Type of solo climbing with protection
This article is about a type of soloing that uses protection. For soloing with no protection, see
Free solo climbing
.
Rope-solo climbing
or
rope-soloing
(or
self-belaying
) is a form of
solo climbing
(i.e. performed alone without a climbing partner), but unlike with
free solo climbing
, which is also performed alone and with no
climbing protection
whatsoever, the rope-solo climber uses a mechanical
self-belay device
and rope system, which enables them to use the standard climbing protection to protect themselves in the event of a fall.
Rope-soloing can be performed as
free climbing
in a
traditional climbing
or a
sport climbing
format. It can also be performed as
aid climbing
, and a modified version can be performed as
top rope soloing
. Due to the complexity of the self-belay system, and the greater workloads, it is still considered a hazardous technique.
Versions of rope-solo climbing have been used by solo alpine climbers, including by French alpinist
Catherine Destivelle
, and Italian alpinist
Walter Bonatti
. Rope-solo climbing techniques have also been used on
big wall climbing
routes by climbers such as German
Alexander Huber
and British climber
Pete Whittaker
.
Description
[
edit
]
In rope-soloing, the climber acts as if they are
lead climbing
, but instead of having a partner (or
belayer
) who can arrest the rope in the event of a fall, the climber instead uses a self-belay device and rope system that automatically stops the rope in the event of a fall. In a normal lead climbing system, the lead climber ties into one end of the rope while their second clips-into the rope via their
belay device
. In rope-solo climbing, this is reversed. Instead, the rope-solo climber ties one end of the rope into a secure
anchor
at the base of the climb (that can withstand upward forces), and they clip-into the rope via their self-belay device.
[1]
[2]
As the rope-solo climber ascends, the rope pays through the self-belay device. The rope-solo climber will then clip-into either traditional, sport, or aid climbing protection as they ascend ? like a normal lead climber. When the rope-solo climber reaches the top of the
route
, they then have to fix another anchor,
abseil
back down to the base of the climb and release the original anchor, and then re-ascend the fixed abseil rope ? using
ascenders
? unclipping/taking out whatever climbing protection equipment they inserted on their earlier ascent. Thus the rope-solo climber has to do significantly more work than a normal lead climber with a climbing partner.
[1]
[2]
Equipment
[
edit
]
Self-belay device
[
edit
]
The most important piece of equipment is the self-belay device, which the climber wears near their chest/harness, which will allow the rope to pass through it as the climber is ascending, but will grip the rope tightly if it suddenly changes direction in the event of a fall.
[1]
[2]
Rope-solo climbers have used various types of self-belay devices, some modified from their original purpose, including
Grigris
,
Revos
, and
Silent Partners
.
[1]
[2]
Rope-solo system
[
edit
]
The self-belay device is only one part of a complex system designed to ensure that the rope feeds through the self-belay device properly (in both directions) and that the base anchor can handle a wide range of forces.
[1]
[2]
Some of the self-belay devices also require that the climber does not invert while falling,
[3]
requiring additional systems.
[1]
[2]
Rope-solo climbers use a range of backup systems in case the self-belay device fails to grip and arrest the fall, which can range from making knots in the rope to employing other braking devices.
[1]
[2]
Variations
[
edit
]
- Backlooping system. This is a technique where the rope-solo climber dispenses with the need to abseil down each completed pitch and then re-ascend the abseil rope, by conducting the rope-solo from fixed-point to fixed-point.
[1]
While faster, backlooping systems are vulnerable to the individual fixed-points,
[1]
and thus a failure of a fixed-point ? or the application of the backloop system ? on a fall can be fatal.
[4]
- Top rope soloing
system. This is a technique where the rope-solo climber sets up a fixed rope, anchored at the top of the climb, and using a modified progress capture device (PCD), such as a Micro Traxion or a Camp Lift, and ascends the fixed rope, allowing the rope to pass-through the PCD, but in the event of a fall, the PCD grips the rope tightly; top rope soloing can be used in
big wall climbing
to speed up the process.
