Send without friends: Lead Rope Solo

[@HowNOT2]

Getting your gear here helps us put out these courses for free 👉 Avant Products hownot2.com/avant 👉 Grigri+ hownot2.com/grigri+ Our top rope solo episode - kzbin.info/www/bejne/ennKoK2QrbGVr9E

[@TrueHelpTV]

Thank you for this wonderful video Mr. Ryan and Mr. Brent. Always humbling to be reminded just as you think you've got something figured out that you don't, and to see better ways to think and approach solutions.

[@NotEnoughKit]

"Not all who wander are lost... some are British trad climbers" GOLD! Maybe my favorite episode ever! Fantastic work!

[@Zogg1281]

I'm British and LOVED that comment!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂

[@stefanjacobsen246]

There is a reason why the Brits sometimes say they have been out walking the gear 😂

[@TredasTaurin]

One hour of pure information with a good sense of humor. Now I can learn a lot from their experience! I love it 💪😎👍

[@plasmasquid]

Brent's try -hard faces around 1:14:45 had me cracking up! 🤣This is a high quality video, with lot's of info to digest. I really love these, Keep up the great work!!

[@bobbystorc]

I really miss these long content videos. I can honestly say I've seen every video on this channel more times than im willing to admit. HowNOT2 is always on a nonstop loop in my HOUSE.

[@slopsec2358]

I did some serious solo climbing in the 90s. It was a great feeling of peace, serenity and inner self, never had any scares, then one day I woke up and thought, this is really stupid. I don't need to do this anymore. Love watching your videos, thanks.

[@theycallmes2]

A couple years ago a partner bailed on a Yosemite trip. I went anyway, alone. I tried finding partners, but could only find boulderers and new-to-trad climbers. So I "learned" how to aid solo with a grigri, my one adjustable daisy, and rope backpack on the Leconte boulder. Satisfied with my skills, I set off on to the Leaning Tower late one afternoon. I was slow on the first few pitches, and it became dark. While doing the final mantle onto the Awahnee Ledge, the cam I was pulling on blew and I fell. I thought there wasn't that much rope out and the fall would stop, but was proved wrong as I bounced off the one little ledge and ended up upside down -- still falling in space with my headlamp shining into dark nothingness. After what felt like a minute of falling I finally came to a stop, still upside down, and now swinging towards an illuminated flash of orange and grey. I smacked into the wall, thankfully helmet first, and righted myself. I was next to the anchor at the start of the pitch. I did not know about the back feeding rope issue. Whoops. Thank you for the comprehensive video so others don't make the same mistake I did. Probably only alive because I chose something so steep/overhanging.

[@RunningItOut444]

Holy shit, glad you're good. What an experience!

[@theycallmes2]

@@RunningItOut444 before the trip I tried to buy mushrooms for my partner and I, but my friend only had mescaline. He gave me a knuckle sized ball of resin and said “don’t take too much or you’ll see god”. When my partner bailed I took a bb sized ball and could hear god speak. He told me to be self sufficient. So for the rest of my time in the valley I took the same dose every day and listened to his advice. It taught me some radical self reliance and also that I should probably just stick to top rope soloing.

[@boredbeingbored676]

thankyou for sharing

[@vojtechmoravec8406]

I switched from I don't want to LRS because I don't understand the know-how, to I don't want to LRS because I do undertand the know-how 😆😁😁thanks guys for great great content, be safe and have fun 😉

[@wyskass861]

I appreciate you addressing this topic, as it's often considered taboo to even discuss it. I attribute it to litigation and lack of personal responsibility culture. Simply sharing and discussing something doesn't put someone at risk. People are adults who have their own responsibility to be well informed to make a judgement of risks and their own skills when attempting any climbing adventure.

[@IAmMaarten]

honestly I have no need for this but just seeing the problem solving involved and the way people with experience think about these things is super valuable to learn to assess risks with any climbing and rope work. Amazing content.

