In reply to jimtitt:
> The test weight is chosen for statistical reasons and isn´t related to actual climber weight, the rope still hold you.
> There´s no simple right or wrong about clipping one rope or two in the first piece. If you clip both you will increase the force on the piece and therefore the chances of it failing and being exposed to a factor 2 fall, if you only clip one you reduce the chance of gear failure but also reduce the belayers braking ability so increase the chance that they will fail to hold you. As usual it´s better just not to fall off.
Neat and accurate answer as usual.
"As usual it´s better just not to fall off. " So true.
Sitting here with a broken ankle, have plenty of time to assess my mistakes and also think about the OP and subsequent discussion.
The situation where the clipping regime is applied can vary from well bolted multi pitch climbing with little chance of hitting the rock to marginal belays and runners on Alpine routes or the Cilan coast in N Wales. Get the impression that not everybody is thinking about all scenarios.
A few questions for Jim ( or anybody )
The friction on the top krab is apparently quite crucial in impact load calculations and presumably actual loads in the real world with all the influencing factors.
Does containing two ropes in a small lightweight krab significantly affect the friction?
In the UIAA twin tests the ropes run over a 12mm bar and presumably are free (just) to each other and so are not constrained in the slight V shape of a modern krab.
This V shape is designed to guide a rope next to the back of the krab to maximise gate open strength.
Are any karabiners actually designed and tested for use with two ropes?