Recovery on Via Ferrata - How to use slings as a resting system for Via Ferrata + the better options

In this video I tackle a recurring error I see beginners do on Via Ferrata. Lovers of Via Ferrata buy their own Via Ferrata kit but when it comes to choosing the resting system they do it wrong by saving money on slings.
Using a sling is not bad. Saving money by buying a sling instead of something better is not bad. Not properly utilizing the sling can be dangerous. Seeing so many occurrences, I now am determined to speak about the matter and come with a solution that might help the beginners both to save money and to also stay safe on the Via Ferrata they go and eventually stop to take a rest.

[@saucyedgelord6286]

This video makes the Internet message boards about this topic, make sense.

[@JetSetYourself]

❤️

[@crosslock1664]

I'm using my resting system only for waiting climbers above me, and it's a way not only to rest but also to release pressure of your arms or your feet in case that the via ferrata is crowded.

[@JonathanFisherS]

Thank you for another video :) side note: that shirt is absolutely metal

[@JetSetYourself]

😂 😂 Thank you! ❤️

[@MonsieurBlue]

Every day I learn more and more interesting things from you, thank you! What do you think about the adjustable one?

[@JetSetYourself]

Buy what best clicks with your brain. In my opinion the adjustable gets you into trouble. Makes you consume energy unnecessarily.

[@MonsieurBlue]

@@JetSetYourself, Understand. 👍

[@ViaFerrataCH]

I have not seen a ready made resting lanyard but will look out for one

[@JetSetYourself]

In rock climbing lanyards / slings have been used to set belay stations or to fix the belayer. In sport climbing climbers don't think at rest and don't use slings for resting because when they need they just sit into the rope while the belayer keeps them hanging (lead or top rope). On Via Ferrata, with the lanyards being elasticated and going almost a meter bellow the connection point there is a need for a resting system. You can rest into the Via Ferrata Set but is not practical.

[@Keldor314]

There are ready made resting lanyards. Sport climbers use them, for example, when they get to the top of a pitch and need to secure themselves while they reconfigure their rope for rappelling back to the ground. They might also be used in multi-pitch climbing (that is, climbing things where the climb is longer than your rope so you have to do it in segments. Each segment is called a pitch) where the belayer needs to secure themself at an anchor partway up the cliff while their partner climbs up to them, and then past them to the next anchor point. They're often called "Personal Anchor Systems", and there are a few different types, the simplest option being just a sling like in the video. One thing to remember is that these slings are static, that is, they don't stretch the way climbing ropes do, so if you fall on them and there's a lot of slack, you'll take a very hard jerk at the bottom and could hurt yourself. To avoid this, just make sure your sling isn't longer than arm length or so, lower yourself onto it gently, and never, ever leave it attached to the cable when you start climbing again, because your back will break before the sling does!

[@JetSetYourself]

Amazing summary. Just amazing. Thank you! ❤️

[@ViaFerrataCH]

@@Keldor314 very useful information thanks a lot, as I don't rock climb I guess I never noticed these before

[@aerialrescuesolutions3277]

Great video, well explained. Beautiful shirt too, is the shirt from Romania? And, why not use a girth hitch to attach the sling to the carabiner? It seems way better than a knot? Just wondering

[@JetSetYourself]

Yes, the shirt is from Romania. A girth hitch will slip. Will not stay in place. Will run all over the place. The knot will keep it steady in the same position. The purpose is static load so, in theory at least, the impact of the knot on the rope is not relevant (not same story for dynamic fals where a knot's impact is dramatic)

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

The problem with all of these is the inability to change length easily. It seems to me the Petzl Adjust does everything and without having additional carabiner, arms, etc. Plus it is slightly dynamic in case it is used as a third arm. I'd be interested to know what you think!#

[@JetSetYourself]

I for long avoided to mention Petzl Adjust but I will eventually do it. I think using it for resting is wrong. On Via Ferrata you need predictability and Petzl Adjust doesn't do that. If it is too loose you need to resize. If it is too short, same. And if it slides, you will get into trouble. It is a good pice of gear but I don't think it can do the job as reliable as the Ypsilon (for example). Year after year I maybe had only one case when I needed something adjustable. But adjustable means dynamic. This as I was saying might get you into trouble. You are not the only one mentioning it to me. I love my Petzl Adjust. It is amazing on belay stations where I prep for rappelling. When I'm stationary and have to clip other people and test their rappel system works wanders. I love it. A lot. But K don't see myself using it on Via Ferrata. It added extra effort to operate, complexity and unpredictability.

[@mordobij]

Could you please describe what exactly you use as rest equipment for yourself?

[@JetSetYourself]

I currently use the Ypsilon from Climbing Technology. There are similar lanyards from other manufacturers but I chose this for myself. I have on it a Petzl Vertigo Wire-Lock carabiner and a Climbing Technology K-Classic carabiner.

[@Keldor314]

If you're using the method with a carabiner on attached to the end of the shock absorber, make sure you don't clip it to your harnass intending to get it out of the way. If you do, you will have bypassed the shock absorber, and if you fall, the load will go straight through the resting carabiner and into you! This might not actually be a huge problem if it's connected to a tool loop, since those will probably just break, but if it's connected directly to your belay loop, oh boy...

[@JetSetYourself]

To make it clear in case is not: tool loop = the loop on the sitting harness used to clip carabiners or quickdraws or to hand other tools. This loops can take come load but they will easily break under heavy stress and hence why clipping the carabiner there (by mistake) while clipped to the loop of the shock absorber is not of great danger. Clipping the carabiner to the belay loop and the loop of the shock absorber at the same time is of absolute danger because the Via Ferrata shock absorber will never deploy in this case and the system is entirely static. In such case the whole force of the fall will be propagated to your body and the consequences can be dramatic.

