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Hummerchine

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Everything posted by Hummerchine

  1. One more thing I should have mentioned (and I appreciate everyone's input)...I've seen too many times where groups of climbers don't even know when they are going to be done with a climb so hog it by leaving their rope hanging there, waiting for someone to retrieve their gear left at the top...
  2. You see one of these? Clip it and lower off! That's the whole point of it being there! Me and my friends are constantly shocked to see climbers dicking around placing their own quickdraws and cordelettes...oftentimes leaving it up to an inexperienced second to figure out how to re-rig this mess. Once the steel carabiner wears out someday climbers like me will replace it with a new one...just like chains... Quicker (key in crowded climbing areas), easier, better (safer).
  3. The guy you mention is 100% wrong. Tie in like the manufacturer of the harness says...through both the waistband and the leg loops.
  4. Please explain what you mean by using a quicklink as a solo-belay device. Isn't a quicklink a removable chain link? I don't get at all how that can be used for solo-belay. Thank you!
  5. powderhound, Petzl is very clear about not using a Tibloc for this purpose and I completely agree with them. DrApnea, you mention a non-toothed device...which what you describe is...but you are still being routinely caught by a Micro-Traxion, which has teeth...and which personally I don't think is an issue. Tying knots in the rope when climbing anything hard is easier said than done...I strongly recommend another Micro-Trax!
  6. Haha! NICE! You are serious, aren't you? I mean, if you had one of these and wanted to work boulder problems...well, why not? Searching around the web I've found 'em up to 100 feet and over $1000. Also VERY heavy, some over 20 pounds. So like 80 times the weight of a Micro-Traxion, and VERY limited in what you can actually use it for. But hey...what the heck? I'm SERIOUSLY considering buying an ASAP, even though I know it's not the best all-around solo-belay device. But what is? Might be cool in my awesome home climbing gym...I ran into a post by Mark Hudon where he was using one to do up and down laps at a gym on routes he really didn't expect to fall on.
  7. Brian politely pointed out to me in a private message that I had mis-interpreted the video he posted. After watching it more closely I realize that he is absolutely correct! The falls on that video were set up to be much longer than the actual slippage of the ASAP. In fact, the slippage ranged from 9 to 30cm...far less than the 8 feet I mentioned. Sorry for my error Brian! This did in fact get me much more interested in the ASAP, along with the ASAP Lock. Petzl has tons of info on their website. The gear-slut in me wants to buy them both just to play with them! That'd be about $500 just for some fun... Those things do look wicked cool...makes me wish I worked on skyscrapers! Yes, they would work for solo-toproping. Best I can tell though,from the YouTube videos I watched, and all of the stuff on Petzl's website, I still don't think they are the device(s) of choice. For starters, they are both at least double the cost of a Micro-Traxion. The ASAP is triple the weight, the ASAP Lock five times. They are meant to be used as a primary safety device for industrial situations where you want to be able to move up and down next to a rope, and realistically where you hopefully never fall. Since I fall all the time solo-toproping, I want minimal extension in the device AND I want two separate devices. But that's just me... Biggest issue I see with the ASAP and ASAP lock is near the ground or a ledge. Petzl even has an entire page warning of this issue: http://www.petzl.com/en/Professional/ASAP-usage-when-approaching-an-obstacle-or-the-ground?ProductName=ASAP-LOCK&Familly=Mobile-fall-arrest-device&l=US#.VRhGzVzQRvI It's really hard to say, without owning and playing with these devices, how well they can be pre-loaded to deal with not hitting the ground. The ASAP Lock looks better suited for this purpose, but it also appears to require a built-in shock-absorbing lanyard that creates an extension all it's own. There are certainly situations out climbing where I rig in a way where if I fall it's only an inch or two...I just don't see that this can be done with the ASAP or ASAP Lock. I also don't know if they "stick" to the rope after a fall like the Mini-Traxion does. I thought this was interesting: The ASAP B71 and ASAP B71 AAA models have no locking function. It is possible to deliberately lock them by a quick downward pull, to keep them in a higher position. Apart from cases where user safety is at stake, this deliberate locking is not recommended, as repeated deliberate impacts can accelerate wear of the ASAP, and a simple involuntary movement can unlock it without the user's knowledge. This implies that the ASAP will wear out if a bunch of falls are taken? I also find it telling that Petzl never even mentions these units on their pages of solo-toproping info. Even they don't find it to be the device of choice. This is simply my opinion. Dead serious, those things do look insanely cool for their intended function. In fact, I want them! But not enough to spend $500. But I can certainly see how some people, especially if they already owned one for work purposes, could enjoy using them for solo-toproping!
