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TR Self belay backup options


deadbudgy

19-Feb-2015
10:10:33 AM

My favorite setup for TR is a minitrax as the primary piece, positioned against the chest, with a gri gri for the secondary, positioned at the waist on a seperate rope. The minitrax runs smooth and avoids build up of slack in the system. I pull the rope through the gri gri and tie off periodically where convenient.
I use this setup to allow me to fit a few climbs in after work. Can go up and come down quite efficiently.

capt_planit

19-Feb-2015
2:16:04 PM

No mention of the Camp Lift Ascender as yet, so I'm going to chime in. I don't bother with the chest harness and do weight the line (just the rope itself or a water bottle will do). Only isssue is when you fall the ascender can get roughed up between you and the wall. Backup line I just clove to at rests, on my leg loop, so yeah, I'm going to die!!! All rope soloists should read this thread I think. Information is limited but the takeaway is to watch out for that chest harness.


deadbudgy

20-Feb-2015
8:28:58 AM

On 19/02/2015 capt_planit wrote:
>No mention of the Camp Lift Ascender as yet, so I'm going to chime in.
>I don't bother with the chest harness and do weight the line (just the
>rope itself or a water bottle will do). Only isssue is when you fall the
>ascender can get roughed up between you and the wall. Backup line I just
>clove to at rests, on my leg loop, so yeah, I'm going to die!!! All rope
>soloists should read this thread I think. Information is limited but the takeaway is to
>watch out for that chest harness.

That accident was a lead climbing roped solo fall. This is a significantly more hazardous pursuit than the TR techniques being discussed here.


shortman

20-Feb-2015
8:52:11 AM

On 19/02/2015 capt_planit wrote:
> All rope soloists should read this thread I think. Information is limited but the takeaway is to
>watch out for that chest harness.

Nasty.


sbm

20-Feb-2015
10:16:48 AM

On 20/02/2015 deadbudgy wrote:
>That accident was a lead climbing roped solo fall. This is a significantly
>more hazardous pursuit than the TR techniques being discussed here.

It's a good point though that wrapping a sling around your neck could end very badly. Next time I'm going to try and make a Petzl Torse style chest harness that goes all the way over the shoulders and attaches to the back of the harness waist belt, like old timey suspenders.

Again my experience with micro ascenders is you *need* a chest harness, prefereably with elastic cord or something, to keep it positioned and prevent the biner/mallion from rotating and cross loading, and to prevent an awkward ~30cm fall onto a toothed ascender.


JMK

21-Feb-2015
8:47:46 AM

I use a petzl rescusender tied to my harness. As I ascend, I periodically tie 1 handed knots in the rope . The objective being the device will either lock closed normally or catch on the knot and lock. No sharp teeth so good for the rope.

Positives: slides easily so you don't even feel it

Negatives: hangs open so you are mostly relying on the knots which can be hard to tie one handed. When you go thru long cruxes and can't take one hand off then the gaps between knots can be long. System does work as I have fallen 5m and the knot caught. Downside includes that the knot , which is your protection, can be well below where the bolt or trad piece would have been (eg when clipping well above your head). This can make for a very scary crux. In fact I have TR soloed and felt more scared than if I were leading. Hence I would probably lead solo with my soloist instead. Another downside is the reliance on a single piece of gear. I rationalise that by saying to myself there are many occasions where I am leading and if a certain piece blows then I am fuched anyway.

My question is : am I being ignorant and foolhardy by totally relying on the rescusender with no back up except the knot?


ajfclark

21-Feb-2015
9:10:18 AM

Petzl doesn't recommend it: http://www.petzl.com/en/Sport/To-read-for-self-belaying

See appendix 1 linked on the right. I'd link straight to it, but Chockstone thinks that's suspisious these days.


JMK

21-Feb-2015
10:15:20 AM

Thanks - I guess my concern was always the shock load and if the device could handle without disintegration. The knots should cause lock up. So accept the faff of a back up or accept the risk. Horses for courses

mitch46and2

21-Feb-2015
11:37:08 AM

I just use a petzl basic clipped to both loops on my harness with a chest sling/harness, and have a prussick above it. Dynamic rope. I only set it on routes I know I can climb with a fairly low chance of falling. If I'm starting to feel a bit gripped ill just pull some slack through and slide up the prussick my weight is on the prussick. Backpack tied at base to weight rope. Rope feeds pretty smooth. Bit of faffing round to rap back down but.

Brilliant fun


ajfclark

21-Feb-2015
12:09:42 PM

On 21/02/2015 JMK wrote:
>Thanks - I guess my concern was always the shock load and if the device
>could handle without disintegration. The knots should cause lock up. So
>accept the faff of a back up or accept the risk. Horses for courses

The instructions for the rescuecender also say something about not using it after a 'major' fall. I wonder how far you have to slide down the rope before they consider it major.


Macciza

21-Feb-2015
1:40:28 PM

Umm the instructions for almost every bit of climbing gear says this sort of thing ' product should be retired if subject to major fall (or load) ....
If you followed it to the letter you would need to retire everything in use, connectors, rope, harness etc

My preference is either just the Microscender, or Micro with a prussik above it ....

There are 51 messages in this topic.