Getting over lips with a ropewalker

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Getting over lips with a ropewalker

Postby copelandcaver7 » Dec 9, 2006 7:38 pm

I am just getting started doing vertical and have not done a descent into a cave yet just practicing on bluffs. This summer when I was getting over the lip I had a little trouble, the lip was undercut but I could of still touched the wall I was like against the wall. The way I did it was I had my Qas on, I then Popped my chest box, but the thing was I think my Qas was adjusted wrong because I was having trouble pulling it up then trying to reach down and inch my foot assenders along the way I got really tired because I was trying to keep myself against the rope the whole time. Should I have not popped my chest box and pushed out with one foot as I am puling up the other then and the very peak unattached my Qas then reattached above the lip. Please help thanks
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Postby Ralph E. Powers » Dec 9, 2006 8:47 pm

Sounds like you got the right steps down okay... the LAST thing to take off the rope would be your QAS... but basically what I've done on tricky lips is to get my self up as high as possible to the lip with my feet basically bunched up underneath me and push/pull myself/rope away (with my free hand) from the lip to get my safety (QAS) past the lip as high as it'll go. Then if possible pop the roller off and take a quick breather. After all that you should be able to work your lower ascenders up high enough to get them over the lip (and subsquently your upper body) to maneuver yourself away far enough to detach from the rope. However I have light upper body weight and so this type of maneuver is relatively easy for me to do. If you're beefy around the chest you might be struggling.
One very important thing that I've seen alot of people do (wrong) is to fight and struggle when at the lip. Relax and build up your strength, all the while thinking of the best possible way to do it. Sometimes you may have to use your arms to bodily lift yourself up and over that bitch lip. Pull-ups at home work wonders for this.
It takes practice and a lot of it. Finding ONE perfect method is difficult because not all lips are the same... even undercut ones.
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Postby copelandcaver7 » Dec 9, 2006 8:54 pm

Thanks for the info, one more thing so you dont want to pop your chest roller until you get your Qas above the lip? I popped it before hand and was having trouble keeping vertical.
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Postby Ralph E. Powers » Dec 10, 2006 10:51 am

Yes, right. Popping your roller too soon can lead to all sorts of problems. Mainly getting yourself back upright when you need to. Top-heavy people I've seen just seem to ignore their center of gravity and allow themselves to fall back until it's just their arms straight out holding the (hand) ascender and/or rope and they're still under the lip.
True the roller may jam against the rock prohibiting easy ups and overs... but the beauty of rope-walker/double bungee designs allows for total hands free movement which means you can use both hands to push your chest away from an obsticle thereby pulling the roller out-away from it and stepping up to clear it. When that's done... then pop the roller and go from there.
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Postby copelandcaver7 » Dec 10, 2006 10:10 pm

Thanks for the good info, That will save me alot next time. I got kind of tired of holding on the rope like you said you have seen.
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Postby Dane » Jan 4, 2007 9:06 pm

Good advice Ralph (and he has helped me personally).
I would stress that it is important to think before you do. It is easy to get too high and jam your roller or other system components against the wall, the lip, etc. This just creates more problems.
His best advice is to get nearly to the lip, and then stop, rest, and think about what you are trying to accomplish - the time to pop off the chest roller will probably be obvious, as it may become an obstacle as you try to actually clear the lip. It's purpose is to keep you in-line with the rope, and the rope is probably changing directions at a sharper angle than you can at the lip.
And remember, your best friend is your QAS. After you have cleared it past the lip, you can use it to pull yourself up as you either continue to rope-walk or actually climb over the edge.
Finally, maintain as many of your points of contact with the rope as long as possible, removing your ascenders and finally the QAS only after you are safely away from the edge.
Dane
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