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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 22, 2005 - 09:46am PT
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Eric,
I am curious as to your method of belaying yourself while soloing? Clove hitch, Gri Gri, Silent Partner.
Thanks
Tommy
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Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
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Apr 22, 2005 - 12:26pm PT
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He used to use a clove-hitch but now uses a Silent Partner.
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WBraun
climber
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Apr 22, 2005 - 01:04pm PT
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Man .......Minerals I thought it was Old E 800 that was belaying him.
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John F. Kerry
Social climber
Boston, MA
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Apr 22, 2005 - 03:18pm PT
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"...I don't like the fact that you're trusting your life to one biner..."
No backup knot? Or are you figuring that flying the extra distance to your backup knot is likely to land you on a ledge?
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Apr 23, 2005 - 01:16am PT
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That has been my assessment of the Silent Partner every year when I inevitably go in and fondle one after taking another dive [free climbing] on my grigri. Seems as if there should be a "better way"/device but so far I haven't seen one. I do back up the grigri with a knot but also monitor the biner/grigri/rope alignment more or less relentlessly. I used the YRS knot technique for about 20 years before switching to a grigri and have been pretty happy with the change given the much lower level of cluster f#@k...
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dmitry
Trad climber
Chita, Russia
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Apr 23, 2005 - 11:16am PT
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Put the silent partner up on eBay dude.
I've seen them sell for over $150.00
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 23, 2005 - 11:34am PT
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Thanks Klaus,
I used the clove hitch for a couple a routes. Simple enough system. The only draw back that I had with it was when it was time to get out of your aiders and free climb, I didn't like the fact that you have to pay out enough slack to get through the free climbing.
I switched to a Gri Gri for the P.O. wall. Never took a fall, but never really trusted it like I did the clove hitch. Not because of the single binner, I just wasn't sure how it would react to a upside down fall, or something weird like that.
Thanks for your insight Klaus, I am thinking of climbing alone again soon and will probably go back to the clove hitch.
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bringmedeath
climber
la la land
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Apr 23, 2005 - 02:15pm PT
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I've taken a 50 footer upside down. The gri gri caught it fine. I'm not really worried about the 1 biner thing... nor do I really care. But the rope pulling through is kinda a pain!
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Holdplease2
Trad climber
All over
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Apr 23, 2005 - 03:21pm PT
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Suggestion:
To prevent the rope pulling through Without sacrificing rope stretch (if you clove it to a piece) or burning thru the rope (if you use a non-extended prusik instead of an extended klimeheist)... Also, this does not require you carrying several extra prusik/klimeheist kits ala-Pete.
Carry some rubber bands with you, medium office-sized.
When you hit about the 80 foot point, girth hitch a rubber band around the rope, lift the rope a bit, and clip the rubber band into a piece. This bit of tension will be enough to hold the rope up and it will no longer slide thru your grigri.
When you start to jug, the rubber band breaks at the biner as you start to pull the rope tight. You won't even notice this.
When you jug up, remove the broken rubber band from the rope and put it in your pocket or put an overhand knot in the two ends and use it again.
I solo with a Gri Gri, tho I own and have tried a soloist and silent partner. I use a Mammut supersafe, the sheath (perhaps due to special material) has not fuzzed after many routes, and it almost self-feeds thru the grigri when I stand up and need slack. Perfect.
-Kate.
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Rhodo-Router
Trad climber
Otto, NC
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Apr 24, 2005 - 02:13am PT
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Maybe you'd trust a single steel locker better? They're heavy, and people will mistake you for a sport rappeller, but they also are rated to 12,000 lbs or so.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Apr 24, 2005 - 08:55pm PT
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I also solo with a grigri/Mammut SuperSafe combo...
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bringmedeath
climber
la la land
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Apr 24, 2005 - 09:11pm PT
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I used to use the super safe till I cut halfway through it in a fall.
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Gunkie
climber
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Apr 24, 2005 - 09:19pm PT
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I like the Silent Partner particularly when I have to free climb a bit. I had one fall where a nut on the rack got caught up in the running clove hitch and caused me to fall a bit further than expected. I did stop before getting to my back-up knot. I like the rubber band idea by 'Holdplease' as I do tie back-up knots when using the SP. As far as getting clocked in the jaw by it, I put the two locking pear biners through the leg loops and swami belt, not just through a doubled belay/rap ring as many folks do. This seems to keep the device pretty low and tight and away from my mug. And as far as using a single biner on the GriGri, if your partner is belaying you using a single biner, especially if they are doing other things like hauling or stacking ropes [i.e. not paying attention to the biner orientation], what's the difference when soloing with a single biner? I might give the GriGri method a try next weekend.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Apr 25, 2005 - 03:24am PT
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"I used to use the super safe till I cut halfway through it in a fall."
Could you detail this out a bit better...?
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David
Trad climber
San Rafael, CA
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Apr 25, 2005 - 09:57am PT
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The "SoloAid" solves most of the problems people are mentioning doesn't it? Attached with cord so there's no biner to break. There's no rope pull through as you move higher. I don't know...I've heard Mike Ousley recommend it more than once and it seems to make a lot of sense.
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bigwalling
climber
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Apr 25, 2005 - 11:24am PT
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Was soloing with the gri gri(not like that matters) and I took a fall and the rope got cut. It cut right through the sheath and the wasn't even an edge really... more of some really sharp crystals in the rock. luckly it wasn't too far into the rope so I still use it... but I got a stratos for aid now.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Apr 25, 2005 - 12:46pm PT
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Bigwalling,
What was the rope that got cut?
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David
Trad climber
San Rafael, CA
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Apr 25, 2005 - 01:15pm PT
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I've had partners manage to cut(core shot) both an 11mm Stratos and a Mammut SuperSafe on their very first few days of use. Personally, I don't think there's a huge difference in terms of durability between the two. I used a Maxim 9.9 on my last "wall style" outing and the thing held up beautifully. Just a matter of luck. IMHO
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bringmedeath
climber
la la land
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Apr 25, 2005 - 02:09pm PT
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Ya, the super safe got cut. There is only really a difference in handling I think. Oh also price. I got a 70m stratos for 190 dollars. Supersafe is really expensive. Any rope works as long as you are careful.
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Rhodo-Router
Trad climber
Otto, NC
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Apr 26, 2005 - 12:12am PT
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I recall hearing a story about somebody rope-soloing on the captain who took a fall and their special locker with the plastic-piece-that's-suppposed-to-keep-the-biner-properly-aligned failed--the plastic broke, the grigri side-loaded the biner gate, and the biner failed as well. Caught by the backup knot.
This ring a bell for anyone?
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