In fact I don’t think I’ve ever clipped a bolt on European limestone.
There is apparently some new evidence that it is in practice very hard to hold falls on thin half ropes clipped into every other screw in ice climbing scenarios, unless using break assistance devices.
I’ve climbed on almost nothing but Icelines, summer and winter, for nearly twenty years.
Do you have some reassuring tales of falling on them and not going miles?
Do you have some reassuring tales of falling on them and not going miles? I'm on the brink of buying a new pair of 8.0mm half/twins, which will probably mainly be used as halfs, which is skinnier than I've gone before, and I do fall off sometimes...
I think the UIAA dynamic elongation test is an 80kg weight (a tooled-up Pete?) undergoing a 1.6 factor fall. Are half ropes tested in the same way JB?
I’ve used Mammut Phoenix 8.1mms as my trad. ropes for a few years and taken a few falls on them. Stretchy but not stupidly so in my view.
Quote from: jwi on August 01, 2019, 08:10:27 amBelaying the second with a micro traxion is even more convenient than with a guide plate, but I think this should be left for low angle terrain where you never have to lower a second. This is a bad habit that has spread from lazy mountain guides in the alps to the general climbing population. IMHO, of course.I revisit this thread as I was speaking to someone who was doing his rock climbing exams for guiding the other day. My interlocutor was claiming that this practice was now officially sanctioned as Petzl has made tests that shows it is safe.I must say that I am still a bit sceptical so I went and looked on Petzls website where it doesn't get the most enthusiastic of endorsementshttps://www.petzl.com/GB/en/Sport/Belaying-the-second-with-a-MICRO-TRAXION--beware-of-any-fall?ActivityName=Multi-pitch-climbing
Belaying the second with a micro traxion is even more convenient than with a guide plate, but I think this should be left for low angle terrain where you never have to lower a second. This is a bad habit that has spread from lazy mountain guides in the alps to the general climbing population. IMHO, of course.
Quote from: jwi on March 28, 2023, 04:50:24 pmQuote from: jwi on August 01, 2019, 08:10:27 amBelaying the second with a micro traxion is even more convenient than with a guide plate, but I think this should be left for low angle terrain where you never have to lower a second. This is a bad habit that has spread from lazy mountain guides in the alps to the general climbing population. IMHO, of course.I revisit this thread as I was speaking to someone who was doing his rock climbing exams for guiding the other day. My interlocutor was claiming that this practice was now officially sanctioned as Petzl has made tests that shows it is safe.I must say that I am still a bit sceptical so I went and looked on Petzls website where it doesn't get the most enthusiastic of endorsementshttps://www.petzl.com/GB/en/Sport/Belaying-the-second-with-a-MICRO-TRAXION--beware-of-any-fall?ActivityName=Multi-pitch-climbingOK, now I have some small experience of this. Holy moly. I don't care if the rope gets fuzzy. For long pitches with loads of drag it is just clearly superior to other belay techniques. As soon as my finances recover from the current chock of buying an apartment I'll buy a nano-traxion for the tag line and will use the micro to belay the second.We just recently shared some belays with a French couple who were slightly weaker free climbers than us but kept on our heels all day on the fairly long route Baraka (685 m) in Gorge de Taghia thanks to faster systems. Like us, they were also climbing with doubles and had shoes, water and windbreaker clipped to the harness. He worked for PGHM and belayed his better half with two micro traxions: one on each rope. I was so jealous.Obviously it's a pain if the second would like to be lowered to work a section, but it is not that hard to switch to a reverso if you have one installed on the master point already (for belaying pitches which ends with a traverse close to the belay)
I thought you were a convert to single ropes for this kind of route? Horses for courses I guess.