How I Rope Solo. Everything You Need to Know!!
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- čas přidán 4. 07. 2024
- The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/wideboyz08211
All your questions you asked me about rope soloing, answered!
Please note this is my opinion and my methods, these are not necessarily the safest, most efficient or best practice methods. Don't copy me or think what i'm saying is text book, it's not. Do your research and select your own methods to fit with the risk you are willing to take and the style you are climbing in. Be safe out there.
0:00 How to start rope soloing?
1:12 Are the falls different?
1:47 Setting up a rope solo belay?
3:53 How did I learn?
4:28 Cost of a rope solo set up?
4:51 Best/Safest solo devices?
5:27 Newer solo devices?
6:11 second choice solo device?
6:31 Pro's and Con's of devices?
8:31 How to set up an anchor?
9:55 What to use if no Silent Partner?
10:12 Silent Partner VS Gri Gri?
10:55 Anchor orientation?
11:07 Security rope soloing
13:52 Ripping pieces when rope soloing?
13:58 Most dangerous aspect?
14:26 Worst mistake story
16:00 Free trial to Skillshare
17:29 Do I bring aid gear?
17:32 Common mistakes?
18:14 Repeats of El Cap rope solo?
18:20 How to have a good time?
18:39 Traversing whilst rope soloing?
20:33 Managing back feeding?
21:44 Back up knots?
23:42 Traxion?
23:54 easier to make friends or rope solo?
24:00 multipitch sequence?
25:29 setting up anchor on bolted route?
25:38 Length and diameter of rope?
25:53 Fast and light?
26:02 Continuous loop system?
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All your questions you asked me about rope soloing, answered!
Please note this is my opinion and my methods, these are not necessarily the safest, most efficient or best practice methods. Don't copy me or think what i'm saying is text book, it's not. Do your research and select your own methods to fit with the risk you are willing to take and the style you are climbing in. Be safe out there.
0:00 How to start rope soloing?
1:12 Are the falls different?
1:47 Setting up a rope solo belay?
3:53 How did I learn?
4:28 Cost of a rope solo set up?
4:51 Best/Safest solo devices?
5:27 Newer solo devices?
6:11 second choice solo device?
6:31 Pro's and Con's of devices?
8:31 How to set up an anchor?
9:55 What to use if no Silent Partner?
10:12 Silent Partner VS Gri Gri?
10:55 Anchor orientation?
11:07 Security rope soloing
13:52 Ripping pieces when rope soloing?
13:58 Most dangerous aspect?
14:26 Worst mistake story
16:00 Free trial to Skillshare
17:29 Do I bring aid gear?
17:32 Common mistakes?
18:14 Repeats of El Cap rope solo?
18:20 How to have a good time?
18:39 Traversing whilst rope soloing?
20:33 Managing back feeding?
21:44 Back up knots?
23:42 Traxion?
23:54 easier to make friends or rope solo?
24:00 multipitch sequence?
25:29 setting up anchor on bolted route?
25:38 Length and diameter of rope?
25:53 Fast and light?
26:02 Continuous loop system?
Have you every tried a Prusuck for rope solo?
Hot tip: If you need to cut a rope without a knife. Take a boot lace or a bit of prusik cord, load the rope, wrap the cord around the rope and saw back and forth. Nylon on nylon. Cuts spookily fast!
“A right frickin plonker.” never change Pete
You may not see this, but massive thanks. I started climbing summer of 2020 at age of 48 and started rope soloing basically immediately. I've had no one teaching, just internet and experimentation. My early efforts were terribly bad, but on low grade climbing. I lead rope solo from sport routes up to multi-pitch trad and can do so just below my climbing limit, 5.11, if I deem the setting safe. I feel your advice is spot on, most important is to develop your own system. I gained a couple more ideas from your video to try for making my own rope soloing safer and more efficient. I use a Gri-Gri with rope in backpack. Thanks so much for sharing your experience and insights. If you ever find yourself lost in North Carolina, USA, you must check out the Linville Gorge.
