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rukken
Dec 22, 2003, 6:00 PM
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Registered: Jun 22, 2003
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Does anyone have some relevant experience on wich method to use for belaying yourself on roped alpine climbing (ice,mix,snow). Has anyone done any testing on what diameter rope is needed for an iced up rope to catch on the different devices(soloist, silent partner, GriGri). Or is most alpine soloists using double clove hitch? :D
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punk
Dec 22, 2003, 7:15 PM
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Registered: May 28, 2002
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yep that is the way if u Really need it
BTW what is the DOUBLE clove hitch
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alpnclmbr1
Dec 22, 2003, 7:26 PM
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Registered: Dec 10, 2002
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In reply to: yep that is the way if u Really need it BTW what is the DOUBLE clove hitch
you use two seperate clove hitches on seperate lockers so that you can feed rope through them one at a time, while the other backs you up. This is besides tieing in short.
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punk
Dec 22, 2003, 9:32 PM
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Registered: May 28, 2002
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In reply to: you use two seperate clove hitches on seperate lockers so that you can feed rope through them one at a time, while the other backs you up. This is besides tieing in short.
never used it. the single one with 8 backup works just fine ...it is counter productive if u asking me. it is more then a handful with one clove let alone 2
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andyk
Dec 23, 2003, 1:52 PM
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Registered: Dec 4, 2002
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Hi
For Alpine soloing you need to be 99% sure you won't fall and I'd probably recommend that you only undertake an alpine solo if you think you can climb it unroped. This is not only due to the factors you've already mentioned (iced ropes be one of the main ones), but also the speed (soloing means you can go fast, roped soling is slower then with a partner).
Saying that you should always have a rope when soling (8mm to 9mm), clipped to your harness in the middle (two 30m strands trailing). If you get to a dodgy section where you need some back up then place a good piece (downward pull only) and clip one rope into it, tying the end back into you harness. If you fall you'll take a 15m fall (or shorter if you tie a shorter loop and exstend it as you move up). You'll ve giving the anchor a high fall factor but with a skinny rope it should survive. After 15 meters you either untie the rope and leave the gear behind, or pull on the gear so it comes with you. You can place gear as you can with this system (or even exstend it by tying a full 30 metre loop with the whole rope), either pulling it as you climb or sacrificing it. WARNING this system IS as scetchy as it sounds but is good anough for that 1% chance you might fall (it's worked for me and other euro solo climbers).
If things get hard anough that you think you may well fall then switch to a proper solo system (anchoring the rope at one end, rapping down once you've done the pitch etc), using a grigri, either on a half rope (sketchy) or a skinny single (9.1mm Mammut is an awhsome rope fir this), although becouse you're only usually using one rope it's worth practising cleaning meanidering single roped pitches.
One other bit of advice is to attach yourself to your axes so thay act as a back up.
But again the main thing is that if you think you may be falling off then take a freind (or get one of thoes philopino brides of the net and carry them up with you to belay on the hard pitches).
Cheers
Andy
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