Tech Tip- Flipping a Plaquette

Also raffling off a brand new DMM Pivot Belay Device on this one! Thanks for checking it out!

https://northeastalpinestart.com/2017/07/11/tech-tip-flipping-a-plaquette-and-giveaway/

i read about this in your book, and the first thing i wondered was how this would work in a situation where you are really weighting the rope (ie a steep or free hanging rappel).  it seems like it would be hard to unload the plaquette and clip yourself into it.

in the demonstration the terrain is very easy, so just scrambling up while sucking in rope would be the easiest/quickest.  does the flipping technique work very well on more difficult terrain?

slim wrote:

i read about this in your book, and the first thing i wondered was how this would work in a situation where you are really weighting the rope (ie a steep or free hanging rappel).  it seems like it would be hard to unload the plaquette and clip yourself into it.

in the demonstration the terrain is very easy, so just scrambling up while sucking in rope would be the easiest/quickest.  does the flipping technique work very well on more difficult terrain?

Hi Slim! First let me clarify something very important! The book I referenced was written by Marc Chauvin and Rob Coppolillo, not me.

Now to your question, "Will this work in steep/overhanging terrain?"

The simplest option would be to briefly un-weight the device via a friction hitch installed above the device and extended to a foot loop. Pretty simple to do (but should be practiced). 

Guy Keesee wrote:

Haha you know what they say about saying "never" LOL... I'll admit in 27 years of climbing I've done it a couple times, usually on very low angle slabs where you can't get a good "throw"... Whitehorse Ledge in New Hampshire is a classic example where you can actually shave time on the descent pulling the slack rope along from below if it is off to your side... however your advice is best heeded as eventually it will get stuck where you thought there was nothing to catch it on!