[@chadrambo1038]

This is pure gold! For those of you getting that excitement to not climb with a partner and go have your own adventures I’ll say this. Be proficient a gri gri’s intended uses first. Know how to lead climb well, lead belay well, ascend, belay from above, proficient with anchor building, and all things climbing in single and multi-pitch, or you may get stuck, or worse, dangerously injured. Not only is it important to be proficient at the other skills for your safety, but if you aren’t, you may find this an not so enjoyable experience if you’re trying to learn to much at once. You may spend all day getting through a climb or two… verses getting to climb all day because you understand all the other things. Just my thoughts!

[@DreIsGoneFission]

I’m an engineer at my day job and have recently started tinkering with urethane casting into 3D printed molds. All the little gizmos from “big rubber” made me very happy.

[@dimalitvin1687]

Comment on 52:42 "Being this close is ok..." You said your goal is to prevent a factor 2 on the anchor. I'm with you so far! If so, being this close is not ok, because the knot will run into the chain link almost instantly when you load this DOWNWARD. The catch will be as hard as if you connected the butterfly directly to the maillon. With the force going up (as you demonstrate) there should also be more distance between maillon and knot to really get an advantage out of that maillon sinch bar (as opposed to just connecting to the butterfly). Hope this is helpful to people who read this, if anyone reads this ^^ I'm a huge fan of the channel! Many thanks for the content!

[@johngo6283]

48:00 DANG, that anchor is utterly brilliant. Golden, thank you for sharing all of your hard won secrets. ❤

[@AndrewSteffenHB]

I've only been watching this channel for a few years, but when I first found it, all I could think was that I would absolutely love to see a lead rope solo climbing video. Now my wish has been granted. Thank you! 🙏

[@Johnny_Cash_Flow]

Thank you, Ryan. I know this project can be exhausting and demoralizing at times, but I'm always impressed and grateful for the knowledge you bring to this space and I will never regret buying your shirts in order to support our passion. Cheers.

[@beeestuff9819]

last time i checked you only shipped to the US but now you actually ship to the EU as well!!!! i dont think there is a shop i'd rather leave my money with than yours!

[@sgclimb]

This gives me hope that lead rope soloing can be done relatively safely. Probably the most comprehensive and best video I’ve come across on this topic through KZbin. Much thanks 🙏

[@DeaddrakeSD]

This was great. Very similar to how I've been lead rope soloing for years. The only thing I would mention is that Petzl specifically recommends against using HMS or pear-shaped carabiners with a GRIGRI. Their documents specify using a D type biner to avoid the orientation issues mentioned in this video. I used to just use a BD HF biner, but would occasionally run into crossloading. I have switched to a DMM Ceros. I like that it has a belay loop gate that keeps it oriented correctly, and the horn on the spine side makes it impossible for the GRIGRI to slide onto that side of the biner. Thanks for the great videos!

[@ralphmunn6689]

With HALF A CENTURY of climbing under my (ever expanding) belt, I've done my share of rope soloing, including LRS on FAs, mostly on difficult ice, NEI4+ R/X... and STILL I learned a butt-load of tips and tricks from this video, which has generated a sizeable shopping list for my next visit to the HowNOT2 store. Thanks, Ryan! 🙏

[@MichaelShuler]

Tinkerer and oldschool engineer.. thanks. For everything you've helped this introvert solo researcher.. my partner and i only get together maaayybe once a year these days. This info supports all my own exp, stay safe, y'all!

[@paulheimweh]

This is by far the best video I have ever seen about LRS. You answered questions that were unclear to me over years. Thank you guys so much!! Pure gold.

[@Canadifan]

Brent is such a beast. Ryan, I've been watching since the highlining days and LOVE what you've done here with the channel and the store, and the breaking gear fear montra. Love to see stoked logical people like you and Brent pushing the industry and pushing our knowledge. Just bought some Avant climbing gear because its exactly what we've needed. Cheers man. Thanks for everything you've done.

[@flyingcownipples1295]

This is by far the best video I have seen on this subject. So many other videos explain the basics but ignore the little nuances and safety considerations that I never would have thought of. Thanks for this!

[@rara58524]

Brent prefers multiple loops to avoid backup knots that can get stuck, but the other option is just regular backup knots (overhand which can be undone one-handed) and just 1 simple cache loop through Micro Traxion to avoid the weight of the rope blocking the easy feed. Works really well and is easy to manage, also locks up the Grigri very quickly. I prefer dealing with backup knots getting stuck than dealing with all the loops around my steps all the time. To each their own. Thanks so much for this brilliantly made video with so many details and additions!

