Hi
let’s start with an introduction: the following suggestions/questions are exclusively theorical.
So, suppose your party goes for a long and rather strenuous walk in the Alps, which involves scrambling, glacier walking etc etc. In this case you
A) Need a rope, harness and al the safety equipment
B) Want to cut off any excess weight as faster=safer.
Now, a (small) part of the hike consists in an easy via ferrata or maybe you find some chains on vertical terrain. You wouldn’t want to carry a VF kit as it’s too heavy and specialized, plus you already know that it’s impossible to achieve complete safety in an alpine environment. Basically you can think of it as an alpine scramble with extra points of protection, ie the cable/chain, the pegs, pigtails etc… What would you do? If you were to pitch it, how would you place protections? I think runners basket-hitched or girth hitched to the metal would do the trick… also quickdraws might have some issues fitting the cable and their rotation in case of a fall could be nasty.
Then, as you get up, how would you belay the second? Munter hitch?
Finally, on the way down, what do you think about lowering your second with a munter hitch and then downclimbing with a sling?
thanks, I hope this will result in an interesting debate