Hey Krazy1.....let's look at roped solo climbing for a minute.

[Thinker]

OK, I think this one deserves it’s own topic.

 

quote:

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Originally posted by krazy 1:

Ok I got one...

 

I was over in the Icicle just the other weekend going to work on a solo route, there were two other climbers coming off the route I wanted to go up. So I waited set my anchor, got on the rope was about ready to climb... the guy said "So what do you think about this idea?... I have never done any soloing, but I thought that if I could use my pack as an anchor and used like a grigri to belay with and just let the grigri fall through the rope as I went up,... it would should work... right?" my response was..."even if the pack was heavy enough to slightly anchor you, do you have any idea what the hell would happen if you fell? - lets think about it, your pack weights X amount, you weight 200+ pounds (this guy was freaking tall)......... the volocity of that fall would be so great ............."

we just looked at each other, i went on my way up the wall, the dumbass ..... i don't freaking care where he went.

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We walked away from our encounter with you shaking our heads, too. For the time being I’m going to essentially ignore the ‘dumbass’ comment and assume that you and I were having a poor communication day.

 

As you confirmed in your post, I was upfront about having never soloed, nor do I plan on attempting it in the near future, but I have thought about it. I admire your gumption, to each their own……..

 

So, here’s the solo climbing system I tried to describe that day (I’d like to have the forum’s opinion on it):

The set-up is based on a modified toprope scenario (as was yours that day).

1. Anchor the rope at the top of the climb by tying a fig8 on a bight near one end of the rope and clip into the anchor of your choice.

2. Throw the rope down the intended route, with the other end touching the ground.

3. Once back at the base of the climb, tie a butterfly (or other appropriate knot) a near the ground and attach your pack on it, a 5 or 10 lb pack should suffice, and would really depend on the tension req’d to pull rope thru the self-belay device. The pack would actually set on the ground and, for the sake of this discussion, lets assume there are 6 inches of slack in the rope.

4. Hook up your choice of self-belay device (including a gri-gri, as you’re so inclined) and climb away.

5. As you move up the rope, having the rope pseudo ‘anchored’ at the bottom would minimize the number of times you’d actually have to pull the rope thru your gri-gri, as the tension on the bottom would pull it thru as you climb.

6. In the event of a fall the only downward camming force on the gri-gri (the force trying to unlock the gri-gri) would be the weight of the rope (reference the 6 inches of slack in point #3.) Hopefully your gri-gri would catch you! (I say this tongue-in-cheek as the only time I’ve ever been dropped has been by a belayer using a gri-gri…..I REALLY dislike them….)

 

For completeness, the system I say you using was this:

1. Climber tied into one end of the rope.

2. Rope ran from the climber to the top anchor and back down to the climber, where it then ran thru the gri-gri on the climber’s harness.

 

Potential advantages to the system I describe, as compared to the one I saw you using are:

1. The climber has less rope management issues while climbing.

2. When the climber does have to stop and fuss or pull rope thru the self-belay device, he/she doesn’t have to pull 2x the distance just climbed, as you did while using your system.

3. It’s possible to climb longer routes, as the climber is not limited to routes ½ the total length of the rope.

 

Potential disadvantages of soloing with a gri-gri using either system:

1. As one climbs high enough that there is significant amount of rope coming out the ‘hand’ side of the gri-gri, the weight of the rope may tend to cam the gri-gri in such a way as it decreases it’s tendency to grab the rope in the event of a fall.

 

So, Krazy1, does that make any more sense to you?

 

Forum, shoot some holes in all this and tell us how YOU solo.

 

And, for the record, this is all in the spirit of promoting safe climbing and a healthy exchange of ideas. If it turns out I really am a ‘dumbass’ about roped solo climbing, at least I’m a dumbass climbing within the bounds of what I know best, that of many years of roped climbing with good partners (with the exception of the beginner who dropped me using the damned gri-gri in the gym.)

[sk]

If I am reading you corectly that is esentualy the system Jk and I use to climb alone. have some funky petzle(?) solo device. we leave the majority of the rope in the rope bag, climb the rope that comes up from the bag to the anchor then there is the Fig.8 on a bite, and just enough rope to reach the ground for use in the rap down... does that make sense. it is so hard to explain with out PICTURES!!!! btw. we climb alone on SHORT routes that are easily top rope-able. I have seen other people do way crazy things including climbing on a rope with LOPPS on it and clipping with a beenier every 3 moves or so.

