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Ask the Expert
Big-Wall Warrior Mark Synnott Answers
Your Climbing Queries
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I have been teaching climbing for six years. I was always told to
follow through the harness rather than relying on the belay loop soley.
In the past year I have talked to other professionals and read
literature that suggest not to do this because it improperly loads the
‘biner. I guess I am old school, and would love to hear another
opinion. Is the harness the gear most likely to fail, or should the
integrity of the ‘biner be more of a concern?
—Emily Rydell, Cincinnati, Ohio
Emily,
Rest assured, you do not have to worry about either a harness or a biner
failing. Although it has probably happened, I would think the chances are
about as good as getting hit by a meteor. These days, climbing equipment
is so well made that we simply do not have to worry about these kinds of
things. I tie my rope through the harness, following the same path through
the swami and leg loops that my belay loop follows. I do not tie my rope
into the belay loop. I belay, rappel and attach daisy chains directly to my
belay loop. It is one of my absolutes, meaning I trust it completely.
Everyone that I know does it this way. As long as the belay loop is not
excessively worn, there is no chance it will fail. If you're worried
about it, bring it in to a shop with a bar tacker and have them stitch in a
second loop—then you will be totally set. If this is what you need for
peace of mind, don't hesitate to do it.
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About Our Expert
"A lot of people don't realize it, but the only thing you really need to climb
big walls, or any big route, is determination," says Mark Synnott. OK. But
what else does it take to best a big wall?
E-mail Mark and he'll give you the skinny on everything from grub to
gear to getting started. And he should know.
Mark has bagged more than 50 big walls, including Argentina's Cerro
Torre and first ascents on Canada's Baffin Island and southern Asia's
Karakoram Range. And when he's not climbing, he's helping design new
North Face equipment or contributing to magazines like National
Geographic, Outside, and Climbing.
E-mail Mark
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Climber Mark Synnott
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National Geographic Atlas of the World