  8. I'm really liking that 2:1 haul system idea...I'm gonna try that with one of my Micros after tying into the rope before disengaging it.
  9. Hey John (telemarker): Really great description and solution...I like it! What I DON'T like is using one Mini (as I've told you at least 100 times). Since you have the Basic with you...why not use it as a backup for the Mini while climbing?
  10. I already mentioned it too Brian...but as cool as the ASAP is, it ain't the device to buy for solo-TR! It costs twice as much as a Micro-Traxion, weighs 4 times more, is bulkier, but the true deal-breaker is the broken bones if you fall near the ground or a ledge! That video shows it taking 8 feet to catch you...with rope stretch it's gonna be more. No way to pre-load it near such obstacles... Definitely the device of choice for professional skyscraper work. But even if I already owned one I'd buy two Micros for solo-TRing...
  11. To those asking how to escape the system, that's when things turn from super simple to rather complicated...like you need to know gear and how to use it! I don't have this happen very often, but once in a while while solo-toproping I'll fall on a section numerous times and be unable to do it. Worst case scenario, which I just had happen last week, you fall on on overhanging section and can't even get back on the rock. So now you have four choices: 1) Hang there until you die or somebody finds you. 2) Use your sell phone to call a rescue (only works if you have a cell phone with you and have reception). 3) Rappel (I never do that...it's always a move or two, better to aid that section and continue upwards). 4) Ascend. The simplest and easiest solution is to have two jumars and two ascenders with you, just jug the rope. Personally, I NEVER do that since I don't want to carry that extra gear. Starting out solo-TR though? Not a bad idea... Heck, you are hanging on two ascenders of sorts...even though they are not currently rigged for ascending, you can jury rig a way. Good idea to at least have a couple of slings for makeshift etriers. I've even used quickdraws in this fashion...or knots in the rope with large bights. Of course you can also rig to rap using knots and/or prussiks...there are countless ways to retrieve yourself, pretty much all involve some ingenuity and technical gear knowledge/experience. Big wall techniques are quite helpful. It's ironic, a part of me wants to recommend solo-toproping to the masses since it can be so quick, easy, safe, and convenient with a minimal amount of gear. This discussion is the crux of it though...without extensive knowledge/ex[erience you can still get yourself in all kinds of trouble, including death. So ya...don't try this at home.
  12. Huh...interesting. For what you describe (Rad) I can see your point. Even though I've done massive amounts of solo-toproping, including routes over my head that in my mind I'm "working"...I have never worked on route "sections" like that. I'm thinking I should! For what you describe, a Mini-Traxion might actually work better...you CAN fully lock the cam out on those, and I don't think they will click back in on their own. Don't you have to manually feed the Cinch? If I'm correct, how does that allow you to work desperate sections? And as I sit here babbling and thinking about it, if your primary device is a Cinch you could always lock it off (hang on it), remove the Micro, rap, then reattach...using backup knots below you if you want to be really safe. You aren't going to be "dangling in space" as much as you are going to be locked off on a Cinch. Sounds awfully similar to what I have done thousands of times with two Micros rather than just one. You aren't going to drop it...and if you do, a small price to pay for the added security/safety of redundancy to prevent death. The best insurance is insurance you pay for yet never use...
