French Climbs Topos & photos
- Denis -
Corpet - Same page on
solo in French
Climbing Solo Cliffs & Mountains
How to Climb and Belay Alone a Multipitch Route
Mountain is hazardous.
Rock climbing is dangerous.
Climbing alone is even more dangerous (e.g., true narrative of a solo
Serious Accident
in French).
I use to climb integral solo without belaying, with two
gold rules : being able to climb-down every step, and no objective hazard
(no stones falling, solid rock).
2008 I decided to test auto-belaying. To climb harder than 5b (my
climbing-down limit). And to be able to escape from a high and long route,
if my partner was wounded, and if a short section was too difficult for me
to climb it alone
The method explained below is not recommended by device makers, and
has no safety garanty: if you use it, it is your responsibility.
According to a device manufacturer, auto-blocking funtion is made to
block the second climber: rope over blocks rope under. However, when a
first climber falls, the huge energy will force rope over side-by-side
with rope under. The rope-to-rope friction will make rope to melt, and
breal..
ONLY 2 devices, I think, are fine and safe to climb solo : Silent Partner
(Wren Industries) and Soloist. But it is rather expensive ($250 ?)if you do
not use it often, and too heavy (450 g) to carry it in your bag for every
climb with a partner. I do not use auto-belaying frequently enough to buy
it, but I think you should. You should also learn how to use them properly,
and a great website is
Yann Camus' BlissClimbing
and his online course on
rope solo climbing
Grigri is less expensive and lighter, but less safe I guess (see the
Grigri solo belay: C2C 2010
in French). See also a tested system with a Grigri plus a Shunt
Système Grigri + Shunt
Grigri ouvert vu de près + noeud. In addition, like "my system", Grigri will not stop a climber who fall
head-first (upside-down). A good evidence is shown on a Youtube video by
Yann
Test Of Lead Climbing Solo Devices (Part 1)
(third one from page top, in English)
Well, after this necessary preliminary,let's explain: To belay I use
ATC-guide or Reverso (used as the auto-blocking X, click climber on
the left). They are very similar, but for solo belaying, ACT is better. "My"
method, explained below, comes from
Epicurie, forum C2C 2004
(in French).
1- Clip small loop of ATC or Reverso to the harness with a carabiner
2- Clip a second carabiner to a neck collar (it's better to make an-8
harness on shoulders, carabiner hanging on the sternum. Leave 3-4 fingers
space between carabiners).
3- Clip the second carabiner to the rope loop (out of ACT/Reverso) and the
ACT black wire or the large Reverso loop
ACT-solo system (see Reverso system down)
-
- 
- One rope end is free (the "hand" side on Réverso or ACT). It will
flew while you climb (secure the end with a knot)
- The other rope end (the "climber" side on Réverso or ACT) is
attached to an anchor at the belay down. If the first steps from the belay
are hard, insert a shock absorber or add some rope length for elasticity
(tree, anchor below first peg...). Check the autoblocking properties by
clipping your rope in a first anchor over your head: when you sit down, rope
blocks you.
Reverso system (ACT-guide above)
-
- 
- When arriving to a new anchor during the climb, pull several times on the
rope attached to the belay down there, to free enough length to clip the
anchor above. It's tedious, and much easier to clip the point when you are
above it.
- If you fall head up, it blocks nicely the rope (see pictures above). I did
not test it with great falls already.
If you fall upside-down, with head first, "my system"
does not block the rope
(French story of an accident on C2C website).
To block a head-first
fall, it is mandatory to make a knot (or several knots) on the main
rope below the ACT-guide, and shift it when possible
- This system can use a single large rope, or two thin ropes (more dynamic,
but heavier).
ACT-solo system blocking after falling - / - Blocage par le Reverso
après une chute
-
Other Autobelaying Solo Systems
- The ONLY device I think is correct and safe is the
Silent Parner, Wren Industries. But it is expensive ($250) and heavy (450g).
- With Grigi and rope-man:
Solo : Grigi+ropeman
/Avranches
- Barnet System (Machard knot + pulley):
Solo: Machard+poulie
/Olivier Humbert
Solo Routes by Denis Corpet
See the listing on French page bottom solo.
Corpet Family -
Denis Corpet
