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General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

climbing protection 30-Oct-2014 At 6:18:28 PM Jim Titt

Message

On 30/10/2014 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:
>On 30/10/2014 mikllaw wrote:
>>As Jim said, a weak dynamic device, a figure 8 in sport mode is perfect,
>>what do you use to abseil with?
>
>Sport mode and figure 8 in the same sentence? ~> This does not compute
>within my old fashioned brain.
>
>If you mean belaying sticht plate style through the small eye of a 'reverse-clipped
>to harness' 8, then that would work. If you mean belaying off an 8 in 'normal
>abseil mode' configuration, then I suggest that method is too sporty even
>for a static rope, unless the fall being caught is more a slump than a
>fall...

An 8 in normal mode is roughly comparable with an ATC in braking power though 8´s vary a lot in design, what is usually termed "fast 8" is where the bight of rope is up through the main loop of the 8 and then clipped into the HMS karabiner. It´s a bit weak for lead falls unless the rope is fat and furry or stiff and the faller is light. It´s good for dynamic lead belaying if you wear gloves which is why it was commonly used for competition/sport climbing and doesn´t twist the rope.