belay while belayer is just finishing making a bagel and cheese sandwhich.
 Leader says “ready to haul!” Belayer says “hold up” and spends five minutes repacking the bag and putting everything away.
 Finally the leader starts to haul but the belayer realizes the haul line is tangled with the lead line. Belayer yells up “just a minute while I untangle this mess!” It is windy so the leader can’t hear and keeps hauling. The belay has to shout and scream “Hold up!!”
 Another few minutes are spent getting the mess undone.
 Finally the bag is lowered out and the belayer realizes he forgot to put back in the bag the belay seat and the extra cams. So those get clipped on the harness. He hasn’t even started cleaning and his harness is loaded down with gear and the swaying belay seat will be getting in the way all the time he is cleaning.
 The belayer now spends 3 to 5 minutes breaking down the belay until he is finally ready to start cleaning the pitch.
 Yhe whole process, from the time the leader was ready to haul to the time the belayer starts to clean, is 15 to 20-plus minutes.

The process of efficient belay management: How to avoid the problems described above:
While leading:
 Belayer keeps belay organized. Makes sure haul line and lead line are feeding smoothly. The belayer should never be yelling up to leader to “Hold on a minute while I untangle the haul line from the belay.” The belayer heads off rope snags before they becomes an issue.

 Leader says, “Ten minutes from belay.”
 Belayer puts away anything extra in the haul bag and closes it up. Stows the belay seat. Watches to make sure the haul line is running clear and is not crossing the lead line.

 Leader says, “Five minutes from belay.”
 Belayer envisions the next steps and does what he can: cleans any extra free biners from the anchors, gets Ascenders as ready as possible, looks for any potential rope snags.

 Leader reaches the belay and yells, "Off belay!"
 Belayer feeds out 20 feet of slack in the lead line. Double checks that the haul line will feed cleanly. Gets ready to lower out the bag

 After building the anchor and setting up the hauling system, the leader pulls in all the slack on the haul line until the bag comes tight and yells, “Ready to haul.” The goal is to get the bag off the belay as fast as possible so that the cleaner can get cleaning. Once the belayer says, “Haul when ready,” the leader hauls the bags about ten feet and then takes a break to get in an efficient position to either body haul or space haul.
 The belayer gets on the Ascenders, then reaches over and cleans anything remaining from the belay.
 The whole process, from the time the leader was ready to haul to the time the belayer starts to clean, is five minutes or less.

Keeping the Rope Organized
Because you have at least two ropes on a wall, rope management is essential. It doesn’t take much for an un-managed rope to turn to a spaghetti nightmare.

What you want to avoid:
 Haul line getting crossed under or over lead line.
 Lines getting wrapped around bags.
 Ropes swinging off in the wind and hooking on an unseen flake to the side.
 Rope tangles that require the leader to stop leading.

Managing Rope with Rope Bags and Slings
Rope bags take extra time to use but you get that time back by avoiding rope clusters. Ideally you have two rope bags that are stored in the top of the haul bag until they are used in the belay. This is how you use them:
 Leader hauls the bag, clips the bag to the belay, backs it up.
 Pulls a rope bag out of the top of the haul bag and clips it to the belay.
 Clips a biner above the rope bag and clips the haul line through it (starts from the end of the haul line attached to the bag).
 Pulls the rope through the biner and flakes it into the bag until you get to the end.
 Clips the Petzl ProTraxion or hauling device to the end of the rope “pre-rigged.” Pre-rigged means that the rope is already set up in the hauling device and ready to go.

If you are not using a rope bag, you can use a shoulder-length sling:
 Leader hauls the bag, clips the bag to the belay, backs it up.
 Coils the rope using the standard “butterfly” pattern around the neck, starting from the end that connects to the haul line.
 When the rope is coiled, takes it off the neck, and uses a sling around the coil.
 Clips the Petzl ProTraxion or hauling device to the end of the rope “pre-rigged.”

All this “organize this” and “don’t cluster that” talk might get you thinking I am an obsessive clean freak. I am not. I throw my stuff all over the house. And leave dishes in the sink for days. BUT, on walls I do make sure always to keep things organized. You can (and I do) argue that it is more efficient to do the dishes every few days in one batch than always putting things away. But on a wall, it is way more efficient to keep things always organized. If you don’t, you run into rope snags and clusters that take a long time to clean up and in the end spend even more time managing and dealing.

This is part of my How To Big Wall Climb project. View the table of contents here