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Re: [Dorian] EDDY as a solo belay and its camming action DANGERS (?):
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the_climber
Oct 24, 2008, 6:22 PM
Views: 37063
Registered: Oct 9, 2003
Posts: 6142
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I won't get into it too much at this point, but will add a couple comments on using the Eddy for roped soloing.
Background, I purchased the Eddy this summer and have been testing it out for roped solo, aid climbing, ect. Other roped solo setups I've used are GriGri, modified GriGri, Silent partner, Clove hitch, and a couple other knot on biner systems I won't get into.
I tried many different setups with the Eddy, and have ended up with a very similar set up to healyje. Prior to using the Eddy in this fashion I put it through it's paces fro a few weeks of new routing involving extensive aid climbing, lowering, belaying (obviously), insane tension traverses, and testing it as an ascender. I did this to get a really good feel for how the device works, what it is capable of, and to see what the effect of different angles is on how it locks up.
Here is a quick rundown on a few things:
-In order to feed smoothly without locking up the rope needs to be carried in a pack. This also reduces the clusterfvck of loops while roped soloing.
-Climbing with loops longer that ~5m to 7m on a 9.8mm to 10.2mm is just asking for it to lock up on you mid move.
-The Eddy does indeed provide somewhat of a dynamic belay.
-The effect of changing angles on how fast the device locks up should be both noted and experimented with by anyone wanting to use this device in this fashion. In testing while aid climbing, and in simulated lead falls I found that the dramatic change in angle which takes place during a fall had more of an effect on the device locking up than the speed of the rope, with the best results for reliable locking of the device being when the rope was carried in a pack fed to the device over the shoulder.
Like I said, I'm not going to get into it too much at this point. That said, to see what I'm getting at with angles test you Eddy with feeding the rope through it in a regular belay fashion, then test it for locking up with it oriented for catching a fall assuming you're carrying the rope in a pack. Whether it is the angles or the friction created by the angles the Eddy both feeds better/faster and locks up better/faster/more reliable when the rope is carried in a pack, feeding to the device over the shoulder.
Roped solo is a VERY personal thing. Everyone who does it must take the commitment to heart, and develops the system which works for 'them'. My setup with the eddy is similar to healyje's, but not exactly the same. It works for "me". Roped solo is a 110% "everything is on you" activity that requires a climber to think outside the box and understand the systems better than any other style of climbing. It isn't for everyone.
(This post was edited by the_climber on Oct 24, 2008, 6:26 PM)
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Post edited by the_climber
() on Oct 24, 2008, 6:26 PM
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