desenders

[2brothersyc]

Ive been reading on here for a wile, but it seams like everyone is using knots to descend. Ive been climbing for about four years not ll the time but a decent amount. My dad and god father taught me how to climb my god father owns a tree company, my dad logged in Washington and picked up climbing there now hes a carpenter and doesn't climb trees as much he has been rock climbing a lot and picked up a new lowering device a few years ago and Ive been using it to descend. Its called a Grigir http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3665019 i relay like it supper safe and no slippadge i was wondering if anyone used it. i also can tie the knot i always used a knut.

 

[freeweight]

never used a mechanical device but i like a knot ,

 

[ssurveyor]

Descender

Check out my handmade ascender/descender (for 13mm rope) in the trading post on the homepage for this site. I believe if you like the grigri you'll like my OAR device as well.

 

[2brothersyc]

Check out my handmade ascender/descender (for 13mm rope) in the trading post on the homepage for this site. I believe if you like the grigri you'll like my OAR device as well.

just checked it out it work good?

 

[ATH]

I use a Pirana (similar to a figure 8), backed up with a friction knot. I simply put light pressure on the knot with my left hand so it doesn't engage. It is there as a "just in case" back-up. An 8 will drop you like a rock if you let go with your right hand, so I want something there to catch me if things go bad.

 

[2brothersyc]

I use a Pirana (similar to a figure 8), backed up with a friction knot. I simply put light pressure on the knot with my left hand so it doesn't engage. It is there as a "just in case" back-up. An 8 will drop you like a rock if you let go with your right hand, so I want something there to catch me if things go bad.

thats why i love the grigri nothing can go wrong if you have pressure on it

 

[defensiblespace]

I use a grigri for descending with a 13mm rope. It works, but it not super smooth. The best part is the safety. If you take a fall, the thing is not going to fail on you unless you put the rope in there incorrectly. The down side is that a 13mm rope does not feed through there as well as it could. Descending is also kind of jumpy.

 

[ssurveyor]

ascender/descender

Yes it works well for both ascending and descending on a 13mm rope.

 

[2brothersyc]

ascending never tried it for that well when u have 2 free climb wile tied in if you know what i mean it is.

 

[imagineero]

I use a Pirana (similar to a figure 8), backed up with a friction knot. I simply put light pressure on the knot with my left hand so it doesn't engage. It is there as a "just in case" back-up. An 8 will drop you like a rock if you let go with your right hand, so I want something there to catch me if things go bad.

Thats an interesting one...
I remember reading an experiment done with a bunch of cavers, the common practice at the time was to use prussiks as a backup to a mechanical descender with the same idea you are suggesting - so if you slipped or whatever, the prussik would catch you.

The problem is, you have to let go of the knot. Turns out most people think they can, but in practice when falling its almost impossible to force yourself to let go. The experiment involved 3 ropes from memory, one static with a prussik which you held. The second was somebody lowering you off, who would drop you at some random point. The third would catch you after a 10 foot drop. out of some pretty large number of experienced cavers, only one or two people were able to let the prussik go, even knowing that they were going to be dropped.

Shaun

 

[freeweight]

Thompson Unicender,looks cool but for that kinda money i dont want to have to replace aNYTHING from wear!!!!

 

[Winn R]

I'm years out of date but the gadget I have is the petzel one with the emergency stop.

I can understand the problem imagineero states. In free fall it's hard to let go of anything!!

 

[2brothersyc]

ok guys i get you like your knots :agree2: but with the fact that the grigri is so safe i like that let go as soon as there is no more slack you stop it just seems better to me. i have climbed with knots and i just got used to the grigri. everyone has there own way of doing it right?

 

[JeffL]

When you let go of knots, they stop too.

 

[ATH]

Thats an interesting one...
I remember reading an experiment done with a bunch of cavers, the common practice at the time was to use prussiks as a backup to a mechanical descender with the same idea you are suggesting - so if you slipped or whatever, the prussik would catch you.

The problem is, you have to let go of the knot. Turns out most people think they can, but in practice when falling its almost impossible to force yourself to let go. The experiment involved 3 ropes from memory, one static with a prussik which you held. The second was somebody lowering you off, who would drop you at some random point. The third would catch you after a 10 foot drop. out of some pretty large number of experienced cavers, only one or two people were able to let the prussik go, even knowing that they were going to be dropped.

Shaun

Aren't all of those involving only the friction device at the climber's control? (sounds like they were counting on the belay man for the figure 8)

As best I can tell, what I am talking about:
*you either hold on with all you've got because you are in panic mode - which probably means that the right hand stops the friction device
-or-
*you let go (or are knocked out) and the knot catches. If the free fall is long enough, I'd bet most people will let go when their hand starts to blister from the friction.

ANY method either requires intentional action or inaction (either unintended or unintended)...right??? I am not saying I use a perfect (or even the best) method but I am pretty sure it covers my bases well.

 

[2brothersyc]

When you let go of knots, they stop too.

i know man i used to climb on knots and i still do when i leap from tree to tree but i just like the control of the grigri i think its all preference and thats mine.

 

[ladderslug]

Gri-Gri

I use the GriGri and feel comfortable with it. I have a rock climbing background though, and have used the device for quite some time. The down side is the stickyness that happens on rope. My solution is to run the rope thru the carabineer after the device. It keeps the rope inline and if you experience failure of the device, you still have some friction to use to slow you down.

 

[2brothersyc]

I use the GriGri and feel comfortable with it. I have a rock climbing background though, and have used the device for quite some time. The down side is the stickyness that happens on rope. My solution is to run the rope thru the carabineer after the device. It keeps the rope inline and if you experience failure of the device, you still have some friction to use to slow you down.

my uncle climbed the face of mountain or something in HN doing that exact trick i also use it and i have my figure 8 on my belt just in case

 

[ROOTSXROCKS]

Aren't all of those involving only the friction device at the climber's control? (sounds like they were counting on the belay man for the figure 8)

As best I can tell, what I am talking about:
*you either hold on with all you've got because you are in panic mode - which probably means that the right hand stops the friction device
-or-
*you let go (or are knocked out) and the knot catches. If the free fall is long enough, I'd bet most people will let go when their hand starts to blister from the friction.

ANY method either requires intentional action or inaction (either unintended or unintended)...right??? I am not saying I use a perfect (or even the best) method but I am pretty sure it covers my bases well.

I learned to Use a figure 8 and it was very fun we used gloves.

 

[2brothersyc]

I learned to Use a figure 8 and it was very fun we used gloves.

i use my figure 8 sometimes i find it fun on long descents :chainsawguy: