Newbie Question: Rope Systems

[sarge]

I am looking at doing some more technical climbs than I have done before and trying out more ice routes. I have only used a single rope system but read that double and twin systems are more versatile. I am interested in setting them up in a controlled environment but am having trouble finding detailed information on the setup. Is there a resource that is particularly good for this?

 

Thanks for your help or suggestions.

[jfs1978]

No need to over-complicate the issue for yourself. I wouldn't think of either as a "system" you need to "set up". Your primary challenge will just be dealing with rope management issues. More ropes at the belay just mean it's tougher to keep them from turning into a tangled mess. With twin ropes, both ropes go through each piece of protection, and with doubles they alternate. Simple really. I think Petzl catalogs might have some good pictures of this in action, or most any intermediate/advanced rock climbing instruction manual.

 

Twins can essentially be treated like a single although the belayer needs to be attentive to twists and tangles. Usually running a finger between the ropes as they are fed into the belay device helps to keep them separated enough. The leader just clips and goes.

 

Doubles present the same challenge for the belayer with the added complication of needing to simultaneously hold both ropes ready for a lock-off in case of a fall while feeding only one at a time as the leader clips. It's something that just takes practice. The leader just needs to keep track of what rope to clip where, call which rope is being clipped to the belayer, and keep the ropes from wrapping/twisting around each other.

[Clarence]

Freedom of the Hills has all the info you need.