[@Th3Psych0hippy]

This was truly fantastic guys, as someone who has gone out and tested his own LRS system a couple of times, I always felt a bit sketch about a couple of points. Those Soft-Cinches are a game changer for my bottom of route anchor building and back feeding concerns. Also thanks a ton for the science as always!!!!

[@walmartshopper12]

Shout out for the Avant soft cinches, biggest improvement to my system so far.

[@elans2844]

I have been LRS for many years. I started with a grigri when they first were sold. I then switched to silent partners. I have two of them. I recently returned to a grigri for the reasons you highlighted. Simple system that gives me confidence it will work. I use a micro traction with slip knots. I am going to switch to a grigri +. Great video. Thank you.

[@nickhenscheid369]

Among the many useful things I learned from this video, I now know that Brent has a Guinness World Record for the longest unicycle rail grind 🤣 Thanks guys, amazing stuff. I've avoided LRS and stuck to TRS for about 5 years but might dip into this world now.

[@brentbclimbs]

Thanks, Nick! And thanks for the early encouragement to reach out to Ryan.. it sure has gone over well :)

[@MattyDredge]

​@brentbclimbs please may I ask. What's the advantage of using that LRS chest harness over the one you use for top rope solo?

[@brentbclimbs]

@@MattyDredge A firm hold on the GriGri great helps auto feeding and amount of slack for each pump downward before climbing. And while top rope soloing, a bit more give is actually preferred to not restrict free climbing movement

[@MattyDredge]

@@brentbclimbs perfect, thanks for the info. I already have several of your products through Ryan and I'm toying with your LRS chest harness but I'll probably buy that straight from you because your shipping is cheaper just for that 🙂

[@barongerhardt]

Don't worry about people that want to lead rope solo with no experience and unwilling to find someone that does. They are unlikely to complain about... well anything.

[@Nuttyirishman85]

I can’t stand other climbers, to pretentious. Always have an excuse to not show up to climb. You need to learn this skill.

[@chrisrutley1332]

I did it and I'm still alive. Also not complaining, though.

[@jcmerlob746]

Rope soloer here.

[@scottrobertson1235]

First solo climb was 1979, l was 17 years old. It was an "easy" aid climb,...A-2. I used the barnnet system from : Advanced Rock craft by Royal Robbins. I was good at placing anchors, BOTH nuts, and pistons, before trying this, and backed up EVERYTHING!!!

[@blainehartness2322]

Been waiting for this one!

[@gabrieleasterling3059]

I’ve been lead soloing for a long time and I love it. I don’t use backup knots which might be sketchy but I feel comfortable doing it and have done many routes this way. I also don’t use a chest harness

[@dankozianski7943]

Thanks

[@hugegrant6141]

thanks so much for this! probably the most comprehensive video on lead rope solo there is. such a great channel. I hope you fully recovered from that minor stroke a while ago.

[@maxwright4387]

thank you so much for making this one, i know how much work goes into this! so pleasing that the upside down tree was caught even in lead mode on the grigri+. and thank you for testing the chest harness cord, going with 2mm! brent clearly knows his shit! 🙏

[@adamhull7058]

This video helped me a ton, thanks! I've had good luck with hair ties for alpine back-feed prevention - easier to slide with one hand than rubber bands, quick to add to every cam ahead of time.

[@TheBeldings-j5c]

Wow I love this! I did trad lead solo for so long.

[@BrawndoDrinker]

I picked up a "Soloist" when I was young. Still have it. You climb the route twice, once on lead then back down and up to clean the pro. Never took a real fall on it, but it felt just as safe as a normal belay.

[@DanNacht]

Absolutely loved the video! Thanks Ryan and special guest Brent :)

[@prusiker]

As always: simple great! And Brents Soft Cinches are the best investment you can make for LRS. I use them on every bolt.

[@PitsToPeaks]

It's nice to see some of my systems I use on my channel that I have been criticized for used in this video. The only thing I would like to add is when using a slipknot as a inline backup for a continues cache it is important to feed a bite of rope from the DEAD side of the rope through the knot. Using a bite from the PROTECTION side means it is easy for the slipknot to pop free when it is pulled against the belay device. Also it is nice to see Brent running into so many small issues with his well refined system that I face with my less refined system.

