Petzl Mini Traxion – Self Belay - Human Error almost tragedy

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Messages 61 - 80 of total 103 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
klk

Trad climber
cali
Feb 22, 2011 - 12:56pm PT
let us know how it works.

that catalogue shot is a bit tom-of-finland. nice abs on the mannequin.
tarek

climber
berkeley
Feb 22, 2011 - 01:16pm PT
Abs, heh. I'll never get to that project. thinking bungee, or the lazy man's way: some fear that hopefully passes.
jfailing

Trad climber
A trailer park in the Sierras
Feb 22, 2011 - 01:57pm PT
Anyone use a DMM Buddy? I saw one at Elevation in Lone Pine once. It looked like it would be pretty sweet for rope soloing - it's pretty heavy and doesn't have a teeth-locking cam like the mini-traxion.

Off White

climber
Tenino, WA
Feb 22, 2011 - 02:47pm PT
seems like a second mt would not have helped much in this rare case b/c the top one jammed and slack gathered above it.

That's part of why I like the system I posted pics of a page back or so: two different devices that act on different principles. The microcender on top, the primary device, has a Gibbs like ribbed lever that pinches the rope. The secondary device is a Jumaresque ascender that has ahold of the sheathe with teeth, spring loaded, so it's always engaged.

Andrew F

Trad climber
Sunnyvale, CA
Feb 22, 2011 - 02:54pm PT
The Buddy looks awesome... like a Grigri oriented correctly for TR solo. Any idea how much it costs?
j-tree

Big Wall climber
bay area, ca
Feb 22, 2011 - 03:49pm PT
90pounds (can't find the pound versus the dollar symbol)
15pounds international shipping

http://www.v12outdoor.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1644
bobinc

Trad climber
Portland, Or
Feb 22, 2011 - 03:57pm PT
I use the Ushba as an emergency "get me out of here" device along with a TiBloc. Haven't done soloing with these. Together they take up little room on the back of the harness and have come in handy on some occasions.
Disaster Master

Social climber
Born in So-Cal, left my soul in far Nor-Cal.
Feb 22, 2011 - 07:16pm PT
he grabbed the rope in this particular fall and in doing so he never fell past his ushba and it slipped down the rope along with him. Once he let go of the rope (burnt his hands) the ushba locked off and prevented his head from hitting the ground.

Glad he is OK.

That sounds like user error to me, like holding a gri gri open in a panic.

If he had kept his hands off the rope, like a real lead fall, the device would have engaged. I can see the impulse, for sure. A backup would not solve this if he did the same, grabbing the rope above both ascenders. But much less likely.
HHL

Trad climber
Stumpcreek, WV
Feb 22, 2011 - 07:44pm PT
I've used a petzl ascender as TR solo belay device and just tied backup knots on a second length of rope and clipped into the knots with a wiregate girth hitched to my harness on a single runner. I felt like that was a good setup. Any thoughts?
nick d

Trad climber
nm
Feb 22, 2011 - 08:05pm PT
Just an off topic observation, but am I the only one that thinks DMT looks kinda like William Shatner on a bender?

Who knows DMT, gain a little weight, actually a bunch and you could be ruling American stage and screen for decades to come.

Observation concluded, now lets get back on topic for god's sakes!

nick danger
le_bruce

climber
Oakland: what's not to love?
Feb 22, 2011 - 08:31pm PT
Yikes, great point above.

I use a single minitraxion but am zealous about backup knots, either on the other half of the rope (if tied off at mid-point on anchor) or below me on the single strand. Yes this makes for a lot of pulling rope through the mini since it's not weighted below, and has become enough of a pain in the ass that I'll probably pick up a second MT.

Saw one of these the other day at BIW:

http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/climb/carabiners/gridlock-screwgate-carabiner

Anyone use one? Thoughts? To me it screamed rope soloing and solo tr applications, and maybe more convenient than the DMM Belay Master?

FRUMY

Trad climber
SHERMAN OAKS,CA
Feb 22, 2011 - 08:41pm PT
TFPU
Nor Cal

Trad climber
San Mateo
Feb 22, 2011 - 10:54pm PT
Glad he is OK.

