Mini Traxion rope soloing.

[Frankazoid]

So iv'e been rope soloing for a bit now with a mini traxion and I always find it a bitch to switch to rappel... it usually involves multiple steps before im off the mini traxion and rapping. When your trying to go up and down over and over to work out moves on a route its really a hassel. Does anyone know of an easy way to work up and down the rope when using a mini t?

 

The only thing iv'e thought of is to switch onto the other fixed rope with the gri gri, take on that, the mini T is now freed of its tension and can be unlocked, then lower on the gri gri... Maybe there is something even easier?

[FFSummers]

I solo using an USHBA, not the same at all but some points of interest: When I reach the top of a route I clip directly into the anchor, unclip from my USHBA (and my back up prussic) and then I thread in my ATC and rap down. One small advantage in using my USHBA while working a route, i never remove it from the rope, it trains down the rope nicely below my brake hand while I'm rapping. So at the bottum I just remove my ATC and clip back into my USHBA and I'm climbing again, makes for a good pump.

[Lodestone]

Save for TR-soling with a grigri as part if the system, I can't see a quick and easy way to switch over to a rappel. I use a pair of Petzl ascenders and have the same problem.

 

 

Chad

 

 

 

[layton]

petzl shunt

[Wallstein]

Depending on how far you want to go down it is possible to just use the min-traxions and nothing else.

 

I use two mini's, the lower one tied to a longer belay loop and the upper one clipped to my normal belay loop. when you hang on the upper mini you can slide the lower one down. They will be close to 12" apart. To go down I grab the rope with one hand (to take a lot of my weight) and I use my other hand/finger to press the upper mini-traxions cam in to release it. I then slide it down till it is almost on top of the lower mini-traxion. I then slide the lower mini down and repeat the process. I can go down 3 to 5 feet with little effort. This process is much much harder on over hanging stuff, but i rarely mini-traxion steeper stuff. Works great at places like Index.

[RICHARD_CILLEY]

Get a cinch.It's far superior.

[Rad]

Second the Cinch comment. Use backups.

[skykilo]

How about a picture? An example? More words!? I can search for cinch (duh, it's a cinch) but the results aren't so useful.

 

I frequently TR solo these days and I don't have this problem but I'm not at all sure what the cinchers mean.

 

I use one rope, prusik above a Petzl Basic so the Basic pushes the prusik up the rope as I climb. If I want to escape my setup, I have Tibloks and an ATC and a sling or two. All very simple. That's what I've been doing.

[Rad]

Lead or TR?

 

For TR, use Cinch on cord with prussik above it as backup or on a separate line as backup. Very straightforward.

 

For lead, tie rope end to lower anchor, clip Cinch on rope near knot and clip both to harness so that the free end is the braking end. Feed out rope, clipping pieces of gear/bolts as you pass them. Use prussik behind Cinch as above if desired. Pulling rope through the device to clip is not that easy, so I haven't done this on hard leads. Dick and others may have better suggestions and pics.

[JosephH]

One note - Trango specifically asked that folks not lead rope-solo on the Cinch due to it not having a stop to keep it from over-pinching the rope.

[Frankazoid]

Joseph,

 

I have heard of that before and ummm... ya that doesn't sound very awesome. Heard of people being dropped with the cinch, then last year I witnessed 2 climbers in the RRG getting dropped with a cinch. seriously, 1 at the boneyard crag and 1 at the solarium. Both times the belayer managed to stop the free fall too close to the deck (lucky at all though). My friend had also told me some of his accounts with it that he didn't like. I just don't think i'll ever be able to get a cinch. Thanks for the ideas, but im definetly going to stick with the M-T for fixed rope soloing. I might even do the double M-T setup! Based on the research iv'e done up until this point, it seems to me that the easiest method to switch to lower is to throw the gri on a second fixed line beside you, weight it and let the MT's roll free. After messing with it, it is quite pain free and quick. So I guess now that would be my own answer to anybody else with this question! Definetly interesting though to hear how other people are ropesoloing.