[@cjcaves4290]

went and figured this out at a crag last night and today soloed the otter falls route. thanks for the video!

[@marcelotheobald851]

Thank you for such great content. I keep learning about LRS and practicing a lot. It's always good to learn and review techniques. I'm from Brazil.

[@thatonefeller3375]

In the background during the section where Brent is talking about his experience with the Revo, you can see on the back wall a certificate for a guiness world record, but it's too small to see any detail. Google tells me that Brent holds the official world record for longest unicycle rail grind, which just makes me appreciate Brent even more than I already did!

[@noodlesthe1st]

Watching this I was all like struggling to keep up with all the thought processes and gear and then watching it at the end I was like oh that looks easy enough. Thanks for the reminder that this is not easy enough to just go out and do. lol

[@johnoutdoorvideos]

Heck yeah Derrick Averill is a badass. Planet Rock crew!

[@gianlucabaldin2593]

the final bible of LRS 🤩 thank you guys 😊

[@blairhaffly1777]

Rope soloed for training when necessary. Free soloed for personal reasons. Mostly loved having a dynamic, challenging partner to climb with.

[@Satorisails77]

Love those sinker hand jams and tons of protection. P2 is just as good changing corners

[@die_hertz]

Awesome video and such good timing for the promocode

[@joshsactiveadventures5611]

The one handed slip knots are also nice and useful for top rope soloing with a grigri for short routes or working boulder moves. Can more easily tie and untie with one free hand rather than having to have a good stance or weight the rope for an overhand.

[@YetAnotherAaron]

I like the Avy probe stick clip

[@mathiaslauber711]

an interesting point : Also totally possible to lead rope solo with a grigri+ held upside down, without attaching it to the neck. It will engage in case of an upside down fall. But it doen't work well with ropes having a big diameter and ropes that do not slide easily. More info can be found through the free ebook proposed by Andrea Calligaris Climbing (link on his youtube channel, if you don't want to pay for similar stuff) For example, I have a skinny rope, I don't use the neck feature, but I have to manage backfeeding a lot, because the rope slides easily through the device. I have another thicker rope with bigger diamater, and the only way to make it work is holding the grigri up with the neck sling, tho I struggle less with back feeding since the rope does not slide well through the grigri.

[@canoepick1140]

Missed this! Very cool skills to learn!

[@griffithd05]

All I do is Boulder or TR/lead indoors nowadays but this was super interesting enough to watch

[@MrAfricaturtle]

Such a great source of inspiration/knowledge! Would you consider making episodes with other systems to see how they might compare ? For instance, the el mudo +yomi does not need back up which seems highly interesting. Anyway thanks a bunch!

[@Sethhaun78]

That stick clip is genius going try make one for arborist work..reaching tie ins and or redirects...setting rigs

[@daanschone1548]

This needs more likes.

[@twertygo]

That looks so awesome that I want to do it. This looks so scary that I won't.

[@robertpearson9137]

Great amount of info. One thing is when you tie off (or perhaps even clamp) anything mid-pitch it could lift the gear out if it's not a multi-directional placement.

[@enderrjkd]

Never been so early!

[@choss0]

Brent is living on the wild side with all those solvent cans right next to his climbing gear!

[@brentbclimbs]

I swear it is a foreshortened view! 😅

[@Zogg1281]

Where did you see solvent cans?!?!?? Time stamp, please? If it's "next" to his rope at 1:01:52, they are clear bottles with what looks like water in them

[@wrek3one308]

thank you for this video, I've been looking around and the only other video that seemed to be kind of useful was pete witakers rope soloing video but that was pretty brief

[@jurgisler4085]

… you can use a Grigri for rope soloing as you can use a bicycle for ice skating, but it does not feel all good. I’ve been using a Silent Partner (for over 20 years here in the alps) for my first ascends, and then switch to a Petzl cam device fort the second / cleaning out run. This is a solid system, no need and time for a back-up systems. During first ascend I store my rope (not thinner then 9mm) in a rucksack and I put an end knot at the loose end of the rope - otherwise me and my rope can easily get lost.

