Dru Posted August 6, 2002 Posted August 6, 2002 So I was out yesterday playing... exploring obscure granite crags near Hope. Took the drill, placed an anchor bolt. With huge rack started up a corner placing Kbs, microcams, hooks... moving my doubled clove hitches along the rope for self belay as it was described to me how to do ( I climbed a 10m route at Squamish this way once to test the system and even fell on it so it must work...) Got into a roof with loose blocks. 1 and 2 Camalot pinched down to blue TCu thru a flake then 3.5 cams over the roof. Moss started in earnest.... Found a mossy offwidth leading upwards. Payed out 30 feet of slack thru the clove hitches then started running it out pushing #4 camalot up with me. stopped half way to sink a baby angle in a seam on the side for pro. Made it to a ledge. As it continued munge 5.6 to the top of the crag i decided to end climb on the ledge. so i placed the #4 and a wired nut equalized and rapped off. jugged back up removing gear. decided to rap off bolt station. whipped out drill and fired in 2 holes. sketchy compression bolts were super hard to pound into the holes (maybe 10mm bolts in 9mm holes) so i left them 3/4 placed and rapped sketchily off the resulting mess all tied up with some sort of american triangle.... the route was 5.8 A1+ but the rappel would probably be about A3..... anybody got any secrets for free climbing while aid soloing other than giving yourself loads of slack through the clove hitches and givin er, i would like to hear them... Quote
Lambone Posted August 6, 2002 Posted August 6, 2002 I think if there was a better way, people wouldn't spend alot of $ on thos fancy soloist devices... I use a gri-gri. When at the top of a pitch, the weight of the rope tends to pull the slack through the device for you. This is something to watch out for (before you realize it you might have 20ft of slack), but most of the time its a benefit. I allways use a back up figure 8 just in case. It's not smart to put all your chips onto a gri-gri. Have fun Dru, solo aiding rules! Quote
Dru Posted August 7, 2002 Author Posted August 7, 2002 would also appreciate suggestions for making the transition of stepping out of aiders into free climbing without daisys or aiders getting caught on stuff and trying to pull you off as you start freeing with 30 feet of slack out.... Quote
Lambone Posted August 7, 2002 Posted August 7, 2002 I use three aiders, and leave the third free one on the last piece before the free climbing section. Then I flip my daisies over my shoulders, or clip them on to the back of the rack and pray they don't get caught on something. Quote
kevin Posted August 7, 2002 Posted August 7, 2002 I've done a fair amount of solo aid with just a clove hitch. Pretty much any time I have to free a section I'm scared shitless. For the transition out of the aiders, it really helps to do an extra aid move (hook or something of the cracks has ended) so that you can step out of the aiders without having to go up. If you have a good stance you can clip a couple of the loops of the daisy and aider to the biner to keep it from dragging behind. Often, you done have that oppotunity, though. I use a homemade chest harness/double gear sling so I can clip the biner to the sternum strap which keeps the daisys somewhat out of the way and then I flip the aiders over my shoulder so they are somewhat our of the way. When they do get caught up below you, the best option is usually to curse out loud. Actually, I got an aider stuck in a crack while free a section near the top of the prow and was in a really committing move, so I just unclipped it and left it there. I still had three aiders which was enough to finish the pitch. Then I retrieved it when I rapped down to clean the pitch. I haven't ever used any of the solo devices, but I would imagine they make the free climbing a lot less stressful. I just keep hearing all the "rare exceptions" where they won't catch a fall. I know that my clove hitch is pretty fail-proof. I have taked several falls, including a 15-20 foot factor two, on the clove hitch and it has never slipped an inch. Despite that I still usually back it up with a figure 8. Aid soloing is super fun - keep experimenting. That seemed to be the key for me. Quote
Yos Posted August 7, 2002 Posted August 7, 2002 Adjustable fifi works good when jumping from aid to free. Hang off your last piece, wrap up your daisy/aiders, and take off. Stop dorking around with cloves and get a gri gri. Quote
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