 

I guess I should also add that I do use a loose kleimheist above the M-T for a backup.

[stevetimetravlr]

highly recommend 2 mini traxs, as your shirt or gear can impede one. Wallstein has it right, you can back the traxs down the rope with 2. Or if you want to take them off the rope and rap, just clip a ascender or ropeman onto your climbing rope above the traxs, clip your adjustable daisy into it and give it a yank taking your weight off the mini traxs. Quick and easy.

[layton]

why no love for the shunt?

[skykilo]

I had no clue that Cinch was literally the name of a device

This is a non-issue for me so I'll save my four Jacksons.

[G-spotter]

Another vote for the Ushba Basic fo TR rope-soloing. Smooth going up, and move it to your leg loop as a backup for the way down.

[JosephH]

why no love for the shunt?

I absolutely love the Shunt for rapping with loads, think it is one of the most underrated pieces of gear, and have a couple of them.

 

And while I don't really do much of any TR soloing, I did check it out once with the Shunt and have the same issue with it as with the Cinch - no stops to prevent over-pinching the rope. That's unlikely to occur TR soloing, but it still makes me uncomfortable enough to not use it for that purpose.

[Choada_Boy]

Another vote for the Ushba Basic fo TR rope-soloing. Smooth going up, and move it to your leg loop as a backup for the way down.

 

+1 for the Ushba. Although, you must be careful not to make the mistake of grabbing the rope above the device or the device if you fall. It prevents it from camming, I found as the rope was burning through my hand on my short plummet.

 

Drew: Do you back yours up?

[G-spotter]

I don't back it up but I do tie knots in the rope below the device when warranted, and usually weight the bottom of the rope as well for a smooth feed.

 

Also I have it attached to my belay loop with a 3/8" steel maillon rather than a carabiner. I found the shape of the maillon prevents cross-loading. When I tried it with a locking HMS biner the biner would shift around so as to be crossloaded or cross-gate loaded almost every time.

[layton]

joseph, i don't think you could generate a force to pinch the rope into oblivion with the shunt.

 

does the gri gri have this as an issue? i've head it mentioned from time to time, and looking inside, can see it.

[G-spotter]

joseph, i don't think you could generate a force to pinch the rope into oblivion with the shunt.

 

for just about any device but the Troll Rocker and some of the Wren/Rock Exotica devices developed for lead climbing, I recall testing showed a 5kn fall will pinch the rope enough to damage or sever it. In other words any lead fall or a TR fall with slack in the system (such as if you attach to the device with a leash rather than directly to the harness)

[ivan]

wait, so does this mean i'm eventually goign to do from taking lead aid-falls onto my grigri? seems like i've taken a good dozen or so over the past few years, all on a fat 10.5 rope, with no obvious damage and i'm a very large mammal.

[JosephH]

joseph, i don't think you could generate a force to pinch the rope into oblivion with the shunt.

for just about any device but the Troll Rocker and some of the Wren/Rock Exotica devices developed for lead climbing, I recall testing showed a 5kn fall will pinch the rope enough to damage or sever it. In other words any lead fall or a TR fall with slack in the system (such as if you attach to the device with a leash rather than directly to the harness)

Yes, unlikely, but as G-spotter points out, a fall on slack closer to the anchor could potentially be a problem on a Shunt with its small radius bar on the rope.

 

wait, so does this mean i'm eventually goign to do from taking lead aid-falls onto my grigri? seems like i've taken a good dozen or so over the past few years, all on a fat 10.5 rope, with no obvious damage and i'm a very large mammal.

The grigri is grooved and stopped and can't cut the rope.

[Rad]

Any data on Cinch or other devices pinching/cutting the rope during falls? I know these are not recommended uses, but I'd like to know if there are data that indicate what is safe and what is not. Maybe I need to change my ways...

[DRep]

Jeez people, get a fatty rope and a solist, silent partner, or a gri gri... No more of this improvised solo device crap.

[Rad]

This isn't an approved GriGri use either, right?