UPDATE SERIES #1 - Rope Solo Lead Climbing - Rope Systems and Anchoring

Here is an update for people wanted to know about rigging ground anchors and rope systems for rope solo lead climbing. This is my new rigging technique which is very handy at sport climbing walls. Of course it doesn't work in all circumstances, but its pretty useful. I feel very confident with this system. This is a minimalist system using the climbing rope for anchor building.

Check out my blog on rope free solo climbing for detailed info and my future plans:
http://ropefreesolo.blog.com

Here is the full updated (advanced) rope solo lead climbing series:
UPDATE SERIES #1 - Rope Solo Lead Climbing - Rope Systems and Anchoring
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNTojGc5EFI

UPDATE SERIES #2 - Rope Solo Lead Climbing - Choosing an Anchor Location
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt0gG5Yxotk

UPDATE SERIES #3 - Rope Solo Lead Climbing - How To Tie the Alpine Butterfly Knot - Tutorial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAv2yOJQLVQ

UPDATE SERIES #4 - Rope Solo Lead Climbing - Soloist Belay Device Jamming with the Climbing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek-X5ylufHQ

UPDATE SERIES #5 - Rope Solo Lead Climbing - My Rigging -- Justifications
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgrZVWAcuEQ

Here is the entire (beginner) video series on rope solo lead climbing

Part 1 -- Intro and Gear List
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhAww0CI-Gw

Part 2 -- Anchoring
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyAMQuqhj6I

Part 3 -- Racking Up and Device Usage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYuksC6RK2Y

Part 4 -- Demonstration Climb
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGjZYe3O2QQ

Part 5 -- Tips and Outro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHEzO0-BunM

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• anchors
• ground anchors
• rigging
• rock climbing
• rope
• rope system
• rope solo
• soloist
• rope solo lead climbing

[WorldClimb]

I would anchor rope end then leave a big loop of rope to the 2nd anchor biner and tie off with a clove hitch. Tie a fig8 in the large loop where anchors equalize, towards the direction of pull (the 1st bolt). You can get a acute angle and can lead climb normally. Clove hitching a biner on the ground anchor side of the rope at the first bolt is an extra safety back up. Place it far enough away to allow rope stretch but close enough to not be too dynamically loaded should the ground anchors fail.

[AronSensei]

@WorldClimb This setup requires a large distance between the anchoring routes and the climbing route. If so, it would be stronger than my setup. However, this would be very difficult to do with 1 rope- probably require 2 ropes. Also, the butterfly is better than a clove hitch- I would avoid clove hitches. Clove hitching at the first bolt results in a 1 bolt anchor on a clove hitch, and almost no stretch should you fall in the first few bolts of climbing.

[WorldClimb]

As the load is directionally to the first bolt, it is very off the vertical. As the rope is loaded the left anchor will take 100% of load until the rope stretches enough to allow the right anchor to load. There's not enough stretch so pointing the right biner away from the direction of load is a bad idea. Both anchor biners should go under load at the same time and at the same amount when the system is loaded. The only way to achieve this is to have both biners facing the direction of load.

[AronSensei]

@WorldClimb There is more than enough stretch, believe me. The butterfly knot is usually weighted more than the figure 9, but both come under tension. Your suggestion would result in the butterfly knot taking near 100% of the load, and the figure 9 taking almost nothing, unless you had bolt failure on the butterfly bolt. Facing both biners in the direction of load results in a weaker setup- no doubt about that.

[poeticmelodies]

Hey man, just wanted to say thank you for all the vids, superb. They all really help me a lot.

Keep up the great work,

Jon.

[AronSensei]

@poeticmelodies thanks, glad to help! Are you rope solo leading too? Got any suggestions?

[StoicNemesis]

yeah guys was noticing the comments on if the bolts were acheiving equip weight or not. never have applied it in this particular setup but i use in for mult anchors when top roping sometimes by tying a double loop figure 8 with one large loop and one small. take the center of the large loop and biner it back into the small loop leaving to ears on each side of the biner then cliping one ear into each anchor. The load will automatically align the ears to equal out between the anchors.