My top rope solo system - like a charm

After a bit of research on this forum and after having tried a couple different systems that I wasn't happy with (e.g. Self belay with grigri that always needed slack pulled out), I couldn't be happier with this set up.

Per the photo, I use a croll attached to a couple slings / chest harness (with bungee holding it as high as possible above the belay loop) as my primary ascender. I use a micro traxion as a backup on the same rope. As long as the rope is weighted at the bottom, no slack builds - the system very smoothly self feeds. And since the croll sits as high as possible, I don't take any mini whippers. The grab is immediate as soon as I start to sit down and weight the harness. Anyone who thinks ascenders do rope damage haven't used the system. Perhaps a big fall could damage the rope sheath from the ascender's teeth, but you don't take falls with this set up.

When I reach the top, I connect my grigri to the other rope to rappel (but could do same rope if needed). Once the Grigri is connected and slack removed until it is slightly higher than the croll, I escape from the croll and traxion. If I'm unable to stand to take pressure off the croll to remove it, I use a petzl Basic to put on the rope above it so I can connect a sling and stand on it to unweight the croll so it can be removed.

Btw, since you are putting pressure on your rope at the exact same spot constantly at the master point as you climb, you will want to tie this double figure 8 knot so there are two ears going into the biners instead of one. You will damage your sheath on the biner with just one if you you weight your rope often - youtu.be/kiYD2wGAsr4

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Different to what I do, but each to their own.

Question about the sheath damage from a biner:

Has that happened to you? Was the biner surface damaged (nicks, excessively worn) at all?

Just asking because I've never experienced it, mostly when setting up fixed lines I've seen people use a single looped knot like a figure eight or nine at the top.

This is not my area of expertise but I don't like that sling around your neck.

Greg...

It's all about the bungee cords. There rated to 0.0843 Kn. w/o those bungee cords....

total system failure.

I would get rid of the chest harness. It's not doing anything. I just tie the bungee direct to the chest ascender and put it around my neck to hold it in place. I just stared using this method. It works great.

r m wrote:Different to what I do, but each to their own. Question about the sheath damage from a biner: Has that happened to you? Was the biner surface damaged (nicks, excessively worn) at all? Just asking because I've never experienced it, mostly when setting up fixed lines I've seen people use a single looped knot like a figure eight or nine at the top.