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alpinedude
Aug 13, 2004, 4:47 PM
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Registered: Jan 23, 2004
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I'm not planning on taking up solo climbing (like with a Silent Partner) anytime soon (or without qualified instruction), but out of curiosity, how does it work? Are there any good websites that explain it?
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jcain
Aug 13, 2004, 5:46 PM
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I agree with mnutz.
I'd also recommending reading a book called "Himmelsleiter - The Art of Solo Climbing". You can read the text at http://sangre-de-cristo.com/westcliffe/himmelsleiter/BOOKDONE.htm, but I'd purchase the book because it includes the pictures that are referred to in the text.
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alpinedude
Aug 16, 2004, 3:20 AM
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Okay, I checked out the website and the manual, but it says in the beginning that the manual can't teach me to solo and that there are no good books on it, so that I should get qualified instruction. But I'm just trying to slake some curiosity here. A little help? Like, for example, where does the silent partner go? Is it at the bottom of the pitch like a belayer would be or is it attatched to your harness? In Freedom of the Hills it says soloing requires knowledge of "advanced rigging techniques." Where in hell can I find out about these? What are they?
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manacubus
Aug 16, 2004, 3:27 AM
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In reply to: Like, for example, where does the silent partner go? |
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petsfed
Aug 16, 2004, 3:37 AM
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Every lead solo "device" is attached to your belay loop and works like a belayer. That is, picture a climber moving up a pitch. The solo device works as a belayer for that climber, except the climber is the anchor and the belay anchor is effectively the climber. Confusing, I know. Rather, when you are lead soloing, the device attached to your belay loop acts as the belayer in a regular, 2 person system. The climber is the static position, the belayer is moving. In theory (italics emphasised for legal reasons) the roles are simply reversed. That's the essence of lead solo systems. Some work better than others, some worse than others. In my opinion, solo systems are only practical for purely aid (or hard aid + very easy; eg < 5.6; free climbing). I do not like the existing systems for free climbing. I'd rather have a real living, breathing human being to belay me in most situations.
DO NOT ATTEMPT WITHOUT THOROUGH TRAINING AND PRACTICE
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actionfigure
Aug 23, 2004, 5:09 PM
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Registered: Aug 18, 2004
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Have someone show you. Learning from a manual is not recommended.
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drector
Aug 23, 2004, 5:16 PM
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Registered: Aug 27, 2002
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You can also top-rope solo, in the same manner as other stated, with the device attached to the belay loop. You need to have the bottom of the rope fixed, take out slack manually, or have a device that slides up the rope easily with the just the rope weight feeding it. Like everyone says, and for this type of climbing too, don't do it.
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verticallaw
Aug 23, 2004, 5:47 PM
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http://www.rockclimbing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=12901&forum=19&3
http://www.rockclimbing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=20135&forum=19&10
http://www.rockclimbing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=7121&forum=19&4
Hope the links work
Mike
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darth_gaydar
Aug 23, 2004, 6:40 PM
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In reply to: Have someone show you. Learning from a manual is not recommended.
Why not? How then did the first person learn?
Sheesh. Watch out, the sky is falling!
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beesty511
Aug 23, 2004, 7:14 PM
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Registered: Mar 4, 2004
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In reply to: Every lead solo "device" is attached to your belay loop and works like a belayer. That is, picture a climber moving up a pitch. The solo device works as a belayer for that climber, except the climber is the anchor and the belay anchor is effectively the climber. Confusing, I know. Rather, when you are lead soloing, the device attached to your belay loop acts as the belayer in a regular, 2 person system. The climber is the static position, the belayer is moving. In theory (italics emphasised for legal reasons) the roles are simply reversed. That's the essence of lead solo systems. Some work better than others, some worse than others. In my opinion, solo systems are only practical for purely aid (or hard aid + very easy; eg < 5.6; free climbing). I do not like the existing systems for free climbing. I'd rather have a real living, breathing human being to belay me in most situations.
...in other words:
calsdfld aafllsjdf aljdfls alsdfjls aslfjsldj ahjre[q8er[' q[eur[213][12 1qqewi giweroo glekajby ysou wpoiri]w piwerpe s;li powsi2 2-84= dpoldl aljd[iiw anooe dlgjoew aieiouwe ahwouewlso qwoieurqwe aseo woeure allse w.
(of course, do not attempt that without professional training)
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omenbringer
Aug 23, 2004, 7:54 PM
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Registered: Sep 19, 2003
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In reply to: Every lead solo "device" is attached to your belay loop |
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ricardol
Aug 23, 2004, 8:33 PM
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Registered: Nov 11, 2002
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there are several good articles on this website about soloing systems ..
.. there are also several good posts about soloing systems ..
.. you look for the Silent Partner's user's manual (at WREN's website) .. it describes how to use the silent partner .. plus alot of the info there applies to soloing in general.
do a search ..
.. there are also several people who solo regularly on this website .. you can polite PM them and ask them specific questions, 90% of them will be happy to answer all your questions ..
.. what you do with all that knowledge is your own decision ..
-- ricardo
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