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A basic guideline for anchor building: narrow angles are good, wide angles are bad. While that’s generally true, it turns out in some cases, a very narrow angle is not so good for load sharing. Check out a recent article and video by Over the Edge Rescue on this. (Warning: anchor nerds only.) Premium Article available https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/is-a-small-anchor-angle-better-maybe-not

In most rappels, getting the rope down is pretty straightforward: give each strand a toss and hope for the best. However, challenging terrain and conditions may require some specialized techniques. Here are a few. Premium Article available https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/rappel-tips-for-tricky-terrain

Tool tethers prevent the gigantic problem of dropping an ice tool on a long alpine route. The commercial ones work fine; however they can be a bit expensive. Here's a way to make your own. Premium Article available https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/diy-ice-tool-tethers

Want to boost the strength of your rigging? Simply doubling the strands into a basket hitch can dramatically increase the strength, which could be helpful in some situations. See the test results here. https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/need-a-stronger-anchor-try-a-basket-hitch

A series of quick tips on best practices, with links to my detailed articles. This post covers: quad anchor tips, pre threading your haul pulley, the twist-free Munter rappel, how to cut webbing, and a caution on ‘open” slings. (Premium Members can read all of ‘em.) Premium Article available https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/climbing-tips-do-this-not-that-part-2x

A series of quick tips on best practices, with links to my detailed articles. This post covers: quad anchor tips, pre threading your haul pulley, the twist-free Munter rappel, how to cut webbing, and a caution on ‘open” slings. (Premium Members can read all of ‘em.) Premium Article available https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/climbing-tips-do-this-not-that-part-3

Don't you love it when your cold hands feel like there's 100 needles in each one, and to top it off, you feel like throwing up? Nah, me neither. But that's a pretty good description of the aptly named cold weather ailment, the “screaming barfies”. Learn what causes it and how to (maybe) prevent it. Premium Article available https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/what-are-the-screaming-barfies

As ice climbing season winds down, it becomes more important to consider environmental conditions as potential hazards. Here are five of them. Guest post from IFMGA Guide Kel Rossiter. https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/ice-climbing-environmental-red-flags

Retreat (aka bail) anchors or not something you hopefully do very often. But when you need to, there are some specific requirements. See examples of strong and simple rigging here. Premium Article available https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/alpine-retreat-anchors-part-2

Retreat (aka bail) anchors need to be strong enough for a rappel, use a minimum of gear and cordage, and be simple to rig so you can do it under potential stress. Learn the principles here. Premium Article available https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/alpine-retreat-anchors-part-1

Hooks are crucial gear for aid climbing, but they are a bit unusual: most require you to add a sling. Here are a few tricks and best practices for slinging your hooks. Premium Article available https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/how-to-sling-hooks-wwRJG

A series of quick tips on best practices. Most have links to my detailed articles if you want to learn more. This post covers: anchor hooks, extending a quickdraw, using a rebelay to protect a fixed rope, “alpine equalization” with cams, cautions on block leading, “casting” your rappel rope, and how anchor hardware can twist your rope. (Last 3 tips are for Premium Members.) https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/do-this-not-that-part-1

The normal way of cutting and melting a rope doesn't work too well with a rope with an aramid core, because it’s fireproof! Here's a simple and unconventional way to get a perfectly sealed cut on an aramid rope. https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog//how-to-cut-a-kevlar-core-rope

Have you seen another climber doing something that could be potentially lethal? How did you handle it? It's a tough call, and there are no right answers. Here's one approach. Premium Article available https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/how-do-you-offer-safety-advice-when-climbing

Sometimes when anchor building, carabiners can become loaded across the edge of a rock. This makes the carabiner much weaker, not good! Here are two ways to solve this problem. Premium Article available https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/how-to-avoid-edge-loading-carabiners

Having a good quality GPX track file of your intended route is very useful to help stay found and avoid epics. My website has more than 150 GPX files for Pacific NW routes. Here's how you can move them from my Google Drive onto your phone’s backcountry navigation app. Premium Article available https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/how-to-add-a-gpx-file-to-your-phone

When and where is the best use of locking carabiners on an anchor? On the gear or bolts? On the masterpoint? Is it a multi pitch anchor, or a toprope? Can I use lockers on “half” of the anchor? It's a contentious and important discussion, so let's take a look. Premium Article available https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/snapgate-or-locking-carabiners-on-anchors

If you have a fixed rope (either for a rappel or anchor) and it's loaded over an edge, you risk damaging it. Here's one method to easily move the load onto a sling and away from your rope. Premium Article available https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/protect-your-fixed-rope-from-edge-abrasion

Rappelling isn’t the only way to get down a cliff; another option is the self-lower. There are a few considerations, pros and cons, learn ‘em here. Premium Article available https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/descend-by-self-lowering

The last of a three part series: battle tested tips from Canadian ice climbing expert Will Gadd for keeping your hands (and feet) warm. Premium Article available https://www.alpinesavvy.com/blog/will-gadd-keeping-your-feet-warm-part-3