Solo Aid for Practice (Opinions Needed)

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Mad Max

Trad climber
Bakersfield
Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 28, 2015 - 06:45pm PT
Hey everyone,

I've pretty much given up on trying to find a partner who is available when I am, and I'm fairly ready to simply begin aid soloing in order to practice to get comfortable and refine my systems, as well as probably sport climbing on steeper terrain to see what I can do about free climbing harder. (I'm still going to try to get partners for trad climbing harder, who knows maybe this will all work out and I won't need to solo).

I'm wondering what everyone thinks about the Silent Partner by Rock Exotica? The KVSAR captain has a new one he's willing to sell me for $210, and it seems like a decent deal to be able to climb somewhat safely by myself, but I would like some opinions/critiquing first.

Besides, I won't have to share beer as much either.

Cheers,

Max
HighDesertDJ

Trad climber
Nov 28, 2015 - 06:46pm PT
If you're just doing some single pitch stuff to get your systems down there's nothing wrong with a couple of clove hitches on some big lockers. Will save you a lot of cash.
Moof

Big Wall climber
Orygun
Nov 28, 2015 - 07:33pm PT
I personally use an un-modified grigri with a quick-link instead of a locker. I keep a backup overhand on a bight with about 20' of rope.

Once you have climbed the pitch you can fix the line and run laps to get your high-stepping dialed without the fear of death messing with your psyche. Bring a timer and try running laps with vaious steps to figure out what works well for you.
Lorenzo

Trad climber
Portland Oregon
Nov 28, 2015 - 07:38pm PT
Sigh....I pine for the days you could get a dirtbag like Werner carry your gear and lead the pitches for $20.
The Chief

climber
Down the hill & across the Valley from......
Nov 28, 2015 - 07:39pm PT
For aid, nothing beats this. Used it for over ten years on tons of Big Wall Solo adventures. Easy to loosen rope after whippers. Something you can not do with the simple clove hitch system.


http://gearx.com/rock-exotica-solo-aid-belay-device
climbski2

Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
Nov 28, 2015 - 07:41pm PT
I'm pretty sure every aspiring aid/wall climber has come to this point and found that soloing was about the only way they were really going to get the practice they wanted done.

Every solo aid system has it's strengths and weaknesses. I do like the Silent Partner the best. It is the safest (well nothing I know of is safer lets say) is fairly fast and not too annoying to use...but it's not the fastest or least bulky.
WBraun

climber
Nov 28, 2015 - 07:42pm PT
The KVSAR captain has a new one he's willing to sell me for $210, and it seems like a decent deal to be able to climb somewhat safely by myself,

Stupid.

You don't need a 200 hundred dollar stoopid piece of gear.

What's wrong with you people?

All you you need is two locking biners and clove hitch.

Guys where doing big walls all the time this way.

Modern people spend way too much money on this sh!t ....
climbski2

Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
Nov 28, 2015 - 07:45pm PT
Yeah that will get you up there for sure and it is pretty safe.. but annoying and slow. It is a decent way to start out cheap and see if you want to keep going.

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2204895/silent-partner-beauty-thread
The Chief

climber
Down the hill & across the Valley from......
Nov 28, 2015 - 07:50pm PT
Have you taken a 30-50' whipper on a clove hitch rig Werner???

The rope is locked up in the knot tighter than witches ass locked around her broom stick.

The only way out of it is to cut away... seriously. Been there and done that. It sucks. That is when I decided to invest on the Solo-Aid. No more Locked up Witches ass after a decent whip.
WBraun

climber
Nov 28, 2015 - 07:52pm PT
Never fell on solo .....
jonnyrig

climber
Nov 28, 2015 - 07:52pm PT
I like my Silent Partner.
Mind you, much of what I climb is under 50 ft, often under 30. That's what I have available locally. In that short a space, it's nice to not be fussing with moving knots around. The most difficult part is sometimes building enough of an anchor at ground level in some of the crap I go after. It feeds very well on lead, and I don't have to screw with it mmuch. That said, it's all lead climbing, whether free or aid.

For top-rope solo, I couldn't get it to feed worth a damn. There are better systems for top-rope solo.

