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Beal Birdie rappel question, and a couple extras

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Ditchdiver

Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2020
Messages
60
#1 = I ordered and received my rappel kit from EWO. Because they didn't have a MR Safegaurd, I got a Beal Birdie. My question is - do I need to back it up with an autoblock ( I have a Sterling Hollow Block) or is it safe without it?
I WILL NOT be climbing with the Beal Birdie or my rappel line (9mm C-IV), only using it for rappel.
#2 = while rappelling with the Beal Birdie, the rope keeps wanting to "twist" off the device on one side or the other. Is this normal on new rope? Is it safe? How can I correct it?
#3 = I also got a Grivel figure 8 (as a backup, in case I drop the Beal Birdie, etc.) And when using the Hollow block below, it is not letting me rappel when working the auto block unless I move the auto block down and then "feed" rope to the figure 8. It is very jerky and sometimes the auto block continues to let me descend. How can I fix this?
Thanks for any help.
 
Ditchdiver said:
#1 = I ordered and received my rappel kit from EWO. Because they didn't have a MR Safegaurd, I got a Beal Birdie. My question is - do I need to back it up with an autoblock ( I have a Sterling Hollow Block) or is it safe without it?
I WILL NOT be climbing with the Beal Birdie or my rappel line (9mm C-IV), only using it for rappel.
#2 = while rappelling with the Beal Birdie, the rope keeps wanting to "twist" off the device on one side or the other. Is this normal on new rope? Is it safe? How can I correct it?
#3 = I also got a Grivel figure 8 (as a backup, in case I drop the Beal Birdie, etc.) And when using the Hollow block below, it is not letting me rappel when working the auto block unless I move the auto block down and then "feed" rope to the figure 8. It is very jerky and sometimes the auto block continues to let me descend. How can I fix this?
Thanks for any help.
Click to expand...
#1 Player's choice. Should be safe, but it is a mechanical device. Some people like myself don't trust them 100%.

#2 Don't know. I thought they all twist the rope.

#3 I prefer this is my setup to any mechanical. The autoblock should not require much pressure to descend in my experience, but I have never used C-IV. Have you tried different number of wraps around your mainline. Can't speak to the jerkiness, since all my rappels are in short bursts down the tree (not continuous). The oplux and HTP never made it feel jerky. You might try an ATC and compare.
 
When I say that it is "jerky" with the figure 8, I mean that I can move the autoblock down and I do not descend until I manually feed more rope to the figure 8. Pull autoblock down, then push the tag end of the rope up to the figure 8. I then only descend the length that I was able to move the autoblock. Not sure if that makes sense how I worded it, but I know that it is not right.
 
I had a similar issue using a figure 8 and autoblock on the C-IV. Could easily be user error but when I switched to a Klemheist instead of autoblock the issue went away. Maybe try some different friction hitches and see what works for you.
 
I've run the Grivel with C-IV.
You need to let your tag end feed in from 3 o- clock with that thing or it will be jumpy!

Thats why you're having trouble using the auto-block with it. If the auto-block is below the Grivel you can't get your rope out to the right enough...
I hope that makes sense!
 
Another thing, a normal shaped figure of 8 works much better with C-IV.

And a personal preference: a figure of 8 works better than a Birdie !
 
Where can I get a "normal" figure of 8? I only seen the Grivel on the EWO website (unless I missed it).
 
I found a really good combination of figure eight and carabiner. They are both from top notch companies.
The coolest thing is they fold inside of each other. (so to speak)
Screenshot_20210610-093848_Camera.jpgScreenshot_20210610-093814_Camera.jpgScreenshot_20210610-094015_Camera.jpg

Black Diamond : Super Eight
Petzel : Am-D
 
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