Am realy looking forward to this november in Wales as i have not had my hands on any realy decent rock since july.This trip i will be doing what i have been putting off for so many years,photographing my three primary Self-Belay systems at work on rock.
The three systems include the: ISC-Rocker,Edelrid Eddy,and the old favourite,Petzyl Shunt which are all available throughout Europe.Whilst the Eddy is the only device on the list recognised as an actual "belay device",the Rocker and Shunt have been used for Solo Self-Belay for some decades.
I plan to demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of all three on both single and double rope solo-ascent systems,useing three rigging techniques that many will not have seen before.
This was no easy decision to come too,for while making these systems function well is fairly easy,building in sufficient safety margins for their use is not! The overall rigging and ropework is critical to the smooth and efficient function of the three devices.A complete understanding of the variable anchor-systems,and protection placement and retrieval,for each of the techniques is allso critical.
I have allways been very careful with my own skin over fourty-seven years of climbing,and at sixty-five,am still solo-climbing the big ones in Europe so i must be doing something right. I can only speak for myself of course,as no matter how good a system is in climbing its all down to the skill of the user and the touchy mathmatics of chance and complexity-theory.
I think i have built these solo self-belay systems about as good as i can get them, so now its time to put them out there for others to play with and hopefully improve! Short of this old geezer having a heart attack or stroke in the next few months,they will be on this blog by late december.
Good climbing,
Rob
