Admin CPUSA wrote:
Answers in the order that the questions were received;
* Texas system (especially for kids)
* Texas system
* Reliability? I assume you mean the safest system to be in should a
piece of equipment fail, since all systems use basically the same types
of gear in different arrangements (petzl ascender, locking biners, GGG
caver harness, that kind of thing). Being the case, I would go with
the system that had the most attachment points.
* Contrary to popular belief, ANY system that has cowtails. Many will
tell you that either the Frog is the best, or is REQUIRED to pass
knots, and the later is simply not true. Any system with cowstails can
cross knots easily (except a ropewalker or mitchell maybe).
* All systems have pros and cons. The number of systems,
configurations, and scenarios they are used in would make a viable "pro
and con" list way too extensive to type out.
* Again, so many systems, so many configurations... better to tell us
what type of drops you are going to be primarily involved with
* Depends on the situation, but I almost invariably prefer dynamic rope
myself. There is a bit more to it than just static vs. dynamic as well.
Having said that, I prefer the frog. I didn't at first but after much
coaxing and adjustment, I have to say it has worked the best for me.
Note to dennis and sharon welch; October is approaching :)
Mark Alman wrote:
Good morning, all!
After missing out on a few vertical caves during our recent
vacation trip to KY and after reading Dennis' informative and thorough
NSS Convention report, I was intrigued by his discussion of the various
vertical systems available and discussed at the vertical workshop at
the convention.
I have been mulling the last several years over which vertical
system to purchase and have read several articles in print and online,
most notably, the info at the Gonzo Guano Gear site.
I'd like to solicit y'all's opinions on the vertical systems
you
prefer, especially in the areas of:
* Ease of Use, especially if used by kids 12 YO and up.
* Price
* Reliability
* Ease of getting past knots,etc.
* Pro's & Con's
* Best used on which types of drops
* Type of rope you use (static vs. dynamic. I have a static
rope.)
Plus, any other burning issue you can think of.
Thanks and eagerly awaiting y'all's thoughts and opinions.
Later,
Mark Alman
We both recently purchased these climbing systems and
had yet to use them in a free climb. We found
that they still needed some fine-tuning, but we made it out of the pit
with only minor challenges at the lip. Neversink
is famous for its astounding beauty. It did not
disappoint!
The Vertical Workshop was a basic practical
familiarization course on some of the equipment and systems that are
popular in various parts of the country. It was
not intended to be a vertical skills training class. However,
safety was emphasized and we picked up several useful tips. The workstations included basic knot-tying,
rappelling on a rack, rappelling on a Petzl Stop, climbing and
descending a cable ladder, climbing and down-climbing with three
prusiks, climbing and down-climbing with a frogger,
climbing and down-climbing with a Mitchell and
climbing with a rope-walker. In
addition, they made us one-year members of the N.S.S. Vertical Section
and gave us a 12-page handout on knots, equipment and their recommended
uses. Our favorite was the Mitchell due to its
versatility. It would be great for
down-climbing into Texas’ numerous bad-air pits, ready to ascend
instantly. It was only the cost of the system
that discouraged me from buying one. The class
was quite rushed, yet we are convinced they achieved their objective of
exposing us to the various equipment choices. Even
though the class was fun, I am not sure we will do it again. The class inspired Sharon to stop by I.M.O.
afterwards for a length of rope to practice knot tying.
I really, really like my ropewalker
system and am very glad I got it. Becky
Jones at Gonzo Guano Gear, Llano, Texas, where I bought most all of our
gear, did an excellent job of helping Sharon and I get just what we
needed. The tune-up I did before the vertical
workshop made all the difference. A special
thanks to Maureen Handler for helping Sharon adjust her system the
initial time she put it on and to Becky for further tweaking it at the
workshop.
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