 

sk

[Greg_W]

The system you describe for solo toproping sounds viable; one I have used myself. The only drawback is that there is no redundancy in the system. Redundancy can be achieved by backtying (as in when jugging fixed lines) or, if you are self-belaying with an ascender, attaching a Prusik above or below your main belay device.

 

Greg W

[Lambone]

Thinker,

 

I think your plan is fine. I use the same system while setting routes in the gym. I tie a bucket of holds onto the bottom of the rope so the weight will pull the slack through the gri-gri for me. It works pretty well, except that you end up using more energy pulling up the weight with every move. I usually only use this onclimbs under my limit.

 

The only main disadvantage I see is that you cannot back yourself up. You are putting all your trust into that gri-gri. If something should happen that would prevent it from camming, you'll hit the deck. This requires that you pay close attention to it and make sure that the lever isn't getting caught by anything on your harness.

 

I have taken many falls with this system, and it has allways worked fine.

 

In my opinion, that krazy1 person has a pretty lame attitude. If you don't understand what someone is doing, either shut the hell up and walk away or shut the hell up listen and learn something, but don't go spraying about it on the inernet in such a non-sensical manner.

 

Good day, have fun!

[sk]

IMHO, krazy1 and thinker just had a missunderstanding. so here we are to help them work it out. They are both intellegent people. not a big deal, it is easy to miscomunicate everyone, take a deep breath and remember that we are all in this together play NICE

 

sk

[Thinker]

Lambone,

 

I thought we actually had a decent conversation that day. She was eager to set up her solo rig, we wanted to watch a bit. I think we both parted shaking our heads a bit. My gf and I mostly because, from our persepective at least, soloing that far from the road (3 Blind Dikes) at a rock few people go to, without a helmet, is significantly more risk than either of us is willing to take...but to each their own...

 

I still want her take on this, though. I'm not out to slam anyone.

 

[ 08-08-2002, 11:27 AM: Message edited by: Thinker ]

[Lambone]

Thats cool, I just read her post and though "what the hell "

 

Sometimes people need to remember that there is more than one way to do things, and we can all learn from eachother. Have fun.

[Thinker]

And, as long as we're at it, does anyone here use a soloist or similar device to lead climbs?

[Dru]

Solo toproping system.

 

Get a Ushba "Basic Ascender" or Petzl Shunt.

 

Tie rope to top of cliff at anchors with a big ol' knot.

 

Weight the other end of the rope (bottom of the cliff) like with a pack or by tying it to an anchor or just making a hanging coil with the extra rope.

 

Put shunt/basic on rope. Clip to tie in loop with locking biner. Best to use a DMM belay master or similar to avoid cross loading potential.

 

Climb route. Shunt/basic slides up rope as you climb. if you fall it locks off.

 

{if you cant do a section, you cant just grab rope and lower/rap off with the basic, you need to have a prussik to take on to takeweight off basic so you can get your rap device set up)

 

At top, rap off.

 

[Thinker]

 

 

[ 08-08-2002, 02:43 PM: Message edited by: Thinker ]

[Dru]

yeah they're all too high maintenance for me anyways!

[sk]

I am not high maintenance... I AM NOT!!!!!

[gapertimmy]

..

[Dru]

must keep this thread alive

[allthumbs]

Time flies when you're up to your nuts in half-naked women.

[Thinker]

Maybe Lambone would give us a few more pointers if we beg him enough............

[allthumbs]

I wonder if Lambone will be Crisco's new poster boy?

[Lambone]

uhh, I don't get it...

[Thinker]

Mazola may be more tasteful.

[Lambone]

damit cut it out

[Dru]

Izzit your STAG this weekend boyeeeeee???????

 

Hint: if you hold a $10 bill in your teeth they will take it out of your teeth with their +i+$ and if you use a $20 they will take it from you with their /()\ !!!!

 

[ 08-08-2002, 03:57 PM: Message edited by: Dru ]

[allthumbs]

...the song will be HYPNOTIZE, the artist NOTORIOUS BIG

[krazy_1]

I just love how this thread has gone from:

 

my ass getting kicked to

relationship issues and happy endings to

sk being high maintence then finally

trask being up to his nutz in 1/2 naked women and stag parties.

 

you guys crack me up.

[sk]

thred creep RULES

[allthumbs]

quote:

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Originally posted by krazy 1:

I just love how this thread has gone from:

 

my ass getting kicked to

relationship issues and happy endings to

sk being high maintence then finally

trask being up to his nutz in 1/2 naked women and stag parties.

 

you guys crack me up.

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...well hell, lil' lady, what's more important than 1/2 neked women and staggin'??