Ascender Usage Question

If it's just a short crux, belay your second off the anchor and be prepared to haul for a few feet if needed. A light pulley at your prusik could make some difference, but you're likely only going to be hauling one or two throws - any more and reconsider your route.

alexdavis wrote:Yeah, I was thinking of a 3:1 like this: youtube.com/watch?v=wDyMRK_… How much more efficient would a pulley, rather than a biner, attached to the klemheist be? Would it be a noticeable difference?

I have used this technique a couple of times. It's effective.

alexdavis wrote:Yeah I heard its 5.9 and I can lead 10a sport so I figure we'll be fine.

5.9 C2 cause I don't think 5.10a will be close enough to the 5.14a free version.

alexdavis wrote:The Nose.

You're planning on doing the Nose with no aid experience, and not even knowing how to use an ascender?

Did I get trolled? Ouch.

ditch her and find a partner that can climb as hard as you... or do easy stuff... why would you plan on aiding free routes, sounds dumb.

alexdavis wrote: Yeah, Price. My above comment about the Nose and 10a sport was a troll. See the difference?

Welcome to asking the internet for advice. I'm not trying to be a jerk. You're asking a bold question about something that requires way more training than the internet postards are going to give you.

If you're serious about all of this, take a quick trip to your local climbing shop, ask an expert to demonstrate. Take notes. Go practice once or twice on something easy so you don't get into something over your head. Climb safe.

Rick Blair wrote:Did I get trolled? Ouch.

No, that was actually helpful. I forced my wife into her harness and gave it a try at home. simple. I also tried a 4:1, which didn't take much additional effort but made it a snap. I threw on a petzl oscillante pulley and it was pretty smooth (however I realize that on the rock there will likely be more drag).

if its just one or two moves, she should know how to use a cordelette as a foot prussik and a small ascender on her loop ... she should be fast and efficient on it and not cause a traffic jam to the following parties ... or just get her to pull up a few feet on the rope till she reaches a good hold

if its more than one or two moves ... dont bother dragging her on the climb ... it wont be fun for anyone including the parties behind you ... go with a partner who you are confident can do most of the moves, or go on something easier ...

ive been stuck behind parties who claim they are "confident" at the belays, but cant do the moves and cause a jam that stops every party behind em ... what should have been a 3 hour climb takes 6+ hours because a single party decided that they can "aid" easy cracks if they cant do the climb ...

i dont think that theres anything wrong jumping on a climb that might be at the limit of yr ability or a bit beyond even ... but not if its a busy popular moderate ...

So really, what routes?

Listen, ABANDON the idea of rigging a haul system to get your girlfriend up a crux. It will take forever to set up, and anybody nearby is going to think you're an asshole for clogging the route up, and they will be right.

If it's a short crux, french freeing is good, and so is the idea of belaying her really tightly off the anchor while she flails upward. Most of the other ideas here are just not good solutions for what you're doing.

If she can't follow the route on toprope, just don't do that route. Don't be that guy! Relax your ego and climb something in her range. She is not going to think you're cool while she's struggling to keep up with you, and nobody else will either.

Eric Fjellanger wrote: Don't be that guy! Relax your ego and climb something in her range. She is not going to think you're cool while she's struggling to keep up with you, and nobody else will either.

Heh. Had a girl join my camp once b/c her bf was putting her in over her head and being a dick about it.

Eric Fjellanger wrote:Listen, ABANDON the idea of rigging a haul system to get your girlfriend up a crux. It will take forever to set up, and anybody nearby is going to think you're an asshole for clogging the route up, and they will be right. If it's a short crux, french freeing is good, and so is the idea of belaying her really tightly off the anchor while she flails upward. Most of the other ideas here are just not good solutions for what you're doing. If she can't follow the route on toprope, just don't do that route. Don't be that guy! Relax your ego and climb something in her range. She is not going to think you're cool while she's struggling to keep up with you, and nobody else will either.

This

Eric Fjellanger wrote:Listen, ABANDON the idea of rigging a haul system to get your girlfriend up a crux. It will take forever to set up, and anybody nearby is going to think you're an asshole for clogging the route up, and they will be right.

With practice, hauling through a difficult section can be very quick as long as you're using an atc-guide style device or a grigri/cinch device off of the anchor already.

You can put a prussic on the line very quickly when she is approaching a section you think will be too difficult, leave the prussic loose and it will stay out of the way as you belay by knocking it down a bit when you pull rope through the belay device.

Anticipate the issue, once the partner needs a boost, slap a biner on the prussic, put the end of the rope through the biner, haul away. Once she's past the section (moves even quicker if they are helping by pulling up on hand holds and pushing on footholds), it takes a few moments to unclip the rope, unclip the biner, loosen the prussic and she can continue climbing free.

but as I said, with practice, so since no one actually practices these things unless they're taking a class or are already on the route, don't bother and choose a better route.

That's actually an interesting system. I think I see how it works, but isn't there a lot of rope-on-rope friction in the device?

I maintain women do not like to be treated like haul bags.