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7.1 Climbing with double rope
7.1 Climbing with double rope
Different types of rope
In Chapter 2, you were already briefly introduced to different types of climbing rope. Here we'll go over the key differences again, with an eye toward multipitching.
Single rope
This is probably the rope you've climbed with the most. It's meant to be used as a single strand and clipped into every quickdraw. The label carries the symbol 1.
For many sport multipitches, a single rope is perfectly fine: you climb the way you're used to from the gym, and also outdoors on single-pitch routes.
Double rope / half rope
With double rope, you climb with two separate strands of rope. Each strand is designed to be able to catch a fall when used with the half-rope technique (more on this shortly), but the test standards and safety margins differ from those of a single rope. The rope is also often thinner and shorter than a single rope. The rope label carries the symbol 1/2. In practice, in this course, when we say "double rope" we almost always mean: two half ropes. Note that the ASAC has 50m and 60m double ropes; sometimes these ropes have been shortened a bit, which is indicated with a piece of red tape at the end for every 5m shortened.
Twin rope
Twin ropes look a bit like half ropes from the outside, but the strands are considerably thinner. Because of this, they also work differently. On the rope label, you'll see two interlocking circles as the symbol. With twin rope, both strands are meant to always be clipped together into every quickdraw.
A single strand of twin rope on its own is not designed to catch a fall by itself. So you don't use them the way you use half ropes. Twin rope is more commonly used in ice climbing or alpine climbing.
For the rest of this syllabus, we use the term "double rope" to mean climbing with two half ropes in sport multipitches, unless stated otherwise.
Why Double Rope?
Double rope gives you more options in a multipitch than a single rope, but it also makes climbing more complicated. So it's not always better, but it offers an extra option. In some cases, it's actually necessary, such as for long rappels.
Advantages of Double Rope
Less rope friction In many multipitches, the route doesn't go straight up. For example, you might have a few quickdraws to the left, then a short traverse to the right, then back up. With double rope, you can clip the left-side quickdraws with one rope and the right-side quickdraws with the other. This keeps each rope running relatively straight, giving you less friction. That climbs more pleasantly and puts less force on the bolts and your belay station in a fall. That reduced force on the anchor is especially useful in trad climbing, where you can't always place your own gear everywhere.
Long rappels With two 60-meter half ropes, for example, you can tie them together and rappel roughly 60 meters in one go. With a single 70-meter rope, you only get about 35 meters per rappel. In many alpine areas, rappel stations are set at intervals matching 50m double rope; in those cases, climbing with double rope is practical or even necessary.
Extra margin in case of damage You have two ropes with you. If one rope gets damaged by a sharp edge or rockfall, you still have a second rope to continue climbing with or to descend safely.
A small additional advantage is that individual strands are lighter and more manageable than the strand of a 70m single rope. A single strand fits easily in your backpack, and you can split the strands between you and your climbing partner.
Disadvantages of Double Rope
More complex rope management
Two strands means double the chances of knots, twists, and chaos at the belay station. It takes more attention to keep your ropes tidy and well-organized at belay stations and during rappels.
Greater chance of clipping mistakes
With two ropes, it's easier to clip "illogically": ropes crossing each other, both ending up in the same quickdraw, or a rope running at odd angles. That can create extra friction or unwanted loading. So it takes time to develop a good feel for how the ropes run.
More weight and bulk
Two half ropes are heavier and take up more space than one single rope. You'll especially notice this on the approach to the wall and on routes with many pitches.
Not always necessary
On a straight, well-bolted route with a straightforward descent, double rope offers little extra benefit. A single rope is simpler and more efficient there.
Double rope is therefore mainly worthwhile on longer, more varied terrain, where the route doesn't go straight up and/or the descent involves rappelling. On simple, straight routes, a single rope is often more practical.
Using Double Rope
During the course, you'll practice with double rope in person. Below, you can already read the basic principles, so you understand what you're doing once you're on the rock.
