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Thin ropes


MysticNacho

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Just a thought.... why bother making the ultra thin ropes, such as the Bluewater Ice Floss- only 30-35 meters? (or whatever it is) You'd think most people would want a regular 50 or 60 to cut down on belay time. I'd understand if its a wandering pitch, but if that were the case you could always stop and belay whenever it tickled your fancy.

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MysticNacho said:

Just a thought.... why bother making the ultra thin ropes, such as the Bluewater Ice Floss- only 30-35 meters? (or whatever it is) You'd think most people would want a regular 50 or 60 to cut down on belay time. I'd understand if its a wandering pitch, but if that were the case you could always stop and belay whenever it tickled your fancy.

I'm not sure you are really a newbie, but for those who are, some advice about 30m glacier ropes. Don't use them if you are only a party of two unless it is a heavily travelled route, such as DC on Rainier. Unless there is another rope team to assist in a rescue, you don't have any extra rope to rig a Z-Pulley when tied into the ends of a 30 m rope.
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catbirdseat said:

I'm not sure you are really a newbie, but for those who are, some advice about 30m glacier ropes. Don't use them if you are only a party of two unless it is a heavily travelled route, such as DC on Rainier. Unless there is another rope team to assist in a rescue, you don't have any extra rope to rig a Z-Pulley when tied into the ends of a 30 m rope.

If you were a 2 person team, I guess you're hoping that your partner can prussik up the rope. Otherwise, would a C-Pulley use any less rope?

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JGowans said:If you were a 2 person team, I guess you're hoping that your partner can prussik up the rope. Otherwise, would a C-Pulley use any less rope?
If you are a two man rope team on a 30 m rope with no outside assistance, your only option is for your partner to prussik out of the crevasse. If he is injured, you are up shit creek. Ask Jim Wickwire.

 

A C-pulley needs more rope than a Z-pulley because the bight has to reach all of the way down to the fallen climber, whereas the Z-pulley needs to go only a few feet towards the lip.

 

In either case, you need some free rope. The only way to get free rope is to have a team of three on the rope, or if of two, to climb carrying coils.

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b-rock said:

A 60M length of Ice Floss weighs about 5.5 pounds, seems worth it to carry a little extra.

If you are a team of two, use the 60 m rope and tie in 30 m apart with each climber carrying coils of 15 m. Assuming you can get the rope anchored by yourself, which is no mean feat, you can then rig a Z-Pulley with the rope you carried in the coil. It's a tough haul for one guy with a Z-pulley, so you had better learn out to convert you 3:1 to a 5:1. If I were a single party of two, I would carry two pulleys per man and two flukes or pickets per man.

 

You have to realize that you take much greater risks travelling on glaciers this way if outside assistance is not readily available. I would never recommend travelling with fewer than three on a rope if you inexperienced.

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just giving a hard time. I would just assume you need some thin prusiks when the line gets thin like that, and it tends to saw into the bank of the slot deeply. I'd sure deal with that to save the weight though, if I could afford yet another rope cantfocus.gif it would just really suck though to find out your prusiks won't grip on your z when you really have to start cranking on the thing.

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Catbird-

I believe it is a better idea to travel on the middle third of the rope, with each climber carrying enough rope to reach the other. That way, you have the option of lowering a second rope to your victim after protecting the edge of the crevasse so it won't cut into the lip, and you can do things like haul up their pack, or rap down to provide first aid, or whatever else you may need to do.

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mattp said:

Catbird-

I believe it is a better idea to travel on the middle third of the rope, with each climber carrying enough rope to reach the other. That way, you have the option of lowering a second rope to your victim after protecting the edge of the crevasse so it won't cut into the lip, and you can do things like haul up their pack, or rap down to provide first aid, or whatever else you may need to do.

Yes, I've heard that. 20-20-20 on a 60 m rope. 20 m isn't a lot between you it seems to me. But you are right, if you want to reach the other climber on rappel you need an equal length of rope in the coil.
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I agree with MattP, and since my icefloss is 37 meters, it is enough (though not perfrect) for two people with slack coiled on each end for each to work with.

 

Using a single 8mm is fine in certain situations, on easy glaciers and on very easy alpine rock routes with a SHORT section of easy 5.0 to 5.6 rock. Say one ptich of low fifth that is 30 feet. A handful of nuts and a 37 meter ice floss is no problem.

 

I know some, maybe many, of you think its crazy, but I feel safe doing it. Maybe I'm wrong. confused.gif

 

I do use double ropes, double 9mm, on longer alpine routes and almost always on ice routes. Having the second rope to rap is wonderful. The belaying takes a little getting used to, but is not a real problem. Once you get it down you can really avaoid rope drag.

 

A side note: the ice floss' sheath seems to me to be much more slick than other ropes and I agree that one shopuld use a smaller prusik cord.

 

Good luck bigdrink.gif

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I think the Ice Floss short is 37 meters, not 30 m for what its worth...

I have pulled someone out of a crevasse with an Ice Floss, and it stayed dry, and yes the prusiks need to be smaller diameter than the ice floss..

I would only use it on lower angle glaciers, though.

edit-Rodchester post as I wrote mine....

TTT

Edited by To_The_Top
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you might want to be a little more than a 1/3rd of the way in on the rope since I bet that ice floss stretchs and it would be a pain if your left over coils didn't reach the guy due to rope stretch.

 

cbs- didn't mean to be a smartass sorry

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MysticNacho said:

Alright, pro's and con's of half ropes vs. twin ropes? I'm investing.

 

Twight does a good job of explaining the pro's and cons in EXTREME Alpinism. Basically twin's are less prone to gettin the chop than singles, lighter than half ropes. Half ropes can be used to reduce rope drag and are strong enough that many climbers will climb on a single half rope occasionally, (like glaciers, low 5th class).

 

Anyway, the best deal I found was $159.00 for a pair of Lanex 8.5mm x 60m at www.acmeclimbing.com.

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