Rock Climbing

[cory]

About the ZZ alone in SRT, It works well for me. I use it all the time on my secondary climb line (66'). It doesn't lock in the descent and it's even a bit touchy. The Akimbo is on my main line (130'). Both are used at will in SRT and DRT mode, up and down, sideway too.

I thought the whole reason the rope wrench was invented is because the usual friction devices wouldn't work properly in SRT without something like the RW to add friction?

@flushcut , I'll check out the gri gri. For taking big falls, rock ropes and gear is a must but the falls I'm envisioning with top rope solo are in the 1 or maybe 2 foot range at most.

 

[flushcut]

1-2’ falls if you are in a position to tend slack. You might be on the rock and need to make a move or two before you can get comfortable enough to tend your device. Or you could use a GIBBS on a vertical line. It was made for fall arrest with ease of tending vertically.

 

[cory]

Hmm gibbs, I hadn't thought of that, I have some of those too. thanks

 

[cory]

I'm feeling safer already

These areas and routes I have in mind, alot of them good climbers would simply free solo bc they are probably V1 or 5.7 but I'm way to elderly for highball boulders etc. Nobody wants to fall but especially us elder folks.

 

[cory]

Though gibbs would prevent rapelling down so it's probably not an option

 

[flushcut]

Well, you are going climbing not descending. Lol

 

[Nutball]

Could climb down instead of up. That way if you get tired, you are already close to the bottom.

 

[SeanKroll]

Friction pads for sure.

At a cliff, you won't have to put 100 percent of your weight on the rope to get down.


You can always, very easily, make a friction device to add a la RW.

 

[Marc-Antoine]

I thought the whole reason the rope wrench was invented is because the usual friction devices wouldn't work properly in SRT without something like the RW to add friction?

This was absolutely true for the usual knots. I climbed some years with the knut. The best case in srt gave me a descent with the first pull down on the knot's top. But if I released the knot for a cut or just a bit to slow down, the top tightens and grabs hard the line. So hard that I wasn't able to pull it down to make it slide without taking my weigh out of it. Not practical at all, even unusable most of the time.
The ZZ was designed for DRT system, so it's natural to think about it like a knot. But I tried it in srt, because why not. It worked nicely and took the place beside my HitchHicker. Then I changed the HH for Akimbo GFM, no hitch cord anymore, with the ZZ still there. I'm with the second gen of ZZ. I was a little anxious with the ZZ's new design, but beside being 50% bulkier, it works good too in SRT. I really appreciate the versatility of my two systems working together.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Personally.
I would use something more bullet proof than a ZZ. Prone to side load cracking and not something I would have anywhere near a hard rock surface.
Rope Runner, Akimbo or HH for tough and compact, or bulldog bone if that is still around. If you can make them work on skinny rope. I've beenable to go down to about 11mm on Akimbo. Depending on the rope.
HH you can about use it on any rope by just changing prussik cordage.
Just my .02.
You go do you.

 

[cory]

Friction pads...

Never heard that term. Is it a reference to what a RW does in a system

 

[Burnham]

Nay...Sean means a pad to protect your rope from friction against the rock surface it may bear against in providing climbers protection.

 

[cory]

Oh ok gotcha