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slevin
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 20, 2010 - 02:27pm PT
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I am trying to work a couple of long-term projects. First I want to figure out the moves on solo toperope and lead once I got it all dialed in.
what device do you use for solo top roping?
can it also be used for solo leading?
how well does it work with different rope diameters?
do you back it up and how?
could you explain the set-up that you use in terms of rope-work?
how do you lower?
One of the projects is a thin finger crak in a longish roof. How should I set up the rope in this case?
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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Mar 20, 2010 - 02:34pm PT
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I've used a soloist for solo top roping, and solo leading for a long time. There are some short comings to the device, mainly it won't hold an inverted fall, and since you are solo, you need to be super attentive to your rigging as you don't have a partner to check out your setup. I have run the rope backwards through the soloist before, and it won't catch a fall if setup backwards. It's a good idea to load the device before you start climbing to see if you have it setup properly. You can back it up with a clove hitch to your harness.
I've never fealt comfortable trying to push my limits when roped soloing, whether tr or leading. I guess there is some motivational factor of having a partner yarding on the rope.
For solo tr it is easy to setup, just anchor the rope at the top as if you'd be rapping the route, then feed the rope through the device and climb it. Some routes may require directionals to prevent a pendulum. I've used it with 10, 10.5 and 11mm ropes. I don't recall what the minimum rope dia is.
Edit.
For leading you build a solid anchor, tie in the rope, then let the rope run through the device as you place additional pieces. You can always clove hitch the line to key pieces on the way to make additional anchors, and reduce rope stretch on falls.
For ice climging I just tie the rope to the first screw, clove hitch the second screw, and clip the rest of the screws until I get to the belay.
I've done multi pitch roped solo's. A fair bit of work as you lead the pitch, rap and clean, then tr, then lead the next pitch. On the up side you get in double the climbing.
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JuanDeFuca
Big Wall climber
Peenemunde
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Mar 20, 2010 - 02:37pm PT
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>I am trying to work a couple of long-term projects. First I want to >figure out the moves on solo toperope and lead once I got it all dialed >in.
>what device do you use for solo top roping?
I use the Soloist.
>can it also be used for solo leading?
Yes, I have used it to lead 7 pitch trad routes.
>how well does it work with different rope diameters?
Works Fine
>do you back it up and how?
You want to backup any solo device every 30 ft or so.
could you explain the set-up that you use in terms of rope-work?
how do you lower?
For solo tope rope I just climb to the anchors then switch to a rappell device.
One of the projects is a thin finger crak in a longish roof. How should I set up the rope in this case?
Best Not.
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slevin
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 20, 2010 - 02:48pm PT
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I was thinking of using Ushba Basic Ascender as a rope camming device, but will take a look at the Soloist. If I want to bail in the middle of the pitch (e.g. if I can't do the moves), do I just use the device to ascend to the anchors and them walk off/rap?
For the roof project, I was thinking of rigging a horizontal rope along the roof with two anchors, at the end and beginning of the roof. A separate line for lowering, obviously.
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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Mar 20, 2010 - 03:04pm PT
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I'm not familiar with the Ushba but most ascenders will cut ropes when you fall on them. Don't take a shortcut on a solo belay device by cluging up an ascender or other device and I highly recomend against climbing at your limit when roped soloing. Look at roped soloing as the same as free soloing, but with alot more work due to rigging. You'll be much safer with that attitude.
As far as having to bail. With the soloist it also can be rigged as a rappel device, or you can just lean back an when far enough back the rope will start slipping through the device, but it's controlled and you just straighten up to stop the slip. If you're only say 20' up, it's easiest to just lean back and walk down the route. If you are higher up, you tie a clove hitch to back you up, then pull a bight through the back of the soloist, clip a locker, and you use it as a rap device.
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Brock
Trad climber
RENO, NV
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Mar 20, 2010 - 03:06pm PT
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I think if you do a word search for some of the older forum discussions you will see some pictures of "Solo top rope setups."
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flakyfoont
Trad climber
carsoncity nv
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Mar 20, 2010 - 03:56pm PT
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slevin, tpaul and jdf are correct on soloist. I use a silent partner for lead and top rope solo.
It too has some drawbacks. Stacking the rope is a little tricky and you could clip the wrong layer of stacked rope as you go.It is cumbersom in size.... is slow to catch on lower angle rock, so keep it steep.
Otherwise its alot of fun and quite exciting to use.
If you are to venture onto over vertical solo, do yourself a favor, carry some jumars or prusiks in 7mm or 8mm , to haul yourself out of a cieling fall.
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johnboy
Trad climber
Can't get here from there
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Mar 20, 2010 - 05:17pm PT
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For top rope solo use a rescucender or microcender. Tie a knot in the line below the device every once in a while as you climb if it makes you feel safer.