[@P90Puma]

Desire to lead rope solo un-intensifies after watching....

[@benjaminbordson7502]

Great stuff guys!

[@mattiasgonczi]

Thank you so very much for these videos! :)

[@AdrianCalgary]

If I had the opportunity to choose learning climbing from Alex Honnold or from Brent or Ryan, the latter two have got my vote! In a few years when lead solo climbing becomes popular, any smart free soloists will transition to this.

[@sammoritz7302]

Fantastic stuff

[@Red_sky-oj1dj]

Had my first LRS tryout today on trad gear. I used this method, but really struggled pulling slack through the Gri-Gri plus (top rope mode) one handed. I pulled the strand completely downwards, but it still caused Gri-Gri to lock off. The only way I could make it work is by using two hands, and holding the cam down when I pulled out slack. No idea what I was doing wrong, as my setup looks exactly like yours.

[@ronaldcross6082]

KZbin guys are my climbing community. ok not totally but

[@briandavis1094]

The Rock Exotica Soloist is the best rope solo lead device ever made. I have been climbing with one for over 20 years. Too bad they are not made anymore. I wonder if the El Mudo from Mexico is a reasonable replacement for it.

[@javierm.a.4914]

Sge why Brent don’t use the mt or Spoc while he is climbing ? And he don’t talk about the fall homemade bungee. Apart of that best yt video about lrs. Thx for the effort

[@milesm9115]

Love all your videos supper awesome stuff! It would be supper interesting to see if bolts break at a different force if there loaded in an upward pull,like the anchors would be during a LRS fall.

[@wdm212]

Great quality video, thanks!

[@softserveadventures5791]

Amazing video. I'll get the notepad out for a second watch.

[@wyskass861]

I would love to see you review or discuss the Mexican Stonecrag El Mudo device, explicitly made for solo and being cam based along similar principles to Grigri camming.

[@rookiemoves]

Better method to hold grigri upright is to stitch a Velcro strap to your chest harness and loop the small cord through that. It is strong enough to hold the grigri upright if you use good cache loops and it comes undone without destroying the grigri cord. I pilfered an ice axe loop from an old ascensionist pack. Also keeps an extra biner from flying around if you end up in a break situation.

[@SENNESME5]

the avy probe as ultralight stick clip is genius

[@drkwrk5229]

Solo climbed a lot back in the days, one take away is, tie in stopper knots (overhand knots) every to armlengts of rope or so and make sure they are the correct direction for solo lead climbing and have prussiks or other means available for rappell Also note that stepping past the first bolt you are in real factor 2 fall territory, so save your falling to at least the second bolt!

[@Sethhaun78]

Great educational...man.....😮😅...those 2 ropes seem like they woukd work great.hopeing get equipment maintenance done ..so can get that zr2...just bought miniskidsteer so catching up.....alot guys use gri gri in tree work ,might trying one..seen uk guys useing simalar for lanyards

[@adammills4099]

that log with the harness was hilarious

[@richardsmith9918]

Nice system, awesome repel.

[@simonserranovasco1974]

What about using a slipknot after the QuickDraws to avoid back feeding of the rope? ⭐️

[@benshelkey401]

Something they didn't mention but should have is that if you're doing single pitch, don't tie the rope to your bag if there's a chance the anchors are closed chains - you'll have to pull your rope bag up if you do and it will very possibly get tangled/snagged in cracks, flakes, vegetation, etc. If this happens, you have to lower off of your own carabiners (if you have any left) and go down, fix it, then come back up again to clean the anchor.

[@Rotempunkt]

Great content! Thanks so much for this. What is Brent's opinion about using the DMM Ceros Locksafe? The GriGri can't move to the spine of the biner with this one. Also what about using a Petzl ASAP as a backup for a full device failure?

[@brentbclimbs]

The ASAP drop test would be a good experiment for @HowNot2... I haven't owned either of these mentioned pieces of gear so I do not have thoughts to share

[@kojak406]

Great video, thanks a lot ❤

[@boredbeingbored676]

why people use two different progress capture devices instead of 2 of the same? for example: 2micro trax or 2roll locks etc. ?? thank you so much for all the wisdom. i've been absorbing as much as possible from you and tubers like you with your years of information collection and expertise as i slowly enter into the climbing world starting from scratch.

