We often carefully choose the right rack, the right shoes, and the right clothing for our climbs. Well, we also want to choose the right rope. The full video gets deeper into some tradeoffs to consider when selecting a single rope, half ropes, twin ropes, or a single rope with a tagline for our route and objective.

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.

Some climbers have a reflex to think of weight as simply bad. More weight equals more problems. But weight is a trade off. What do we gain from carrying the weight? If we think of weight as a cost for value, we may make better tradeoffs that serve us on our climbs while still avoiding "packing our fears."

There are times on our climbs when we want the exact right tool for the job, squeezing the maximum amount of efficiency out of the gear as applied to the situation for which it was specifically designed. There are times we want a more general piece of gear that can be used in lots of ways even if it isn't ideal for any one particular situation. And then there are times we need to diversify gear for the unknown. The full video gets into all three of these strategies.

What are our climbing goals - not just the objectives but what we hope to get out of those climbs? Is what we gain worth the cost? I'm not saying don't climb; I climb a lot. But we ought to pause from time to time to ask if we are truly getting what we want out of the climbs we undertake. If not, we may be tactically sound but strategically at risk, meaning the costs we could incur may be higher than we should be willing to pay.

Like many things in life, the extremes often don't serve us or the community around us. When we are confronted with the emotional tension at the heart of climbing and adventure sports accidents, neither ridicule nor disengagement allows us to learn. Empathy is the path forward, as it allows for curiosity which, in turn, allows for learning. The full video goes deeper.

Just because you may lack experience compared to your climbing partner doesn't mean you shouldn't be involved in the team decision making. In fact, it means the opposite. Your voice matters, and when you use it, it contributes to the team's overall safety.

Like many things in life, the extremes often don't serve us or the community around us. When we are confronted with the emotional tension at the heart of climbing and adventure sports accidents, neither ridicule nor disengagement allows us to learn. Empathy is the path forward, as it allows for curiosity which, in turn, allows for learning. The full video goes deeper.

For Mental Health Awareness Month, we do videos on the mental aspects of climbing and adventure. As my body and fitness changes, and more importantly as my desires and values evolve, I find that my definition of what constitutes a successful day climbing may not always be what it once was. That's not necessarily a bad thing as I strive to put more back into the climbing community than I take out of it.

In a sport like climbing, and maybe particularly with alpine climbing and mountaineering with their long histories of rebellious individualism, it is somehow still easy to get trapped into others' definitions of success. If we have the courage to carve out our own definition of success, then maybe we can escape the potential trap of ever-contracting safety margins. The full length video goes deeper.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.