I’ve been a bit lax in practicing it the last few years but I did a training day with UBMBWC where Guy Wittig showed us a slightly different set up that made things much easier and quicker.
Lo and behold last weekend on a trip we had a rope get stuck. It was the first time I’ve ever been in the situation where we needed to prusik back up to free a rope and every one was volunteering to be the one to go up but I jumped in “i’ll show youse an easy way…”
Only then I had a brain block and stuffed it up and while I was trying to work out the set up Ev jumped on the rope and up she went using the standard technique.
Anyhoo. as soon as Ev gets back down the light bulb goes on and I realise the simple thing I was forgetting. So today I spent a bit of time in the shed practicing with Tal and I thought I’d put together a quick video to share.
To some of you it is probably a well known technique and self explanitory but it’s new for me.
On my waist I’m using my usual descender in ascent mode, it’s a Kong Robot which is just an older version of the hydrabot and IMO still superior to the newer design in a couple of ways.
https://www.kong.it/en/2-products/items … p269-robot
For the training day Guy was using a Mirco-traxion instead, https://www.petzl.com/US/en/Sport/Pulleys/MICRO-TRAXION,
In the video I also mention you can set an figure 8 up in ascent mode and I’ll post a link below to show how that is set up and I’d imagine the same set up would work on crittrs, Piranas, Okas etc but suggest you try it out and practice it in safe situation before attempting to ascend a 30m overhang on it.
You could probably also use a couple of carabiners and a garda hitch, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Up top I’m using a tibloc, https://www.petzl.com/US/en/Sport/Ascenders/TIBLOC for a single rope ascent and a standard prusik knot on the double rope.
I should say this isn’t meant to replace proper training with a capable trainer so as I said above practice it in a safe, controlled environment before taking it out into the real world
Even in the video you can see me having to think about what to do so practice practice practice until it becomes natural.
Oh, I also mis-pronouce everything from prusik to tibloc to microtraxion……
Maybe I do it on purpose to annoy the pedants or more probably I’m an uneducated bogan…. Aye.
Anyhoo
OK I’ve just scoured the net for a vid on setting up the 8 as an auto locking ascender and this is the best video I’ve been able to find. I’m positive there are better ones out there but I couldn’t find them and TBH I didn’t look that hard
sleepwhenwearedead 