TR soloing and protecting rope from a sharp edge

The last bolt on an overhanging route provides a clean anchor for the entire route, EXCEPT the route then passes over a sharp edge on to a slab finish to the chains.

I'm solo TRing, so the rope is fixed to the chains.  But because I'm worried about the rope cutting on that sharp edge, I clove-hitch the rope to the top draw, meaning I'm effectively TRing on that bolt, with the chains as a back up.  This is fine with me from a safety perspective. However...

On a send burn I get to the last bolt and I can't finish the climb.  There's no way I can hold on whilst untying the clove hitch with the other hand.  And I cannot move past this bolt with the knot still there, of course.

Ideas?

I could pad the sharp edge instead of my solution, but I need that sharp edge as a hand-hold. I can't think of a solution to this problem other than adding a higher bolt to go around the sharp edge (which would require a permit and FA permission).  (There is no gear above that last bolt, I've looked!)  All the rope protectors I've seen would be too hard to remove when I reached them.  Are there any that can be quickly removed or slid up the rope with one hand?  I could use a 2nd rope, but I don't see how that helps either.

I do this type of re-belay all the time but I usually just clip in to untie the knot. But if it was super important to keep going I'd probably just use a older rope and only clip directionals. You could try short-clipping (single biners on bolts) enough pieces down the route to purposefully create extra zig zag. The drag will help ease the force the rope experiences at the lip. Kind of goofy but it works plus it will help steady the rope (at the lip).

If the anchor is positioned safely enough to belay a second from then it shouldn't t be any different soloing, I wouldn't think? If it is then the anchors are probably poorly positioned anyway.

Petzl has a rope protector, or you can use a section of garden hose around the rope

Can’t you just clip a draw onto the rope? If you are worried about getting to it on the way down? Just tie a overhand on a bight down lower (google Rope access Deviation on YouTube if needed).

Garden hose on a prussik could work as you can push it up with you once you reach the edge

nbrown wrote: I do this type of re-belay all the time but I usually just clip in to untie the knot. But if it was super important to keep going I'd probably just use a older rope and only clip directionals. You could try short-clipping (single biners on bolts) enough pieces down the route to purposefully create extra zig zag. The drag will help ease the force the rope experiences at the lip. Kind of goofy but it works plus it will help steady the rope (at the lip).

I'm at my limit on this route, so unclipping as I climb is a challenge.  I think creating more zig-zag would make the challenge harder! :)  The route is very overhanging, so I'm getting a good deal of friction from the lower bolts even using draws.

If the anchor is positioned safely enough to belay a second from then it shouldn't t be any different soloing, I wouldn't think? If it is then the anchors are probably poorly positioned anyway.

The anchors are in a really ridiculous spot and should be repositioned.  But it's an old route and people have been climbing it as-is for 15 years.

I'll probably go with the garden-hose idea.  Unfortunately, I live in an apartment and don't own a hose! :)

Just clip into the bolt with a draw or sling, undo the clove and finish the climb and be done with it

You can make an autoblock out of a shoulder length sling to rebelay on the bolt underneath the sharp edge.  It is easy to untie the autoblock with one hand when you climb up to it.  I use this technique often while fixed line top roping.

The rebelay that you did is good and you should stick with that. Just clip into the draw while you untie the clove hitch then keep going. If you still feel uneasy about it then either pad the edge with some kind of fabric or use a rope protector/garden hose. 

Mikey beat me to it, I use the same setup. I was thinking I probably was not the only one. I prefer using a nylon sling-- a question of durability, not particularly a question of safety. If you do it right it is very easy to undo on lead with one hand. I set it up so I can free the rope, then stop, shake out or switch hands, then remove the draw and place it on my harness. Lets you score the clean TR send on the steep stuff!

If I have a ledge to stand on when setting a rebelay, I use an alpine butterfly.

As for garden hose, I tried it a couple times with a piece about a meter long, which I had slit down the middle to allow covering rope without access to the end. It worked horribly, mostly due to not staying on the rope. I would recommend that slipping it on from the end of the rope is worth the extra work in thinking ahead when rigging. There are times without the option of an anchor point for a rebelay.

1.Grab a square piece of carpet pop a hole in the corner and tie it to the rope

2.Wrap towel around that part of rope

Go buy a “pool noodle” the child’s pool toy; one with a hallow core. cut off desired length. Split the thing open long ways and place around the rope over the edge

Form a Bachmann knot, clip its cord loop to the draw. When reaching the draw, unclip the cord from the draw, undo the Bachmann, clip it back to the draw or to your harness. Or use Kleimheist, or French autoblock. Whichever fits best with you.

Darren, thank you.

Could you swap one of the biners on the pictured autoblock setup with a fifi hook? would save you unclipping and should be okay if you weight the end of the rope to keep tension on it

John Clark wrote: Could you swap one of the biners on the pictured autoblock setup with a fifi hook? would save you unclipping and should be okay if you weight the end of the rope to keep tension on it

Don't.

Pavel Burov wrote:

Don't.

Care to elaborate?

John Clark wrote:

Care to elaborate?

Because it's already piss easy to unclip a carabiner.

Not to mention Fifi are rated for only body weight, and if you're trying hard enough that you can't unclip a biner, a proper TR fall will generate more than body weight force.

Tim Meehan wrote:

I've got some if you want. Send me a PM.

Very much appreciate the offer, but I think I'm going to try Darren's idea (pictured above) which is very elegant.

John RB wrote:

Very much appreciate the offer, but I think I'm going to try Darren's idea (pictured above) which is very elegant.

Make sure you put enough wraps or it could slip.

Fish Products makes a rope protector called a grain tamer.  I have one and I think it would be easy to slide up a single rope.

If you want to get fancy and go a little easier on your rope in case of a fall I’d suggest the clove hitch and then leave about 2 ft of slack and put a Munter hitch on the next draw  for a softer catch and less stress on the rope . falls not soloing are going to use the entire rope length in active use plus what ever your belayer gives you and or including his jump to soften your fall. If your soloing a lot and still pushing it and falling often I’d recommend the munter and you could probably just do it every clip and skip the clove I don’t think the rope is going to slide through that, guys what do you think? . Maybe if you only had one or two but doing every clip a munter would create far less impact on your rope and still keep the entire rope portion being used active unlike the clove which is more of a knot really because its cinch deactivates any rope not Between you and the clove where as the munter is meant to adjust under weight but not adjust in a flaccid hang. Food for thought