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Use of holds.—A hold need not be large to be good, nor need it be solid, so long as the pressure is in the direction that holds it to the mountain. Experienced climbers can use holds which are scarcely seen. The climber must roll over his holds, not try to skip or jump from one to another. It is, however, often desirable in traverses to use the hop step, in which the climber changes feet on a small hold, replacing his outside foot with his inside foot so that he may move sideways more easily. A slight upward hop, followed by precise footwork, accomplishes this useful step.
Margin of safety.—A margin of safety is the protective buffer a climber keeps between what he knows to be the limit of his ability and what he actually tries to climb. He bases his margin of safety on experience gained with little or no risk in training, where he learns to calculate his ability. Close to the ground or tied to a rope belayed by a trained man above, he climbs on progressively harder pitches until he reaches the limit of his ability—and falls. When climbing thereafter, exposed, he leaves a margin, which can become smaller as he learns to calculate better. This margin should be calculated not only for the pitch immediately ahead, but also for the entire climb. The climber should plan his route and movement so far ahead as never to find himself in difficulties beyond his ability. |
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