"has your gear failed in a fall?" pete's like "nope, my placements are always bomber" 🤣💪🏻
I like bomber gear 👍
Inspiring words of Adam at the end... What a wise man 😄👍
Thx for this video, really informative🙏🍀👌
All the best from austria
glad it was useful. Adam was obvioulsy keeping his rope solo tips close to his chest :D
Personal take on fixing back feeding, find you can either tie a munter hitch into the gear or a splitknot that rests on the carabiner on a piece of gear, can be on a locker to avoid any weird unclipping. Both can be tied one hand, if you fall on the slipknot it will pop and you fall on your whole length of rope, and for the munter it will add some friction enough to avoid backfeeding and will also feed if you fall on it. If you place a piece of gear and tie it off then fall on it from above, you are taking a factor 2 fall, making it much more likely to rip so find munter/slipknot a good alternative.
Pete, good video. Glad to see you reiterating people shouldn't try to copy what anyone else does but rather strive to understand the various options and sort out a system that works for them. Also good you emphasize it's a learning curve like any other in sorting out your own system and working it relentlessly until you have it down to the point where the climbing is back to being the focus and not operating 'the system'. And last, that 'safety' doesn't come from a device, system or backup knots - it comes from you having the requisite skills, experience and judgment to make yourself 'safe'. Again, good video.
2nd time watching this (reviewing for use on future goals) which led me to watching your solo Freerider in a day video for the 4th time. Gonna attempt NIAD this weekend for the first time (with a partner) as a birthday treat. You're an amazing athlete. Thanks for the inspiration, man... you make me want to quit my job and sell my house.
Thumbs up for all effort in timestamps! great informative video
I have put up hundreds routes solo for many decades (mostly from the top for sport routes up to 20 pitches) and can reiterate that any lateral travel is huge problem....pulling off loose rock with the rope (almost lost an arm and a head from rockfall on separate occasions). Sideways falls, even on slabs can be deceptively dangerous, as you found on Watkins.
Dude I've definitely seen the improvement on the videos! Loving it!
A new Wide Boyz video on a Sunday is even better than a Sunday roast dinner
Big statement 😅😅
Cheers 👍
"Not much of a Hauler" - Couldn't agree more! Much rather climb than Haul 10/10.
Thanks for that! Best rope solo video ever!
Thanks for making this!
Thanks Pete! I've just been getting Into some top rope solo stuff and that's easy enough. This helped me feel confident enough to give lead a try
Good luck. Be safe and read up 🙂👍
Haven't even started watching this yet, but I am excited for this. 26 minute video that probably answers all my rope solo questions! Yay!
EDIT: Just finished watching the whole thing. Lots of good info here, thanks Pete! Favourite bit was you telling people that your climbing ability is your first point of safety. I think people either forget or underestimate that! I would also add in people's realistic assessment of their own climbing ability is essential for climbing to be safe too.
yes knowing your own ability is very important
Amazing video! It'll be so cool if you can do a video showing the process of anchoring and climbing step by step.
Very informative and well edited, thank you.
No problem 👍 glad it was useful
Absolutely brilliant and solid. I agree that one should find what works for them. I personally love using the Silent Partner. Best piece of gear I have invested in. Keeps me humble and keen.
Thanks for the answers mate, absolutely quality content. And as for solo climbing, in locked down Australia this is the only type of climbing these days, if you can't find belay partners in your locality lol
Excellent video!!! Rope soloing def the best way to climb. I use revo, the falls can cause sphincter puckering though
Well done. Favorite part was explanation of back up knots and also bit about making friends at 24:00.
Awesome as always!
The making friends or rope soloing bit got me because it's so true. Also, if you haven't already, give the Taz Lov3 a try. I find it works surprisingly well for soloing (much better than a grigri) and there's little to no resistance feeding rope through it.
Lov 3 is my go to right now works a treat with a chest harness to hold it up and redirect the rope from my rope man 1
I did my first Rope Solo 35 years ago in 1986. The most specifically designed equipment at the time was a Chouinard Pear•a•biner & Troll Figure 8 device.
