rope soloing

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Today i ropesoloed my first route. Nothing impressive just a short pitch of very easy climbing. I used the clove hitch method with figure 8 back up knots. I really enjoyed it. I'd led the climb millions of times before...but getting to the anchors completely form my efforts alone was very rewarding. My partner just sat at the base and shook his head. Now to my question. I'd like to solo my routes but would definatly need a better system. Since i was free climbing it was hard to pull out slack for myself. I would like to do some soloaid climbing in the future. I know you can use a modified gri-gri or something like a solo aid. What works best? Any other methods worth trying? Much thanks.

Happy soloing,

-- Brian (slobri@aol.com), June 26, 1999

Answers

Slobo, Check some of the other many listings on roped soloing found in this forum. The Silent partner is the ticket for roped free climbing. It feeds so well with no hands that you continually climb the back up knot into the unit. There are also other options.....check the other posts....good luck. And like Burt sez, "there are many ways to rope solo, and only one way to do it wrong."

-- Tea (mtea@ptc.com), June 28, 1999.

The Silent Partner IS the way to go for rope-soloing free or on aid. BUT, this is not a fail-proof device. I was roped-soloing in the Gunks a little while ago and took a fall just above my gear. Perviously the SP locked up almost immediately... This time a wired nut on my rack got caught inside of the running clove-hitch and the fall was considerably longer. When I finally came to a halt, the rope sheath was hacked (serious fuzz) for about 3 feet. I didn't fall all the way to my back-up knot, though.

Be careful with all rope-solo devices, but the Silent Partner is the BEST $225 I've ever spent for rope-soloing. Anyone want to buy my Rock-Exotica/Petzel Soloist?

Have fun.

HMAN

-- HMAN (ghiz@erols.com), July 01, 1999.


Chances are Hmans rope was hacked due to the nut in the clove hitch, not because of the SP. But yes, no rope solo unit is foolproof, they do fail, and people do DIE. Do yourself a favor and ALWAYS TIE BACDK UP KNOTS!! IT IS THE ONLY THING THAT WILL FOR SURE SAVE YOUR ASS SHOULD A DEVICE FAIL!!!!

-- Tea (mtea@ptc.com), July 02, 1999.

Tea-

Yes, the wired nut did cause the sheath hacking/fuzzing. I didn't make that clear in my original post. Thanks for the clarification.

-- HMAN (ghiz@erols.com), July 04, 1999.


Just SOLO!!! We started by just tyiing figure 8's every ten feet and clip them in and go jsut don't F*^%$ up!!!! Just climb. Climbing is an adventure go make it one. The most memorable experinces are the epic. Go epic and LEARN!!!! (but to spend 200+ bucks on something I can't sleep in is a freakin' joke!!) Sorry I'm in a foul mood Burt

-- Burt (epiclmber@hotmail.com), July 07, 1999.


Well, burt is bent, but right. To go plunk down the cashola for a device is rushing it a bit. Go figure out your system first and see if you even LIKE roped soloing. Then maybe consider a unit. For aid pitches cloves work fine. However, free pitches, the SP rules it. Sorry burt, but it is the shit. Try one, and you may change that tune.

-- Tea (mtea@ptc.com), July 08, 1999.

The discussion seems to be the Silent Partner versus the Soloist. I have used both devices extensively. The Silent Partner is "the" solo device and is a much needed improvement over the Soloist. The Silent Partner does not require wearing a chest harness. The Silent Partner easily self-feeds the rope unless you have a fuzzy much used rope, whereas the Soloist does not self-feed the rope very well. Although no solo device works well when traversing, the Silent Partner feeds the rope better than the Soloist.

-- Mark A. Fletcher (mfletche@turnerdesigns.com), August 10, 1999.

Soory about my mood, but just be warned about the soloist. THIS DEVICE WILL DROP YOUR A** IN A UPSIDE DOWN FALL!!! One of my favortie soloing tools is a modified Gri-Gri. It rocks. If you need the beta give me a ring and I'll mail you the topo of one of the coolest solo devices to hit the market out of your own garage.

-- Burt (epiclmber@hotmail.com), August 12, 1999.

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