[@lennartvandenbossche5867]

Thank you so much for this video! I would love to see your thoughts and tests on the El Mudo 3.0 ;;;)

[@pro12312]

How about using prusik on the brake strand of the rope with a loop tied to it from the chest "harness" (The Bachmann Knot type of way)?This setup would still need backup knots in case of an upside down fall, but i think would help managing slack, since you could just feed the rope through it exactly like you do with the grigri when you clip into a quickdraw. It would also decrease the amout of slack in the backup system. I thought about it for a while with intention of trying it with a maillon ( avoiding soft on soft abrasion) to both harness points. Didn't try it assuming it might have a flaw I haven't been aware about.

[@mattiasgonczi]

wouldn't be quite annoying to pull slack through it?

[@pro12312]

​@@mattiasgonczino more than unclipping the loops I suppose

[@torgeirnrbech4544]

My gents, thanks for a very entertaining and informative video! I might have missed some relevant comments regarding the fall tests with Woody, but I want to ask you how you think Woody's anatomy affected the results. He is very bottom heavy, opposite to a lot of climbers. Seems to me that he auto-uprighted himself fast enough to help the device take? A person on the other hand can/will be "stuck" upside-down. I think this would make the test a little less assuring than one might think! Anyways everyone must do their own risk assessments and all that. Good job on the disclaimers 😅 Keep up the good work!

[@Nicholas-cm6rx]

Great video, so much info. Where is the 2nd location with Mt Rainier and Little T in the background?

[@marchanselman]

Awesome stuff! I've been getting the Avant pop up adds for some time, but seeing this in use has me sold on some of the plastic gizmos! Questions: 1) Can a Gen2 Gri Gri be used and where does it land in terms of spring tension between the TR and Lead mode of the +? 2) Ryan, when you LRS at the end and configure your capture devices on your draws, your carabiners are "backwards"... I was always under the impression (35 years of climbing) that you should have your gates facing the same way on the draw vs opposite for reasons like crossloading when traversing... Anyways, thanks for the great content!

[@ScottWilton]

The GriGri 2 spring tension is VERY similar to Lead mode of the GriGri+.

[@jomaier9195]

Thanks for the great detailed video! Why is the silent partner not produced anymore? Why is there no company selling something similiar nowadays?

[@Chickenjoe2]

Would love to see similar drop tests with a taz lov 2 or 3!

[@grarfloup-u4n]

This and the one on TRS are the best episodes since a while :-D Thanks a lot for the expert advice and excellent video work. A few remarks/questions: - I wonder what free solo technique works best in alpine climbs, for example in a self rescue setting where you have to do without your partner. - Wonder also how hard it is too manage the cache loop not being caught in underclings/flakes. - What is the clip stick model ? Is it DIY ?

[@Jooshyb]

Upsidedown drop tests with log man might be flawed as humans have a tendency to be top heavy instead of having no torso. Being top heavy in an upside down fall can keep you in that upside down position instead of flipping right side up

[@wdlindberg]

I had that thought too. In my case, my calibrated engineer's eyeball (🙂) was a little skeptical of the trajectory taken by the test dummy (log). However, an object in freefall has no top to be heavy. The question boils down to whether the small rope feed drag force is enough to to make the the top heavy or bottom heavy moment arm cause the test dummy to change orientation. I think it may be enough and that may be what caused me to be skeptical of the motion of the test dummy. The HowNot2 guys could add a mass on a moment arm to mimic a torso on the test dummy to see if the motion of the test dummy changes. Keep up the good work!! This is interesting stuff presented in a way that is easy to understand ... yet backed up by real science. The absolutely best part is the science is actual real world testing and not a computer model.

[@lionelbaumgarten8521]

thank you so much for the video guys! it's helping alot and showing the pros and conts from different systems and gear. a question I have, which rope is Brent using?

[@liam7342]

I'd love to see how the Beal birdie feeds as it gives slack super easy, does that mean it will be easier to auto feed?

[@Davidstall547]

the only friends I climb with are from WildCountry

[@danillo999s]

I would love to see a video where you clean the route with a closed system...