solo toproping techniques

[shapp]

Many people been selling soloists or giving them away. Some have said the work for hands free solo toproping. I am not sure this can be done if rigged in the intended manner, although the rope feed real smooth leading. The only method I am aware of that works pretty good for straight routes, especially good for columnar basalt cracks, is by using an ascender and a chest harnes with a fixed rope. The rope at the bottom is coiled to hang a foot or so off the ground to provide weight so the ascender is free to slide up smoothly at the start of the route. Also, I have seen this old Austrian dude at Smith that drilled a hole through a round river cobble stone that probably weighed a few pounds and attached the stone to the lower end of the rope with a prusik type knot. Either way the bottom of the rope is weighted to allow the ascender to slide smoothly. When done properly there is not slack in the system and no shock loading when falling. Usually you jus slip off and hang. I have used this system with a static line and a petzel jug on probably well over 100 pitches, usuall on fairly straight cracks about 50 to 100 feet tall. I have never had a problem and never have heard of a problem, although it is possible that the jug could come unclipped from the rope. A way to further reduce this possiblity may be to use a gibbs ascender. What are other methods and has anyone ever heard of the ascender method failing?

[Alpinfox]

Gri-Gri.

 

It ain't great cuz you gotsta pull dah rope tru dah ting, but it works. I use it because I own one. Supposedly it can fail if something presses against the top and prevents cam from engaging.

 

I've heard of ascenders coming undisreattached from da rope when some poor sucker was jugging. Thus the wisdom behind tying in periodically.

 

I prefer to get a hot girl to be my belay slave. Any takers?

 

Info on solo TR from Tradgirl.com

Edited May 11, 2004 by Alpinfox

[Jim]

I've used two Gibbs ascenders. It's just about impossible for the rope to come out of those give that cotter pin backup. But just in case I've used two. I've weighted the rope with a pack and that has worked fine. That said - I would much rather go with a partner but it's adds variety to just bouldering.

[Squid]

ditto what Foxy says

[Alpinfox]

ditto what Foxy says

 

You like hot belay babes too!?!?

 

 

[Squid]

who, me?

[miller]

ushba basic ascender. pretty much bomber, no chest harness necessary, and hands free (just tie up the leftover rope at the bottom so there is some weight). using a locking steel biner isnt a bad idea - otherwise make sure you trick out a regular locking biner so that there is no possible way of it crossloading.

[Billygoat]

Yates Rocker.

 

Really safe, really smooth, really simple.

[cj001f]

using a locking steel biner isnt a bad idea - otherwise make sure you trick out a regular locking biner so that there is no possible way of it crossloading.

Your ascender will probably kill the rope before a cross loaded biner would break...

[ashw_justin]

For anyone averse to using complicated mechanistic approaches to solo toprope, it is easy to rig a prussik to self-feed along the rope by dragging a pulley underneath it. I.e. both the prussik and pulley are clipped into your harness. Loosen the prussik enough to feed, then as you are climbing, your upward movement causes the pulley to push the prussik up the rope, without tightening. When you weight your harness, the pulley falls away and the prussik tightens, catching your fall. Since you are on toprope, you shouldn't have to worry about overloading the prussik. Oh and you do need to weight the hanging end of the rope to facilitate proper rope feeding.

 

I've used this system several times, and its one drawback is the need to re-loosen the prussik knot when you want to continue climbing.

[shapp]

Now that is what I am talking about. We have heard of something new today. Thanks ashw_justin

[ashw_justin]

Now that is what I am talking about. We have heard of something new today. Thanks ashw_justin

 

no problem, I can't take complete credit though, I had been doing it with just a prussik (requires a free hand to feed the knot) until I saw another guy doin' it with the pulley at a local "crag".

[Billygoat]

That is very creative.

 

Two prussics would be safer tho IMESHO

[ashw_justin]

Yeah, unless the prussiks interfere with each other and prevent each others' tightening. That's why I only use one. If you were really worried you could tie a knot or two below the pulley after a bit of climbing. I've also tried solo-toproping with a Reverso in auto-locking mode, and the manual rope feeding is horrible.

[snoboy]

You know what I do that works really well?

 

I use a Petzl ascender, clipped in at the top, so it feeds properly, and it's also harder for the rope to unclip. Then I tie a short prussic just above that, and clip it into the same biner as the ascender.

 

The ascender pushes the prussic up, but it's there in case the ascender should pop. Never locks up, because it's never loaded.

 

Like this:

 

[high_on_rock]

Anyone have any strong feelings about using a Petzl Tibloc pushing a prussic up the rope?

[rbw1966]

Tiblocs will shred your rope big time if you shock load it.

[Wallstein]

A petzl mini traction or protraction works really well for toprope soloing. Petzl even shows using a traction for this exact application. I know numerous people that use this setup and have never had a problem. I use it without a backup and have fallen plenty of times on it. I almost always use a fatty static rope but a dynamic will also work.

[Billygoat]

Nice snoboy, I didn't see that one. very creative.

[backcountrydog]

ive used the ushba basic ascender for years w absolutely flawless performance. no teeth to chew the rope. feeds smoother than anything else out there imo. the only back-up i use (if at all) is just clipping an ascender about half way up the climb and leaving it there. u could clip a jug to the end of a daisy and drag it up the rope below u if u were worried about it.

[Dru]

i have the ushba too. tests indicate it will sever the rope with a force of 5 kN or greater.

 

those who use prussiks only might want to look out for what can happen with a dynamic fall on a prussik ie. melting cord etc

[EWolfe]

Does the tibloc shred the rope more than a traditional ascender because of the non-mechanical aspect of the cam action?

 

I don't trust it as much as an ascender for solo, but IMHO, ascenders with a chest harness is a solid solo device. I always use back-up knots every 15 feet or so.

 

I am giving this thread some stars.

[arlen]

I use a Petzl Microscender. It won't pop off, it has a cam instead of teeth (theoretically it'd absorb some of a big fall force by sliding to a stop), and it slides easier than a prussik going up or a toothed ascender going down. It feels good catching a fall, but sitting back on it is kinda scary at first.

 

But this thread shoulda been over with soon as someone mention the Yates Rocker

[Billygoat]

The leader must not fall

[EWolfe]

rope-solo a stack of