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psprings
Aug 30, 2007, 3:23 PM
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Registered: Jul 13, 2005
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Just wanted to post this for the heck of it; and to see if anyone else has any other tips that they can add for going light and unclustered on multipitch.
Every once in a while I decide that I'd like to trade around my rack and switch it up, try different things to see if I can climb more efficiently.
Lately, I've been taking 2 large OP Jake HMS screw locks for tie in and belay, using one to tie in to my anchor point, and one to belay with using a munter. I've only been doing this on multipitch, because with single pitch you end up lowering and inducing the coils, kinks from the Munter that everyone hates.
The nice thing is, it's sort of refreshing to not have a Reverso and an extra biner hanging off my harness.
Another thing that I gave up was my daisy chain. Actually this happened much further back. I've just started using the climbing rope to tie myself in. And on rappel, I use 2 of my standard slings with opposite and opposed biners to clip in.
These are just a couple of things that I've found recently that I like. I may end up going back to a GiGi because it is nice to autoblock from the top, and it makes rappelling cleaner than a biner brake, especially since it's so much more low-profile than the reverso or ATC Guide which are just getting to feel like hexes hanging of my harness :P (Yes, I still carry a couple).
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timm
Aug 30, 2007, 3:29 PM
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I use a Munter frequently when belaying a second. I also lower a lot off a Munter (as well as occasionally rappelling on it). It only kinks the rope when doing it incorrectly. Keep the load strand and brake strand together (grasp both) and you will get no kinks. However, I've heard that repeated lowering with a Munter wears the rope faster but haven't noticed any unusual wear though.
Cheers,
Tim
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j_ung
Aug 30, 2007, 3:45 PM
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Munters don't kink ropes so much as they keep pre-existing kinks all on one side (when used incorrectly). As your second gets closer and closer, all those kinks get scrunched into a smaller section of rope. Eventually it becomes a problem. Keep your Munter hitch big and loose and push rope into it, rather than pulling rope out of it and you'll pass your rope's pre-existing kinks through it with no trouble at all. As well, you'll minimize the wear that, over time, results from rope-on-rope contact.
I used to use a Munter to belay my second all the time, but still carried a belay device for rappelling and belaying leaders. Now I use autoblockers. I find the function in all three scenarios to be well worth every gram of weight and every mm of space on my rack.
Here's another way to shave complications: I used to stack the rope in a runner hanging from the anchor to keep it off my lap when belaying the leader on the next pitch. Nowadays I tie a sort of homemade rope hook with a short section of the climbing rope itself. Other than the rope the only gear I need is one biner. (Never understood the utility of buying and carrying a rope hook.)
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psprings
Aug 30, 2007, 3:46 PM
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Hmm, I'll have to pay closer attention to that!
As far as the rope where goes, I sort of curious myself. However, since my rope takes enough abuse already from running over granite, edges and such, making the sheath fuzzy, I doubt a Munter could add anything noticable to the sheath wear.
PS
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timm
Aug 30, 2007, 3:54 PM
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psprings wrote: Hmm, I'll have to pay closer attention to that! As far as the rope where goes, I sort of curious myself. However, since my rope takes enough abuse already from running over granite, edges and such, making the sheath fuzzy, I doubt a Munter could add anything noticable to the sheath wear. PS
Agreed. It's just that whenever I post about a Munter somebody always brings this up. I don't consider it a real issue when considering other forms of rope wear as you mentioned.
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psprings
Aug 30, 2007, 3:56 PM
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Jung,
Good point about the techniques for belaying with a Munter. I've got that figured out, even to the point where I can belay a leader very smoothly with it. Which, by the way, I think everyone should actually practice doing. Better to learn it by choice than under duress :P
I'd like to hear a little more from Timm or anyone else who lowers or raps with a munter. Mine end up always kinking some, but I haven't kept track of keeping the strands parallel (assuming that you're talking about the "brake" position), I've only ever noticed the difference between loaded and kinking and unloaded and not kinking.
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psprings
Aug 30, 2007, 4:00 PM
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timm wrote: psprings wrote: Hmm, I'll have to pay closer attention to that! As far as the rope where goes, I sort of curious myself. However, since my rope takes enough abuse already from running over granite, edges and such, making the sheath fuzzy, I doubt a Munter could add anything noticable to the sheath wear. PS Agreed. It's just that whenever I post about a Munter somebody always brings this up. I don't consider it a real issue when considering other forms of rope wear as you mentioned.
He he, yeah, I could tell you weren't worried about it. I also was posting for those other people that always bring it up.
ps- nice signature
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timm
Aug 30, 2007, 4:00 PM
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Jung makes a good point that I over looked. The munter doesn't let existing twists go thru. Always keep the strands together (parallel) right where the brake strand leaves the hitch. Don't separate to feed slack or brake. Just use the pressure of your hand to control speed. Using this method won't kink the rope. But, under weight, it forces existing twists toward the end of the rope as jung has already pointed out.
(Edited to fix spelling)
(This post was edited by timm on Aug 30, 2007, 4:02 PM)
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