Though every climber knows that to move efficiently they must travel light, the rules change on harder, steeper climbs where you’re forced to carry more. When carrying a small pack containing windbreakers, food and water up Tuolumne’s Regular Route (5.10a, 16-pitches) on Fairview Dome, the weight isn’t too bad since the route is generally less than vertical with plenty of places to sit and rest. However, when the pitch of the wall steepens, all that weight is now supported on your arms and shoulders, not legs and feet, making 5.9 feel like 5.10 and a 5.11 turn into a desperate 5.12.

Take Yosemite’s Astroman (5.11c; 1,100-feet), for example. A few years ago, my partner and I were halfway up the wall when he fatigued and we had to descend. The problem was not that he was incapable of climbing the grade; it was the combination of the heavy water and bulky gear he was carrying that was holding him back. Sure, we wanted to go light and fast, but this route requires over three sets of cams, plus we had to carry at least three liters of water each to keep properly hydrated. We rationalized that tougher climbers can do the route without hauling, but we decided to come back another day with a better plan for success.

Though hauling, especially when you think of big wall climbing, is often considered a drain on your time and energy, with a light bag and light haul line it can actually save energy, thus time, while allowing you to carry more. For example, 60- to 70-meters of 7-mm accessory cord, weighing 31-grams-per-meter and at a breaking strength of 1050-kilograms, is the perfect rope for day-hauling the likes of Astroman and other steep routes. I’ve even used this system, on rare occasion, up El Capitan.

The leader, trailing the 7-mm cord, carrying the Petzl Mini Traxion, (165-grams) no longer has to divvy up the extra gear with the follower. Add the ultralight Petzl Tibloc (39-grams), a rope-grab that works better for pulling the rope through the hauling device than your bare hands, especially if the load is over 30-pounds. (Personally, I don’t often use the Tibloc rope-grab method, choosing instead to wear belay gloves and pulling the rope up with my hands.) In addition, the follower doesn’t have to carry anything at all other than shoes, chalk bag and a harness when he/she begins climbing. By hauling, you can also carry extra gear, like bulky approach shoes (which are far better to descend in than climbing shoes), extra water, deli sandwiches and tasty Odwallas.

Once the leader is ready, the follower stuffs all the extra ingredients into the haul bag. What won’t fit on the inside can always be clipped on the outside of the pack; this goes for extra cams. Even the anchor that has just been cleaned can be stashed in the haul bag and the whole kit can be hauled up.

The key is having a haulable pack made of ballistic nylon, like the Black Diamond Bullet or REI Flash 18 Pack, that when loaded weighs no more than 40-pounds. To keep the system running smoothly, clip the Mini Traxion to the belay with an oval-shaped biner like the Omega Doval (37-grams), or an oval-shaped locker (for the safety conscious). This system used in conjunction with the simple/ultralight Tibloc saves the arms.

The Tibloc can be dangerous if used incorrectly. You must be sure to use it with a large pear-shaped biner, such as the Petzl Attaché HMS (80-grams), which has round edges, or you’ll risk core-shoting your tag line. (I made this mistake once while jugging a lead line – it was loud and terrible!) The big, smooth-sided locker works great as a hauling-handle and fits nicely on the rack when not in haul-mode.

Though still in use today on multi-day exploits up the Big Stone, once cumbersome hauling devices like the Rock Exotica Wall Hauler (250-grams), in combination with a full-sized ascender like the PMI Ultrascender (270-grams) and a beefy haul line, are overkill for today’s modern free-in-a-day climber. Enter the Mini Traxion, Tibloc, and 7-mm rope.

By hand-hauling a small pack, not only will you be able to comfortably bring more gear up steep routes, you can now treat harder routes as a picnic, literally. You no longer have to fill your pockets with energy-gel pockets to save weight while sustaining your blood sugar – you can now pack a full meal. And, at the end of the day, chances are you’ll still have water, plus handy headlamps, comfy descent shoes and your body won’t feel nearly as damaged since you hauled instead of carried your precious cargo up the wall. All this saved energy means you can climb harder and more often – and who doesn’t want that?

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