Single-style use of double rope: Usually, you'll first use double rope because you're multipitching with 50m rappels. In that case, you use the two strands as if they were one single rope. You and your climbing partner both tie into both strands, you clip both strands each time, and you belay with both strands through your belay device. Once you're at the top, you can then rappel 50m or 60m (depending on your double rope), see section 3.
Half-rope technique: With the half-rope technique, you and your belayer work with two clearly distinguishable strands of the double rope, ideally in different colors. It also helps to assign each one a side, for example, red is right and blue is left. Protection points or bolts on the left of the route you clip mainly with the "left" rope, and protection on the right mainly with the "right" rope.
Important agreed rule: don't switch back and forth
Within the ASAC, we follow this rule:
Within a single pitch, you can choose to first use your double rope as a single rope (both strands in every quickdraw) and later switch to the half-rope technique (strands split apart).
Once you've switched to the half-rope technique, you no longer clip both strands together into a single quickdraw anywhere in that pitch. In other words, you don't switch back to the "single-style" method.
Reason: the amount of rope paid out differs between the two strands when using the half-rope technique. If both strands run through the same quickdraws while also being partly split, the ropes in a single quickdraw can pull at different speeds. This causes a lot of rope-on-rope friction, which damages the gear. It's best to decide per pitch which technique you'll use.
7.2 Belaying with double rope
7.2 Belaying with double rope
Whether you're using your double rope as a single rope or with the half-rope technique, you always belay the lead climber with both strands running through your belay device. So your brake hand always grips both ropes together. Make sure the strands run neatly parallel through your device and aren't crossed. Agree in advance which color is left and which is right, so you don't get confused while belaying (see image on the right).
At the belay station, most climbers belay with a tuber in guide mode. Here too, both strands run through the device. In a simple situation, the follower simply follows the same rope path as the lead climber: you take in the two strands as a single "package" and otherwise keep the system the same as with a single rope. When using the half-rope technique, it's a good idea to keep the two strands separate and gather them into two separate piles.
When using double rope in the single-style way (as if it were a single rope) it can happen that the two strands don't run exactly evenly, or that one of the strands of your double rope ends up 1-2 meters shorter, due to being shortened after damage. For both climber and belayer: communicate about this. The belayer might, for example, call out "blue's out," meaning the climber needs to take in more red at the belay station. A follower can also indicate there's a lot of slack in the red rope by calling out: "take in red."
7.3 Rapelling with double rope
7.3 Rapelling with double rope
One of the main reasons to climb with double rope is that it lets you make long rappels. You feed one rope through the rappel anchor and tie the two ropes together with an overhand knot. This way, you have roughly the full rope length available to you (so with two 60-meter ropes, you get about a 60-meter rappel). Beyond that, the procedure is the same as what you've already learned.
When rappelling with double rope, pay attention to the following:
Joining the ropes
Connect the two strands with a well-cinched overhand knot, leaving about half a meter of extra rope past the knot. Pull on each strand individually after tying the knot to make sure it's seated properly.End knots
As always, tie a knot in both rope ends.Before rappelling, clearly agree with your climbing partner on which color you'll pull afterward. The knot usually can't pass through the ring or maillon, and you also don't want to pull the knot tight into the anchor. There are various memory tricks you can use to remember which color rope to pull. A commonly used one is, before rappelling, to clip the carabiner of your lifeline onto the strand you'll need to pull later.
Once you've arrived at the next belay station, if there's enough rope left over, you can set up the next rappel in advance. To do this, use the strand you'll be pulling: that strand needs to run through the ring(s) on the new rappel. Note: because of this, the side you need to pull switches with every subsequent rappel. So at each belay station, deliberately check which strand runs through the anchor and which one you'll be pulling.
Practice questions and assignments for Chapter 7
Practice questions and assignments for Chapter 7
Name some advantages of using double rope. Are there also disadvantages?
How does rappelling with double rope work differently compared to single rope? What are the key points to watch out for? How do you remember which rope you need to pull?
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