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northcave
Sep 2, 2009, 1:48 PM
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I know this has come up a billion times and I'm sorry :p Anyway I am getting into solo- climbing / solo aid and up till now just been using a clove hitch. It's becoming a tat annoying and although there are tonnes of guides on modifying a GriGri out there, can someone point be to the best/most accurate thread or tutorial on doing this? Please note that I also know that i should just go buy a silent partner but they don';t have them over here in the UK. That's my excuse :) Many thanks in advance Tim
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cclarke
Sep 2, 2009, 2:04 PM
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If you are going to use a gri-gri for solo aid, you don't need to modify it. The mods help if you want to rope solo free climbs.
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russwalling
Sep 2, 2009, 3:54 PM
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cclarke wrote: If you are going to use a gri-gri for solo aid, you don't need to modify it. The mods help if you want to rope solo free climbs. True 'dat!
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patmay81
Sep 4, 2009, 7:59 PM
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cclarke wrote: If you are going to use a gri-gri for solo aid, you don't need to modify it. The mods help if you want to rope solo free climbs. agreed. If you are leading I would suggest an unmodified grigri. I use a link cam or other cam with insane expansion range clipped to my daisy for threading through the grigri or placing pro. but def. leave the grigri unmodded.
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wallwombat
Mar 27, 2010, 10:46 AM
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Hey Tim, The following link has the best info on making and using a modified GriGri that I have seen. http://www.chockstone.org/...=LastMessage#newpost I modded mine and it works a treat and is especially good if you want to bust out of your aiders and do some free moves.
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skullyambro
Sep 25, 2010, 2:44 AM
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I climb on mine, sometimes. I wonder, though, what kinda forces I'm playin' with there. The Gris, after all, IS designed to be at the other end of the rope. We could be expecting too much from it. That said, I've taken some falls on my rig(unmodded, clipped to belay ring, but backed up) only 20' or so, and the thing has been exemplary. I climbed The Column, The Perch & some Zion Walls in this fashion(having never had a big fall on any) & it was ok....I mean, I never REALLY tested it. Maybe I was way out there & just didn't know it..........That, actually, would be cool. I'd feel Bolder, anyway. or dead. It's all good, man.
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whipper
Oct 24, 2010, 10:43 PM
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patmay81 wrote: cclarke wrote: If you are going to use a gri-gri for solo aid, you don't need to modify it. The mods help if you want to rope solo free climbs. agreed. If you are leading I would suggest an unmodified grigri. I use a link cam or other cam with insane expansion range clipped to my daisy for threading through the grigri or placing pro. but def. leave the grigri unmodded. ummm, WTF are you talking about with the link cam?
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malcolm777b
Oct 25, 2010, 12:04 AM
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cclarke wrote: If you are going to use a gri-gri for solo aid, you don't need to modify it. The mods help if you want to rope solo free climbs. Yeah, the unmodded grigri seems to feed just fine when aiding. Just be sure to tie your backup knots.
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scottek67
Oct 25, 2010, 9:59 PM
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chriisu
Nov 24, 2011, 8:24 AM
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I feel completely safe when lead aid climbing with (unmodified) grigri and having backup knots every three meters or so. You may tie the knots while you're on the ground if you wish. To date I've taken a single fall and it caught me nicely. The only scenario where I'd see this fail would be that the grigri carabiner would break...
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USnavy
Nov 25, 2011, 3:02 PM
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cclarke wrote: If you are going to use a gri-gri for solo aid, you don't need to modify it. The mods help if you want to rope solo free climbs. It should be noted that almost every wall in Yos has SOME mandatory free climbing on it somwhere. So even if your climbing aid, you are eventually going to have to step out of your aiders. And I have found that when I am trying to free climb in my approach shoes, with a massive rack and extreme rope drag, 2000 feet off the ground, having a device that wont constantly require intervention is a very good thing. And make sure you back your GriGri up. Ammon McNeely just took a massive screaming whipper because the hook he was standing on popped off and jamed his GriGri open and he fell to the end of his rope.
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ammon
Nov 27, 2011, 1:50 AM
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Hello USnavy… Yes, that's the short version of what happened. What you neglected to add is that we were speed climbing and we tend to cut a few corners while doing so. I usually ALWAYS have a backup knot while rope soloing (not speed climbing), unless I’m on easy terrain and feel like it’s not necessary. I was actually short-fixed and had about 70 feet of rope left after fixing the anchor, I was about 30 feet off the belay with 40 feet of rope left, not a ton of rope in my opinion, only about 10 feet more than if I were to tie a back-up knot (I usually tie a knot every 25-30 feet). My hook did go flying into my Gri-gri, which has never happened to me, and jammed it open, causing about 20 feet of extra air. I know this because I went back up once my partner arrived at the belay and I took the exact fall and only fell 30 feet. Anyway, I just thought I’d clear that up a little bit… and yup, we got the first one day. Cheers, Ammon
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USnavy
Nov 27, 2011, 6:41 AM
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ammon wrote: Hello USnavy… Yes, that's the short version of what happened. What you neglected to add is that we were speed climbing and we tend to cut a few corners while doing so. I usually ALWAYS have a backup knot while rope soloing (not speed climbing), unless I’m on easy terrain and feel like it’s not necessary. I was actually short-fixed and had about 70 feet of rope left after fixing the anchor, I was about 30 feet off the belay with 40 feet of rope left, not a ton of rope in my opinion, only about 10 feet more than if I were to tie a back-up knot (I usually tie a knot every 25-30 feet). My hook did go flying into my Gri-gri, which has never happened to me, and jammed it open, causing about 20 feet of extra air. I know this because I went back up once my partner arrived at the belay and I took the exact fall and only fell 30 feet. Anyway, I just thought I’d clear that up a little bit… and yup, we got the first one day. Cheers, Ammon Sounds good, thanks for the details. I was under the impression that it was a 70+ footer from the pic you posted on Facebook. The pic I saw showed you dangling about 40 feet below the cameraman with no one under you. The photo seems to imply that the belayer took a pic of you and you were 40 feet below him, implying you fell 40+ feet past the belay. But in any case, congrats on the send!
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altelis
Dec 9, 2011, 4:04 AM
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USnavy wrote: cclarke wrote: If you are going to use a gri-gri for solo aid, you don't need to modify it. The mods help if you want to rope solo free climbs. It should be noted that almost every wall in Yos has SOME mandatory free climbing on it somwhere. So even if your climbing aid, you are eventually going to have to step out of your aiders. And I have found that when I am trying to free climb in my approach shoes, with a massive rack and extreme rope drag, 2000 feet off the ground, having a device that wont constantly require intervention is a very good thing. And make sure you back your GriGri up. Ammon McNeely just took a massive screaming whipper because the hook he was standing on popped off and jamed his GriGri open and he fell to the end of his rope. If you've got your system working well, rope drag shouldn't be an issue whilst roped soloing...
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USnavy
Dec 9, 2011, 5:24 AM
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Yea, your right, you dont have any rope drag while soloing, thats one of the advantages of soloing. I was thinking of standard wall climbing where you have a belayer and you have 50 pieces of pro clipped to the rope, than the drag can be a PIA. But not as much of an issue soloing. The GriGri locking up on itself is still an issue though, thats something you want to work out early on.
(This post was edited by USnavy on Dec 9, 2011, 5:27 AM)
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altelis
Dec 9, 2011, 11:45 AM
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Agreed
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muddymax
Apr 23, 2012, 12:53 PM
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...for any solo-climbing i use the Edelrid Eddy. needs no modifications for soloing free - a bit heavier and you have to use a thin rope (about 9.5mm) holds upside down falls i like it!
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