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HOW TO CARRY MOUNTAINEERING COILS

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Here is one method of shortening the rope between climbers to carry coils. The "Kiwi Coil" is commonly used for glacier travel and any other time that the entire length of the rope is not in use while you are traveling together. Follow the photos and instructions that follow.

Start by tying into the end of the rope just as you normally would for climbing. Then, start coiling the rope over your neck and around your hand (palm facing down) as in the photos 1 & 2.
Continue coliing up the rope until you have taken in the desired amount. Then, take the coils over the shoulder opposite the hand you were just coiling around. The free end of the rope should be coming down from behind that shoulder. Take this into that hand. Photos 3 & 4.
Now begins the tie off. Make a bight in the free end and pass it through your belay loop. Pull it through with your other hand. Pull out about 18" to 24". I like to call this tie off the "Napolean" because you now reach through the coils at your chest (like Napolean does with his nand in his jacket) and grab the bight with this hand. Photos 5, 6 & 7.
Now, draw the bight back through the chest coils to the other side. Then, take the bight and wrap it under the rope leading to your partner. Continue wrapping it around this strand and then make an over hand knot with the bight upon itself. Photos 8, 9 & 10.
It is important that the knot is finished with the end leading away from you. Finally, clip this end of the bight back into a locking carabiner on your harness. Photos 11 & 12. Now you are ready to go!