Soloist - Solo Aid - or Silent Partner

[rr666]

 

Any thoughts? I have used a soloist before, but before i spend the bucks want to get some opinions... thanks.

M

[wotan_of_ballard]

the biggest factor is what are you going to use it for? I occasionally use my soloist for leading and for top roping and it works a lot better than guessing how much rope to let out between knots, and any fall you take will probabbly be shorter with some device.

no experience with the other gizmos.

even tho I only use mine 1x/yr recently I'm not going to sell it. you can also use it to speed up a party of 3 on a multi pitch climb as the first 2 climb normally, trailing and fixing a second rope for the third to come up on (top)self belayed

[Colin]

Out of those devices I would definitely choose the silent partner. I have used my soloist a little, and frankly I don't trust it much. The fact that an upside-down fall would send you flying to the ground unhindered makes me a little bit scared.

However, if you want to get some climbing in when your partners can't, I would not recommend climbing roped. I feel more comfortable free soloing a 5.2, than I do soloing a 5.8 with a soloist.

[cj001f]

I've got a Soloist - doesn't work badly for top-roping - but I wouldn't use it for leading. If you wanna solo lead shell out the $$$ for the Silent Partner. Or stick to aid and get the solo-aid. On the other hand, if your looking for a nice device to top-rope solo, my Soloist's for sale. Used, not heavily, usual dings from being trucked around. Fine Corinthian Leather. Make me an offer.

Carl

[rr666]

 

Thanks for the offer on the soloist, but my main goal for the device is aid climbin'. I am not too interested in the hassle for free climbing, unless of course it is mandatory on an aid climb... I would much rather free solo the 5.2 than rope solo a 5.8.

Has anyone used the solo-aid? From some other readings it sounds like it works, but is not as smooth as the silent partner. It would be nice to get by with only spending $80 instead of $225, but I would much rather be safe and comfortable than cheap and dead.

Know anywhere to get a good deal??

[rr666]

FYI, that last comment was mine, using a friends computer... ooops

[W]

I did a lot of research on solo aid devices awhile back, and determined that the grigri I already owned was essentially the same device as the solo aid or soloist. Certainly the Silent Partner is smoother but it costs way too much.

I talked to Wren Industries and they highly recommend backtying with the soloist and solo aid, and the soloist (I think that's the cheaper one) won't catch an upside down fall. With both I think you have to hand feed it.

I also did some research on the web; Nate Beckwith suggests, for a Grigri, to let it hang from your belay biner w/o using a chest harness if you are aiding; it will definitely need to be hand-fed but is more likely to catch an upside down fall also. Still, you need to backtie. But I feel really comfortable solo-aiding with this system and it isn't a pain in the ass once you get it dialed.

Beckwith also only suggests modifying the grigri (sawing off the flap and filing it down) if you intend to solo-free with it, and in this case you would also run it through a chest harness. Again, though- dangerous for aid climbing cause the rope will feed all too well in an upside down fall.

So if you have a grigri already I think you'd be wasting your money on the soloist or solo-aid. The Silent Partner sounds like the best overall device for either aid or free but screw that $225 pricetag.

[erik]

i would recommend not sawing off the flap on the grigri. if you put a piece of tie off through it when you close it will work as good. plus when you saw off the flap it changes the grigri forever. more likely to get that burr chewing rope. but the grigri is the most cost effective/easy way to solo.

but the as w said, the most important thing is to rememeber to back tie all soloist devices.

[W]

Actually, you can even go the old old school route and just use two clove hitches and dispense with the mechanical devices altogether...costs you nothing.

there's also, for the grigri, the method of drilling a small hole through it near the p in "Petzl" (don't hold me to that, I can't remember right off) and then attaching a tie-off (I think this may be what Erik is talking about) and clipping the tie off to your chest harness to keep the gri gri upright; again, though, more than one person in the know says that is not recommended as it increases the likelihood of the rope not catching while upside down. However, if you are backtied like you should be, it helps the rope feed itself with less manual intervention, and you don't need to worry about going to the deck.

 

[fishstick]

I've used a soloist and found the rope drag and inability to traverse exceptionally frustrating. The knowledge that it will only catch certain falls also tends to limit your confidence when really pushing. Don't buy one. I also used a soloaid until somebody decided to break into my home and rid me of my entire rack. Although it must be hand fed, I could actually free climb harder because you can traverse and deep down know it's going to catch a head first screamer. My primary criticism of the soloaid is the outcome of a fall while hand feeding. Your fingers would just get shredded. I used a loop of 4mm cord (NOT larger) around the rope just above the cam on the load side. If you needed slack in a panic, pull the cord. Larger cord will compromise its ability to hold falls.

