Going it alone: first toprope solo, plus gear!

Long "trip report". If the length bugs ya, go trim your nose hairs or something. :-)

The phone went off at 6:25. The alarm clock was set for 6:30. Shoot. Sure enough, my partner had to cancel. Okay then. Today is it.

I'd been dithering, working up to it, this top rope solo thing. Everyone suggested it, for getting laps in when the inevitable partner droughts appeared. 

I had all the equipment, and had practiced on Terra firma, the garage to be precise. So far, I kept getting partners, and could put it off. But not today. So off I set. 

I knew exactly where to go:

This route, creatively named "Short Crack" is very close to the scramble to the top of our cliffs. It is also not much trafficked, and I had already climbed it, on top rope.

The rigging took some tweaking, mainly because I'm very short. The basic top rope solo  set up, before final tweaks:

And the two tiny parts that made it work:


Up top, I spread out my stuff to practice being tethered to access the anchors and cliff face. This beetle kept following me!


Static line, prussik purcell and carabiner, to rig a tether. Pretty funky old anchor...

I decided the anchor would do, all I was doing was practicing with the tether, going from the top to a big ledge. The real anchors were down from there.

Because it was a practice day, I scoped things out while using the tether, then put the climbing rope through and double rapped down to the big ledge. Did various things, got the top rope set up, then it was the next newish thing, single rope rappel, with a pack on. This one was for real, and I took my time.


Most of the way down, I discovered a hiker snapping a picture of me rapping. Musta looked like I knew what I was doing!

Finally, the trip back up! Next part to practice? Placing gear! That "how do you rack your gear" thread was timely, and helped. Even though I was on the top rope solo rig, I placed everything from stances. This lower crack was quite amenable to gear. Pics were taken on the rap down, as I cleaned. I clipped something to every piece, partly so I wouldn't lose anything, but also for practice. I confess, I dropped a set of nuts first thing. Had to lower a few feet, and was able to snag them with a foot!

A few placements, from one cam, two hexes and an assortment of nuts:




On the top part, the crack widened. Fine and dandy, if I was just climbing. But, I was now above a column, and there was no rope weight on the ascenders. I needed to pull slack. For that, I needed a hand....hmmmm. My biggest gear was all below me. So? Time to cheat? Getting a foot up:


Figuring out how to just get up the thing when I'm stuck, is a big goal. The last little bit, I slapped an ascender up above the chest ascender, and jugged it for hands, and walked feet up, smearing the sides.

I worked for hours, practicing many things without a partner there. But the biggest challenge faced? The head game. Alone is very, very different. And, it was okay. I took all the time I needed, did what I wanted. Most importantly, each time I paused, just before committing? I was confident the next step was good to go.

Best, OLH

Thank you!

Head game is the toughest part! 

There is no such thing as cheating in climbing, only lying.

-I don't remember where I read that 

Hugo Watt wrote: There is no such thing as cheating in climbing, only lying.

-I don't remember where I read that 

https://www.climbing.com/news/semi-rad-theres-no-cheating-in-climbing-only-lying/

Requoted many, many times!

Best, Helen (I work in a library. Occupational hazard to be curious.)

Awesome. I grew up in the area, and have fond memories of “the purple lady”. Librarians have my utmost respect.

Andrew Rational wrote: Awesome. I grew up in the area, and have fond memories of “the purple lady”. Librarians have my utmost respect.

Ah! My hubby was a photographer with the Statesman, way back when. One of his stories was with "the purple lady", meeting her at her purple house. She's gone now, but you aren't the only one who remembers her still! All these years later, wild hair color is now mainstream. She was decades ahead of everyone else!

I'm not a librarian, by any stretch, but I'm 18 years in at one of the funnest places to work! Sheesh...I might be getting old.

Best, Helen

Very nice! Well done.

I read that article, and the one about her passing. It wasn’t just hair, in my recollection, it was everything, and awesome, agreed.

