Using a tibloc for a top rope solo backup?

Hi all,

I'm planning on getting out for some top rope soloing pretty soon(flexible work schedule and all that jazz).

I've got a micro traxion for my primary stopping device.

I've been reading up on lots of articles saying that a good backup device would be a jumar/ascender.

I happen to have a tibloc, but from what I've read i shouldn't use it for rope soloing since it will shred your rope(not really an issue for me since I'm using an old rope I don't care about anymore).

Basically my question is, would you recommend against using a tibloc for a backup device? It's a backup so it'll rarely ever be used for catching since the microtraxion will be the primary... so are there any reasons, aside from shredding your rope, why a tibloc shouldn't be used?

Thanks!

PS: I don't have a gri gri and I would like to avoid having to pull out slack every couple of feet so I wouldn't want to use a gri gri or my smart alpine.

tblock is sharp. sharp things scare me. if you are TRing 1/2 pitch climb find your center of rope. tie a fig eight on a bight in the center of your rope. clip that loop to the anchor with 2 lockers. use your mini trax on one strand. ocasionally back tie into the other strand.

As a back up it works fine i mean really it should never be weighted ever if it is you have done something very wrong.

the only time it would weight is when there was a catostrophic failure of the primary device in a fall. then it would get shock loaded and possibly chop your rope. i would rather have no backup than use a sharp back up that is not intended to catch falls.

Nick Goldsmith wrote:the only time it would weight is when there was a catostrophic failure of the primary device in a fall. then it would get shock loaded and possibly chop your rope. i would rather have no backup than use a sharp back up that is not intended to catch falls.

The micro trax is sharp, also it's pretty well documented what a tibloc does in catastrophic FF2 falls, it's strips the sheath though doesn't cut the rope.

Nick Goldsmith wrote:the only time it would weight is when there was a catostrophic failure of the primary device in a fall. then it would get shock loaded and possibly chop your rope. i would rather have no backup than use a sharp back up that is not intended to catch falls.

^^^ THIS ^^^

Tie knots as backups.

that guy named seb wrote: The micro trax is sharp, also it's pretty well documented what a tibloc does in catastrophic FF2 falls, it's strips the sheath though doesn't cut the rope.

Cause when the shit hits the fan, I really want to dangle on a rope with a cut sheath?

Stagg54 Taggart wrote: Cause when the shit hits the fan, I really want to dangle on a rope with a cut sheath?

When the shit hits the fan you will be happy to be alive, tying knots is a pain in the ass as to avoid any real fall you need to tie them every 2-3 meters.
Devices that don't use teeth have been shown to cut the rope at high loads so this whole being scared of teeth on rope is ludicrous the petzl asap has teeth in ffs.

https://m.petzl.com/NL/en/Sport/Appendix-1--Petzl-dœs-not-recommend-using-only-one-ascender-for-self-belaying-?ProductName=MICRO-TRAXION&Familly=Pulleys

Petzl says don't use it because it might not work.

A better option would be a loosely tied prusik or autoblock above the trax. If you tie it loosely enough the trax will push it up. If you fuck up really bad and sheath the rope with the trax then the prusik will catch you.

Nick Goldsmith wrote:the only time it would weight is when there was a catostrophic failure of the primary device in a fall. then it would get shock loaded and possibly chop your rope. i would rather have no backup than use a sharp back up that is not intended to catch falls.

Not saying I advocate for using the tibloc when there are better options, but are you really saying you'd prefer guaranteed death over possible death?

to everyone worrying about the tibloc severely damaging the rope... is that really a concern when you're taking top rope falls? assuming the rope is moving through the tibloc without any blockages, the fall factor should be incredibly small, no?

r m wrote:https://m.petzl.com/NL/en/Sport/Appendix-1--Petzl-dœs-not-recommend-using-only-one-ascender-for-self-belaying-?ProductName=MICRO-TRAXION&Familly=Pulleys Petzl says don't use it because it might not work.

petzl says that about all their products apart from the asap it's called covering their ass and selling the £200 gizmo instead of the £15 one.

dsauerbrun wrote:to everyone worrying about the tibloc severely damaging the rope... is that really a concern when you're taking top rope falls? assuming the rope is moving through the tibloc without any blockages, the fall factor should be incredibly small, no?

Probably not much worse than a weighted piece blowing when you're jugging with regular ascenders. It could be problematic on a long tether near your anchor, I guess.

tblock is sharp as Fck compared to other devises. if used as a back up it would be subject to load after the primary failed so yes it would be a decent fall on the tblock. just buy a gri gri its handy to have anywys. use the mini trax and the gri = bomber

Just get another device, not too expensive especially if will be using it a lot.

Climbing Technology RollNLock can be had for about $50.

I haven't used a Tibloc in a number of years, but my first impression is that it wouldn't move along the rope very fluidly while you were climbing. I would imagine you would have to continually stop and fix it.

Check out the Petzl Microcender. It doesn't have teeth and slides nicely up the rope on the second strand for backup. I use it on a short dogbone per Petzl's recommendation so that it never comes close to engaging and is only serving its job as backup. It's a solid little hunk of metal and very confidence inspiring in its simplicity.

dsauerbrun wrote:to everyone worrying about the tibloc severely damaging the rope... is that really a concern when you're taking top rope falls? assuming the rope is moving through the tibloc without any blockages, the fall factor should be incredibly small, no?

If it is a backup, then by nature it has some slack in it, so yes you would be shockloading it.

Matthew Williams 1 wrote:Check out the Petzl Microcender. It doesn't have teeth and slides nicely up the rope on the second strand for backup. I use it on a short dogbone per Petzl's recommendation so that it never comes close to engaging and is only serving its job as backup. It's a solid little hunk of metal and very confidence inspiring in its simplicity.

It will also cut the rope at high loads. An added feature i'm sure.

The Petzl Rescucender is the updated version