Finally, I also adjusted a GriGri by drilling the hole and filing off the v shaped flap as mentioned in a posting above. Quite frankly, a French guy very closely associated with a French manufacturer of caving and climbing equipment suggested the modification. Total death on a stick. When the GriGri is used in that configuration (with a chest harness), a fall with the rope feeding to the climbers right will cause the rope to load across the knife edge like piece of metal leading up to the handle. My fall was relatively small, but I walked away cursing myself for being so stupid as to not realize that possibility in the first place.

I haven't used the silent partner (due to cost), but it would be my first choice. Note however that the SP is said not to work below freezing. I'm unsure if the clutch fails or it hates frozen ropes. Guess you'd have to ask Wren or Mark Blanchard.

[Dru]

Or you could get back to the point of soling anyways and just free solo - aside from shoes and a chalkbag, maybe a rap line, you don't really need much other gear

[willstrickland]

This is simple. Just a matter of deciding what you will be using it for. I solo semi-often, usually while aid climbing and have soloed a couple of walls in Zion.

1. If you intend to solo wall routes you've got two options (IMO) Clove hitch or Silent Partner.

The Silent partner is bigger than you'd expect, and a little pricey at $225, but if you're wall climbing in the first place you've got a few grand invested in gear already...bite the bullet and buy it, nothing else comes close for mixed aid and free (self-feeding, holding any fall,etc). If you don't want to shell out the cash and you won't be casting off on free climbing leads just use a clove hitch. The clove is free (you've already got a big locker), will hold anything, and is about the same pain in the ass as a soloist or solo-aid...aid climbing is a collosal pain in the ass anyway, get used to it.

2. If you intend to self-belay on top-rope they all work ok, but since I already have a gri-gri I just use it, UNMODIFIED. The only mod I've made to a gri-gri is to replace the tiny screw (non-structural)on the outside that holds the plastic plate. You replace it with an eye-screw of the same size...viola a place to rig a keeper loop so you don't drop the fucker when taking it off the rope (not good 1800' up an A3+)The reality is that you'll be reeling in all the slack every move or two and any fall you take will load the system almost immediately...eliminating the head-first scenario. If you don't have the caution to take up the slack continously you probably shouldn't be soloing in the first place...or you should be willing the free-solo the route.

3. If you plan on free-climbing trad routes, you sick bastard, just call me...you're the kind of partner I'm always looking for, hopefully you like squeeze chimneys too. Seriously though, the silent partner is the only thing that does what you really need...self feeds smoothly, catches anything.

After using all five of these methods (clove, gri-gri, silent partner, solist, solo-aid) I say go do a multi-pitch aid climb solo with a clove, then decide how much you really want to be soloing...if you love it buy the S.P., if not just clove it. If you worry about having to feed out a bunch of slack to free a section when using a clove just treat it like a runout...place good gear (double up, equalize, whatever you need) find the next rest/stance and gun for it. A final thought...soloing is hard,hard,hard work on a wall, try something short before becoming that gumby on the fourth pitch of Prodgial Sun on their third on the route...that gumby was me and while I did finish that day and have excuses because of slow teams in front of me, bad beta on my topo, etc...the real limiting factor was my inefficient hauling and leading.

[specialed]

Good beta, dude. I have to concur. A good aid solo is Town Crier at Index. The first two pitches are free so that makes things interesting, but of course you can use aid on them. But good to experiment on. And there's a ton of fixed gear on that route with nothing too hard and its very straight forward and not too long.

One question for willstrickland: do you back up your silent partner with a clove-hitch. Thats kind of one thing that pisses me off about the thing. The literature says that a climber shouldn't depend on it to hold a fall!? and should always back it up. Is that just for liability sake or what. I mean whats the point if you're not going to trust it to hold a fall. I've always backed it up anyway. but just asking your opinion.

[willstrickland]

Re: backing up the silent partner...

This is one that depends alot on your own level of comfort. As long as you stay tied into the end of the rope, and the fall is clean I don't bother with it.

Keep in mind though, if you whip from high on a pitch and the pro all pulls (a distinct possibility while aiding hard stuff) or if you whip low on a pitch (even if the pro holds)and the device does not lock up you're looking at a huge fall of 165-400 ft, and you'll load the anchor pretty hard. If it's wet, icy, muddy, or if the fall has groundfall, pendulum into a corner, or ledgefall potential I'll usually tie in short a few times along the pitch, just like you would while jumaring.

I think the manufacturers are trying to cover their rear more than anything. The mechanism is essentially the same thing that's inside your car's seatbelt (a centrifugal clutch) and there aren't any "Warning: Strap your ass to the dashboard in case the seatbelt fails" stickers on your car.

Your mileage may vary.

[specialed]

good answer. thanks.