UKC

Hi peeps. Auto block type knot. Could someone shed some light on this for me please. How do you tie and use it when retreating off a route.

First link from Google:

http://storrick.cnchost.com/VerticalDevicesPage/Ascender/KnotPages/KnotAuto...

In reply to Wide_Mouth_Frog:Much clearer now thanks

In reply to alo123:

Klemheist or even prussik is a better option than this. Or better still a petzl shunt..

In reply to Pacific:


Why do you say this? And how many climbers are going to carry a shunt?

In reply to Pacific:

I would hardly rate a classic prusik for ease of use over the Klemheist ( my usual first choice ) or the French aka autoblock as called on that website.

In reply to Pacific:
I can only imagine a handful of situations where the Klemheist would be required over a French Prusik like this, and I can think of no situations at all in which a classic Prusik is better.

In reply to Alex Roddie:

Oh goodie the old prusik debate...

I almost NEVER use a Autobloc version - in most cases a klemheist will do everything I want.

In reply to nz Cragrat / Pacific:

For abseil backup I don't know how you could recommend anything but the french / autobloc prusik? And while the shunt is a great piece of kit it's considerably heavier and bulkier than a bit of 5mm cord.

In reply to quadmyre:

because I use a klemheist above my device

In reply to alo123:

If you're retreating up the rope, Klemheists are a good choice, as you need to unload them before you can move them. This gives an extra element of safety, and since they're used in pairs unloading one knot isn't a problem because you load the other one.

On the other hand the best choice of knot for protecting an abseil is the French Prussik, which unlike the Klemheist can be released under load. You'd get away with using a Klemheist, but it's possible to conceive of situations where you couldn't unload the knot to move it.

In reply to nz Cragrat: Whats a klemhiest? Has i've said before been out of the game for 20 years

In reply to alo123:
its like an autoblock but instead of clipping both loops of cord you thread the bottom one through the top one and just clip the bottom loop, dont know if that makes any sense...

In reply to Sparky LaRoue: A picture would be good

In reply to alo123:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klemheist

In reply to quadmyre:

Considerably heavier & bulkier.. - Who are you? The weediest man in Exeter?

Its considerably safer as well.....

http://en.petzl.com/petzl/SportProduits?Produit=116

http://en.petzl.com/ProduitsServices/B03_SHUNT_B03200-07-1.pdf

In reply to alo123:


In any abseils including multiple abseils I have done, neither me or any partner has used any kind of autoblock. I have experimented and I found it slows you down a lot. I quite often wrap the trailling ropes around my leg a couple of times. For multipitch abseils if that doesnt stop you then the knot in the end of the rope would.

In reply to Sparky LaRoue: Thanks. Very clear. Just wanted to know in case
I needed it in some sort of emergancy.

In reply to Pacific: Thanks. Thats clear too.

In reply to Pacific:

I don't like to carry unnecessary stuff up routes. Which isn't to say I don't rate the shunt - it's a great piece of kit. But it does weigh as much as three lighweight quickdraws which is a bit difficult to justify carrying up a hard route just to back up an abseil descent when a few grams of cord does the same job.