MountainSkills
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Two scramblers moving
together – with the lead
climber holding coils
Scrambling
Skills part 1
Scrambling is where mountain walking stops and
mountaineering begins, but what skills do you need to
tackle higher graded routes? Over the next couple of
issues, British Mountain Guide Alun Richardson
explains the main techniques to use...
WORDS AND PICTURES ALUN RICHARDSON
A
t the top of the Chasm Face on
Glyder Fach in North Wales I
stood on the edge and looked
back down the line of our ascent
and was left with the question: was it a
scramble or was it a rock climb? I would like
to say that the answer was straightforward,
but unfortunately it wasn’t, because one
person’s scramble might be another person’s
rock climb. However, it is that subjective
view that makes scrambling such a
wonderful pastime. In what other sport can
you choose the size of the pitch and the size
of the opposition to suit your experience and
the weather?
Scrambling is an ambiguous word that
attempts to describe the gap between
mountain walking and rock climbing. It’s a
bit like describing a healthy diet – most of us
know what it is, but trying to explain it to
someone who doesn’t know proves more
difficult. At one end of the spectrum it
describes routes that adventurous walkers
ascend easily such as Crib Goch on Snowdon
and Striding Edge on Helvellyn. At the other
end of the difficulty scale routes like Broad
Stand on Scafell and the Parson’s Nose on
Crib Y Ddysgl are really easy rock climbs.
The point is that scrambling is the point at
which ‘mountaineering’ begins, and the
techniques you learn when ascending harder
scrambles will stand you in good stead when
progressing onto alpine and winter
mountaineering. Learning to use natural
protection and ‘moving together’ roped up
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MAY 2014
with your climbing partner are core
mountaineering techniques and so
scrambling in good weather is actually an
ideal way of practising these skills until they
become second nature to you.
For me the joy of scrambling is that it
takes me away from well-trodden paths and
routes into secluded places where very few
feet have travelled. But that brings its own
problems not least that the very places I am
seeking solitude in are often the last
sanctuaries for rare plants and animals
hanging onto their tenuous grip on survival.
We must all therefore give great thought
when we are on scrambles to every footstep
and leave the delicate plant life untouched.
GRADING
There are guidebooks to scrambles all over
the world each enticing you to take a slightly
more exciting and rocky approach to the
tops of mountains. Selecting the scramble
to suit ones abilities is however a bit of a
black art.
In the UK, scrambling is broken down into
four grades (well sort of) with the grade
being based around technical difficulty and
exposure. There is a big difference between
a grade 1 and a grade 4. Some older Scottish
guidebooks used a system of grades 1 to 5,
leading to considerable confusion over
grades 1, 2 and 3. One must also consider
that the weather conditions can easily
change the grade. On the continent some
authors describe them as easy, moderate or
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difficult. The important thing to realise is
that the more difficult the scramble the more
like rock climbing it becomes.
Grade 1 - A grade 1 scramble may be
exposed, but it is technically easy. Ropes
would only be required by the extremely
nervous and you may be able to circumvent
the difficulties. There may be the occasional
hard step where hands will be required.
Route finding is obvious. Examples are Crib
Goch on Snowdon and the Aonach Eagach
ridge in Glencoe.
Grade 2 - Grade 2 routes have longer
difficult sections where a rope and rock
climbing techniques may be needed. Route
finding can be difficult, and escape from the
route may not be easy. Examples include:
Clogwyn Y Person Aràte, Crib Y Ddisgol and
Llechog Buttress.
Grade 3 - Grade 3 routes include lots of
tricky sections with many pitches of easy
rock climbing. Dry conditions may be
essential. Escape is probably by abseiling
and route-finding skills are required.
Examples are: Cneifion Arete, Mynydd
Mawr and Shark Buttress on Glyder Fach
Grade 4 - (3S in some books, the ‘S’ means
serious) On grade 4 routes, exposure will be
high and it will feel more like a rock climb
– in fact, you may also find the route in a
rock climbing guidebook. Escape is by
means of an abseil. Examples are: Cyfrwy
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If the lead climber falls, his
partner below ‘spotting’ him
should not try to ‘catch’ him
Using a rock or flake to ‘direct
belay’ your partner allows you
to cover ground quickly
EQUIPMENT
Scrambling routes are usually on high
mountains and it is therefore a good idea to
carry a rucksack with the usual equipment
for summer mountain walking. Load your
pack so that the weight is low and against
your back and use the compression straps
when it doesn’t have much in it – this will
help you to stay in balance. Scrambling
terrain can often be wet and dirty so a fairly
stiff boot with no lateral twist (to test a boot
for low lateral twist – grab the heel and toe of
the boot and twist in opposite directions) will
provide a solid foundation. The climbing
equipment you carry will depend on the
grade of the scramble. It will range from just
a 30m single rope tied around the waist, a
sling and an HMS krab to a small rock
climbing rack and a 50m single rope. We’ll
cover the sort of climbing rack you need for
harder scrambles in next month’s article, but
for now we have listed some of the basic kit
you need in the boxout below left.
STAYING SAFE
Describing scrambling as ‘easy’ rock
climbing belies the fact that it can actually be
a more risky activity requiring efficient
movement in big boots over exposed
COILS IN YOUR HAND
GEAR ESSENTIALS
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For harder scrambling routes, you’ll need some basic rock climbing gear
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3
4
5
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Aràte, Cadair Idris, and the West Peak via
Bilberry Terrace on Lliwedd
1. Footwear: for scrambling,
boots and approach shoes with
stiff soles, grippy rubber,
rubber rands and ‘to the toe’
lacing will help your
performance – see page 86
for our test of scrambling
footwear in this issue 2.
