When we set a rappel strand, we want to ensure we can pull our rope cleanly, especially if on a multi-pitch climb where we need to perform many rappels. One of the things we can do to maximize a clean pull is think through how the rock features and the rappel points interact with our designated pull strand.

Climbing rope manufacturers publish a lot of numbers that describe how the rope will perform out in the field. But the numbers don't actually tell as straight forward of a story as we may wish. The full video goes through a host of metrics, how we interpret those numbers, and how they tell a story about the types of climbing risks one rope may mitigate better than another.

If we are hauling a bag or assisting a following climber, we might construct a 3-to-1 haul system at the anchor. If we find that isn't enough mechanical advantage for our haul, we can quickly convert that 3-to-1 system to a 5-to-1 system.

Adding on to our videos about crevasse rescue, we could have a situation where we set up a haul only to discover, after making contact with the victim, that we actually need to lower them, as there is a walk out possible from lower in the crevasse. Well, if we have a pully-and-cam based progress capture like a Petzl Micro Traxion already set up, we need to switch from raise to lower, and there could be some complications which the full video gets into.

Climbing safety systems and techniques evolve over time. It's part of why we should stay continuously curious and be persistent learners. One example for me is what I was taught about roping up for glacier travel that is now no longer part of most recommended systems. Here's why a pre-rigged chest clip may not pass the cost-benefit calculation as part of our glacier travel setup.

When we get into challenging climbing in mountain environments space, weather, and other constraints might necessitate that we get our calories in while in the relatively secure confines of our camping tent. How can we do that given all the risks that come from cooking with a camp stove when enclosed? Well, there's a learning curve we should take seriously.

The scientific literature is starting to point to endurance benefits for getting carbohydrates in our mouths - not even ingesting carbs - when seeking endurance sport performance benefits. Here's a snapshot of what we know and how we can take advantage on our climbs.

Most commercial hanging kits for camping, backpacking, and climbing stoves are minimalist and light. They can be because they typically fit integrated stoves - where the stove and pot couple securely. This improves safety by containing the flame and creating stability. The full video provides a  build for a hanging kit for a non-integrated stove that will bring us a similar safety profile.

Canister stoves that allow us to invert the canister, move the fuel as a liquid to the stoves’ vaporizing tubes. That improves cold weather performance. But those stoves can flare if we don't watch out for flooding the stove with fuel. Here's a simple procedure to avoid that problem.

Integrated stoves for camping, backpacking, and climbing transfer heat very effectively, reducing fuel demands. But the integrated stove and pot are often heavy. There are people who prefer lighter backpacking stoves, but to make alpine-ready hanging kits, they often need a heavier and more robust design to transfer heat and keep open flames away from gear. So, I ran a test on some store-bought integrated stoves with hanging kits, and some DIY hanging kits with backpacking stoves. The full video goes deep into the results.

Winter and spring climbing often takes us to ridges where we can mitigate against avalanche danger by walking above the terrain hazard. But while on that ridge, we may be facing another danger: cornice falls. Here's some of the things to consider as we navigate loaded snow sitting on top of the ridge instead of below it.

Self arrest is a very necessary climbing skill if we are on moderate angled snow slopes like snow-filled gullies, or couloirs, or ridge walks above sloping mountain faces. That technique, at its best, demands proper use of an ice axe, but if we don't have or have dropped our axe, we shouldn't just give up. As a last-ditch effort to avoid having a slip become a fall, the full video gets into details on how and when to apply three techniques that don't require an ice axe.

Ice Axes, when made of metal, will conduct the cold from the snow and environment around us. There are options that are less conductive, like carbon fiber, but we may want to keep using a robust metal axe for use with certain techniques. So, what can we do to reduce the cold from that axe that is freezing our hands?

If we decide that end roping may be the right method for taking on moderately technical snow terrain on a climb, we may want to pack one axe more than we have climbers. It offers up some flexibility in deploying our end roping system. The full length video goes deeper into why and how.

If you are new to winter climbing, you might be thinking about what type of ice axe you will need. Well, one major component of axe design is the curve of the pick. Downward curving picks stand in contrast to pick curves that start bending downwards and then reverse and curve back up at the end. Here's how those curves help and hinder different types of climbing.

When we are climbing on snow or a glacier, we may have to consider rope systems for both crevasse falls and the more standard falls that simply come from difficult climbing moves. Factor in maintaining a pace that can get us to the summit and back before conditions deteriorate, and we have a lot to consider. The full video goes deeper into how I begin to approach that complexity.

When the snow has stopped falling in town, the mountains can still have considerable avalanche danger. Snow could still be falling up high. Winds could be shifting new snow onto loaded slopes. So, as we get out to snowshoe, hike, and climb, we will want to take seriously both planning routes that avoid the most dangerous slopes and also make sure we get educated about avalanche safety.

When we cross crevassed terrain, we often rope together to allow us, as a team, to catch a fall of a teammate. But that same strategy of being roped together might compound risk, not reduce it, if we use it on standard snow slopes. The full video goes deeper into why and the pros and cons of other choices we might make to alter our safety systems for the better.

When we are out for more than a few days, backpacking or on expedition, our feet support each and every step. When it comes to foot pain, what starts out as minor discomfort can start a cascade of increasingly severe issues. So, while it may be tempting to hold off treating a minor issue, we never know when the minor issue can be a precursor to more inhibiting problems.

A drug that has been used for years to treat pulmonary hypertension has also been used for years in Canada and Europe to help with frostbite. Well, the FDA fairly recently approved its use in the United States, so full video gets into the evidence we have to support its use as well as some of the shortcomings of the supporting studies.