[colin8ll]

W.C. Revo for rope lead solo. I mounted Revo on the bottom anchor. This is different than most common lead rope solo set ups.

I'd love to hear more about how his self-belay setup works in practice. I imagine falling off into space with a locked belay device at the anchor must lead to an almighty faff to get back to the ground.

[cheque]

 

How would you lower off?

[mrjonathanr]

Trail an 8mm ab cord?. (Off topic but I do hope your 'cheque pictures' venture diversifies into literature. The name is just waiting...)

[petejh]

Great stuff.

You could have a short length of lightweight tag-line clipped to an in-situ ab rope hanging out on space, so it slides up the rope as you climb. If you fall off and were left hanging, you could pull over the ab rope and transfer to it.

Alternatively, carry a hand jammer, footloop and prussic and jug up your lead rope back to the rock. Would need to continue climbing though.

Really need the next step in rope-solo evolution: the wireless/bluetooth-operated remote belay device, so you attach the device at ground level and lower yourself remotely.  Bet it'll come, or someone will jimmy-rig one!

[teestub]

You could have a short length of lightweight tag-line clipped to an in-situ ab rope hanging out on space, so it slides up the rope as you climb. If you fall off and were left hanging, you could pull over the ab rope and transfer to it.

Wouldn’t that essentially be a solo top rope set up with extra faff?

[petejh]

Not really because the ab rope wouldn't stop you hitting the ground if you fell and your gear ripped. You'd just be tagged to it, so you could pull it across to you and connect onto should you want to get back to the ground - you aren't connected to it in a 'fall protection' sense.

(I don't know what his set-up was, mine is just conjecture.)

[HaeMeS]

Really need the next step in rope-solo evolution: the wireless/bluetooth-operated remote belay device, so you attach the device at ground level and lower yourself remotely.  Bet it'll come, or someone will jimmy-rig one!

This should do the trick. Remote controlled as well... https://www.faulhaber.com/en/markets/environmental-safety/electronic-partner-for-individual-climbing-epic/
Not sure how to attach the EPIC to the bottom of a climb 
Maybe that’s why in Germany bolts are sometimes placed at knee-level on beginners route 

[petejh]

Very cool. Wonder what setting it defaults to upon battery failure?

Any ground anchor would do as long as it took the direction and force of the load. Sling around a block, upward-pulling cams, wires etc.

[SA Chris]

I just looked at that thing and gave an involuntary shudder.

[tomtom]

Very cool. Wonder what setting it defaults to upon battery failure?

Any ground anchor would do as long as it took the direction and force of the load. Sling around a block, upward-pulling cams, wires etc.

accidently smash your smartwatch/wrist controller into the wall and it just pays out slack relentlessley..... whilst you're trying to tap the fucking screen with your nose holding on to a minging crimp with the other hand... etc..etc..

[petejh]

TAKE!

[tomtom]

Alexa: Take.

[SA Chris]

Taike, Teyke, Tayke, Tairk FUCKING TAAAAAKE!!!!

[duncan]

[SA Chris]

They're all dead Dave.

[Oldmanmatt]

Honestly, I can’t wad all of you.
But cheers, actually pissed myself.

[mrjonathanr]

How do people go shunting these days? Planing to spend a bit of time pottering on my own on a self belayed top rope so thinking of buying a bit of semi static and digging out the shunt.

Maybe using a shunt on a 10.5 static attached to harness with a drawer+maillon?
Or would a thinner rope eg 10mm and a gri gri be a more versatile setup?

Haven’t done this for a while so wonder if there’s any top tips ukbers would recommend?

Thanks. Jon

[Serpico]

Maybe using a shunt on a 10.5 static attached to harness with a drawer+maillon?