Harness: a simple, alpinestyle harness is light and
comfortable 3. Gloves:
gloves may keep your hands
warm/dry, but you must be
able to handle the rope with
them on 4. Rope: a 30-35m
length of thin (e.g. 9.1mm)
single rope is ideal for
scrambling, though be aware it
will wear out quicker than a
thick rope 5. Rack: the more
technical a route is, the more
climbing gear you’ll need – see
next month’s issue for our
recommendations on what’s
included in the ideal climbing
rack for scrambling with.
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Roped up and ready to
start ‘moving together’
up scrambling terrain
terrain often without a rope. It is the ultimate
test of the ‘what if’ question: What if I slip
here? What are the consequences of a fall?
An efficient scrambler is someone who can
choose the appropriate technique at any
given moment and quickly change between
options. To do this well you must make
judgements, not only about the terrain
ahead, but also about both your ability and
your partner’s. It demands the appropriate
application of a variety of techniques
generally employed in alpine mountaineering
and rock climbing. In fact, as we mentioned
previously, scrambling is excellent
preparation for alpine-style mountaineering
anywhere in the world.
WALKING TERRAIN
This can be defined as ground where a rope
is generally not required, there is a lot of
grass, easy gullies and rocky steps that you
are happy to solo and a slip will not mean
death! The difficult steps may require you to
‘spot’ each other. Spotting is an
underestimated skill and it should be
understood that spotters do not catch falling
scramblers! The aim is to steer the falling
person to the best landing, slow them down,
and minimise the number of body parts
hitting the ground, especially the head.
When the step is high, spot the climber’s
hips and steer them to a feet first landing, do
not grab them too low as they may topple
backwards over the top of you. Stand like a
boxer and keep your hands, with fingers
together, close to the person.
On this type of terrain keep asking
yourself: what are the consequences of a fall
and what is the terrain like ahead? What are
you and your partner’s abilities? Are you
both stable on your feet? Are you climbers or
walkers? Is there more walking after the
difficult step or do you need to put a rope
on? Do you need to get harnesses out or can
you just attach the rope around the waist?
Once the answer to the ‘what if’ question is
that you are getting the rope out, the fluidity
of your progress up the mountain will then
depend not only on your movement skills,
but on how efficiently you can use a variety
of rope techniques and skills. Within a single
scramble the techniques used can range
from specific rock climbing skills on steep
ground to moving together with a shortened
rope between you and your partner on
ridges and easier terrain.
“An efficient scrambler is someone who
can choose the appropriate technique at
any given moment and quickly change
between options. To do this well you must
make judgements...”
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USING THE ROPE ON EASY
CLIMBING TERRAIN
The scramble now has longer and
continuous difficult and exposed steps
where a slip is serious and spotting is no
longer effective. Two or sometimes three
scramblers now tie themselves to the rope
and protect themselves using a technique
called ‘moving together’. In the wrong hands
moving together can simply mean all
scramblers fall off instead of just the one
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who slipped, but to an experienced
practitioner it hugely improves safety. It
requires fluency and concentration and is a
difficult skill to master. It is a good idea to
practice on non-dangerous terrain before
trying to use it on a serious scramble.
There are too many variables for a rigid
method to be described here, but it starts
with the scramblers using the natural terrain
to weave the rope in and around. Should one
climber fall, the rope will then catch on a
rock feature such as a spike, boulder or a
ridge hopefully stopping the falling climber.
When natural runners cannot be found the
lead climber will place slings on spikes or
through threads, or rock climbing protection
is placed in cracks. When you come to a
section where you or your partner are not
confident to move together, climb over the
difficulty and then continue as before. Do
SHORTENING THE ROPE
How to take chest coils for shortening the rope when moving together
The full length of the rope is
not often required for
scrambling (and indeed when
moving together when alpine
mountaineering) and the excess
is coiled around the chest and
tied off. Make the coils long
enough to reach 10cm above
the top of your harness. Taking
three separate sets of coils allow
you to drop one without the
bother of retying the remaining
coils. The downside of this,
though, is the number of knots
at your waist.
1. Tie into the end of the rope and start
taking coils around your chest
2. Ensure your rucksack is on when
taking coils, so the rope is not trapped
3. The coils should be long enough to
reach about 10cm above your harness
not run out long lengths of rope unless you
are going to set up a belay (see next issue)
because there is more stretch in the rope
and communication is difficult.
When the terrain reaches the technical
standards that one or both of the scramblers
would normally pitch like a rock climb, the
process becomes what alpine mountaineers
call ‘simu-climbing’. At the upper end of the
spectrum simu-climbing is a serious process
where if the second falls off the leader will
be pulled from the cliff. It requires
experience and judgement, which requires
the two climbers to communicate when they
think the situation has made the team
vulnerable should one fall off.
4. Once you have taken enough coils,
pass a bight behind all ropes
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5. Bring the bight around and pass
through both live and coiled rope
6. Take the loop and clip into a
screwgate karabiner at waist
7. Karabiner is clipped into the rope tied
into your harness, not the harness itself
ATTACHING TO THE ROPE
The number of people on one rope depends
on the terrain, weather conditions, size and
weight, skill and experience. On all but the
simplest scrambles, three people are a
maximum. The most versatile method for
three people is for the most experienced
scrambler to tie into the rope and take chest
coils (see boxout on left) leaving about two
arm lengths between each scrambler. The
second scrambler attaches using a rewoven
overhand knot in a loop. The last scrambler
ties into the end of the rope using a rewoven
figure of eight and takes a single chest coil
to allow for extension on difficult sections.
The number of people on one rope
depends on the terrain, weather conditions,
size and weight, skill and experience.
NEXT MONTH: In the next article we
will take a look at the ropework
required when the scramble starts to
border on rock climbing.
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