|
|
Forums:
Climbing Disciplines:
Trad Climbing:
Re: [TheProducer] Top Rope Soloing with Petzl Ascension ascender:
Edit Log
|
|
milesenoell
May 25, 2013, 2:47 PM
Views: 35923
Registered: Sep 19, 2006
Posts: 1156
|
TheProducer wrote: Hey guys i know theres forums about top rope soloing but no one on those could answer anything so heres my question: Do you think this would work as a safe good method of top rope soloing? Method: walk up to anchors set a normal anchor as if top roping normally, then instead of running the ropes through the master point anchor, tye off a figure 8 knot on a bight of the rope, throw the rope down, rappel down using a normaly atc, make the rope straight over the route, make the rope tight by tying it off or by using a pack, then clipping a right handed Petzl Ascension Ascender on the rope and tying it off to my belay loop, jumaring that up and climbing up the route, jumaring the ascender up and then climbing up, and repeat until getting to the anchors. then rappel again and start over. now to me this sounds like a solid way to climb solo top ropeing what do you think?
I have run countless laps on just the system you describe (minus all the screwing with the device, since the whole reason for using an Ascension is that you don't have to tend it), and most of the advice here is spot on: you aren't likely to die using it like Petzl indicates, BUT, there are way better devices to use. Get a device like a mini-trax that doesn't have teeth on the cam. Clipping back up knots on the second strand, or a backup knot in the main strand to keep you off the ground in case of failure are good ideas and take very little time.
Mostly though, there is nobody to catch your mistakes when you solo, so make damn sure you do your safety check before leaving the ground every god-damn time!
The only time I've ever had a problem with this system was when I leaned back to take a rest and found that my cam was not engaged. It was my second or third lap on the route that morning and I got complacent with my safety checks. A second device, a backup knot, or just a simple check of the cam before leaving the ground could have saved me a broken foot.
That said, I still quite often rig a single Ascenscion on my old 11mm rope and run laps off. I know my system is outdated, but I don't think it's especially dangerous when used properly.
YMMV.
(This post was edited by milesenoell on May 25, 2013, 2:51 PM)
|
|
|
Edit Log:
|
|
Post edited by milesenoell
() on May 25, 2013, 2:50 PM
|
|
Post edited by milesenoell
() on May 25, 2013, 2:51 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
