If your alpine rack had just 1 piece, what would it be?

Helmet

Valley Giant - they have the biggest range

Toilet paper. Otherwise I'd be shitting my pants.

Rock shoes.

Actually have made this exact decision before. There's lots of scrambly low-to-mid-5th class alpinish rock out there that can be climbed in approach shoes or mountain boots, but I'd want a belay. With rock shoes on, I feel way more solid and am OK soloing it. Since rock shoes weigh a lot less than a rope and rack, they're the way to go.

HGH

Hank Caylor prepared for a tandem jump. Wahoooooooooo!

1 piece?

#1 Camalot

Christian George wrote:

ProtoPipe

So 1999, so heavy, flame and flower required. The pros have all moved on to JuJu joints.

Bolt gun. No brainer. 

David Hous wrote:

Valley Giant - they have the biggest range

One knife. Perfect as a slung chock, can kill marmots for food, can cut off my partner when they're hanging over an edge over an ice crevasse, and can end things when I realize that if I can't solo it, a one piece rack probably ain't gonna cut it.

Em Cos wrote:

Bolt gun. No brainer. 

Awful bummer having that with no 'biners. One piece rack and all.

a bunch of rope pieces to tie knots in as pro

Sean H wrote:

Awful bummer having that with no 'biners. One piece rack and all.

Well not having biners isn't going to be any more of a problem than it is for all those other pieces of gear people are choosing. At least when I have to untie and thread directly through the gear, I'm not through a sling that may burn through in a fall. ;)

The best answer so far is 13cm ice screw. You can always get down with one of those. If you need a piece of gear going up while soloing you are in deep trouble.

Steven Kovalenko wrote:

The best answer so far is 13cm ice screw. You can always get down with one of those. If you need a piece of gear going up while soloing you are in deep trouble.

Why not bring a 16 or 19 so you can rap off a v-thread.

Alexander K wrote:

Why not bring a 16 or 19 so you can rap off a v-thread.

Because a 13cm no-thread in good ice is still fine from a rappel anchor strength perspective. And it's lighter than a 16 or 19cm screw. This is a one piece rack ;)

Whiskey

If you only have 1 piece is it a rack?

Even while hypothetically only carrying one piece, people are still trying to save weight by taking those damn tricams!