Rope Wrench Ascension OUCH!!

Chris Schultz

Chris Schultz

Carpal tunnel level member
Location
Minturn
So…… when I’m ascending with foot/chest/knee ascenders I pinch my pinky finger in the wrench often…. Is my technique shit? Bridge too long? Am I the only one that this happens too? Any thoughts are appreciated.
 
southsoundtree said:
Can you adjust your bridge or add a second and try it?

I have a short and a long bridge. Nice.
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I’ve thought about an adjustable bridge. I think that is a big part of my problem, the height my wrench is positioned puts my pinky in the line of fire every time…. I assume on your setup the short bridge is mostly used for ascent? Work mode is on the other bridge? I’ve never really tested the waters on bridge length/s.
 
I used to rock a longer bridge and atlas gloves. The gloves got into the wrench occassionally. I stopped wearing gloves and my fingers did not get into the wrench. I've also shortened my single knotted bridge a bit and continue to not get fingers in my rope wrench when ascending my captain hook line (my primary line has an akimbo now).
 
Rich Hattier and I worked up an adjustable tether for the Unicender. Short for ascent, it was at belly height like a chest ascender for rope walking. Then extended for climbing.

My concern was slipping and having the Uni slap me in the face knocking teeth out. I got whapped by a friction hitch and sported a bruise for a while.

After using the adjustable tail I worked up the adjustable bridge. This is a better solution.
 
Chris Schultz said:
I’ve thought about an adjustable bridge. I think that is a big part of my problem, the height my wrench is positioned puts my pinky in the line of fire every time…. I assume on your setup the short bridge is mostly used for ascent? Work mode is on the other bridge? I’ve never really tested the waters on bridge length/s.
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Neither bridge is long, but one is short. Just long enough not to affect the other bridge

I added a second bridge to my MCRS for 2 climbing systems (separating srs devices, vertically) and spar work.

I can use either for rope- walking.
 
I don't see how this is a bridge problem, sounds like your chest/neck tether is too tight. A shorter RW tether will definitely help too of course.

An adjustable bridge is awesome, I have one on my Treemotion, and one fixed/ one adjustable bridge on my sequoia.

That wouldn't help here though, because you don't weight your climbing system while ropewalking. A longer bridge is only going to cause more sitback when you sit into your system.
 
Had a zigzag last year suck up one finger of an Atlas rubber coated glove on a fast descent (which came to a stop). Now I rub fine wood dust (from a carbide blade for example) or baby powder on a new set of Altlas gloves so they're grippy but not so sticky. Or maybe leather gloves like the Petzl belay gloves (tan not black - the black ones bled the dye into my hands and made me look like the great unwashed - took forever to get it out).
 
climbstihl said:
I don't see how this is a bridge problem, sounds like your chest/neck tether is too tight. A shorter RW tether will definitely help too of course.

An adjustable bridge is awesome, I have one on my Treemotion, and one fixed/ one adjustable bridge on my sequoia.

That wouldn't help here though, because you don't weight your climbing system while ropewalking. A longer bridge is only going to cause more sitback when you sit into your system.
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I’ll start with my chest tether, and I do think the wrench tether is probably too long also putting my finger in the line of fire…
 
ghostice said:
Had a zigzag last year suck up one finger of an Atlas rubber coated glove on a fast descent (which came to a stop).
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Happened to me too, last year. Glove with pinky inside sucked into ZZ pulley. Hurt like hell.

On the adjustable bridge issue, Mumford did a video on that and used a CT Roll'n Lock on one side of the knotted rope, outside and zip tied to the saddle plate. (The zip tie does nothing but hold the Roll'n Lock in place). I have that on my Onyx now and it works great, instantly adjustable. Kong Duck is a similar device.
 
ghostice said:
I was lucky - it was the tip of the rubber finger pulled into the zig zag links - stopped me cold - was, because of the tree, one of the few times I was on two ropes which saved my bacon.
zig-zag-ate-my-glove
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Sucking in Atlas gloves is a way of life! For me it's about fit, good fit and fingertips don't get dragged into whatever device you're climbing on. And keep your fingers out of those spots where they get sucked in ;-)

But seriously, when the gloves get dragged in, just stand on the tail of the rope with foot ascender or foot lock and take your weight off the device and the fingers pop free.
-AJ
 
moss said:
But seriously, when the gloves get dragged in, just stand on the tail of the rope with foot ascender or foot lock and take your weight off the device and the fingers pop free.
-AJ
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Unfortunately I had removed my lanyard (on descent) which I used over the shoulder for advancing the ZZ/RW, so amid the pain I had to focus on getting that back in place as well as the foot ascender back online, and of course using just one hand. All in all, it was not my favourite way to end a climb! The end of my little finger survived OK but swelled up and was purple and very tender for a while.
 
moss said:
But seriously, when the gloves get dragged in, just stand on the tail of the rope with foot ascender or foot lock and take your weight off the device and the fingers pop free.
-AJ
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I was on the down elevator on fast and ended up dissecting glove finger bits outta the zigs on the ground. It was ugly and surprisingly hard to get working again. Wish I had taken some pictures.
 
Addenda to above: Just thinkin' more about this (under the influence of single malt), I wonder what the load on the branch was when I literally yanked to a halt - yikes. Yet another way then, to (over)load your TIP, admitedly way more funner than a slow descent tho . . . . Cheers all.
 
ghostice said:
Addenda to above: Just thinkin' more about this (under the influence of single malt), I wonder what the load on the branch was when I literally yanked to a halt - yikes. Yet another way then, to (over)load your TIP, admitedly way more funner than a slow descent tho . . . . Cheers all.
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Always have to appreciate anything that’s “more funner”!
 
Moderately ordinary fast stop, about 1.5G's. Hard stop 2 G's cause tree/rope elasticity mutes it down. You'd have to have a really effed up lock stop in a rigid tree on short rope to pull 3 G's. IMO

Gentle "I don't want to bust the teeny tip I'm on" climbing stops I'd say 1.2 to 1.3 G's.
 
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