Top rope solo device - options

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 John Kelly 14 Jan 2023

I've generally ( but infrequently) used a shunt but it's not recommended as there's a fail mode.  

What's that best bit of kit currently available?

thanks John

1
 Alex Riley 14 Jan 2023
In reply to John Kelly:

I've not used one but people are liking the tazlov3

https://www.v12outdoor.com/taz-love3.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAwomeBhBWEiwAM43YIAv...

 Alex Riley 14 Jan 2023
In reply to John Kelly:

I've not used one but people are liking the tazlov3

https://www.v12outdoor.com/taz-love3.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAwomeBhBWEiwAM43YIAv...

 Steve Claw 14 Jan 2023
In reply to John Kelly:

I use the Taz Lov3 on a regular basis. Its about the best you can get, as it allows you to go down as well as up.  The main downside is the cost, but the amount of use I get from it has been well worth it.

I hold it up with a Petzl Torse, but a sling can do the same thing.

I use a toothed device (Ascender of Micro trax) on a lanyard below as a backup.

Its loads better to work on a static (10.5mm), with re-belays and redirects as required.

 beamer3.6m 14 Jan 2023
In reply to Steve Claw:

I use a mini Traxion as primary with Grigri+ as secondary

 nikoid 14 Jan 2023
In reply to John Kelly:

I use the S-Tec Duck. Same principle as the shunt, but steel body so stronger and heavier. It is a single rope device, unlike the shunt.

Is the failure mode you mention tipping upside down and the rope pulling through the shunt? If so I think the risk is a bit overblown-if you are tipping upside down whilst shunting you are definitely pushing the envelope! All devices will have vulnerabilities.

2
 CantClimbTom 14 Jan 2023
In reply to John Kelly:

If it's a small crag you could continue to use the shunt and have the other half the rope (assuming it's <1/2 your rope) with a toothed device like a basic ascender or micro traxion on a dynamic cow's tail (i.e. a short bit of rope tether tied to harness).

Belt and braces, with kit you already own?

Post edited at 12:01
2
OP John Kelly 14 Jan 2023
In reply to nikoid:

Fail mode - yes and as you say pretty unlikely. Body of the shunt and the double rope thing puts me off a bit, I've always just used a single rope and it kind of twists the cam, not great

2
 nikoid 14 Jan 2023
In reply to John Kelly:

Agree about using the shunt with a single rope, I'm sure it's fine and I did it for years, but it just looks a bit unbalanced somehow, so I know what you mean.

2
 midgen 14 Jan 2023
In reply to Steve Claw:

Taz Lov3 is my preferred device too. It's really convenient for working a route, very easy to ascend, descend, repeat. I tend to use it on a dynamic rope and just back it up with a knot or two. Probably better with a fat static and secondary device.

 mrjonathanr 14 Jan 2023
In reply to John Kelly:

It’s not about inverting afaik. A known failure mode is the shunt hitting an obstruction such a knot and the aluminium body of the device flexing and detaching from the rope. 

3
 wivanov 14 Jan 2023
In reply to John Kelly:

I've used a spring loaded Gibbs ascender for the last 30 years. Attach it to my belay loop with 3 passes of 7mm cord and a flat overhand - so no crossloading any carabiners.

I know a lot of people like the micro-trax

Post edited at 23:07
 Holdtickler 15 Jan 2023
In reply to mrjonathanr:

multiple failure modes

2
 WhiteSpider88 15 Jan 2023
In reply to John Kelly:

I use two ropes with a traxion (mini and micro) on each rope.  I then follow up with back up knots below as I climb. 

I also do loads of checks on everything and over build my anchors, I want as much redundancy as possible.  Don't forget rope protectors on edges.

I was tempted by the taz lov, but if you grab it, it won't work. 

Post edited at 10:26
2
 kingholmesy 15 Jan 2023
In reply to John Kelly:

Troll Rocker works well and is cheap if you can find one on eBay (they don’t make them anymore). It runs smoothly going up. You can’t ab on it, but if the rope is unweighted you can  make moves down and it will slide downwards.  I like it when I am trying to link a whole pitch.

For working individual hard moves I just hang on a GriGri.

 deepsoup 15 Jan 2023
In reply to kingholmesy:

> Troll Rocker works well and is cheap if you can find one on eBay (they don’t make them anymore).