Brilliant , thanks man 👍
Interesting take on back up knots, followed wisely by a disclaimer. Inspires me to dig out my Silent Partner from the gear stash of yesteryear.
Pete has it entirely right, if you're free LRS then your climbing should always be your first line of defense whatever your ability or you shouldn't be doing it.
Hey there, any interest in selling the silent partner?!
In regards to the GriGri, you 100% need to buy rope sized around using it. Find a thickness that feeds consistently and grabs only when you're comfortable.
I'm a bit of a puss and run a 10.5 in my GriGri3 and it has never dropped me :)
Thats was a great insight thanks pete
No problem
Good job, thank you. My first safety is my c!imbing-well said, it separates the trads from the sport climbers. Not judging , but that attitude does change how one c!imbs
Sweet!!😆 The Les Stroud of the climbing game has spoken😝 bring it on!!!!
Like Andy Kirkpatrick you are another inspiration mate... And i love my SP... ONLY BEST EVER solo device...
This is so cool thanks for the information. 🙂
No problem 👍
Wow you replied 😃
Just a note about the Grigri Plus: its doesn’t feed any easier in lead mode than the Grigri 2. When I got it I hoped it would as you described: easier to feed rope in the lead mode. However this is not the case. The lead mode makes it exactly like a grigri 2, where as the Top Rope mode makes the cam more grabby, and less easy for slack to feed through. So don’t bother upgrade to grigri plus if you want easier feeding. The TR is nice tho when belay off an anchor from above (on a multi pitch for ex) cuase the rope won’t creep back through as easily
This is NOT true in my opinion. I trad solo with the gri gri plus and I have seen a noticeable difference in feeding on lead mode vs top rope mode. In lead mode, I've experienced the device feeding freely and only camming when I take a fall. Edit: I use the gri gri + upside down for trad lead solo
@@nehnehnehbatman you may have misunderstood my comment. I definitely agree that the Grigri Plus feeds better in lead mode than TR mode. What I was saying was in my experience the Grigri Plus in Lead mode is no different from the Grigri 2 (or Grigri as it’s called now I guess). Granted, I am not lead rope soloing, only lead belaying. Have you used both devices fro LRS and noticed any difference? I just didn’t want to go out and buy a grigri plus based on Pete’s mention of it, it they already have a regular grigri, and it wouldn’t give any benefit.
I think the grigri+ sucks compared to the grigri.
Great video Pete! Do you ever Top Rope solo climb? If so, I'd love to hear about your technique and methodology you use. Keep up the great work and climb on!
yes if i'm working routes or just for some mileage
gri gri if working individual moves or small sections, traxion or shunt with small weight at the bottom if climbing the route as a whole, (or that other funny little device i can't remember the name of.)
Thanks Pete for the great video. Good advice from great experience is gold. where's that metolius mat??
Thanks for the awesome video pete!
What is your opinion on modifying belay devices such as the grigri or revo, to achieve better feeding of the rope? Worth the extra risk?
Also... is there a date already for when the wide boyz crack gloves will be in stock again?
4:50 I use the soloist and it is great. Two attachment points. The only down point is that you need an extra strap as a chest harness to attach it safely and that if you fall head on first it does not stop the fall, so that is why you should always make loops on the feeding rope in case that happens.
The soloist won't catch an inverted fall or even one where your body gets parallel to the ground. That said, lots of great LRS has been done on it, but it wouldn't be my choice.
Agreed, I use both the SP and the soloist (I still have a solo-aid device kicking around) I like the Soloist for long aid.
@@jhealy3718 "or even one where your body gets parallel to the ground". Indeed...
