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B and C watch the rope ahead, prevent its snaggingin brush or loosening rocks, and keep it just taut enoughto prevent dragging. They carry extra rope in neat coils in one hand, take up or pay out coils if they go faster or slower than the man ahead, and climb as well as they can with the free hand. 3) If there is any chance of a dangerous slip by one or the other, each man continually anticipates the stances he must assume quickly and effectively in order to stop the fall. Rope of two.—In very difficult climbing, where only one man can move safely at a time, while the other belays, the best man goes up first, down last, and is the leader. The least experienced man does the opposite. When only two men are on a rope they can move about three times as fast as three men on the same rope. Two ropes of two men each are the strongest party that can travel a given route quickly. Vocal signals given clear and loud serve best as communication between leader and belayer. If wind is high, a code using high pitched "screams" has proved successful. Rope signals are inadequate if the route is circuitous and pitons vary the attitude of the rope. Nevertheless, rope signals included below can be used for com-munciation when storm or angles of the mountain muffle oral signals which would normally be given. Procedure for two: |
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