UKC

Anyone got any tips for aiding bolt ladders quickly (and cheaply)? I'm expecting a few metres of unclimbable stuff in the middle of a lot of easier ground.

I've made a very handsome etrier out of some old tat, but it occurred to me that ideally I'd have a pair of etriers, and maybe the second would need a pair as well.

Is that really necessary? I'm guessing it depends on how steep the climbing is, and how close together the bolts are but interested in opinions.

In reply to humptydumpty:

If it's not too steep, I found that the fastest way was to put your hand through the loop at the top of the etriers and use them like an ice axe leash as you step up to the next bolt. This seemed to work very well on the steeper (but not horizontal stuff in dovedale.

In reply to humptydumpty:

On a long alpine rock route, mostly free but with a section of A0 aid, we caught up with two young Swiss, honed rock athletes but who were really struggling on the frigging pitch.

As he laboured slowly up, he said " its OK for you older climbers, you know how to do this. "

In reply to humptydumpty:

How to aid without aiders.
Gear needed =
2 x 60cm quickdraws.
1 x 18cm quickdraw with clean nose biners. This draw should be clipped into your waist belay loop.

1, Clip a 60 cm draw to the bolt.
2, Then clip the 18cm waist quickdraw to the top bolt biner and rest.
3, Clip your rope to the 60cm draw.
3, Now stand up in the 60cm draw. This should allow you to reach the next bolt.
4, Clip the next bolt with 60cm draw
5, Unclip your waist draw and re-clip the next bolt.
6, Clip the rope into the 60cm draw

Top Tip - If you use clean nose miners they are much easier to unclip and don't get snagged.

In reply to humptydumpty:

You can just improvise using slings.

In reply to Rick Graham:

Classic!

In reply to humptydumpty:

Whichever method you choose, practice! Either with a handy bolt ladder or on a crack with pre-placed gear. Do a few laps till it feels easy, then do a few more till its fast. You'd be surprised how slow you'll go to start with.

Cyberpunks method looks good BTW, assuming you have enough 60cm slings

In reply to humptydumpty:

For up to vertical rock with some footholds, two wide quickdraws is the way to go. Grab the lower one, push with the feet and clip the next bolt... Clip (and rest on rope if needed), repeat as necessary.

In reply to humptydumpty:
If it's just a handful of bolts and pegs and not silly steep you should just be able to pull on quickdraws. Add a sling to each as a footloop if required but it's cruel to your feet in rock shoes. If you're close to the belay you can just treat it like you would dogging a sport route sitting on the rope, pulling on the clips, standing on the bolts.

cyberpunk's methodical plan seems sound but I'm never organised enough, by the third bolt I've left half my kit behind and I'm winging it anyway.

jk

In reply to humptydumpty:

Thanks for all the advice - doesn't sound too complicated. I will take the aider anyway as it deserves an outing, and could come in useful if there are any spaced bolts.

In reply to humptydumpty:

practise in the gym, there you can practise on all angles

Also, lots of bolt ladders are very spaced - I was shocked how high I had to get in my aiders, then press really high with my feet off the wall, against my fifi, to clip the next one. This was on a A0 bolt ladder, not a sport route - so be aware of that