So I climbed for the first time today. I have bad knees and going down is hard so really like the idea of the rappel down. I have a madrock and it was ok. I stopped to practice taking sticks off on the way down. When I went to keep moving down the tree I could not get the madrock to release again. No matter how hard I pulled the release lever it wouldn’t budge. I put a stick back on and as soon as I released tension I could keep going down. I’m not a small dude (250) but it shouldn’t lock up like that. Using canyon elite rope. Any ideas?
-
The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
-
We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules
Safeguard question (not releasing on rappel).
- Thread starter Parkspop
- Start date
I experience similar things to you with my madrock. I really have to pull on it to get it to release, which then leads to jerkiness. I am about 230 and when under load, it is very hard to release. I am using 11mm rope. I’m beginning to thing it is more of a weight under load situation. Obviously we are bigger dudes.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
MNFarmHunter
Well-Known Member
What are you doing with the standing end of the rope and your off hand? Are you holding it tight and against your body like rappelling from an 8-plate or are you keeping the standing end loose? If it's loose, you're fighting against the camming action within the madrock. If held tight, there's less force on the rope trying to pull it locked.
I also treat the madrock like a self-locking 8-plate. By that I mean most of my speed/brake control is handled by my off hand/standing end. The lever is just the safety stop.
I also treat the madrock like a self-locking 8-plate. By that I mean most of my speed/brake control is handled by my off hand/standing end. The lever is just the safety stop.
Both?
Loose and tight are subjective terms. I would say I am constantly needing to adjust to whatever it works to get the madrock to break and allow the rope to slip through for rappelling.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
MNFarmHunter
Well-Known Member
I rappel on a madrock exactly the same as I do an 8-plate with almost all of my speed/braking coming from my off hand/standing end of the rope. Once I take up tension with my off hand/standing end, I then use my lever hand to release the lock and begin the rappel. If I try and control my speed with the lever too much, it gets jumpy on the rope.
Either oplux, Yale blaze, or phantom, doesn’t matter. Problem remains. It works, it just takes a lot of effort to break it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2019
- Messages
- 330
I had the same issue at 180# with safeguard and Oplux/9.0 Sterling and 10mm Sterling - I’m a little girl when it comes to heights and just couldn’t get my brain to keep ripping that lever down knowing a quick jolt or nothing was coming after.
User error but I like my setup to be idiot proof and comfortable in the back yard so it’s a no brained in the woods in the dark
GriGri+ solved the problem. Little bulkier and little more expensive (but available) and for an extra $30 it’s totally worth it to have a little control on top of the brake line.
I see everyone going crazy to find a safeguard when they could pick up a GriGri+ for the same cost - it’s like seeing the toilet paper sold out and wondering why no one else is just buying wet wipes..
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
User error but I like my setup to be idiot proof and comfortable in the back yard so it’s a no brained in the woods in the dark
GriGri+ solved the problem. Little bulkier and little more expensive (but available) and for an extra $30 it’s totally worth it to have a little control on top of the brake line.
I see everyone going crazy to find a safeguard when they could pick up a GriGri+ for the same cost - it’s like seeing the toilet paper sold out and wondering why no one else is just buying wet wipes..
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
MNFarmHunter
Well-Known Member
The locking mechanism of a Madrock is by camming tension, just like a Ropeman or Kong Duck. With the Ropeman or Duck, you cannot release the locking mechanism while it is under tension and have to first take the tension off the rope. The Madrock is no different. If you don't grab the standing end tightly first, you're fighting against your weight and the tension on the rope. By that I mean the cam is trying to move upwards when using the lever while the rope and your weight is trying to pull the cam downwards.
Read through this...
Figure of 8 progress capture???
Any of yins guys heard of doing this? I never have. I’ve been doing it for over a month. I think I invented it? It’s legit. It works great! I saw Nice Guy Dave from Wesspur do sumthin’ like this but my way is waayyy easier... Just rig yourself up to descend, then take your tag end and wrap...
saddlehunter.com
So I climbed a few more times. Found if you pull the tag end pretty hard (to unlock) the cam, then release the lever and feed rope it works better. But it’s still damn hard. Going to try the figure 8 to rappel. Question on the 8, do you use a prusik when using climbing rope as a tether, then just hook up the 8 to rappel?
I use a dedicated tether to climb and hang from. Most of my tethers have a Swabisch tied on them.
I keep my rappel rope stashed 'till I'm ready to come down...