UKBouldering.com
the shizzle => chuffing => Topic started by: Paul B on August 24, 2015, 03:56:28 pm
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Apologies if this is a daft thread but recently, I've been having some serious problems with drag. Now, I'm not the heaviest of people but a recent weigh-in revealed I'm not as light as I'd imagined.
Over the past few sessions I've been on the various links into the Ashes and on the LHS (Sticky Wicket > Ashes) I was struggling above the last bolt to get my foot up, not because I was pumped but because it felt like someone had tied an anchor to my harness (perhaps I wrongly blamed my wife for short-roping me :worms: )
The first time through the roof at Kilnsey (with in-situ extenders, including a roller) I couldn't lower off without back cleaning a number of draws!
For draws I've got a mix of Spirits and new WildCountry Proton draws which range from 12cm to 25cm.
In the instance above (S into A) I'd removed the first two draws, extended (2ft) a number of others including the Sticky belay but still had problems. The rope is a 9.5mm Mammut (it feels thinner than this).
Apart from turning to Ginsters for solace, what are the practical options to sort this out (as it's frustrating)?
- Roller draws (crux draw or 1st draw?) - does this make a large difference
- All long slings
- Even skinnier rope
- Skip more
It was noticeably better on the RH link which wanders less (bolting obviously plays a big part).
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On Mandela you should have just dropped a rope from stood on the ledge at the top of the 6c+..
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Meant to be pretty good for losing weight, yeah.
Longer draws lower down always seems sensible to me. With rollers on too.
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I was hoping this thread would be about smoking, or life as a transsexual... :(
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I've got about 4 long q/draws with DMM Revolvers on and use them on sport (though originally got em for trad/alpine). They make a big difference.
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On Mandela you should have just dropped a rope from stood on the ledge at the top of the 6c+..
I did on a few goes up it but didn't fancy my chances of doing a 'Davison'.
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Most of my climbing these days seems to be on 40 m pitches or longer. I apply the following:
1. Thin rope
2. Maximum of 4-5 short draws on a route, and only where they are absolutely needed to avoid hitting stuff. Rest is 17, 27 or 60 cm.
3. Two-rope, two-GriGri technique (or hauling through the lead-rope and dropping it down) on anything that has a ledge or a sharp bend.
Other than that, I don't know. Are the roller-biners really working as advertised? I tried a friend's roller-biner and couldn't tell the difference to a normal big cross-area biner.
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I just bought 18 of these and a few revolvers.
(http://www.v12outdoor.com/shopimages/products/extras/Alpha%20Sport%20QDs.jpg)
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Use the roller draws all at the bottom of the route where they are most needed. I had 3 on first 3 bolts of Full Tilt and was shocked at how quickly I plummeted earthwards when I dropped the 2nd crux. had them on the first 2 bolts of Mecca and first 3 of Monumental as well, also made quite a difference