prusik backup for toprope solo

bearbreeder wrote:an untended prussic may not catch a fall ... and itll be untended if you uses it to TR solo, and somewhat loose to move up without catching it needs to be fairly snug and constantly minded with a hand to be "reliable"

^^^^THIS Please do not turn my beloved prussik into a grigri! Unweighted, you should be able to push or pull it up or down the rope by hand, but it should never just merrily coast along. If that's the case, you've learned a hitch, but entirely missed the principle of how it works.

Ascending a rope with prussik and Purcell's is literally the very first experience I had with climbing, and my first "gear"! The beauty of how such a simple thing could do what it does is a large part of what sucked me deeply, instantly, irretrievably into climbing.

Best to all, Helen!

Old lady H wrote: ^^^^THIS Please do not turn my beloved prussik into a grigri! Unweighted, you should be able to push or pull it up or down the rope by hand, but it should never just merrily coast along. If that's the case, you've learned a hitch, but entirely missed the principle

I think you are missing how the system above works. The prusik does not just merrily come along, but is pushed by the ascendor in much the same way a progress capture prusik works with a pulley when setting up a glacier rescue or haul set up. The prusik is not loose at all and is never weighted by bodyweight or upward climbing pull unless there is a failure in the ascendor

That being said I think we have established that an unintended prusik is not enough of a reliable backup. Objective of thread complete.

but I want to argue about it more . . . I don't know how to argue about it more, but we have only filled most of 1 page. Doesn't this deserve like 10 pages?

Be safe and have fun.

I recently tested an auto block (Hollow Block) backing up a micro traxion and I had catastrophic failure until the trax started auto feeding. Not good. I’m going to test again today and see if I can find a work around… not too hopeful tho hahaha

Next on the chopping block is a tibloc as a backup haha

Henry Guywrote:

I recently tested an auto block (Hollow Block) backing up a micro traxion and I had catastrophic failure until the trax started auto feeding. Not good. I’m going to test again today and see if I can find a work around… not too hopeful tho hahaha

Next on the chopping block is a tibloc as a backup haha

Or try  any of the other numerous current standards that aren’t a Tibloc. Pair of traxions, Lift and a traxion, Taz Lov, the new Sulu, etc.

Someone mentioned arborists using a similar system earlier.  That’s not exactly accurate.  Arborists use a tress cord (an eye-to-eye cord like a long Pemberthy) tied quite differently.  In days gone by Arborists also ascended ropes using foot lock technique and a prussic hitch but that’s not common anymore.  Even back in the day, that was about the only time arborists used a prussic.

Although the tress system that arborists use could probably be adapted to work with a Traxion or other pulley ascender, it would probably create a fair amount of friction and is well outside of the original application.  

Just get real gear. Traxion, TazLuv3, Rolln’Lock, Revo etc.

Update on micro traxion backed up by a prusik:

It works perfectly if you weight the rope a bit. Don’t pull slack out, you’ll suck the prusik into the cam BUT the micro traxion tends the prusik really really well once it auto feeds!