In any case, i don't push hard when solo, so I haven't fallen on it except to test it out a couple times.

As mentioned before, there are other systems that work. They have their limitations. Maybe the guy you referred to will take you out on a test run with it and let you see if you like it?
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Nov 28, 2015 - 07:57pm PT
How about two lockers, a belay plate and the ability to tie overhand slip knots. I soloed the Turning Point using that system with a 7mm prusik sling for fine tuning. Works well for free climbing too as you can manage it with one hand. This system is worth learning just in case you have to solo self belay while doing a free climb.
The Chief

climber
Down the hill & across the Valley from......
Nov 28, 2015 - 07:59pm PT
Another nice deal about the Solo-Aid, it's simple, the rope runs nice and smooth through the cam when transitioning from Aid to Free and while Free climbing. Unlike the Clove Hitch rig where the rope must be continuously fed so as not to have it lock up which in most cases occurs right at least optimum time.
CanopyGorilla

Big Wall climber
Lolo, MT
Nov 28, 2015 - 08:02pm PT
This hole practice aid thing doesn't make sense to me. Here's how I learned to aid climb: I walked all of my sh#t to the base of the leaning tower. I slept at the f*#kin base. I woke up in the morning and started climbing. I had two bolt ladder pitches to "practice". I used a clove hitch the whole time. I didn't know about lowering bags or myself, so I grunted a lot getting my bags off the anchor and watching them fly into space. I also sh#t my pants a lot jumping to clean a quick draw then flying out into space. I got to Ahwahnee at about 2 am and fell asleep without hauling face down in the gravel. The nest day I hauled and decided to get really, really drunk and high. I ended up naked dancing to blue grass when some jack asses decided to ruin my party and join me on the ledge. They were talking about bailing and I was tired. I told them I would lead everything if they belayed me. They belayed me to the top so I got some more practice.
WBraun

climber
Nov 28, 2015 - 08:15pm PT
LOL ... ^^^
CanopyGorilla

Big Wall climber
Lolo, MT
Nov 28, 2015 - 08:23pm PT
^^^hey Werner good to see you here (I'm new here) I was on T-Sar in 07 and my most memorable moment was meeting you. We were doing some halfdome long haul. I was in charge of setting up on of the legs for the anchor. I had a bunch of bomber nuts and cams equalized and was feeling pretty proud of my anchor. You walked over to inspect and I could tell you looked skeptical. You backed my whole anchor up with a #1 LA and them proclaimed the whole affair "bomber". I still laughing about that. Later that summer you helped me saw some angels, thanks for that!
CanopyGorilla

Big Wall climber
Lolo, MT
Nov 28, 2015 - 08:58pm PT
Grossman, that sounds slick. A little more explanation? P.s. one of my goals in life is jolly.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Nov 28, 2015 - 09:12pm PT
Pretty simple really. You tie overhand slip knots such that the overhand knot contacts the belay device and stack the loops off to the side of your harness on a second locking carabiner. As the rope feeds into your belay device and the overhand knot is just about to jam then you tug on the other side of the knot and clear it out to feed through.

It takes a little practice to make sure that you tie the overhand slip knots correctly. I would use the 7mm prusik to keep the belay snug in between knots while aiding.

Play with it and you will find that it is easy to unclip and release the knots one handed while free climbing and you can space the knots as needed for the difficulty of the climbing.

This system was mistakenly called the Charles Cole system and dismissed as unsife by Duane Raleigh in a review article long ago about self belay systems since Charles used a Jumar in place of the knot loop system. I originally used a big beefy Clog ascender but soon switched to knots.

The Jolly Roger is pretty beat up these days but still a thriller.
The Chief

climber
Down the hill & across the Valley from......
Nov 28, 2015 - 09:25pm PT
Hey Steve G, have you taken any falls on that system?
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Nov 28, 2015 - 09:29pm PT
I went for 50 on the pitch exiting the Half Dollar to the right off the Salathe when I under drove a medium copperhead. The prusik slicked up the rope sheath a bit before the knot caught but the whole system worked fine. Several hooks later I had to stand on a rotten bathead when my line crossed Mediterraneo and it barely held my bodyweight. That fall would have been a hundred footer. Batheads suck.
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