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The Houlding-Pickles game changer.

Original Post
Richard M. Wright · · Lakewood, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 9,090

In the past we worked out sequences by trading leads with a usually unwilling partner. On The Prophet, Leo Houlding and Jason Pickles worked solo off a Grigri on a fixed line. Leo noted two advantages in his video. First, you can work things out solo, on your own time, without annoying your partner, who needs to show up only on the red point try. Second, the Grigri allows you to build in as much slack as you will ever get on the lead, so when it comes time for the lead, it actually feels like a done deal. Also, the Grigri beats working with jumars where more than likely you would be unwilling to take a fall. I mentioned this to Diana Rogers who felt that the Grigri might be huge disadvantage in the event of falling upside down. I've compared the Houlding-Pickles to other solo methods and it seems dramatically better than most other choices for dialing in a red point. Any other thoughts?

J. Albers · · Colorado · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 1,926

....a link to the video would help.

Mick S · · Utah · Joined Sep 2007 · Points: 61

I used a Gri Gri to TR solo a project last summer. Most climbers find the slack to be annoying, I felt that it made me stronger, since pulling up the slack was similar to stopping to place the protection. I tied backup knots every so often.

ABB · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2007 · Points: 0

...and the fact that you can quickly descend and immediatley begin climbing again without having to futz with two pieces of hardware as is the case when using a Mini Traxion, e.g. rig rap device to rope, remove Mini Trax (or at least disengage cam), descend and then before climbing re-engage MT, remove rap device. This is especially beneficial when working a crux section repeatedly. The ability to quickly descend, often times a short distance, and 'get busy' is hugely significant. The Mini Trax is great for mileage/laps but a bit tedious for re-working crux sections.

Wiled Horse · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2002 · Points: 3,669

how do you keep the biner from cross loading? use a quicklink?

Nick Stayner · · Wymont Kingdom · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 2,315
caughtinside wrote:The world's most famous toproper
Surfer Bob?
Richard M. Wright · · Lakewood, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 9,090

Only a game changer for the dolts like myself who have always worked projects with a climbing partner/belay slave.

Richard M. Wright · · Lakewood, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 9,090
bearbreeder · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 3,065

make sure you back it up with knots or something else ...

B Gilmore · · AZ · Joined Nov 2005 · Points: 1,260
Darren Mabe wrote:how do you keep the biner from cross loading? use a quicklink?
I just use a burly steel biner
Richard M. Wright · · Lakewood, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 9,090

Its not the top rope that's key, it's working out cruxes solo. However, if you'd be okay serving endlessly as my belay slave, I'll happily forgo the Grigri !!!!!

J. Broussard · · CordryCorner · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 50

Rapping a single line with a GriGri will singe your rope. Or at least in my unfortunate experience. It was a 10.5 too.

Edit: it was a long ways & didn't waste any time getting down. I don't use the GriGri for rope soloing anymore but after this experience I started using an ATC to get down. The extra 30 seconds to switch over was worth not trashing the rope.

Alex McIntyre · · Tucson, AZ · Joined Jan 2011 · Points: 546
Jeffeos wrote:Rapping a single line with a GriGri will singe your rope. Or at least in my unfortunate experience. It was a 10.5 too.
What? I've never heard of this, and it has never happened to me before either.
Matt N · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 415
Jeffeos wrote:Rapping a single line with a GriGri will singe your rope. Or at least in my unfortunate experience. It was a 10.5 too. Edit: it was a long ways & didn't waste any time getting down. I don't use the GriGri for rope soloing anymore but after this experience I started using an ATC to get down. The extra 30 seconds to switch over was worth not trashing the rope.
I imagine if you rapped 30 seconds slower, the rope would have been fine.
J. Broussard · · CordryCorner · Joined Feb 2011 · Points: 50
Matt N wrote: I imagine if you rapped 30 seconds slower, the rope would have been fine.
I'm one of those crazy types that is always pushing for another pitch, an earlier departure, and faster partner and every thirty seconds feels like a lifetime if I could have saved it. Just think about how every 15 seconds I save adds up over the lifetime.

No, I blame my mom. She's a crazy lady in regards to efficiency and now I'm a crazy man.
slim · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2004 · Points: 1,103
Beagle wrote: I just use a burly steel biner
same here. i have a bunch of wraps of duct tape at the end of the spine to keep the grigri from slipping down the spine of the biner. i also use a chest harness, which helps keep it upright.

these days i usually just use an ascender though. feeds easier.
Will S · · Joshua Tree · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 1,061

LOL at "game changer". Higgins was working the Owl Roof self-belayed with a jumar in 1973.

Gunkiemike · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 3,492
Matt N wrote: I imagine if you rapped 30 seconds slower, the rope would have been fine.
+1

How much time will you lose buying a replacement rope?
Tim Kuss · · Durango, CO · Joined Jun 2009 · Points: 198

Guys- the crossloading on the biner won't break the biner, but will break the Gri gri. It will happen on a quick link or a beefy steel biner. The best thing to do is to put some tape rounds on either side of the grigri to keep it where you want it. Don't die man.

Richard M. Wright · · Lakewood, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 9,090

Self belay with a jumar is exactly not the point. We've been doing that for a couple of decades as well. Slack built up with a jumar results in the jumar inverting, and by no means can you fall on it. Running a jumar above the Grigri creates a standad top-rope, perfectly fine if you are just checking things out. It's worth taking a look at Houlding/Pickles on the Prophet, if you have not. They build up enough slack to generate truly long falls, then reel in the slack, and they are both doing it on hard overhanging 5.13. "game changer" may over state the notion, but I have not seen anyone around our local crags working cruxes in just this way. In playing with this system recently I've started out using a jumar and Grigri combination and then dropping the jumar when I think I'm close. For me anyway, my actual time working a crux has been multiplied ten fold.

BScallout · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 0

A link for a $15 on-line video? Don't think I have the stoke you do.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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