WC Ropeman as crevasse rescue pulley?

[stevetimetravlr]

Bill, is your post for real or for reel?

[wfinley]

I've never used the Ropeman 2 - but I once had to jug over a bergschrund using the Ropeman 1 and it sucked big time. It was a total pain to keep it in place and I screwed around a lot, especially when trying to get over the lip. I would rather use a tibloc (which I used on Denali's fixed lines last year).

 

As for the traxion... I have the old version but I'm scared of the teeth. Last week a climbing partner pitched over a cornice & we had to build a 3-1 to pull him up and over. I would not have felt comfortable using a traxion due to fears of the teeth cutting into the rope should the cornice have failed.

 

Read more about traxion failure and jumar teeth cutting a rope on the below thread. Had the privilege of climbing with James Welton once. RIP

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/808440/Sad-News-Death-Involving-Pro-Traxion

[Wastral]

So, its also a death trap when used on rock walls. Wonderful. More reasons not to waste money on it.

 

I've never used the Ropeman 2 - but I once had to jug over a bergschrund using the Ropeman 1 and it sucked big time. It was a total pain to keep it in place and I screwed around a lot, especially when trying to get over the lip. I would rather use a tibloc (which I used on Denali's fixed lines last year).

 

As for the traxion... I have the old version but I'm scared of the teeth. Last week a climbing partner pitched over a cornice & we had to build a 3-1 to pull him up and over. I would not have felt comfortable using a traxion due to fears of the teeth cutting into the rope should the cornice have failed.

 

Read more about traxion failure and jumar teeth cutting a rope on the below thread. Had the privilege of climbing with James Welton once. RIP

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/808440/Sad-News-Death-Involving-Pro-Traxion

[Coldfinger]

So, its also a death trap when used on rock walls. Wonderful. More reasons not to waste money on it.

 

I've never used the Ropeman 2

 

As for the traxion... I have the old version but I'm scared of the teeth

 

Wastral stop trolling!!!

 

Last I knew Bridwell used jumars not prussiks, you're really being an idiot; the Trax & Minitrax both use an ascender cam just like the Ascension, they just have a pulley too.

 

Wfinley--for one thing if you have not used the Ropeman 2, why are you commenting on it? It has a cam identical to a jumar; Please refer to my Bridwell comment above.

 

Sheesh!

[wfinley]

Wfinley--for one thing if you have not used the Ropeman 2, why are you commenting on it? It has a cam identical to a jumar; Please refer to my Bridwell comment above.

Sheesh!

If the cam is identical to the jumar than look at the link I posted. Weighted ropes + potential fall (i.e. collapsing crevasse lips) + jumar teeth = potential rope failure. Sheesh.

 

[Wastral]

His death was effected by his Jumars. It was not the cause.

 

Sheesh yourself.

[Wastral]

So, disagreeing is trolling. I suppose disagreement in your world is also hate crime?

[Coldfinger]

Nope, just calling your paragraphs as I see em.

 

You wanna hijack a thread way off topic you take the risk.

[Coldfinger]

Wfinley--for one thing if you have not used the Ropeman 2, why are you commenting on it? It has a cam identical to a jumar; Please refer to my Bridwell comment above.

Sheesh!

If the cam is identical to the jumar than look at the link I posted. Weighted ropes + potential fall (i.e. collapsing crevasse lips) + jumar teeth = potential rope failure. Sheesh.

 

Tiblocs are harder on ropes so I would rather use a jumar but those are clunky, ropeman 2 seemed a good ratchet. Keep in mind the fallen climber will not go farther than the original fall as that strand will also be anchored, hence no death fall. Sorry, but that backup seemed obvious and you are right that a jumar can cut the sheath and or the core, but that is fatal only if that strand is your sole one.

 

So now that that is clear (ie even if the cam cuts the rope) anybody have any comments on the system I asked about?

 

[KevinJ]

Saw this and couldn't resist......

 

So I've been using two Ropeman 2's in Z+C setup for a few months now. They are a light alternative to ascenders and release much better than prussiks. I'm currently using them on 8.5 Genesis twin/half.

 

My Pros:

1. Light and multifunctional. I don't have to mind 3 prussiks in a Z+C set up and I can use them for a bunch of different things like hauling, escaping loads, or ascending.

 

2. They simplify my set up replacing a pulley and a prussik in the set up and remove the possibility of the system seizing because the pulley ate the prussik.

 

3. I can mount one with a single hand. Not usually an issue, but I like it

 

My Cons:

1. Just another piece of gear to hump around....... They will never replace my prussik loops, so they are a net add of weight. When compared to ascenders however, they are a good weight savings if your not ascending all day.

 

2. They are pretty easy to drop. I force myself to dummy cord them while I'm mounting.

 

3. They add a slight amount of additional resistance to the initial leverage point. But it ends up being net-neutral in my mind. Instead of using a pulley at the primary point, I use it on the haul line. Both setups feel pretty much the same to me resistance wise.

 

4. If your going to use them to ascend, you have to insure the biners your using fit your hand well. I'm not to keen on the need to match a specific biner to a specific device. I want to use any locker on my rack.

 

As for rope damage, they definitely should never be used in a setting that could experience a dynamic leader type fall. But that's an advertised contraindication on any device that bites a rope, specifically a loaded dynamic.

 

Although I'm not expert by any means, I stand by this opinion.

 

Thanks for the first post folks!!

Edited July 1, 2013 by KevinJ

[chris]

This thread hasn't convinced me that any sort of additional mechanical assistance - pulley, ascender, ropeman, traxion, etc. Is actually necessary. In fact all it does is add weight. So why bother?