Congrats on your rope soloing, BTW. I used to do it fairly often, and am now getting back into it, with newer gear/devices (clove hitches suck), since my oldest is now big enough to climb, but not big enough to belay me.

I'm no expert but I mainly top rope solo and sport/trad lead solo so figured i'd comment. First thing i notice is your dynema sling through your upper rope grap instead of it going to a binner then rope grab.  A chest harness is much better for keeping the upper grab away from the lower one, you can buy one for cheap or make one with slings around your shoulders/chest. I know you're placing gear to learn not actually climbing off it but might as well learn it right! you left the extra binner on the nut directly on top of the gate of the other binner not to mention the loading binners orientation. Looks like you did the same thing on the cam even though it's not on the gate of the other binner. Remove the extra binners while placing the gear and keep it safe and simple. The last thing i noticed is the knot on the dynema. Bad habit to get in to. Don't do it ever! Advice from BD them selves!  Nylon runners/slings also get up to a 60% reduction in strength from knots        ( including girth hitching them to things).  Something to be aware off.

https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-bdel/default/dw7331043c/files/MM5824_J_Runners%20and%20Dogbones_IS-WEB.pdf

I can't comment on the gear placements them selves as I'm not a expert trad guy, but if you want opinions on those put the pics up in the trad section and be ready for some heavy constructive criticism.  

I personally run my TR setup on both strands, one rope grab per strand so it's redundant.  I run a microscender on top and a rescuescender as my backup. I figure eight the middle of my rope to the anchor and run a stopper knott "off the ground" with both strands with some weights to keep the rope straight and feeding smooth.

you didn't include a pic of your anchor set up?!

Good on ya for using the autoblock on your rap! =)

Marcelo wrote: I'm no expert but I mainly top rope solo and sport/trad lead solo so figured i'd comment. First thing i notice is your dynema sling through your upper rope grap instead of it going to a binner then rope grab.  A chest harness is much better for keeping the upper grab away from the lower one, you can buy one for cheap or make one with slings around your shoulders/chest. I know you're placing gear to learn not actually climbing off it but might as well learn it right! you left the extra binner on the nut directly on top of the gate of the other binner not to mention the loading binners orientation. Looks like you did the same thing on the cam even though it's not on the gate of the other binner. Remove the extra binners while placing the gear and keep it safe and simple. The last thing i noticed is the knot on the dynema. Bad habit to get in to. Don't do it ever! Advice from BD them selves!  Nylon runners/slings also get up to a 60% reduction in strength from knots        ( including girth hitching them to things).  Something to be aware off.

https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-bdel/default/dw7331043c/files/MM5824_J_Runners%20and%20Dogbones_IS-WEB.pdf

I can't comment on the gear placements them selves as I'm not a expert trad guy, but if you want opinions on those put the pics up in the trad section and be ready for some heavy constructive criticism.  

I personally run my TR setup on both strands, one rope grab per strand so it's redundant.  I run a microscender on top and a rescuescender as my backup. I figure eight the middle of my rope to the anchor and run a stopper knott "off the ground" with both strands with some weights to keep the rope straight and feeding smooth.

you didn't include a pic of your anchor set up?!

Good on ya for using the autoblock on your rap! =)

All good points, for myself and others, thanks! The gear pics got posted on another thread, judged bomber, and I also sent the whole set off to my experienced gear guys for feedback. On the other comments, to clarify, yes, bad habits shouldn't be encouraged. I was, however, only using the sling as a foot loop, the knot wasn't going to be taking  anything but body weight. I was hanging extra stuff on gear so I could find it again and not overlook anything. I did smile at the biners crossing each other's gates, when I came back down on rap, collecting the gear and taking pics.! Not optimal. 

The first pic of the rigging isn't what I ended up with. I will take another pic of the setup this weekend, as I know people are always interested in top rope solo setups. For me, at least, it was daunting, until I realized it really was pretty straightforward and all that exotic.

