MN Open Ascent Event 2013

TLHamel

TLHamel

Location
St. Paul, MN
The MN TCC was canceled due to weather and will be rescheduled. However, we did manage to see the sun in the afternoon and held the Open Ascent Event! I will post all scores and a more detailed report later. Ten competitors took part in this event. 35 points max. ( ) = backup

1st place: Eric Raven. 31 points. Rope Walker (series)

2nd place: Ben McMullan. 13 points. Rope Walker (parallel)

3rd place: Matt Bever. 11 points. Rope Walker (series)

4th place: Nick Grebe. 10 points. Rope Walker (series + parallel)

5th place: Travis Rasset: 9 points. Single footlock

6th place: Steve Merth: 6.24 points. Footlock

7th place: Shelly Wollerman: 6 points. Footlock (series + parallel)

8th place: Brandon Baker: 4 points. Single footlock

9th place: Caleb Ward: 2.75 points. Ropewalker (series)

10th place: Rebecca Seibel-Hunt: 2 points. Ropewalker (series)

The Open Ascent Event was sponsored by DMM, New England Ropes and Teufelberger.
First prize: 150' Teufelberger Platinum and 200m DMM rope bag.
Second prize: 5m CELanyard and 6L tool bag
Third prize: 2.5m pulleySAVER and 3L tool bag

Head judge and organization: Taylor Hamel
Belay: Brent Cooper
Timers: John Holmes, Pierce Wasmund, Sam Wallace
 
My favorite: the "Goatmilker", by Ben McMullan

Thanks Taylor and DMM for making this event happen finally, and thanks all techs and judges for putting it all together, even if it all fell apart - can't wait to do it again!
 

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I'll try to get some info up later.

Series is a backup on the same line.
e.g. Croll plus Ascension attached to one line and you are connected to each.

Parallel is a backup on a separate line.
e.g. Ascentree attached to two lines.

Series + Parallel is just like it sounds.
e.g. Croll plus Ascentree on one line and the second cam of Ascentree on the second line. Or Croll plus Ascension on one line with a Buddy on the second line.
 
The Open Ascent Event was run based on Mark Bridge and co.'s design. Just like it was run at ETCC in 2011 and 2012 (I believe ITCC 2011 as well?) The rope is set how the contestant wishes; single static, twin static, or doubled(free running). Contestant stands in the starting circle ~ 2m from rope and time starts when they leave the circle. Get to rope, attach gear to rope (you may have a foot ascender pre installed on your foot), ascend 15m, time stops when you ring the bell. You now have 30 seconds to change over to a Hands Free Locking position ready for descent. 5 bonus points are awarded for making the changeover within 30sec. You also receive bonus points for avoiding slack and backups either in Series or in Parallel. There is no descent portion of the event.

So if you are a really fast foot locker, you may get a fast time, but no bonus for backups or avoiding slack.

Fastest time gets 20 points. Slower times... 1 second = 1 point deducted (just like foot lock at TCCs). So, time points + bonus = score.
 
Could you give examples or elaborate on:

Hands Free Locking position

It seems that climbing on a Unicender, HH, or RW there would be no changeover needed...or am I missing something?

What sort of backups are accepted?
 
Yes, no changeover for those hybrid devices, except for disengaging a foot ascender.

A backup is a backup, 2 ascenders, 2 hitches, hitch + ascender, etc. Footlocking prusik alone = no backup.

It was fun! and educational. Many different styles were on display.

I think having the Croll integrated into my harness gave a slight setup advantage, but I'll gladly do it again with all gear on the BACK of the harness - bring it Grebe!
 
Anything appropriate that connects you securely to a rope is accepted as a back up. You may not use a toothbrush.

Hands Free Locking means you are attached into an appropriate descending device or system and ready for immediate descent; your hands and feet must not be touching anything. E.g. foot lock up, ring bell, install figure 8... you are now ready for immediate descent and your hands and feet aren't involved. Your prusik is holding your position and the figure 8 completes the descent system.

Ooooorrrr, you rope walk up, ring the bell, install a Rig or i'D or Eddy, disconnect from Croll and Ascension, kick out Pantin and foot loop... you are now ready for immediate descent and your hands and feet aren't involved. The Rig/i'D/Eddy holds your position and is the descent system.

A unicender would still require you to disconnect yourself from any foot loops, Pantins, or other ascenders.
 
Hands Free = ready for descent, locked off with hands off rope and hardware.

If done under 30 sec then bonus points are awarded - thanks Taylor for not calling "TIME" but just letting everyone make their transition in their own time.
The transition can be a high risk moment and there's no need to be rushed. All contestants wore a full body harness with dedicated belayer.
 

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My usual ascent setup is with a handled ascender that has a footloop. Not attached to my harness. Unicender on the bridge and right foot Pantin.

Seems like this would be a quick setup to get maximum points.
 
I think you are right tom. the unicender is the ideal tool in this event I think. you might need to attach your hand acender to your harness then un hook it and your pantin to comply with the rules. I think unicender with buddy back up would be the fastest backed up system.
 
Unicender would be hard to beat. Quick on the rope as well. The concept of this event is cool although I think something is lost when there is not an overall fastest climber.
 
[ QUOTE ]
My usual ascent setup is with a handled ascender that has a footloop. Not attached to my harness. Unicender on the bridge and right foot Pantin.

Seems like this would be a quick setup to get maximum points.

[/ QUOTE ]

Tom,
It's like Throw line Golf or Tree Tag... you can make up any rules you want. I would like to make it a team event next year; climber and ground worker setup together and bonus points awarded for base anchors, etc.

In this recent Minnesota version of the event, the setup you describe would not get max points because there are no backups to the Uni. Tether to your handled ascender would give you Series bonus.

Here's how we ran the points:
fastest time 20 points... slower times -1 point per second. can't score less than 0
Changeover within 30 seconds = 5 points
No slack greater than 10cm = 4 points
Series backup = 2 points
Parallel backup = 4 points

Maximum possible points = 35
When it comes to bonus, you either get the points or 0... it's not graded.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I think you are right tom. the unicender is the ideal tool in this event I think. you might need to attach your hand acender to your harness then un hook it and your pantin to comply with the rules. I think unicender with buddy back up would be the fastest backed up system.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't get too hung up on the Uni. Remember, everyone gets 30 seconds to changeover. If someone can slap a couple cams to a rope faster than you can thread the Uni, it doesn't really matter that you can changeover in 10 seconds vs. their 25 seconds. But, hey, you could change your particular event's rules to reflect a bonus for faster changeovers.
 
Taylor,

Thanks for clearing up how you scored the event. There are going to be more and more SRT based events. IN time there's likely to be some common scoring themes.

Since the Uni is already threaded and used for ascending there is zero changeover time for descent. The transcender tools and systems will become more and more common too.

We're going to have an SRT event at the Asheville TCC in October. I'm going to add bits and pieces of what's been done before to give it a test.
 
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