Solo Bely Devices

[Terminal_Gravity]

Can anyone recommend (with rationale) a solo belay device. Thanks in advance.

[kyagpa!]

I have used the solo-aid a fair bit and can say that it works well on aid and maybe moderate free climbing. You have to feed it yourself by hand but it feeds very smoothly after your a third of a ropelength out before that its not as smooth. I havent used any other devise so I have nothing to compare it to but it works for me!

[freak]

for solo leading or topropeing? for topropeing Ive used an ushba basic accender and then a petzl thing as a back up. but then I realized Id rather be bouldering. nic

[Terminal_Gravity]

Freak, Solo Leading is what I want. For solo top roping I have pretty much done what you have done; and come to the same conclusion about bouldering.

Kyagpa!, Thanks for the comments on the solo aid. It sounds like a hardship to have to feed it by hand. I am hoping to find a hands free device. That wren silent partner thing looks promising but is way to spendy to buy to try. Also I would guess that it creates a fair amount of rope drag.

One hint I have that may help for your first third problem is to clove hitch to your running anchors rather than feeding through.

[willstrickland]

Do an archive search on this site, we had an extensive discussion on this topic a couple of months ago.

WS

[Beck]

7mm prussik. Very simple for top roping. Not hands free.

[cj001f]

A thumb's down for the Soloist as a Lead Climbing SBD - and for that matter as a Solo TRing tool. From what I've heard the Silent Partner is the S*** for Solo lead - but I haven't yet found or seen anything to justify the price. Stick with knots.

Carl

[This message has been edited by carletonj (edited 10-01-2001).]

[Cal_Droke]

The Silent Partner is great...if you don't mind the $225 price tag. I have fallen on it a few times aid climbing, and it locked up quickly and safely. I have used it in wet weather (soloed Green Dragon a few weeks ago) and it didn't seem to slip when I took a relatively long fall, even with a wet rope. The Silent Partner doesn't seem that great for free climbing. There is a loop dangling below you, assuming you tie a back up knot, that seems to get caught on stuff as you climb.

The best thing a soloist can do is find a "real" partner.

[Terminal_Gravity]

Cal, Thanks for the info.

Was that Green Dragon on the apron, if so, that was always my favorite test peice to see how I was climbing before I did more serious stuff in the valley: I have fond memories.

[miker]

Green Dragon is on Upper Town Wall in Index just to the left of Town Crier.

 

[Terminal_Gravity]

Green Dragon (5.11b slab) is also a classic in Yosimite on the Glacier Point apron. I guess it was just a matter of time before names started getting duplicated.

Thanks for clearing up my confusion.

Cal, Could give me a bit more info on the Silent Partner; is it self feeding, Much Friction? and what the hell are those little steel pegs for...it seems that they could deform in a weird hard fall and pinch or release the rope. ???

[This message has been edited by Terminal Gravity (edited 09-25-2001).]