[2]
[5]
Notable ascents and practitioners
[
edit
]
Many notable solo ascents by alpinists involved modified/customized versions of rope-solo climbing, including
Walter Bonatti
's "Z system" self-belay that he employed in making his first solo ascent of the south-east pillar of the
Aiguille du Dru
, known as the
Bonatti Route
.
[6]
Other notable rope-solo ascents by rope-solo practitioners include:
- The Nose
5.14a
(8b+) on
El Capitan
(870-metres, 31 pitches) In November 2018, Japanese climber Keita Kurakami became the fifth person to
free climb
The Nose
, and the first person to do it as a rope-solo.
[12]
- In 1992, French climber
Catherine Destivelle
rope-soloed the first part of the
traditional climbing
route
El Matador
5.10d
(6b+), on the
Devils Tower
in
Wyoming
(she free soloed the second part), which was captured in the climbing film,
Ballade a Devil's Tower
.
[16]
In 1992, Destivelle used rope soloing to create
Voie Destivelle
(VI 5.11b A5) on the west face of the
Petit Dru
, and was captured in the climbing film,
11 Days on the Dru
.
[17]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
Whittaker, Pete
(14 August 2018).
"How to Rope Solo"
.
UKClimbing
. Retrieved
3 March
2023
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Black, Christian (3 February 2022).
"Rope Solo Rock Climbing: Understanding How It's Done"
.
GearJunkie
. Retrieved
3 March
2023
.
- ^
Medina, Eddie (2015).
"Fall on rock, rope solo climbing"
.
American Alpine Journal
. p. 79
. Retrieved
3 March
2023
.
- ^
"Fall on rock, bolt failure, rope soloing"
.
American Alpine Journal
. 2016
. Retrieved
3 March
2023
.
- ^
Wharton, Josh (22 August 2022).
"How to top rope solo"
.
Climbing
. Retrieved
3 March
2023
.
- ^
Bonatti, Walter
(2001).
The Mountains of My Life
. Modern Library.
ISBN
9780375756405
.
- ^
McDonald, Dougald (6 June 2007).
"All free rope-solo of El Capitan"
.
Climbing
. Retrieved
3 March
2023
.
- ^
"Jorg Verhoeven: Freerider rope solo up El Capitan in Yosemite"
.
PlanetMountain
. 22 October 2013
. Retrieved
3 March
2023
.
- ^
"Pete Whittaker / Climbing interview after all-free rope-solo up El Capitan in a day"
.
PlanetMountain
. 8 December 2016
. Retrieved
3 March
2023
.
- ^
Stirling, Sarah (15 November 2016).
"First-ever El Cap all-free rope-solo in a day by Pete Whittaker"
.
British Mountaineering Council
. Retrieved
3 March
2023
.
- ^
"Watch Pete Whittaker's One-Day El Cap Free Rope-Solo"
.
Grippped Magazine
. 2 April 2018
. Retrieved
3 March
2023
.
- ^
Levy, Michael (19 November 2018).
"Keita Kurakami Makes First All-Free Rope-Solo (and Fifth Free Overall) Ascent of the Nose"
. Retrieved
3 March
2023
.
- ^
"Fabian Buhl rope-solo 8c first ascent / Ganesha at Loferer Alm in Austria"
.
PlanetMountain
. 16 March 2017
. Retrieved
3 March
2023
.
- ^
"Alexander Huber rope-solo first ascent of Mauerlaufer 8b+ up Waidringer Steinplatte in Austria"
.
PlanetMountain
. 9 January 2019
. Retrieved
3 March
2023
.
- ^
"This Legend is 54 and Just Climbed a New 5.14 Multi-Pitch Rope-solo"
.
Gripped Magazine
. 9 September 2022
. Retrieved
3 March
2023
.
- ^
"Watch Catherine Destivelle Free-Solo Devils Tower"
.
Gripped
. 16 March 2021
. Retrieved
10 December
2022
.
One of the most rad free-solos caught on film in the 1990s
- ^
Stefanello, Vinicio (24 July 2017).
"Catherine Destivelle, climbing and alpinism there where it is dangerous to lean out"
.
PlanetMountain
. Retrieved
11 December
2022
.
Further reading
[
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]
External links
[
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]
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