  13. Hey Rad, I always remove my Micros before rapping down again so I didn't know about the cam clicking thing. I just checked my unmodified Micro, and sure enough it doesn't take much pressure to reengage the cam. Maybe it's Petzl's way of helping to ensure that the cam isn't locked out. I recommend never locking the cam out...I did that way back in the day with Minis and caught myself more than once climbing with a cam locked out. It takes me maybe 30 seconds to remove both Micros from the rope, maybe another 30 to put 'em back on.
  14. Petzl has lots of good stuff on their website...read all of it! http://www.petzl.com/en/Sport/Appendix-2--Detail-of-installation-on-two-ropes-with-two-ascenders?ActivityName=Multi-pitch-climbing&l=INT#.VQ-y-xhHaK0
  15. Here's more...along with why you should never trust one device: http://www.petzl.com/en/Sport/Appendix-1--Petzl-does-not-recommend-using-only-one-ascender-for-self-belaying-?ActivityName=Multi-pitch-climbing&l=US#.VQ-xGxhHaK0
  16. Pulling the rope through the shunt is a HUGE downside in my opinion. An even huger downside is Petzl's opinion: http://www.petzl.com/en/Sport/FAQ/can-i-use-the-shunt-to-self-belay?l=INT#.VQ-vmBhHaK0
  17. Here are my current fav devices. You can see on the Micro at the bottom where I've milled off the small lockout pin on the back of the cam.
  18. Brian, I've checked those things out on Petzl's website and they look wicked cool...definitely the way to go for your high-rise work! As much as I'd dig trying 'em out, even gear-slut me ain't gonna buy a set. Much heavier and more expensive than Micro-Traxions. I keep my setup in my climbing pack full time because I use it so often, so weight does matter. Plus, that ASAP looks like it does allow you to fall a ways before it catches you (correct me if I'm wrong). That seems like a big issue if climbing hard near the ground or over a ledge. With the Micros you can pre-load the rope to get all stretch out in those situations. Still cool hearing about your use of those though! Wallstein, cool keychain mod!
  19. And I think I'm the ultimate gear slut...I hang my head in shame! I'd never even heard of the Lift until you mentioned it. It looks like it works on exactly the same principle as the Ushba...and some other devices that have been on the market. NOT the same as anything Petzl has ever made. But it's almost as light as a Micro-Traxion, and like half the cost. I did used to use the Ushba as my primary device many years ago, back up with a Petal Basic Ascender. You could do something like that, or even back it up with a regular Petzl Ascender. I kinda like the idea of two totally different devices...always have, for ultimate redundancy. It's just after using Mini's and now Micro's for so many years...they really are the ultimate devices. If you use an Ushba, or a Lift, or anything similar...on one rope...make absolutely certain that it's your primary device. If your primary was a Micro-Traxion for instance, and you had a Lift on the same rope as a backup...IT WOULD NOT HOLD. The Micro would slide down the rope, hit the Lift, which would prevent it from torquing properly on the rope and it would also slide. In reverse order, if the Lift slide down and hit the Micro, the cam in the Micro would still hold. If you have not actually seen a Lift or and Ushba you should check them out...they don't actually have cams in them. Hard to describe without seeing one.
  20. Good recommend on a cell phone...I forgot to mention that. Having a cell phone with you, whatever form of climbing you are doing, adds yet another level of safety.