They're still in production as far as I know - it ceased to be the Troll Rocker after Troll was bought out and closed down by a large French company in the early '90s, but the venerable Rocker lives on under various different names.  Eg: https://www.abaris.co.uk/Rocker-Rope-Lock

I wouldn't buy a second hand Troll Rocker personally (the purple one without a parking brake).  I know these things don't have a sell-by date as such, but even the most recent ones will be pushing 30 years old by now.

Perhaps I should mention that Troll lives on too - the company name was bought back by a former director some time after the Uppermill factory was closed down.  They've crossed the Pennines into Yorkshire and they don't do 'technical' climbing equipment any more, but they're still making some of the classic Troll products and a few new ones here: https://trolloutdoors.com/

I had never heard of the Taz Lov before reading this thread, I'm intrigued. 
(But holy moly, it had better be pretty special to justify that price tag!)

Post edited at 20:11
 Ian Carr 15 Jan 2023
In reply to John Kelly:

I use a camp goblin. Very simple and easy to use. Needs a static rope to be effective. Never had a problem. 2 modes. Up and down and just up.

 alpinist63 16 Jan 2023
In reply to John Kelly:

I use the petzl microtraxion and that works very smoothly. I filed the little metal spike that allows to keep the micro 'open' away, so that it can't inadvertently  lock in the open position during the climbing. To me, this setup feels pretty safe. In case you want a backup, maybe double ropes with a micro on each?

OP John Kelly 16 Jan 2023
In reply to alpinist63:

That's really helpful

I've looked at the microtraxion but didn't like the fact you could lockout the catching mechanism

Is the fix easy to achieve?

Thanks John 

 Phil79 17 Jan 2023
In reply to deepsoup:

> I had never heard of the Taz Lov before reading this thread, I'm intrigued. 

> (But holy moly, it had better be pretty special to justify that price tag!)

I always find it funny when climbers bulk at price of gear like this, to which we are literally trusting our life. 

I don't, for example, refuse to get my car brakes fixed when they need replacing, even though I don't like the cost. 

But, there's no way I'd pay nearly £200 for one of those! 

 Hooo 17 Jan 2023
In reply to kingholmesy:

They are still made by SAR and ISC (I think). I have a SAR Rocker and I like it for the fact you can move down and that it only needs a light weight on the end of the rope to feed smoothly. There are failure modes though! If you grab the rope or the device it won't work.

In reply to John Kelly:

> That's really helpful

> I've looked at the microtraxion but didn't like the fact you could lockout the catching mechanism

> Is the fix easy to achieve?

> Thanks John 

Why not go for the Nano?

 deepsoup 17 Jan 2023
In reply to Phil79:

> I always find it funny when climbers bulk at price of gear like this, to which we are literally trusting our life. 

I'm not bulking.  (Though I am bulky.)  Merely remarking that it seems v expensive compared to alternatives.

But actually I am a bit wrong about that really - it's an industrial device and I just had a look at the current price of a Petzl I'D or an ASAP Lock, and as it turns out it's really not as expensive as all that relatively speaking after all.

Post edited at 13:56
 deepsoup 17 Jan 2023
In reply to Hooo:

> They are still made by SAR and ISC (I think).

Could be mistaken, but as I understand it they always were manufactured by ISC, and still are regardless of the name on the label.  (Troll used to outsource their metalwork manufacturing to ISC back in the day, and I believe SAR still do.)

SAR is the company that was set up by Dave & Dorene Allport after they were made redundant when Troll's Uppermill factory was shut down, so they have a fair claim to be the original inventors of the Rocker and other bits of Troll hardware.

 alpinist63 17 Jan 2023
In reply to John Kelly:

no big deal with the right tools for the job, best go to a metal workshop, it can be easily grinded away 

 Fellover 17 Jan 2023
In reply to alpinist63:

Think someone already mentioned this, but... Anyone considering buying a microtrax and grinding the lockout nub off might be better off just buying a nanotrax, which has no lockout mode as standard. It's smaller, so a bit lighter and according to petzl works with ropes up to 11mm, but I've seen a few videos which claim it doesn't work very well with 10/11mm ropes especially old furry fat ones, which is probably relevant for top rope solo given it mostly seems to be done using nice reassuring thick ropes.


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