Safetying your Tag Bag with the Slippery Knot

Search
Go

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List
This thread has been locked
Messages 21 - 32 of total 32 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
Mark Hudon

Trad climber
Hood River, OR
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 10, 2011 - 01:23pm PT
Paul,
Yes. Let's say I have 200 feet of rope available for the pitch. I can climb 100 feet before having to tag. You want to look up and plan ahead, you don't want to have to tag if you're in the middle of a dicey section. After you tag at 100 feet, you now have 100 feet of rope available and can climb 50 feet before having to tag again. Get it?

I have 40 feet of 8 mill tied to the end of my lead/tag line so that I can climb longer pitches and have to tag only once. Given 240 feet of useable rope, you'll be able to climb any 120 foot pitch without tagging.

If you are going to use this technique, with the tag line extension, you want to sit down and figure out how the whole process works, you don't want to be in, i.e. a free climbing section and run out of rope.

If you are a "take it all" kind of person on aid climbs, you don't really need to tag. Tagging takes time and planning. If that's not your style, there are other ways to skin the same cat.

'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
Dec 10, 2011 - 05:15pm PT
Give Mark Hugedong full credit for the "slotted" Petzl Fifi - definitely the Better Way.
PAUL SOUZA

Trad climber
Central Valley, CA
Dec 10, 2011 - 08:35pm PT
Mark,

Gotcha. What device did you use for self-belay while leading?
Morgan

Trad climber
East Coast
Dec 10, 2011 - 08:59pm PT
@Mark and PTPP,

Why not use a closed ring of some sort instead of a duct taped carabiner. I was experimenting with a black diamond ultralight Figure 8 rappelling device and it worked great. I want to try maybe a Sterling Rope or ABC descending ring which looks like it would be sweet if it doesn't turn out to be too small in diameter.
Mark Hudon

Trad climber
Hood River, OR
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 10, 2011 - 08:59pm PT
A Grigri although I'm getting a Silent Partner for the free climbing on Iron Hawk next spring.

Morgan, a ring would be fine although once you tag, let's say off the anchor, the ring will stay at the anchor and you'll need another for where you leave the bag. You'll need yet another ring if you need to tag a third time. All in all, I've made mistakes but I've never made that mistake, although, I'm not dead yet...

;-)
WBraun

climber
Dec 10, 2011 - 09:20pm PT
Make some more info videos Mark.

Thumbs up and I like ......
PAUL SOUZA

Trad climber
Central Valley, CA
Dec 10, 2011 - 11:37pm PT
Mark, please excuse my newbishness....

So you'll aid lead on a GG, but free climb on a SP. Why is one device preferred over the other?

ruppell

climber
Dec 10, 2011 - 11:59pm PT
Silent partner locks regardless of how you fall. Invert a gri gri and have it catch something well it's kinda like how did that happen
PAUL SOUZA

Trad climber
Central Valley, CA
Dec 11, 2011 - 12:53am PT
I was looking for a more technical explanation.....
ruppell

climber
Dec 11, 2011 - 01:00am PT
Ok so ur one of those slow folks

Silent Partner = clove around a centrifugal system = unless the clove or rope or device completely fails your ok

GG = rope threaded through a cam = thread it backwards epic fail = thread it correctly and lock down the handle mini epic fail

Thread it properly take a 30 foot aid whip and have that lever get caught up in your rack = MEGA fail

Hope that simplifies it for ya
couchmaster

climber
pdx
Dec 11, 2011 - 12:12pm PT
Thanks Pete and Mark. Good video!
Mark Hudon

Trad climber
Hood River, OR
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 11, 2011 - 01:14pm PT
So far, in two solos, and a few small falls, I've had good experiences with the Gri-gri as a self belay device.
Free climbing with it is another story. The thing will feed rope all by itself depending on which side of it is weighted more. You might be leading off the anchor and not know that you have a giant loop of rope on that side. Conversely, when free climbing, you might look up and judge that there is a good spot to stop up ahead, feed yourself out that much slack but half way there find that the rope has back fed and that you've come tight to the device. I'm hoping the Silent Partner is better in that regard.

I'm not too worried about the Gri-gri getting tangled and me taking the giant fall since I tie back up knots every 30 feet or so. Yea, I could hit a ledge and on and on and on but it's a risk I'm constantly aware of and modify my actions accordingly, that's sort of what soloing is all about anyway.

BTW I don't solo A10 either, I'm never looking at giant falls, I'm not that much of a hardman!
Messages 21 - 32 of total 32 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
Return to Forum List
 
Our Guidebooks
spacerCheck 'em out!
SuperTopo Guidebooks

guidebook icon
Try a free sample topo!

 
SuperTopo on the Web

Recent Route Beta