[@andresmartinez6134]

Hey man, big fan!!!. What is the brand/model of your Y sling?

[@JetSetYourself]

Thank you Andrés! It is Ypsilon from Climbing Technology www.climbingtechnology.com/en/outdoor-en/slings-and-lanyards/lanyards/ypsilon

[@andresmartinez6134]

@@JetSetYourself amazing, thanks again, by the way, just a comment. I saw you in many ocassions clip your sling into the same side of the ferrata system, I know it was just to quickly focus into the explanation of the products, but if new amateurs are watching you and want to imitate everything you do (as me, I started learning a lot from you) it may be healthier just to explain that is reccomended to clip it into the other side of the harness to avoid entangling with the ferrata system. Once more, thank you, love your patience and knowledge

[@JetSetYourself]

Andrés, I missed this detail. In real life, on Via Ferrata I will always have the resting system connected to my left and the Via Ferrata Set to my right (until I connect it to the safety steel cable and my right remains free). I will make sure from now onwards to consider this when I have the Via Ferrata Set carabiners clipped to the harness like in this video. Thank you for pointing it out. I repeat myself. In real life you will see the resting system clipped to the right of the harness and the Via Ferrata Set to the right (no exception). And the lesson is: always keep them clipped in the same position of the harness to build muscle memory and know where to go and rich for them in case of emergency. If you randomly clip your resting system's carabiners you might need them fast and because of the stress and the rapid reaction time you might forget where you clipped and this will cost you a lot (time to react, time to readjust so that you can access it). I will find time to speak more about it into a new video. Just to make it clear.

[@andresmartinez6134]

@@JetSetYourself wow this is amazing, it never crossed my mind to clip it the same position always to build muscle memory, normally I do it without awearness but you are absolutely right, sometimes im so tired, that I don't think as fast and it will be great to just unclip fast, you are like a guru man, thanks a lot

[@tonyc2570]

Hello! Does anybody know I can’t seem to find one anywhere. I need a carabiner that has internal locking mechanism with squeeze actuation. I have a black diamond via feratta set and that’s what is on the lanyards. I’m just looking for one carabiner with that same Lock/autolock with one hand so I can easily release it for my resting system without using two hands To unlock my carabiner.

[@JetSetYourself]

Plenty carabiners out there: Petzl Vertigo Wire Lock, Climbing Technology K-Classic, Singing Rock has one identical with Climbing Technology. Kong they sell a similar one as well. Is this answering your need?

[@tonyc2570]

I’m not sure I did look at the wire lock one. But does it actually lock and have a separate thing to push at the same time to unlock it and then open it like the via feratta set I mentioned above? Or is that not important?

[@JetSetYourself]

It is for Via Ferrata used on the Petzl Via Ferrata Sets. I use it for my resting system. It does what you say it should do. Check the videos on the chanel. I can create a short if you want

[@tonyc2570]

Thank you very much for your response. Love your channel and has been a great help. I will for sure check on their videos. You don’t have to make a short your videos have already been a great help. Thank you.

[@chrisk7693]

in my eyes you should never think about the money or if it is too expensive in terms of security...in the end this is about my life which i have only one

[@JetSetYourself]

Totally agreed!

[@izil1fe]

Please NEVER EVER use a static sling as a "rastschlinge" ! They WILL FAIL VERY EASILY in case of even a minor fall, not to mention that this fall itself can kill you because of extremely large forces working on your spine! Only use dynamic rope resting slings such as: Edelrid "Switch Adjust" Petzl "Connect Adjust"

[@JetSetYourself]

Resting implies static load of the sling. There shall be no reason to fall. If properly utilised, a fall shall be static enough to not load the sling to the degree of a rupture of the sling itself or as you say, with dramatic effects on the structure of our body. It is true, dynamic rope can in the right circumstance help. Again, resting systems are for resting and if properly loaded there shall be no reason to get into the edge case scenario you use as a base for your call to action. If wrongly utilised yes, the effects you mention can happen, but these are edge case scenarios. On a bridge crossing a static resting system will not 0ut the climber in any danger if properly loaded. The slack is close to none, in case of a fall the climber will mostly swing. Now, let's suppose that the webbing will break, the climber is supposed at all times on a Via Ferrata to be clipped with the Via Ferrata Set to the safety steel cable. Again, the probability for the static webbing to rupture is low is special/edge conditions are not met. For vertical sections, the resting system shall be statically loaded and in this case there is no way of a fall. On vertical segments, the climber shall always stay way below the cable and again, the resting system shall be statically loaded with no chance of dynamic loading. The rupture of the webbing is a possibility if overloaded and the loading of it is dynamic enough under the stress of the overload to trigger that. If the static resting system is misused and a fall occurs yes, the worst can happen. But again, in this case is not the problem of using a static resting system (recommended for the cases where it is properly used) but of improperly using it. Yes, a static sling is meant for static loads. A resting situation is founded on the premise of a static load. The recomandation to employ the help of the resting system (if conditions of zero slack and no possibility of static load are met) is because if properly utilised it increases comfort and safety. It is important to understand all these details. It is also important to understand that the role of a resting system is to rest and shall not be utilised for personal protection on Via Ferrata. The only device to always be used on a Via Ferrata for personal protection shall be the Via Ferrata Set.