  21. I've been solo-toproping since 1987...I'm guessing long before anyone on this thread, and long before the term even existed to my knowledge. Plus I've done massive amounts of it ever since. Heck, I solo-led El Cap that same year (using a clove-hitch on a locking 'biner)...and have once more since (using a Slient-Partner), along with a bunch of other solo-leads. Mainly solo-toproping though. Actually, I LOVE solo-toproping. My favorite form of climbing is to go out with a good friend...but I also need to be my myself sometimes. It also fits into my busy schedule...there are may days I have some time to climb, but I don't know when...and/or may not have a partner available. So that first year I started, I thought I was doing something no one had ever done before, Probably not too far off the truth. My first rig that I made up was completely ridiculous: I basically set up a big wall hauling system at the top of a cliff (Sunshine Wall) with a hauling pulley counterweighted with a gallon of water. Don't ask me how I released the gallon of water from below, because I don't remember (pretty sure it required a second rope). Let's just say this is an obscenely complicated way to solo toprope, plus it has the hideous flaws of too much tension in the system, no slack, and really no good way to bail if you can't do the climb. I DO NOT recommend this. So I moved on...since then I've used a single rope system with two devices. The Rock Exotica Microcender, the Ushba rig, Wild Country rigs, Petzl basic and full ascenders... What really hit home with me was the Petzl Mini-Traxion. This was long before you heard about others using it...obviously most came to the same conclusion as me. This was the device of choice. Uhhhh....until they came out with the Micro-Traxion. Not to imply that Minis aren't perfectly fine...but Micros are better. They are smaller, lighter, tricker...and they don't "stick" to the rope. One flaw with Minis is that if you are trying a climb that is completely desperate for you...that you ultimately can't do...well, you can't even try as hard as you'd like because once you have fallen the Mini will "stick" to the rope. As in, if you can't pull up onto the rock at all...the Mini won't release from the rope and will start to pull the rope up with it. Not a big problem on something you can actually climb, because you can whack the thing with one hand to release it. But on something really desperate you can't let go with either hand to do that, so you have to give up trying the route. Ah...but the Micro does not have this problem! It always releases all by itself! So for me, and I'm sure most others, this is a huge plus. Btw, I weight the rope with a liter and a half water bottle. This gives me water to drink too. Personally, I think static ropes are a poor choice for solo-toproping. I know many use them...and many of those people are far better climbers than I. I still think they are a bad choice. In fact, I don't like static ropes for any climbing purpose at all. I am the ultimate gear slut, currently own maybe 20 ropes. NONE of them are static ropes. Static ropes scare the crap out of me. I can visualize way too many opportunities to die using them. Drop your haul bag on El Cap? Die. Cut your lead line on El Cap? I've had this happen, on The Shield...thank god we had a second Stratos rope as our haul rope that we could take over the lead with. Fall solo-toproping with any slack in the system, or near the anchor? I have a messed up back...no way. How about if you are out solo-toproping and meet someone to climb with? I have met a great friend this way...good thing I didn't have a stupid static rope with me! Or what if you need to solo-lead up Jello Tower or something to set up your solo-TR rig? I just see no point in owning a static rope....with one exception. If you are Alex Honnold (or equivalent) and want to do laps on a 600m cliff or something using one rope...well, I can see that. As to teeth on cams damaging your rope? I've seen this mentioned on numerous threads, and I cry BS. Any damage caused by solo-toproping or jumaring is completely insignificant compared to wear and tear caused by normal climbing...especially lowering off of climbs. I also did an experiment once in my home climbing gym. I had a very old 8mm rope (like 20 years old, beat up). I rigged a factor 4 fall. Well, actually rigged a factor 2...but climbed up a ladder maybe 10 feet above the anchor and hurled a 25 pound weight plate towards the ground as hard as I could...creating what I'm guessing was a factor 4 fall over 20 feet. The rope was held at the anchor by a Mini-Traxion. I did this until the rope broke...well, that was the plan anyway. After 20 hurls I gave up. The rope was completely unscathed. As to the Mini-Traxions and Micro-Traxions having an issue with the cams being able to be locked open, I concur that this is a very significant issue that could kill you. That's one reason I always use two devices...I've had one locked open myself. Both devices can be easily modified with a Dremel...or