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General Climbing Discussion

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Aid Climbing Help 14-Nov-2007 At 10:10:25 AM penguinator

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Instead of starting a new topic, I though I would just pose these questions on this thread.

So far I have only been up a few solo aid pitches. All single pitch. These questions refer to multi pitch solo.

1) From the standard system, when you reach your belay, you set up your haul system as usual, and rappel down the haul line. This is where I can see myself getting stuck..... How do you free the haulbags without shock loading the anchors (there is noone up top reeling in the slack etc etc)? So far I see two solutions.
a) Either I can set up a mini haul to free them,and slowly lower the bags out until the haul line is taught. But what rope would I use to haul + lower out? Carry a separate small length of static?
b) Carry another rappel line. So.. one dynamic lead line, a haul line, and a completely seperate rappel line. That way I can set up my haul, tension the bags enough to free them, rappel down a seperate line, free and lower out the bags, then procede to clean.
Any other possibilities? Or are the above two ok?

2) When setting up a single pitch anchor for solo it seems simple enough (but please please correct me if I am doing it wrong). I set up a normal belay anchor but for upward pull. This means upside down pieces. To prevent walking and any nuts actually falling out, I keep the anchor under tension by clove hitching the lead line to the the first piece of pro. This piece is extended with a short nylon sling so that it remains taught while tensioning the anchor, but will not take the force of any upward pull caused by a fall.
Providing I am doing it right so far, how would I go about constructing an anchor on a multipitch? Obviously the first pitch is rigged for only upward pull, but what about after that? How do I rig an anchor for the normal fall situation where it encounters upward pull, but also for a last-line of defence in case the protection zippers and I fall directly onto the belay?
Any tricks? Or am I just going to have to get used to making up separate systems and lashing them together... I don't much like the idea of using 6+ pieces in a belay system. Aid is crowded enough already.