Upper ascender on left or right?

[tncaveres]

I like to keep my other handle ascender on my left side so I can use it to get back up over the edge of a pit if the edge is an under cut & there is no way to push yourself away from the edge. I just clip it on above the edge then unclip the one used with me foot loops. I then pull myself up the rope until my croll touch the edge of the lip. By then I should be able to clip my ascender attached to my foot loops back on again & d-c the extra ascender.
Does it make since?

[NZcaver]

I like to keep my other handle ascender on my left side so I can use it to get back up over the edge of a pit if the edge is an under cut & there is no way to push yourself away from the edge. I just clip it on above the edge then unclip the one used with me foot loops. I then pull myself up the rope until my croll touch the edge of the lip. By then I should be able to clip my ascender attached to my foot loops back on again & d-c the extra ascender.
Does it make since?

So you use a second handled ascender with your Frog? When you clip it on the rope above an edge, do you also have a second footloop attached to stand up in? I can't imagine it would be easy to pull your whole body weight plus pack etc up the rope with just your arm. Like most of us, I've struggled getting up over edges at one time or another. I can't help thinking that some of the agony might be avoided by better rigging, though - instead of just SRD (sling the rope down).

[tncaveres]

Correct if you rig high enough you usually won't have them problems. But high rigging is not always an option.
I have a short piece of webbing with a foot loop that I can clip onto the extra ascender. I don't keep it on there unless I know I will need it. Other wise it stays in my pack.

[NZcaver]

Correct if you rig high enough you usually won't have them problems. But high rigging is not always an option.

True. I was also thinking of options like rebelays, hanging-rebelays, redirects/deviations, and short tails to change over onto. All are of course more complicated than the simple 1-rope, 1-anchor-at-the-top system, but can sometimes help a bit with negotiating the dreaded severe-edge situation.

[Scott McCrea]

I can't help thinking that some of the agony might be avoided by better rigging, though - instead of just SRD (sling the rope down).

Sometimes, different rigging is the solution. Other times it's easier/faster/lighter/safer/cheaper/less impact to just carry an extra ascender.
sorry

[NZcaver]

I can't help thinking that some of the agony might be avoided by better rigging, though - instead of just SRD (sling the rope down).

Sometimes, different rigging is the solution. Other times it's easier/faster/lighter/safer/cheaper/less impact to just carry an extra ascender.
sorry

And sometimes not. Sorry - I didn't mean to get preachy, I was just advocating thinking outside the box once in a while.

[Francis]

I have a left hand top jammer. The reason I started out with a left hand one (I am right handed) was that I inherited Mum's old metalwork, and she is left handed. If I was to buy a new one then I would probably get another left handed one because I use a pantin on my right foot and use my footloop on my left foot.

Francis

[Wormster]

I have a left hand top jammer. The reason I started out with a left hand one (I am right handed) was that I inherited Mum's old metalwork, and she is left handed. If I was to buy a new one then I would probably get another left handed one because I use a pantin on my right foot and use my footloop on my left foot.

Francis

I use a similar setup, but I use a right handed ascender, with the foot loop on the left foot, it just takes practice to get the motion right.