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How many ropes & what size for a solo wall?

caribouman1052 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 5

Mark,
I researched the photo of your haul kit, and it looks like you have:
- about 3m of 6mm cord
- 1 Petzl Croll
- 2 solid gate ovals
- 3 locking biners;
- 1 Metolius Element
- 1 Petzl AMD
- 1 BD Rocklock Twistlock
- the Micro Trax
- 1 SMC cRx micro single PMP pulley (red)
- 1 SMC 2" PMP pulley (the green one)
- the bag for the kit

I'm guessing the asymmetry of the Rocklock is important to it's function, and minimzes shift while hauling; that the relatively large basket of the AMD allows the biner to swing freely below the pulley. Am I correct? Is there any significance to the symmetry of the biner attaching the Croll to the red pulley? And, is there any significance to the ovals being solid gate?

Will M. · · Oakland · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 15

Commenting to save

Mark Hudon · · Lives on the road · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 420

Yes, and note that the one biner is big enough to span the pulley. I did that so all the pull stays in a straight line.

Don't forget that 2 to 1 multiplies both the advantages and disadvantages. Anything not is a straight line will have to move to accept a pull or hold a cord. You'll be losing advantage right there.

i.e., when you push down on the Basic or Croll ascender to grab the haul line, make sure that the Zed cord pulls tight onto your belay loop, otherwise, you will sit down a few inches before anything happens.

You need to practice setting up the system. I hear guys all the time say "It didn't work for me". WTF? It works, pure and simple, it's only cords and pulleys, they just didn't spend the time with it.

The Zed cord is a Spectra type 5 mil. You don't want it to stretch. Spectra, btw is delicate and will wear quickly and break. There is some other cord that I get in the Valley at the Mt. Shop that is non-stretch but not Spectra. I don't know what its called though.

The Oval biner allows the Mini or Micro-Trax to sit nice and centered.
The AMD pulley allows the biner to swing freely below the pulley, yes, correct.
Nope, in fact replaced that biner with a Metolius Micro.
No significance in the solid gate ovals. I've recently changed those to DMM Ovals simply because they look nicer!

caribouman1052 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 5

Thanks Mark,

Time for me to set up the system with the pulleys I have. I'm generally going through each system about 30 or 40 repeats, trying to really ingrain the setup in my mind.

Mark Hudon · · Lives on the road · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 420

PM me if you need specific help.

Cho · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 0
Soloing a hooking pitch is actually safer than being partner belayed because you can prussic a hook down against the bottom anchor.

Kevin - I don't understand what you mean here. Do you mind elaborating?
csproul · · Pittsboro...sort of, NC · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 330
Cho wrote:Soloing a hooking pitch is actually safer than being partner belayed because you can prussic a hook down against the bottom anchor. Kevin - I don't understand what you mean here. Do you mind elaborating?
I think he is talking about using a friction hitch tied to the lead rope and clipped to a hook to provide counter-force to the hook and help keep it in place. You can do this while soloing because the lead rope is not moving through the gear like it is when a belayer is paying out rope. Never done this but that is the theory.
Mark Hudon · · Lives on the road · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 420

You could use Duct or Gorilla tape if the rope didn't run straight down.

I had a big Pika hook hold a 50 foot fall but expecting any regular hook to hold anything but the smallest falls is wishful thinking. Still though, I've gotten up a lot of pitches calmly on wishful thinking.

Cho · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 0

Ah, got it. Makes sense now. I was visualizing some sort of rope management trick rather than pro.

Chase Bowman · · Durango, CO · Joined Jan 2014 · Points: 1,010

Mark does the addition of the micro traxion just above the haul bag cause the swivel to be un usable? Looks like a wonderful setup and seems to be the best way to eliminate slack in the haul line. Also you finished with that TR of the Reticent yet? Reading Andys book on the route currently.

Moof · · Portland, OR · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 25

I love the Hudon Hauler.

Mine has only a few small differences.

1) I use 2 6" spectra runners on top instead of tied cord. I like having the redundancy since they are against the semi-sharp edges of the top pulley.
2) My top pulley is an SMC swiftwater, just becuase that is what I bought, I don't know why they are cheaper than the green one Mark uses, seems pretty equivalent.
3) I use a Petzl partner pulley on the bottom becuase it is small and ball bearing, probably no better or worse.
4) I use a small 4mm quick link (plenty strong for this application) between the partner pulley and the basic ascender to be a little lighter and make the whole thing a little tidier.

Haul on top of Zodiac

Mark Hudon · · Lives on the road · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 420

My Reticent TR is right here: hudonpanos.com/trip_reports…

The Micro Trax on top of the haul bags is a great idea and with a swivel, it will ALWAYS spin so that the rope is not damaged.

Kevin DeWeese · · @failfalling - Oakland, Ca · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 981

+1 to mini trax on the haul bag. I do this every time I solo now. Saves time and allows me to remember to thank mark for the beta every time I climb

Mark Hudon · · Lives on the road · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 420

I have a Mini Trax on my haul bags solo or not. It gives you a built in 2:1 and a moveable rope grab. There are tons of cool, useful, effort saving things you can use it for.

Parker Kempf · · Bellingham, WA · Joined Jul 2011 · Points: 210

random side note, even if you do core shot your lead line while soloing, you can still lead up to the core shot, and right as it pass through your device tie it off on a bight so its out of the system.

Mark Hudon · · Lives on the road · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 420

Yup, when you are soloing, the rope does not move through the carabiners on a pitch. You could tie knots all over the place and it wouldn't matter.

In fact, you can do a similar thing if you core shot your rope on a wall climb with a partner.

The leader climbs on the end nearest the core shot but tied into the good side of it via two locking biners. He is also tied into the end of the rope as normal.
When he reaches the end of the good rope, the belayer has no more rope to feed him, he ties a butterfly knot with the core shot in the loop, slaps his Gri-gri onto the rope and continues to the end of the pitch self belayed.
At the end of the pitch, he anchors the rope as he would if he were soloing. The second follows as usual.

Voila! Easy Peasy!

Kevin DeWeese · · @failfalling - Oakland, Ca · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 981

Smart man that mark

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Big Wall and Aid Climbing
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