So when are you going to lobby rock exotica to start making Silent partners I heard a rumour they might do it for 500 units if someone was willing (wide Boyz shop?) Thanks for all the information and book recommendation 🤙
haha, maybe i'll have to get in touch
I was thinking a kick starter type thing could work too. Get a couple hundred paid up preorders and if they get to 500 they do a run or something
Wait. Holy shit that would be massive
Imagine being able to buy one NEW for sub $300
@@pr3historic647 I doubt it would be sub 300 the info I have the cost of production would be $300-$600 so the price would be above that to account for shipping and some profit
I like to munter a piece to prevent backfeed. Quick and easy to do one handed, holds tension. Never fallen directly onto one, so not sure what would happen.
Wouldn't it be awesome if Wild Country tweaked the Revo slightly to make it more like a SP, and sell it at a reasonable price????
e.g. have room for 2 attachment points and rating specifically for LRS
You could have Amazon linked the book. You get a % of the sale, we get the book. And get to say thank in cash that costs us nothing.
Thank you! Upside down gri gri gang
Hey Pete, love your content, especially about rope soloing. I started using a silent partner recently but find, that every time I take a decent fall on it the clove cinches down so hard that I can barely get the rope off the sp. Have you ever had this problem? Any recommendations on how to avoid that?
The traxion is also great for pulling on stuck rope. :)
24:00 Awwh, I'll climb with you Pete. I'll be your friend.
sweet vid!
just wanted to clarify something about your method with preventing back feeding: before you put your next piece in after that overhand knot, if you were to fall directly on that overhand knot, are you worried about a factor 2 fall?
For others like myself where this is too sketch for comfort in my system, I haven't tried it yet, but have heard of an idea of tying a slipknot oriented correctly, on the top side of a draw/gear piece. Oriented so that it stops the rope from sliding back through the biner downwards, but if you happen to fall on it it would just slip and untie itself.
It really depends on the climbing. if the climbing is easy, i'm not worried, i just climb normally and place my next piece of gear with what feels comfortable. If the climbing is difficult sometimes I place a piece a little bit above and clip the rope through (from the same position as the knot tie), like you would when leaving a multipitch belay. Sorry that was something i actually didn't explain. Yes some people use an Italian hitch to prevent backfeeding, but it's not something i've ever used. I actually like the fact you tie the system off and start again in a way as it helps take a load of slack out the system which inevitably builds up at the original belay when rope soloing. It prevents a much bigger fall if you were to fall at the end of the pitch
lol, glad i'm not the only one to take a big swing into a wall while doing something silly. Live and learn.
😂You know you’re listening to a strong climber when his first line of safety is his climbing🤣
climbing ability trumps everything :)
The picture of O-dog is from Romsdalshorn. I climbed it yesterday, and saw a familiar name in the book at the top (yours).
Haha yes I was there a few days ago 👍
Nice follow up.
Legend
Good info, to save your life double up everything ! Wise words from Pete the beast.
For the al gorithem really.
When I can drive im probably gonna be doin this
Peter, thanks for the video! I've got a SP and have been using it for about 15 years, I almost always backpack the rope and carry it with me as I lead (I usually don't solo climb at my limit). Heavier, yes, but the rope never gets tangled on anything and I find the system much easier to manage this way. When you say around the 24 minute mark "I will pull up the end of the rope", do you mean you aren't tied into the live/far end of the rope? I've looked at a lot of video you've posted and it's hard to tell, but it looks like you don't keep the live end of the rope tied/clipped into your harness. Do you just put a stopper knot on the end and count on the microtrax to stop it from feeding thru if you hit the end of the rope? Thanks again for the video!
I don't tie into the end of the rope nor tie a knot in the end of the rope (i used to knot the end of the rope but had multiple issues with it getting stuck in nightmare positions). I use the traxion to make sure the spare end doesn't self feed through the device, and on long pitches pay very close attention to not loosing my rope through the traxion altogether.
I mean it when I say in the video, 'don't just copy me'👍😅
Thanks for the reply Peter. I get the reasoning behind your method. But since I mainly rope solo for fun/exercise when I can’t find a partner, I’ll stick with the backpack method! Cheers!
Pete, using a GriGri, did you have to alter the device at all? I've heard of folks drilling a hole in it and feeding some cord through to try and correct the orientation, but I'm not super keen on the idea of altering a piece of safety gear.
yes drilled hole in the plastic
Shout out to Squamish!! Nice!!
that ist an interresting way to jumaring 24:41- ascend with two ascenders - can you short explain what are this set up?
Is your fix point the micro traxion?.. - it rolls trough very nice in the film.
Fixed directly to both Jumars with daisy chains or petzl adjustables. Foot loops on both Jumars. It just takes a little practice to get the lengths of Foot loops and attachment points to Jumars correct and running smooth
You shoulda added one of Adam's power crys at the end there 🤣
i was thinking of finding some sort of adam quote, but in the end quite liked the silent approach, haha!!
@@WideBoyz well Adam is well known for Silence
Read a story a while back about a guy taking a couple of rope solo leader falls on a clove hitch and after 2 falls he lowered off (single pitch) to find the clove hitch core shot his rope. Don't know what others experience is with this, but it seems like falling on a clove hitch (especially more than once) could cause your system to fail.
That ending is underrated 🤣
20:52 Curious to hear that, I think Łukasz Dudek has done rope solo of Pan Aroma 8c using exactly such a system.
Sorry, actually I've misunderstood what you've described, it seems that the method Dudek used is very similar to the one you use. He did use backup knots tho!
It would have been funny if Tom had started screaming in the background when you asked Adam Ondra if he had something to add to the discussion lol
Be great to see what system you use for TR solo too
gri gri if working individual moves or small sections, traxion or shunt with small weight at the bottom if climbig the route as a whole, (or that other funny little device i can't remember the name of.)
I actually use the same system but ran into a little issue after an unexpected fall. I found myself hanging in space on an overhanging route and it was a bit tricky releasing the camp lift so I could descend. I had a hand ascender and eventually got down. I was just curious if you had a specific method for when this happens?
Tie a loop in the rope below, step up and release the tension on the ascender
Could you show me that Silent Partner? i could recreate such a thing for myself... there are a couple of things im wondering about, is there any traction device inside that spool? (like a catch-lock system) or is it free turning?
You can't see in the device, but the mechanism inside works like a seat belt in a car. I.e. Runs smoothly both ways, but if you pull too hard it locks up
With a bottom belay how would you recover your rope/gear ?
I’m a tree climber but I really wanna get into top rope or lead rope soloing. I’m not really sure where to start though.
You da man PEte
The leadmode from the Grigri+ doesn't feed rope more easily than the normal Grigri. The Topropemode is the difference, it feeds rope less easily than normal Grigri
Not the corner slap clap!
I thought Adam might add a scream to the convo, but just as well.
Seems like some one Silence(d) him. I'll get me coat
good shit m8 i am sorry to be so judgmental when first encountering this channel i should have looked a bit deeper i guess.
2:54 instead of a silent partner (like you said hard to get ahold of, but I mean, also expensive) couldn’t you use a prusik loop?
Is there a way to climb solo without anchors? If someone doesn’t have the equipment to install them or if you aren’t on a previously installed route…? Im an experienced boulderer, but would like to try cliffs with ropes. Just don’t know if there’s a way to climb without the install/use of anchors… thanks in advance.
Rope solo
Daisy solo
Free solo
These are the solo options. I recommend reading up thoroughly on all of them before doing any
Going to try top rope solo next season but this video gives me some good considerations for soloing in general.
As for solo vs finding friends, I’ve spent the last three years trying to find a climbing friend and it hasn’t happened so far, so I guess rope soloing must be easier! Lol
Top rope solo first is a good idea, that's the way i started.
When I first got into climbing I was really into the idea of rope soloing. Now that I've been climbing a little while, I've found that the friends and relationships you make in the climbing community are an integral part of the sport. So if your new to climb and thinking about rope soloing, I would recommend spending more time at a local gym or crag and making some more friends that you'll go out with frequently, rather than spending money on a rope solo set up.
I appreciate the video Pete. It may still be something that I try at a future date and time.