That sounds like user error to me, like holding a gri gri open in a panic.

If he had kept his hands off the rope, like a real lead fall, the device would have engaged. I can see the impulse, for sure. A backup would not solve this if he did the same, grabbing the rope above both ascenders. But much less likely.

Yeah, he is ok. Not quite the same since the accident; it's been about 5 years and he is climbing some, but not like before. The accident was totally user error and had he not grabbed the rope I would not have had to call his wife and tell her (she was 7 months pregnant)! The accident was at a local rock and he was at Stanford hospital within 30 minutes from the time of impact.

I will never forget watching him fall. I was above, on my ushba, encouraging him to go for it as he had fallen a minute before and I passed him. I don't remember rappelling down to him.

I am glad the the OP posted about this as I think we can all learn from others...
PAUL SOUZA

Trad climber
Clovis, CA
Feb 23, 2011 - 03:10pm PT
Why not use one of these??

http://www.petzl.com/en/pro/verticality/mobile-fall-arrest-device/mobile-fall-arrest-device-rope/asap
Off White

climber
Tenino, WA
Feb 23, 2011 - 05:49pm PT
Paul, the fine print on that device says: "For 10.5 to 13 mm semi-static ropes (EN 1891 type A) certified with the device"

looks like a great jobsite rope-grab though, thanks for digging that up.
Matt M

Trad climber
Alamo City
Feb 24, 2011 - 10:33am PT
Last time I was out with my dual Mini Trax setup I ran into the same issues where the loop used to keep the top mini "tight" got semi-tangled in the cam. Not a huge deal but unnerving for the rest of the day. I like the idea of the mini gibbs on top and a trax on the bottom. Plus I think it would make switching over to lowering easier. The teeth on the mini trax are hard to disengage AND are mega grabby. The microscender should work better in this regard.
caughtinside

Social climber
Davis, CA
Nov 11, 2011 - 04:19pm PT
I have fallen on my setup with the top device (pro traxion) not having the cam engaged. I fell onto my backup, which trails probably 12-18" below the protrax. The teeth didn't catch at all.

The backup I use is a wildcountry ropeman. THe ropeman is spring loaded, and if it is on the rope, it is engaged. No retracting that one without removing it. I like the ropeman as backup for that reason, in addition to it being light and cheap. It does not have a pulley, but with the rope weighted properly I barely feel it, it feeds just fine.
klk

Trad climber
cali
Nov 11, 2011 - 05:28pm PT
since this came up, i'll mention that i tried and like brian's stretchcord-for-the-keeper idea.

i'm using girth-hitched it through the loop and then over my head at a tightness that keeps the trax running.

it works much better than the chest harness, takes up less space, and seems less likely to gank if the trax hits a knob or something.

finally sent the climb i almost cratered on last year.
Big Mike

Trad climber
BC
Nov 11, 2011 - 07:02pm PT
I use an Ushba and I back it up with a prusik knot. I must admit I haven't always. It runs smooth and I don't have to touch it.

I clip a locker through my tie in loops alpine style for the prusik and I use a DMM belay master biner and put the belay side on the belay loop and the keeper side on the Ushba.

I also make sure the rope is tight by clove hitching it to the rope bag with the rest of the rope in it for a weight at the bottom.

couchmaster

climber
pdx
Apr 13, 2012 - 01:55pm PT
Le Bruce. The black diamond locker you show has a potential fatal weakness to be aware of. That is that any device can slide over to the screwgate and with a quick sideways twist, pop the entire gate off. This was the motion that a figure 8 in an Aussie style rap did to a young man on an Munter style HB locker that led both to his death and HB being sued.

The dmm belaymaster addresses and eliminates that issue, whereas the Gridmaster does not. I have a Gridmaster, and for that reason alone, I think it's a piece of crap. For using a grigri or Cinch, I have some Fixe twistlocks I much prefer where the twist lock is so big that the devices cannot slide over the gate and cause a catastrophic failure if you are not watching the biner/device orientation.

The DMM would work much better for this application.

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