Top rope solo gear guide
There are lots of different systems for top rope soloing. Brent from Avant Climbing joined us to show us what he uses to climb hard but stay redundant. This gear below is what you'd need to do his favorite system. Check out the full top rope solo episode here!
Progress Capture
Top rope solo systems rely on progress capture rope grabs, which allow rope to pass easily through one direction and stop rope from going the other. It is important that these devices feed smoothly without allowing the accumulation of slack. Falling with slack in your system will significantly increase the forces that these devices put on your rope, which can result in the de-sheathing of your rope in extreme cases. The smoothest feeding devices use a pulley paired with a ribbed or toothed cam. Here are three of our favorites!
Micro Traxion
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The progress capture device we see used the most is the Petzl Micro Traxion. It feeds incredibly smoothly, which is mostly why it is so loved. It features a cam lock-out function that turns it into a pulley. This can be dangerous if you forget to re-engage the cam before use. Always double check that your system will catch you on the ground before you start climbing and have redundancy with what grabs when you fall.
Pros
- Smooth action
Cons
- Higher cost
- Cam lockout feature
The Edelrid Spoc is another toothed pulley, just like the Micro Traxion. It also features a cam lockout function, but instead of a metal switch, it relies on a small piece of cord to hold the cam open. You can easily untie or cut this cord to disable the lockout function so you can't forget to shut it when you start. The cam on the Spoc sticks out from the housing during use, so be extra careful to cinch slack in between your devices rather than below both. This will keep your devices separate and functioning properly!
Pros
- Easy to remove the lockout cord
- $40 cheaper than the micro traxion
Cons
- Cam sticks out of housing enough that two spocs don't stack well together
ROLLNLOCK
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The Climbing Technology RollNLock relies on a ribbed cam rather than a toothed cam. Some people claim that ribbed devices will put less wear on your rope, which may or may not be true (we have not tested this). Either way, they will still de-sheath your rope at a similar force as a toothed device. Many ribbed devices require a lot more force to feed, but the RollNLock is by far the smoothest one. If teeth are not your jam, the RollNLock is the device for you.
Pros
- The smoothest feeding ribbed option
- Cheaper than a Micro Traxion
- Ribbed devices may work better on ice ropes
Cons
- Pulley isn't touching the rope in TRS mode, less efficient than the Micro Traxion
- Can be locked open and is difficult to remove that feature
Anti-Crossload Carabiner
Each grabby device needs a carabiner and we recommend an anti-cross loading carabiner since both of your hands will be occupied with climbing. There are a lot of these style carabiners, but grabby devices have two parallel plates and therefore don't sit well on a D shape carabiners. We recommend pear shaped (HMS) or hourglass shaped carabiners.
HMS Bulletproof Screw FG
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Pros
- Stainless steel insert to prevent wear
Cons
- Belay loop keeper opens the opposite way to what we'd expect
Condor HMS Screwgate
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Pros
- Round stock basket plays well with progress capture devices
Cons
- Hourglass shape can have weird device interactions
Neck Lanyard
When top rope soloing, it is important to keep your two redundant progress capture devices separated. This will help prevent your devices from interfering with each other and reduce how far you fall. The best way to do this is with a stretchy neck lanyard. You can make one at home with some shock cord. Make sure whatever you are using will break before it strangles you in case it gets caught on something in a fall. We prefer Avant's premade one since they are more comfortable and adjustable in length.
Top Rope Solo Neck Lanyard
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