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ochotona
Social climber
The Portal, CA
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Mar 20, 2010 - 05:54pm PT
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If you are able to have a solid top anchor that you would trust toproping on why don't you just tie the rope off and use two ascenders or minitraxions to rope solo? Way cheaper and easier than getting a soloist. It's really straightforward to figure out some system. You could even use two prussiks, ropeman ascenders or whatever else you want.
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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Mar 20, 2010 - 06:01pm PT
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Even on a toprope, a fall can generate a fair bit of force, and the ascennder can damage the rope. Also ascenders aren't self feeding. Choosing something because it's cheap or just rigging up something is pizz poor advice for climbing.
If you are going to do an apreciable amount of roped soloing, the soloist is well worth the money. For tr soloing on up to mildly overhanging routes it is outstanding, coil the slack rope at the base of the climb and it self feeds as you go, you don't even notice it's there.
Edit
The economy thing just doesn't compute. Do you go to home depot to buy something that looks like a climbing rope because you can save $50?
Gee, I'm so stoked I saved $100 by not buying a soloist. Well, you find yourself working your way up a route, sliding the jumars along the best you can. You have about 5' of slack in the system and are starting to get gripped. You can either fumble with the ascender to try and get the slack out, or just go for it and crack the crux to solid footing. Oops, you pealed off the crux, with 10' of slack in the system and find your new $150 rope has a core shot from where the ascender gripped the rope. Your savings suddenly wasn't, and you have a serious case of snail eye.
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Brock
Trad climber
RENO, NV
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Mar 20, 2010 - 09:24pm PT
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Try scrolling through this old forum posting:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=568973&tn=20
Look for the picture of the guy with the red shirt. That is the set up that I use and it works great. You can also substitute a tibloc device for one of the mini traxions (use the tibloc inplace of the lower minitraxion). Instead of webing on the upper minitraxion, I use an elastic cord that pulls the minitraxion up with me and it feeds the rope perfectly.
I have taken falls on my top rope set up but it there has never been play in the rope. Guess it helps to climb steep routes. Also use 10-15 pounds on the bottom of the rope to help keep the rope feeding smoothly.
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slevin
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 20, 2010 - 09:34pm PT
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Looks pretty good - I presume it's possible to use any sort of ascender(s). Do you use webbing or a real chest harness?
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Brock
Trad climber
RENO, NV
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Mar 20, 2010 - 09:40pm PT
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I use two pieces of webbing. The chest webbing are not to really hold your weight as much as keep the upper minitraxion upward and the rope flowing through it smoothly as you climb. Also oval locking carabiners really help, note the device that the guy in the picture has to keep the upper minitraxion from shifting and cross-loading.
Definitely play around with it prior to starting upwards. HAVE FUN! Get that Redpoint!
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Mar 21, 2010 - 03:32pm PT
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Instead of using a carabiner, I find that if I use a 3/8" quicklink to anchor my Ushba to my harness the possibility of the biner shifting and crossloading is reduced to almost nothing.
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
Hood River, OR
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Mar 21, 2010 - 03:40pm PT
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What would you all think of using a Grigri as your main belay and then a Mini-Traxion as your back up?
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I'm hurtin . . .
Ice climber
midwest
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Mar 21, 2010 - 10:36pm PT
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Can anyone explain to me how you use a soloist for top-rope soloing? I must be dense, cant seem to figure out how.
So Ive been using a petzl ascender backed up by a mini-traxion. That's been working great.
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WBraun
climber
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Mar 21, 2010 - 10:57pm PT
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Ahhhh what a bunch ah bullsh'it.
The whole Yosemite crew here has been mini-traxion almost daily during the winter months for years now with no problems.
Only people who never mini-trax dream up all these so called scenarios where they fall and the sheath and ropes cut.
Pure ass paranoia ..........
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willie!!!!!
Trad climber
99827
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Mar 21, 2010 - 11:09pm PT
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I'm hurtin -
1. Set up fixed toprope
2. Pull pin and cam from device
3. Insert rope. It will come down from anchor, in bottom of soloist, behind cam, and out the top over the biner clipped to your chest harness
4. Reinsert cam, pin, and keeper/hanger biner
5. Climb! Pull slack thru until, if you're lucky, it self-feeds.
No Diving
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coondogger
Trad climber
NH
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Mar 23, 2010 - 09:41am PT
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hi. Really simple and safe. I use a mini traxion and a basic. Both attached to the belay loop. Mini hangs below while the basic is pulled by a light adjustable bungy cord around shoulder/neck. Mini is back-up while basic locks up with no slack as it is pulled along at chest height.
Really simple, redundant, reliable.
Have fun
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coondogger
Trad climber
NH
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Mar 23, 2010 - 09:42am PT
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hi. Really simple and safe. I use a mini traxion and a basic. Both attached to the belay loop. Mini hangs below while the basic is pulled by a light adjustable bungy cord around shoulder/neck. Mini is back-up while basic locks up with no slack as it is pulled along at chest height.
Really simple, redundant, reliable.
Have fun
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