That set up is going to give quite a hard catch, I'd be concerned about rope/anchor/kidney damage.
I have two setups. One for just going doing some routes, one for working stuff.
The routes set up is:
30m 10mm semi static climbing line
10m 10mm semi static rigging line
3 x rope protector
Shunt connected to belay loop via petzl non-inverting maillon (can't remember the name).
A loop of cord through the eye of the shunt goes to an improvised chest harness to keep it from trailing.
An old style petzl basic (the wraparound handle-less jumar) is attached via a QD to my belay loop and trails a few Cm below the shunt. This is my backup to the shunt, if the shunt fails to engage it will come to rest on this.
In the bottom hole of the basic is a short open sling so I can quickly shift to jugging up or down the rope.
I typically use this on a single rope setup but you can use it on a double with one device on each for greater redundancy.
The setup for working routes is a Death-Modified-GriGri(1) on a dynamic rope, a static doesn't slide through it well enough. The back up for this is regular knots in the rope and making sure you don't fall off the first few metres. If you're working something with a low crux then pre-stretching the rope is essential.

[mrjonathanr]

Thanks Serpico, I think I have all that in the loft somewhere... You'd recommend a 10mm rope over a 10.5? Thinking of buying the Mammut/Teufelberger stuff from Buxton caving supplies.

[Serpico]

I'm not sure what my rope is exactly, it may well be 10.5mm. The thicker the better with a shunt.
Pyschi had a deal on rope protectors if you don't already have any.
The maillon I use:
https://www.inglesport.com/product/petzl-p11-8b/

[Paul B]

Using a Microtraxion is a lot nicer than a shunt, modified GriGri etc. for TR solo.

People also seem to rate the climbing technology roll and lock.

There's a FB group dedicated to this if you're brave enough.

[mrjonathanr]

Thanks Paul, Microtraxion sounds good but pricey. How do you access the FB page please?

[danm]

Good set of tech tips from Petzl here, filterable by activity inc self belay: https://www.petzl.com/GB/en/Sport/Rock-climbing

[danm]

The Microcender range are superior to a standard toothed jammer like the Basic for backup because they are much kinder to the rope under a shock load (which is a given as it is being used as a towed backup device) - they tend to slide a little first rather than rupture the rope sheath. A Troll/ISC Rocker or equivalent towed backup device is probably even better. Microtraxions are awesome, worth getting despite the cost as they have many versatile uses in hauling, self rescue etc as well. I carry one plus a Tibloc for sea cliff and other adventurous climbing these days (not that I do that much!) as for long prusiks and rescue they are so much better than prusik loops.

[Paul B]

Thanks Paul, Microtraxion sounds good but pricey. How do you access the FB page please?

It's called "Ropo solo climbing" or something similar and the group admin is Yann Camus:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCskhJI3ZHn6j4R67mo2Nncw

EDIT: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RopeSolo/

They split it earlier this year into two groups, one for TR and one for lead. There's a fair amount of people asking silly questions. The lead one is interesting (from an engineering point of view) that some people are now modifying the WC Revo for use as a lead solo device (as Silent Partners seem to be selling for silly money).

That green company do a MT alternative, the "spoc":
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/edelrid-spoc-progress-capture-id_8587196.html?gclid=CjwKCAjw88v3BRBFEiwApwLevZRVjlYd1M8lPfQmQfb3QG6eTnfLuZO-Tu2OeiDcybaqx9gsiRLNyxoCpxsQAvD_BwE

The group seems to like these:
https://www.northernarbsupplies.co.uk/product/climbing-technology-rollnlock-pulley-and-rope-ascender?gclid=CjwKCAjw88v3BRBFEiwApwLevVTQ6tcygkWPH1P3B43VMvmM9myDDcLbCl6yeJtsWgRvsK1IvpwKdBoCt8EQAvD_BwE

I used my MT a lot last year when getting fit for going abroad. I went to a local venue which is pretty vert and just ran laps (walking off the top each time). I used a GriGri on the rope just off the floor to make sure everything fed easily enough and to ensure I wasn't entirely screwed if I needed to lower off. It's helpfully got stakes and a nice rounded grass edge too.

I can't say I bothered with a backup  .

I think John Middendorf was instrumental in the design of the rescucender non-toothed cams? On a separate note, my Dad allowed me to take a grinder to a GriGri when I was ~16yr old. He had zero understanding of what I was doing or intended to do with it.

I carry one plus a Tibloc for sea cliff and other adventurous climbing these days (not that I do that much!) as for long prusiks and rescue they are so much better than prusik loops.

I had a massive marital disagreement on the Grand Wall when my warning about the MT and the next draw (DMM Phantom, so tiny) wasn't heeded. The MT went through the draw and caused mayhem.