Trip Report: Training - Haul Systems for Climbers
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Training - Haul Systems for Climbers By Nathan C |
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| CLIMBING | 07/30/2025 | NTD |
| Twelve climbers and a family of wild turkeys descended upon a picnic site at Storm Mountain with the promise of unlocking the mysterious secrets of moving heavy things with ease. The workshop kicked off with a short lecture on the physics and theory of mechanical advantage, and how even the best of haul systems still require the same amount of work to move things. In other words, there is no free lunch - much to the turkeys' dismay. With the E=MC^2 part of the workshop out of the way, two haul systems were introduced: The "Drop Loop" technique, adapted from modern crevasse rescue, and the more traditional "Z-Drag" system. The climbers learned several use cases for these outside of self-rescue scenarios, such as lifting backpacks up steep terrain and how to assist a follower through a difficult crux section. The climbers then had a chance to practice these systems on the ground, and also to experience mechanical advantage on a block-and-tackle. As the workshop progressed, the climbers moved to a nearby wall for realistic practice. Using the systems they'd learned, the climbers helped one another through a difficult roof problem that probably goes at 5.Honnold. A few members even bargained for extra credit with personal ascending systems and a specialized big-wall kit. The evening wound down with a trip to the Porcupine, where a few of the WMC's top researchers all but derived the Navier-Stokes Equations over bubbly libations. |
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