Organizer:
Patrick Grant
Date/Time:
Date(s) - Saturday 12 April, 2025 - Sunday 13 April, 2025
All Day
climbing
This is a skills weekend for members who are part of the Multi-pitch skills group that was formed in early 2025. In the event that a few people from the group are unable to attend other club members can join.
=== ACCOMMODATION =====
Camping is $12 at Mt Keira Guide camp. There is a toilet block and a kitchen. Pat will organise dinner on the first day and lunch on the second day. $15 a head for food.
=== SKILLS / EXPERIENCE REQUIRED =====
Assumed knowledge and experience is RS1 through RS3
– basic rocks skills
– basic anchor building
– safely cleaning anchors
– lead climbing experience
=== GEAR REQUIRED =====
As usual everyone will need a harness, helmet, lanyard. For all trips on this multi-pitch trip series we’d appreciate it if everyone brought their own ropes, and rack as well. We’ll stop at the gear shed on the way to pick up anything we’re short on.
=== SPECIAL GEAR REQUIRED =====
Atc with guide mode. A tube-style belay device like the Petzl Reverso or the Black Diamond ATC guide.
Prussik loops – 120cm to 150 cm of 5mm cord tied into a loop with a double fishermans’ bend.
Schedule below:
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SATURDAY
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10am – Meet-Up @ Mt Keira Lookout carpark –
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Anchor building 60 min
overhand masterpoint – Classic anchor
sliding x / limited sliding x – Anchor that equalises when the direction of pull changes direction
quad anchor – The gold standard according to most contemporary mountain guides. A little overkill by old-school standards.
rope anchor – UK style anchor (bee-lay) made with the rope you climbed up on. Great for extending anchors far away from the cliff edge or improvising when someone forgets to hand the gear to the leader. No good for block leading.
tensionless tree anchor – tree anchor on a bomber big tree
(bonus) no gear trad anchor (small tree, thread, boulder, chicken head)
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Belaying from above 60 min
Belaying from above with a Gri Gri – examples
Belaying from above with an ATC in guide mode – examples
Lowering a second with an ATC in guide mode:
Ratchet method – example
Lever method – example
Load strand re-direct – example
Transition to munter hitch – example
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Self Rescue Skills – Ascending a fixed line 60 min
Prussiking up the rope on prussik knots – example
Ascending a line on one prussik knot and a gri gri – example
(bonus) ascender and gri gri – example
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SATURDAY LUNCH – BRING PACKED LUNCH
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SET UP CAMP
@ Mt Keira Girl Guide Camp
5 minutes drive from Mt Keira Lookout – Location here
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AFTERNOON
Complete Multi-pitch run through
Packing and preparing – example
Tie in and flake
Pre climb check (knots, belay, anchor, draws+plates, comms, topo, weather, water)
Comms best practice
Anchor building
Rope management
Anchor management – Swinging Lead
Anchor management – Block leading
Belaying the seconds – Party of three (catarpilar) – example
Belaying the seconds – Party of three (parallel) – example
Managing Rope drag –
Traversing
Comms no line of sight
Comms no sight or sound
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DINNER – BBQ (Pat will organise)
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AFTER DINNER – Dungeons and Dragons – Multipitch shit-show edition
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SUNDAY
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BREAKFAST – Sort out your own breakfast
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10am meet up at Mt Keira Lookout carpark
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OBSTACLE COURSE
The task is to make three loops around the obstacle course.
Stage 1 – multi pitch Abseil down “down and going”
First go – set a fixed line – abseiling down a fixed line. Often used in multi pitch rock climbing to allow an easy escape.
Second go set a Classic retrievable Abseil on two strands.
Third go set a retrievable carabiner block and abseil on one line because someone forgot their atc.
(bonus) Simul abseil on a stone knot –
Stage 2 – prussik up the number 1 Crack
First go, prussik on knots only
Second go – prussik on knots and a gri gri
Third go – try an ascender and a gri gri
Stage 3 – Mock Multi on Slip Slop Slab
first go – two climbers – swing the lead
second go – two climbers – block lead
third go – repeat the last step but swap leaders
Lunch BBQ at Mt Keira carpark
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After that. Let’s
Go to the beach or,
Go get on a multipitch.
Go sport climbing
Sit around the esky and tell stories
Go home
Multi Options at Mt Keira
Sex Haunt (21) ***
Travail (16)
Crumbed Keira (17) then top pitch of Down and going (18)
Mind Games Direct finish (18)
Trembling (16)
Jaunt (15) ** trad
Windy (16) *** trad
Pat Grant and Sean Ealey