I trust more on myself than anyone else, all I use is a carabina, grigri and a figure 8 on a tree and you are ready to go
Is this a good way to get into trad if you have a lot of money and no friends?
Need someone to climb with? That’s why I started rope solo, I’m in so cal where U at ?
Can you do a tope rope solo video plz?
Can somebody explain me the Continuoues loop system?
How about birdie from beal for rope solo?
Are there any hitches you know of that feed slack yet still positively lock if you misplace a solo device? Perhaps some variation of an Italian hitch which locks but still feeds?
clove hitch with a karbiner through one of the loops, so you can pull it loose easily and feed slack manually. in terms of a hitch that feeds both ways and locks...well if that existed rope soloists would be sorted!!
Revo can desheath the rope when arresting a fall factor 2
Well thank fuck for that, somebody with a realistic outlook and approach to rope soloing!! I'm supprised nobody's asked yet, do you protect your rope at the master point in any way, incase a small rat or squirrel were to nibble through the rope?
The big O dog, what would we do without him
I'd be lost for sure
There we go...
Why does 2 attachment points for a device matter? Not familiar with your setup, but what are the benefits?
If you fall and cross load the karabiner on the attachment point, they is a possibility the karabiner can fail. If this fails then youd fall out the system if not attached into the rope in any other way
@@WideBoyz ok that makes sense, thx for the reply
Big boy O turned 30 recently
Unfortunately, the grigri plus modes aren't helpful, as the lead mode is the same as a normal grigri , the toprope mode is more sensitive,
hmmmm interesting. maybe the the gri gri plus that I saw was modified as well then
@@WideBoyz Most common grigri mod is to the normal grigri, to remove the guide flap at the back, so it can sit vertically on your chest. There's a guy called Yann Cammus . This is his youtube channel
czcams.com/users/YannCamusBlissClimbingvideos
I've followed his facebook group for years.
It's a good resource. He tests all the common gear for rope solo and finds failure modes.
@@gravyblue yes i know Yann, spoken to him a bunch :) he's the man with lots of info on this stuff!!
Is there a reason nobody is making a specific rope solo device like the silent partner? I can only imagine it’s because of the risk involved although of anyone actually knows the real reason I’d love to know thanks.
Supply and demand. It's not cost effective to keep in production for how limited the market is.
Clearly Adam is the strong silent type.
If anyone wants a Silent Partner I suppose all they need to do is buy one of those Adam Ondra prints
we all need an Ondra print in our life
and the traction device is on a full strength belay loop instead of a gear loop..
Will a microtraxion alone be enough to ensure safety?
no it is just for holding the sapre end of the rope, not for safety
@@WideBoyz Can you explain why the microtrax is not for fall safety when it has a 4 kN weight value?
Would be nice to make strictly technical show video to show exactly your setup and work on particular roaf
the setup is shown through bits of B-roll in the video, there isn't anymore to show :)
1. end of rope clipped to anchor
2. rope from anchor into solo device (attached to belay loop)
3. rope out of solo device through a traxion (also on belay loop below silent partner)
4. spare rope coming out the bottom of traxion and stacked neatly on the floor or in a pack.
In regards to working on a particular route I have some rope solo footage coming up in another video so you can see the system in use. so stay tuned for that one. might be next week or the week after, not sure yet :)
Thanks for watching
is a shame there are not rope solo tutorials in skill share :( ;)
There is a guy yann who has a company called bliss climbing which do rope solo tutorials though. You should check that out 👍
Do u know anyone who has ever used a rock exotica soloist and would u use one?
never used one sorry. and don't know anyone who has used one
I have, but only once as I despise having anything on my chest. It also won't hold inverted or body-parallel-to-the-ground falls reliably.
@@jhealy3718 ya I’ve noticed that in my testing,I thought i was using it wrong, I picked up a new one for $50 a while ago thought I would try it since I couldn’t find a silent partner, oh well
I have massive respect for you guys and you've made some really great videos but this one dissapointed me. You cant do a 'everything you want to know about soloing' from your sofa! I was hoping for some hands on instructional video from the base of a crag.