How to have a second jug through a crux?
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Hey all! |
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I might do a haul (as outlined here climbing.com/skills/learn-t…) as opposed to having them jug up the rope. A weaknesses that I see in the system that you outlined is the large amount of slack that could be accumulated. It would be easy to mitigate this having them tie a knot (figure 8 on a bight works for me) right below the ascenders and clip in with a carabiner or two and coil up the slack before taking off the ascenders. That way they are never off belay or have a significant amount of slack in the system. |
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You could 3:1 them up, so you just assist them up the distance of the crux then go back to belay from above. Practice makes practical. |
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Hauling your partner up is bad, too much work. They don't need two ascenders to jug the rope (overkill). At a minimum they just need a couple slings, and made easier if you have something like a microtraxion, ropeman, or tibloc. |
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I think Bobby H. sufficiently answered the question. Also helped me understand hauling a little better |
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Since you have him in guide mode, toss the brake strand down to him (keeping control of it yourself as well of course) and let him haul himself through the crux using the brake strand of the rope. |
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Thanks for all the input! Hauling sounds like the generically preferred method and I'll make sure to practice those systems, though I think I'll also make sure to practice the jugging (perhaps with just prusiks) just so this can happen even if communication is lost due to wind/route, since that requires no action from the belayer technically (beyond take up slack when there is slack which would happen without any communication). |
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Another option to the jugging described above: assuming your follower has an ATC-guide style device or a GriGri, have them put a prusik or Microtraxion above them, then stand up in a sling so the rope at their waist goes slightly slack. Then they can put the belay device on their harness in ascending mode, keep using the sling as a foot loop, and easily jug up the rest of the pitch. |
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Another thing for the leader to consider in your scenario would be to make the belay right after the crux to either coach the follower though the moves or help them with a short haul. Additionally, if the leader anticipates the follower struggling at the crux, he/she could try to place gear in such a way that the follower could use it to aid through the crux. |
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a quick and dirty hack: |
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Oh also as the follower, if you think you might get super stuck on the crux (or its a traverse where getting back on after you fall will require jugging), you can leave your grigri on the rope when you start climbing. Leader still pulls all the slack through, puts you on belay, but directly above your tie-in you have the grigri already rigged, ready to start jugging. Just toss a prussic and foot loop on above the grigri. |