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Ask the Expert
Big-Wall Warrior Mark Synnott Answers Your Climbing Queries

Q:  

I am going to try to climb El Capitan (the Nose) next year. We will be three persons on the group. Which is the fastest way to climb big walls in groups of three?

—Federico, Mexico City, Mexico

Federico,

The fastest way to climb big walls as a group of three is to use the caterpillar method. However, the caterpillar is specifically designed for speed climbing, i.e. climbing something like El Cap in a day. Here's how it works. The leader trails two lines. When he gets to the belay the first thing he does is fix one of the lines. One of the other team members jugs that line up to the high point as quickly as possible and then puts the same leader back on belay with the line that they just jugged. Meanwhile, the leader has fixed the lead line for the third member of the team. Before the third guy can start cleaning, the belayer or leader sets up the haul and pulls the bag off the lower anchor. Once this is done the third man can start cleaning the pitch. The key to this system is to get the leader back out on the sharp end as soon as possible. Also, it helps to carry an extra big rack so that you still have enough rack to start leading the next pitch before the previous one has been cleaned. Once the third man reaches the previous anchor with the gear from that pitch, you can haul it up with the third spare rope which you are now using as a trail line. It is a complicated system to describe, but just keep in mind that it has many variations. You should experiment and go with whatever works best for you. The caterpillar system is most crucial on single push climbs, but it will also work equally well on multi- day ascents.

Good Luck!

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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

 

Climber Mark Synnott
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