Here’s a question for any cavers (spelunkers?), mountaineers, or climbers out there. If I have a vertical stretch of rope that I want to be able to self-arrest on in case of a fall, what’s the proper kind of device to use? I’d like something that’s:
(Relatively) safe
Can be operated solo, preferably with no hands and no more than one hand
Can catch even upside-down falls
Isn’t overly damaging to the rope
Either innately allows descents/rappels or can be removed from the rope so that another device can take over
(If possible) Automatically comes up with me as I ascend, negating the need to pull up slack beneath me
Does such a device exist? Ascenders and Gri-Gris were my first guesses, but people seem to caution against their use in these scenarios and I’m not quite sure why.
It’s been a while, and I am not familiar with gri-gri, but the issue (as I was told) with an ascender (jumar) is that it is not intended to manage significant shock loading - you can jam the cam or rip the sheath of the rope. So while a plate jumar is sufficient protection for someone ascending a top rope (if they let go of the ascenders) it is not safe to use for self belaying where some slack can build up while taking a stance.
Maybe one of these self-locking devices (probably the Wren Industries ‘Silent Partner’) would be suitable. However, I would talk to someone who has more recent practical climbing experience than me (or wikipedia).
The low-budget way would be a good way to end up dead.
As Harmonix points out, self-belay is a high-risk endeavor. It would be better not to self-belay, and it is absolutely not something to do on the cheap. Practically, a prusik is neither reliable enough nor smooth enough for something as vital as self-belaying. The only time a prusik should be used is when there is absolutely no other choice (and waiting is not an option), and it should never be used on it’s own - multiple prusiks should be used (it will be really slow sliding up each one, but safer).
Si,
where have you found Prusik’s to be so undependable?
Low budget aside, Prusik’s are the best ratchet cam category device there is.
I have never worked with jumars, but have used Gibs’ for many years in the fire service and we taught the prusik for any single line technique.
I do have to agree with you about;
However if it is not practiced, what will happen when you are faced with a situation where there is no recourse?
I believe the OP is intending on risky practices:dubious:
Seems to this humble ex climber that the op is talking about ascending or descending a fixed rope, which is not self-belaying as I understand the term. To me, self-belaying is solo climbing while managing all ropes and protection without another human to assist.
Well, my experience was with rope technique for caving, where ropes are often wet and muddy. We did practice with prusiks (for the aforementioned unexpected situation), but the main problem was (apparently) risk of slipping on muddy ropes, and the prusik being difficult to release and slide up. But it was made clear that an ascender rig (two jumars and a krull) was much safer.
And my reading of the OP is not about ascending a top rope, but climbing a pitch with a fixed top rope for belay. The self belay is attached to the climbers harness, and the climber pulls out slack to make their moves on the rock. A self-belay device needs to be free enough to allow rope to be pulled both ways one-handed (up to give slack, down as the climber ascends), cope with a fall from any angle (including upside-down) with a bit of slack without damaging the rope, and locks on to the rope when the climber falls.
A prusik does not move up/down the rope easily enough, a jumar/gri-gri can damage the rope with a fall, and does not cope with upside positions (the rope can pull out). The only device that even looks safe is the ‘Silent Partner’, but it is a risky proposition.
A properly tied prusik is as reliable as any machined piece of equipment. And it’s almost impossible to misuse it to your detriment aside from putting it on too long a rope so that you can’t reach it.
Using a croll and ascenders to go up and a rack to descend pretty much eliminate the possibility of an uncontrolled fall excepting your anchor coming loose. The croll and the rack both attach your harness directly to the rope so even being rendered unconscious won’t result in an uncontrolled fall.
I’ll defer to you on the matter of prusiks, then. Maybe our instructor didn’t trust us all, or was taking orders for jumars on commission (most likely)
And I agree on the safety of a rack (I wonder what happened to my rack/jumars - it’s been a very long time) and proper ascending rig, but the OP wants to free climb alone with a top rope as a belay - it is the falls with slack that cause the problem, and thus the recommendation not to use ascenders in this situation.
I rarely used a prusik except as a safety precaution, tied around a rope above jumars which I was using. I don’t recall ever having had difficulty with that setup. Of course my ropes were never muddy- that could make a difference.
Prusiks are somewhat adjustable. You can vary the number of loops around the main rope which will alter friction.
Yes, I’m going to be climbing with a toprope self-belay. I know it’ll never be 100% safe and I accept that.* It’s hard to find a partner sometimes, especially if I want to practice the same route over and over, and the only life I’m risking is my own anyway. I always leave a backup knot well above ground level, and when I’m really paranoid I hang another length of toprope parallel to the one I’m belaying with, tie fig-8s-on-a-bight every few feet and clip into those.
Thank you, Si, the Silent Partner is exactly what I’m looking for. By god it’s expensive, but I’ll save up. I’m also going to learn the Prusik for backup and just because it seems like such an awesome knot on its own =)
*Though I really have to wonder: How many accidents are actually caused by belay device failures as opposed to human error, improperly tied knots, damaged/frayed/worn ropes, sharp edges cutting into ropes/harnesses, etc.?
The Prusik should be learned and mastered in the very basics. (The Prusik is a ratchet cam, and a hitch, not a knot)
And your life is not the only one you are risking. The Rescue team is very much at risk weather you are still alive or DOA.
But by all means enjoy your sport while you can, but be safe:)
I was afraid someone was going to mention the rescue team The routes I want to practice on are so basic and so popular that they have bolts anchored merely 10-20 feet apart at the top. Anyone can just tie in to an adjacent one and traverse a few steps… the “rescue” would be more like a drill, I suspect, and death by embarrassment seems a much more immediate possibility.
And hey, the same routes I’m attempting are occasionally free soloed, so already I feel like I’m overpreparing
Well my only experience is with rescue and I will tell you that rescue will not just clip into something that is already there unless it is “Bomb Proof”. Everything used in rescue is larger, and static. and nothing in rescue is thought of as a drill, all exposed gear is downgraded to training aids or destroyed after a rescue.
Excellent, exactly why firearms accidents happen to some very knowledgeable gun handlers.
When something becomes routine, many times our level of awareness diminishes with disaster 1 slip/blip/ brain fart, away!
By the most common and general meaning of the word, it is a knot. Here’s Clifford Ashley (perhaps the ultimate authority) on the subject:
So you are correct if the first meaning is eliminated. But the generic term for a useful “complication” in cordage (which certainly describes the Prusik hitch) is knot.
It’s interesting to note that The Ashley Book of Knots (published in 1944) shows a knot identical in form to the Prusik hitch, but gives its use as hoisting a spar. By Ashley’s definition, this make it a different knot, and so Mr. Prusik gets full credit for his invention.
The club of those with knots named after them is very select - in Ashley’s huge and comprehensive list, there’s just one: the Matthew Walker knot.
The routes I want to practice on are so basic and so popular that they have bolts anchored merely 10-20 feet apart at the top. Anyone can just tie in to an adjacent one and traverse a few steps… the “rescue” would be more like a drill, I suspect, and death by embarrassment seems a much more immediate possibility.