While it is helpful to have rules-of-thumb about many things in climbing, like slack management when belaying, the realities are usually more complex. From moment to moment on a climb, the risk that is most significant can change. Constantly asking ourselves what is the most significant risk is a key for not only belaying, but climbing safely, overall.

The Flat Overhand Bend, also called the Offset Overhand Bend, has gotten a bit of a bad reputation, sometimes being called the European Death Knot. But reputable organizations, like the American Mountain Guides Association, actually recommend this knot for double-strand rappels. So, the full video goes deeper into the pros and cons of this knot, how we tie it, when we can use it, and when it might not be as good of a choice.

As we've discussed in a previous short, I do carry a quick link on my bail carabiner for a number of reasons, but to use it to bail from a sport climb isn't one of them. Here's why.

When we have a damaged section of our rope and need to rappel (abseil) off the route, we can either go through a procedure to pass the knot while on a double-strand rappel, or we can switch to a single-strand rappel and avoid the knot pass altogether. But our setups into a single-strand rappel come with tradeoffs. The full video walks through four methods along with some pros and cons for each.

When we are rappelling off of two ropes, we need to identify the pull strand and the rappel strand at each transition and then remember that designation when we reach the next rappel station. This simple trick can help us keep the full strand identified, even if we should forget.

Given how often I and my twin sons climb together, we've had to get fairly efficient at belay stance transitions. One such transition that (hopefully) happens almost every climb is the transition from climbing to rappelling down the route. If we can make these transitions fast and safe, we save time to climb more or more readily beat the weather or darkness setting in. The full video goes into detail on one climbing-to-rappelling transition that works for a team of three.

I like the cheap price and small aperture opening of a quick link to help create rappel anchors for alpine route descents. But the reasons I started carrying one, and the reasons I most frequently use one on a climb might surprise you.

Given how often I and my twin sons climb together, we've had to get fairly efficient at belay stance transitions. One such transition that (hopefully) happens almost every climb is the transition from climbing to rappelling down the route. If we can make these transitions fast and safe, we save time to climb more or more readily beat the weather or darkness setting in. The full video goes into detail on one climbing-to-rappelling transition that works for a team of three.

Our Petzl GriGri belay device instructions warn against using HMS carabiners for fear that they become cross-loaded. But we're not concerned about the forces breaking the carabiner, device, or harness belay loop. We are concerned about hindering the camming action.

My twin boys are new multi-pitch climbing leaders. That means they need to trust each other and I need to trust them, as well. How did I enter them into this new climbing discipline? The full video goes into detail around some of the work around exposure to, practice of, and eventual attempts at leading multi-pitch that are relevant to any new multi-pitch leader.

Descending from mountain summits can feel like an endless set of steps that can greatly fatigue our quadriceps (thigh muscles) above the knee. By switching up our plane of motion, we can recruit other muscle groups to help give our quadriceps a break.

Whether going from sea level to moderate altitude or from moderate altitude to high altitude, our bodies need time - and water - to adjust and adapt to the reduced oxygen we will take in. The full video gives an overview of the physiology, the potential illnesses, and the preventative tactics that all come into play when we experience significant altitude changes.

Traversing pitches bring risks that more vertical climbing does not. As a lead climber on a traversing pitch, we need to think not only about protecting ourselves on the crux but our follower, as well, and we each have different needs for gear placements.

With twin boys, this dad spends a lot of time climbing in a team of three, and we most frequently use double ropes. Double rope systems can create tangles that can dramatically slow the team's progress. So, here is the first of three techniques that help us avoid or quickly resolve rope management issues. The other techniques are in the full length video.

With twin boys, this dad spends a lot of time climbing in a team of three, and we most frequently use double ropes. Double rope systems can create tangles that can dramatically slow the team's progress. So, here is the first of three techniques that help us avoid or quickly resolve rope management issues. The other techniques are in the full length video.

I was asked if a tandem rappel could be done instead of a counterbalanced rappel because a tandem rappel is safer. In some circumstances, particularly in rescues, tandem rappels are used. But, while generally safer than a counterbalanced rappel, there are still too many safety and efficiency downsides for it to be a standard rappelling technique outside of emergency situations.

When we want to close our rope system, which is something we should do when rappelling or belaying - along with other circumstances, we often will choose a barrel knot. Here is how we tie one and some potential mistakes to avoid.

When we get into uncertain alpine terrain, things can change quickly. Terrain features can change, snow and ice coverage can change, and weather is more dynamic. Any of these changes could confront us with a pitch that might be too hard to climb given our current footwear and carried equipment. The full video provides an improvised gear and movement sequence that may help us continue on our climb.

I was asked to demonstrate making a climbing harness using only the rope while ensuring it had leg loops. So, here it is.

Like most things in climbing, what is "safer" depends on circumstance. In our full video we are looking at rope blocking options: knot blocks, carabiner blocks, and the Reepschnür hitch (and some of the modifications to it) in order to explore the security at the rappel (abseil) anchor point versus ease of retrieving our rope.

Do we need to add a stopper knot when we tie into the climbing rope with a figure eight retrace knot? Does it help? Could it be harmful in any way? Let's find out.

The short answer is, "no, you cannot make the perfect crevasse rescue anchor." The inherent tradeoffs between speed and anchor strength and adaptability mean that we have a series of risk-mitigating decisions we need to make before we ever start hauling our climbing partner out of the crevasse. The full video gets into those tradeoffs so that we can make the best choices we can should we ever really need to make them.

When we are trying to move fast over moderate terrain, rope management can often be the difference in speed. So, when we need to bring two end roped climbers closer together to avoid rope dragging over loose ground or around corners of winding terrain, this technique is about the fastest way possible to shorten that rope.

When we want to change lead climbers on a glacier, we have to do so in a way that still protects the team from crevasse falls. The full video provides three methods for getting a trailing climber into the lead position.

Historically, glacier travel in route to a climb involved reinforcing our packs and using ropes or leashes to ensure we could remove our pack from our shoulders should we need to extract ourselves from a crevasse fall. That is no longer done the same way. What's changed?

A 6-to-1 crevasse rescue system, or a "z-haul" on the back of a "drop loop," is a flexible system that can mitigate many of the problems that arrive in various crevasse rescue scenarios. In the full video, we demonstrate setting up and using the base system given a team of three climbers.

A non-rated webbing is what comes with most chalk bags. But we can replace that flimsy webbing with a more robust cord that still functions for its main purpose, keeping our chalk bag attached to us, while also providing material we can use to facilitate an escape from a route, should we ever need it.

We have fallen into a crevasse that is overhanging. We are free hanging, unable to touch the wall. We are tight against our knot, so have little rope slack to work with. The full video gets into we do first, to stabilize our situation, and then how we ascend the rope to self-extract.

How can you tell when your climbing rope is core shot? And if it is core shot, what can we do about it? Let's look at a core shot rope, study its properties compared to a healthy rope, and talk about how to manage the rope both in the field and once we get it back home.

If we have a climbing partner injured on rappel (abseil) who is weighting the rope, how can we get quickly down to them to render aid? The full video demonstrates this method and describes how it has evolved over time.