10 Uses for a Cordelette

By Scott Perkins, Head Guide

1) S.E.R.E.N.E. anchor when constructing a gear belay
2) Tie a ‘Quad’ for 2 piece belays and top ropes
3) Create an extended rappel with 3rd hand Autoblock
4) Escape a belay
5) Ascend a rope
6) Tie a “rescue spider” for tandem rappels
7) Cut it up for bail anchors
8) Lower a climber past a knot or rappel past a knot
9) Construct a hauling system
10) As an aider for that slightly ¬too¬-difficult crux move
A cordelette can be made of 6mm or 7mm nylon cord or 5.5mm Dyneema cord. I prefer to use 20 feet of 7mm cord for its strength, versatility, and resistance to fatigue. The cord can be permanently tied into a loop using double fisherman knots for nylon cord or triple fisherman for the Dyneema materials. Some climbers and guides prefer to leave the cord untied and add knots as needed, others choose to carry the cord in a Rabbit Ear configuration consisting of Overhand¬ on-a¬-bite or Figure¬ eight¬ on-¬a-¬bite knots tied at each end of the cord.