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Author

WTB Silent Partner

brendan

26-Jul-2013
7:51:20 PM

Hi all, as the post says im after a Silent Partner, got a few missions coming up and sick of using my grigri. If anyone knows a cheap place to buy a new one that would also work

cheers


Miguel75

26-Jul-2013
8:25:55 PM

I have a few partners I'd be happy to sell. None of them are truly silent, I'd say they're more along the lines of 'dull-roar' partners;)


IdratherbeclimbingM9

26-Jul-2013
8:33:08 PM

On 26/07/2013 brendan wrote:
>Hi all, as the post says im after a Silent Partner, got a few missions
>coming up and sick of using my grigri. If anyone knows a cheap place to
>buy a new one that would also work
>
>cheers

Good luck with it.
In all my time on Chockstone (read since inception - 11 years!), I have only ever seen one come up for sale and it went very quickly. I have however seen a few requests like yours...

Wren Industries make (made?) them, but their website seems to focus more on 'High Quality Cremation Urns' these days.
~> I hope there is no subliminal message in that fact!
☺


ajfclark

26-Jul-2013
8:47:23 PM

I think Rock Exotica took over from Wren.

[edit: here you go: http://www.rockexotica.com/products/belay_devices/all_solo_belay.html ]


IdratherbeclimbingM9

26-Jul-2013
8:55:27 PM

Sencha a PM Brendan.

Also, if you are not aware of it, the user manual is at;
http://www.bmi.gv.at/cms/BMI_Alpindienst/service/files/WREN_Silent_Partner.pdf

... and it specifically states amongst other things the following, which may affect your plans.

— DO NOT USE THE SILENT PARTNER IN SUB-FREEZING
CONDITIONS. Frozen water in the clutch could prevent the Silent
Partner from locking during a fall.

— DO NOT USE THE SILENT PARTNER ON MUDDY OR ICY
ROPES. Mud or ice could interfere with the cinching of the clove
hitch, and prevent the Silent Partner from catching a fall.

On 26/07/2013 ajfclark wrote:
>I think Rock Exotica took over from Wren.
>
>[edit: here you go: http://www.rockexotica.com/products/belay_devices/all_solo_belay.html ]

~> It is good to have a younger memory happening on Chocky ajf!

I note from your link that they are US$255. Which is remarkably cheap for what they are/do.
As a side note, I think I bought the most expensive one on the planet, due at the time I purchased it my order was in already and the bank transfer happened the day after the 11 Sept event, with the associated plummet in value of aussie$. Mine ended up being about double that price...

I note from this thread, that they were about US$225 back in 2004, so they haven't gone up much over the years. Freight costs are likely to getcha though...

Lots of other threads for further reading for those inclined.


ajfclark

26-Jul-2013
9:52:03 PM

Rock Exotica has the manual here: http://www.rockexotica.com/products/downloads/data/tech_notice/silentmanual.pdf

No idea if they've changed anything significant since the Wren manual.

Paul

28-Jul-2013
12:34:46 PM

I bought one a few years ago and can highly recomend it, I got mine off soimeone on chockstone. You can orger them on line from the rock exotica web site http://www.rockexotica.com/products/belay_devices/all_solo_belay.html

Kinetic

28-Jul-2013
2:05:15 PM

Interesting device. So these can actually allow you to safely solo a lead climb?


ajfclark

28-Jul-2013
3:43:00 PM

I'd say it's designed for solo lead climbing rather than allowing safe solo leading...

Kinetic

28-Jul-2013
3:59:12 PM

Fair enough. But it is designed so that the climber can take a fall? Or even a rest?


ajfclark

28-Jul-2013
5:07:16 PM

Falls yes, even upside down I believe. I'm sure you could make it lock up if you wanted to rest too. The manual linked above has all the details.

Kinetic

28-Jul-2013
7:07:50 PM

Remarkable. Why are these not used more commonly then?


ajfclark

28-Jul-2013
7:48:07 PM

Not sure. They used to be really expensive here ($400 odd from memory) which might account for their rarity.

Kinetic

28-Jul-2013
9:09:16 PM

That still seems like a reasonable price considering what they do. That manual does seem to indicate that solo climbing requires a lot of technical knowledge to solo climb and that the device alone is not enough. Perhaps that's the reason. I suppose at the end of the day, a trustworthy belayer is still safer.

Winston Smith

29-Jul-2013
4:47:22 PM

$350 new at Climbing Anchors.

http://www.climbinganchors.com.au/products/rock-exotica-silent-partner

Paul

30-Jul-2013
10:17:23 AM

On 28/07/2013 Kinetic wrote:
>Interesting device. So these can actually allow you to safely solo a lead
>climb?

Yes

Paul

30-Jul-2013
10:19:22 AM

On 28/07/2013 Kinetic wrote:
>Remarkable. Why are these not used more commonly then?

Maybe becuse not many shops sell them here in Aus, hence the difficulty people are having finding them

One Day Hero

30-Jul-2013
10:29:27 AM

On 28/07/2013 Kinetic wrote:
>Remarkable. Why are these not used more commonly then?

Because solo climbing is for weirdos who can't meet friends. Apparently there are a lot of these in the U.S.

Paul

30-Jul-2013
4:40:01 PM

On 30/07/2013 Cliff wrote:
>On 30/07/2013 Paul wrote:
>>Yes
>
>I was hoping you'd give a little up about your experience w the SP. I
>used a Soloist for a few seasons, and hated so many things about it...
>Choice of routes was a limiting factor, as you need a bomber base anchor...
>roofs were a real drag, the action of the rope through the device, I could
>never get a good chest harness rigged that was suitable, downclimbing was
>terrible w it (important to soloing), and I never got the feeling I was
>after w soloing (unrestricted quick movement), it was always a plod, and
>I hated the need to abseil and clean every pitch.
>
>But I think the biggest drawback, is that you miss out on the best part
>of climbing... chillin out and sharing the day's shared epics spent with
>your mates.

Using the silent partner I found that the rope feeds very well with little resistance, after you pass the half way point on your rope there can be a tendency for the rope to self frrd if you don't take precortions. The locking action of the device has a solid feel to it. Apart from the obivious downsides to soloing the biggest problem is that the non ancored end of the rope tends to catch on stuff in chosy terain and low angle slabs, especially your backuyp loops. The bulk of the device can be anoying when you are trying to get close to the wall. Your backup knotts can be a hastle to undo if you manage to confuse yourself. A 20 cm sewn loop sling girth hitched onto your harness can creat more space and less tangles for clipping your backup knotts.


Duang Daunk

31-Jul-2013
8:24:27 PM

On 30/07/2013 One Day Hero wrote:
>On 28/07/2013 Kinetic wrote:
>>Remarkable. Why are these not used more commonly then?
>
>Because solo climbing is for weirdos who can't meet friends. Apparently
>there are a lot of these in the U.S.

Get your act together ODH, as your reply was obviously a bullshit troll. I am disappointed that you don't seem to respect he out-there nature of soloing, even with a safety device.

On the side, Moonarie will test your solo resolve, device or not.

There are 32 messages in this topic.