Headpoint gear - page 2 Logistical or hardware challenges in headpointing tend to come in four main scenarios: Scenario 1 – Good but low gear The route has a good piece of gear, but you are so far above it that you will still hit the ground from the crux. What can we do about this? The first thing is to make sure you don’t extend the runner more than you need to by using a single crab. If you think you might have rope drag issues then test it out by top roping trailing a lead rope through the gear. Recruit your Linford look-alike to hold the rope. Is there a small ledge they can jump off at the moment you fall to make sure they get as much distance as possible? Use a big fat rope that won’t stretch too much and clip it through a runner at ground level (extending as you need to avoid drag). This will make sure the maximum rope gets taken back in as your belayer runs for it. Make sure your belayer knows exactly which moves you are most likely to fall off, so they are ready to react. If you want to be really sure, you could even use two belayers to double your chances of one of them reacting quickly enough. It might be a good idea to test the fall by dropping a rucksack full of gear from the crux. If it stops close to the ground, with extra rope stretch you can be sure you will go further. Scenario 2 Poor gear If the gear is poor enough that there’s a fair chance of it coming out, it’s usually still worth using. However, if the route is very short it might be better hitting the ground in a semi-controlled drop than falling onto gear which just spins you the wrong way then comes out and drops you on your head. Only good judgement will help you decide. If there are a few bits of gear in a cluster and all are bad, it’s best to have them clipped in different ropes to spread the load and the stretch across two ropes. The thinnest ropes are best because they will stretch more, lowering the peak forces on the gear. If there is a cluster of poor bits of gear on one rope, you have a choice of two methods of arranging them to maximise the chances of one piece holding. You could equalise the gear using dynamic cord which you have pre-arranged and tied up on abseil (but still placed on lead of course!). This is good if all the pieces are close together and equally bad. If the poorest pieces are slightly higher you could leave them separate so they take energy out of the fall before the rope weights the best runner. If there are lots of poor placements spread out to either side of the route, three ropes might be needed if you can’t do without any one piece. If there is enough height to manage it, get the belayer to give you a dynamic belay. This basically means the belayer slows the rate at which the rope comes tight, spreading the load out over time and lowering the peak forces on the gear. This is really effective both for preventing gear failing but also for lessening violent swings into the crag, which do cause some really bad injuries, even on apparently safe routes. There are a few techniques for dynamic belaying. The most obvious one is to let the rope run through the belay plate, gradually closing grip until the rope stops. In practice this is difficult to do, so is best avoided for short routes. If you must use it, practice on some long sport routes first. The second is to belay slightly away from the crag and ‘run with’ the rope as it comes tight for a few steps. This might be a bad idea if the gear includes poor wires, where standing as close to the wall as possible is best. In this case, jump upwards with the rope as it comes tight.
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