Lost Arrow Tyrolean
|
Any suggestions or corrections to my plan below?
I'm particularly curious about the optimum (or reasonable) tension sought in the ropes (#5) and the wisdom of pulling directly on the Grigri. I expect we'd back the Grigri up by tying a loop and clipping this to an anchor. Also, is it "reasonable" to reach that bolted anchor unroped below the usual juniper tree or do most humans find that sketchy/stupid and rap to the anchor? Last, I've never heard anyone talk about that first "downhill" part of the traverse: simply letting go and sliding down to the midpoint sounds terrifying but maybe I'm just a wuss. Do folks just lower themselves hand-over-hand? Thanks! |
|
Untying and retying sounds overly complicated? Why not use a biner block through the chains on top of the spire, and then once you are both back over you just pull the line through with the other end as if you were rapping. Worked great for me, and I did use a 3:1 to tension the rope across like you mention, and I think I used a 3:1 again after the traverse to give myself enough slack on the tensioned rope to untie the knot that was fixed to the anchor but I sort of forget. If you do something like this, then both people can be there when all the rigging stuff happens, like untying, fixing, threading, so you can check each other to make sure you don't mess up. Another thing to note is that jugging at an angle is total pain. There is a single bolt directly across from the spire tip that you will rap past that you can back up with a #3 or #4 to make an intermediate anchor, allowing you to make a straight across easy tyrolean, then switching your jumars to the vertical rope that will take you back to the rim. Last person across just takes this anchor apart after their jumars are on the line going to the rim. You won't "drop" much on the tyrolean if it's tight. But have a jumar and an aider ready to assist your traverse, assuming you are using something like a microtrax on your belay loop as your primary progress capture. And a final note, those bolts that you rap from are in a pretty sketchy position to solo to. I think they are in that specific position because they just barely allow for a single rap with an 80 but I might be wrong. The tree might be better to rap from, or bring another short rope to rap from the tree to the bolts or something? |
|
Pete Nelson wrote: #2 ain't gonna work unless initially yer gonna do some short pitches which is not recommended.
At no time is there any need to untie the fixed line. * Third lead rope is not needed but can be used as belay line for each while doing the traverse.
True ... clip a biner into the end of ascender and the rope helps reduce the PITA. |
|
Thanks Brian and Allen! I did find instructions on the Petzl site for using a Grigri to tension a Tyrolean, so that seems to be okay. I don't see how you can avoid untying and re-tying, though. To thread the end of the first rope (anchored at one end at the rim) through the chains on the summit, you've got to separate the two ropes. Am I missing something? I like the biner block method but worried I wouldn't be able to release the rope from the rim anchor under tension--Brian's method of using mechanical advantage on the rim to take the tension off while untying sounds good. Thanks again... |
|
Pete Nelson wrote: Yeah, you thread the other loose end. The end tied to the rim you pull "hand" tight, tie a figure eight and clip to the anchors. Then pull tighter using an ascender (or other) to hold the tension. The first person across takes the loose end threaded through anchors across. See picture. Once across release the tension and figure 8. Now tension on the rim side with both ends being tied off. |
|
You don't want alot of tension in the rope... in fact it's easier if you set it up like a "j" shape or like a check mark. Have the follower lower you (redirect) into the bottom of the j then ascend up the other side. Besure to have extra safety measures in place. The jumars will be at an angle so you have to be delicate in the beginning but once you get going it gets easier like a normal jugging. Same with your follower once you flip the knot you wanna leave a little slack so the lines match. Follower rapped to the bottom of the ropes then ascended. This all seemed to work smoothly for my partner and I. Maybe some of it will help you out |