better yet, in my case a dental lab handpiece...so that they cannot be locked open. I STRONGLY recommend that. Petzl has some wonderful info on their website...which I bow down to them for publishing. Read it. DO NOT USE ONE DEVICE. They make it very clear that multiple people have died using one device. All it takes is your shirt, a piece of webbing, a twig, whatever to fall into the cam, it don't lock, you die. I did like the suggestion of tying a knot in the rope above the ground to prevent a ground fall...but that's easier said than done, and a PITA. Two Micros take like 30 seconds to set up on the ground. One on your belay loop, the other on a half-runner girth hitched to harness (if the climbing is hard near the ground, pre-load them). Sure, I guess it's more like real climbing to use a GriGri or Cinch...but you still better back them up, and honestly this just holds zero interest to me. I've seen people doing it, and after using Mini's or Micro's it just looks annoying. (No offense to anyone, just my opinion) I've found that on particularly hard any/or overhanging routes, using an impromptu chest harness helps. Normally I like half a foot of slack or so in my system to allow for changes in body position without tension. However, there are times you don't want any slack at all. The quickest and easiest solution I have found is to use a double-length Mammut dyneema runner through the carabiner attachment hole in the top Mini or Micro, then around your shoulders. Hey...I forgot to mention DMM Belay Master 2 Carabiners or equivalent. Solo-toperoping is the safest form of climbing that I do. I see no reason to make it anything but crazy safe. I mean, you ARE alone doing it most of the time...and it takes so little gear, effort, or time to make it super bomber. Just do it! Did I say super-bomber? I guess I did! I've gone nuts with this...on single ropes I'm using a Petal Stop to rap, plus I tie a knot in the rope part way down it the start of the rap is awkward (like the Sunshine Wall). Petzl's info has inspired me to use two ropes much of the time. Well, not really two ropes...but one tied into the anchor at the mid-point, me rapping two ropes (better friction), me using a Micro on each rope. I tie the ropes together near the ground with an offset knot where each rope is a slightly different length, then clip in my water bottle in the loop below the knot. That way each rope is weighted the same. Two ropes are especially inspiring if there are any edges that the rope travels over, and/or if you plan on multiple falls. Enough babbling...hope this helps!
  22. Please keep in mind all, reasonable minds can differ. So can unreasonable minds. I have seen both examples posted on this thread. Personally, I can see both sides of this argument. The "bolts are bad, don't place them" to "anything goes". I fall in the middle with the overwhelming majority. But I deeply respect and appreciate everyone's opinion, just as long as they are not being rude or degrading...which some here are. "Convenience Bolts"...if that's what you want to call them...are a way of the world at virtually every crag these days. Don't get me wrong...I agree, bolts should never be added to climbs on the route, especially when crack protection is available. But most climbers...myself included...want to be able to safely and easily rappel from routes. Which is why we all find wonderful bolted rap stations at belays around the world...placed with the time and expense of numerous Good Samaritans that I BOW DOWN too! Let's just look at WA: Just about every route at Index would be a great place to start. Sure, you can argue that there should be no bolted rap stations and every climber who climbs anything should go all the way to the top of either the lower or upper town wall and hike off. How many do that? Rap anchors make climbing safer, far more time and climber efficient, letting us all spend the precious free time we have pursuing the sport we love. It's true...I don't have the time or inclination to climb dangerous choss. And yes, I am blessed with a wonderful family that I want and need to get back home too. So for me...and the overwhelming majority of climbers around the world... Rap stations are an acceptable trade-off. It gets us quickly and safely off of climbs...and frees them up for others, and for us to do more good climbing. Just like the roads and cars we drive to actually get to the crags. I do feel awful for those who dislike roads and bolted rap stations...I have no suggestion other than not using them. Walk to the crag and don't use the bolts...sorry, that was being a bit of a smartass, but at some level you just gotta chill and accept what the majority deems appropriate. Heck, with a great attitude you will see the advantages! I mean, do you really want to walk to the crag and climb choss? That is my strong opinion...and I respect the opinion of most all! Sorry, but a few of you are too rude and obnoxious to respect... Respectfully, Tom Michael
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