I'm really short, so that was part of the process too, finding ways to make it work in a really small space. The shock cord is what I settled on, rather than rigging a chest harness. I, uh, am not flat chested, so "chest" is of necessity almost around my neck. I want nothing I can strangle on, when I'm climbing, hence the shock cord. I also just tied the length of cord, not wanting to cut it until I was sure of the setup.

Thanks again for the feedback, it's much appreciated!

EDIT to add: yeah, I'll get the anchor setup next time, too! Thanks for the reminder.

Best, Helen

Marcelo wrote: I'm no expert but I mainly top rope solo and sport/trad lead solo so figured i'd comment. First thing i notice is your dynema sling through your upper rope grap instead of it going to a binner then rope grab.  A chest harness is much better for keeping the upper grab away from the lower one, you can buy one for cheap or make one with slings around your shoulders/chest. I know you're placing gear to learn not actually climbing off it but might as well learn it right! you left the extra binner on the nut directly on top of the gate of the other binner not to mention the loading binners orientation. Looks like you did the same thing on the cam even though it's not on the gate of the other binner. Remove the extra binners while placing the gear and keep it safe and simple. The last thing i noticed is the knot on the dynema. Bad habit to get in to. Don't do it ever! Advice from BD them selves!  Nylon runners/slings also get up to a 60% reduction in strength from knots        ( including girth hitching them to things).  Something to be aware off.

https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-bdel/default/dw7331043c/files/MM5824_J_Runners%20and%20Dogbones_IS-WEB.pdf

I can't comment on the gear placements them selves as I'm not a expert trad guy, but if you want opinions on those put the pics up in the trad section and be ready for some heavy constructive criticism.  

I personally run my TR setup on both strands, one rope grab per strand so it's redundant.  I run a microscender on top and a rescuescender as my backup. I figure eight the middle of my rope to the anchor and run a stopper knott "off the ground" with both strands with some weights to keep the rope straight and feeding smooth.

you didn't include a pic of your anchor set up?!

Good on ya for using the autoblock on your rap! =)

Absolutely nothing wrong with knots in dyneema. Yes the strength is reduced, but it's still far stronger than pretty much any piece of trad gear so there is nothing to be worried about. The important thing is that you can't join dynex strands with a knot to make a sling the same way you can with nylon webbing. 

Alex Ryan Tucker wrote:

Absolutely nothing wrong with knots in dyneema. Yes the strength is reduced, but it's still far stronger than pretty much any piece of trad gear so there is nothing to be worried about. The important thing is that you can't join dynex strands with a knot to make a sling the same way you can with nylon webbing. 

Why is that? I've never even considered doing so, or seen it, or seen lengths of sling material, for that matter. What's the difference between it and webbing or cordage? Could you girth slings together, if you wanted to for some reason?

Best, OLH

And Steve? "Shorty" was told by her friend last weekend, that I reminded him of Willow. I think it was a compliment. Sorta. :-)

Alex Ryan Tucker wrote:

Absolutely nothing wrong with knots in dyneema. Yes the strength is reduced, but it's still far stronger than pretty much any piece of trad gear so there is nothing to be worried about. The important thing is that you can't join dynex strands with a knot to make a sling the same way you can with nylon webbing. 

To each his own. 

I'll kindly take the advice of the manufacturer who actually makes and extensively tests these products advice vs someone on a climbing message board!

Marcelo wrote:

To each his own. 

I'll kindly take the advice of the manufacturer who actually makes and extensively tests these products advice vs someone on a climbing message board!

Tying a knot in rope weakens it, let me know when you come up with a safe system to attach yourself to the rope.

To each their own. Amen.

Lyra Lestrange wrote: To each their own. Amen.

Since you're new here, let me offer some kind advice: don't resurrect dead threads simply to repeat verbatim what has already been said.