solo toproping techniques

[nerdom]

Petzl Shunt works well, and is cheap ($40). No chest harness required. Weight the bottom of the rope with your pack/gear/water bottle. Not to be used on overhanging routes, though.

Edited May 18, 2004 by nerdom

[KeithHow]

Wild Country Ropeman II. I use this A LOT. I think its helped my trad placements to rope solo and place lots of pretend gear and ponder.

[Lambone]

personally i would use and recomend using a Gri-Gri or a Shunt over a Petzl Ascender for a TR solo belay. I have a hard time trusting a single ascender as the only means of being connected to a rope. There have been many accounts of ascenders coming off a rope, on walls in yosemite for example. although this is usualy from cleaning on weird traverses and such, the danger is still there...

 

I have read that a Petzl pro and Mini- Taxion can be used for TR self belay, but I haven't used it for that purpose.

 

I like the advantage that the Gri-gri gives you if you want to lower down quickly to re-try a move.

[Alpinfox]

I think this forum should branch into hot belay chicks and we can have a ho down. I know mine is way hotter than yours Alpinfox.

 

Hey, please share your pics!

 

My REAL belay chick (not the one in the photo) is pretty hot.

[syklone]

Petzl Shunt works well, and is cheap ($40). No chest harness required. Weight the bottom of the rope with your pack/gear/water bottle. Not to be used on overhanging routes, though.

 

Yup, I use a Shunt to TR at Rocky Butte. You have to weight the rope, and using a chest harness would help it feed a little bit, but you can go just fine without it.