Self-belay: installation with a safety rope

Self-belay for solo climbing with a fixed belay rope

Installation with two ascenders and a backup rope:

IMPORTANT

Solo climbing is not recommended: climbing with a partner remains the best solution
Climbing is inherently dangerous, you are responsible for your actions and decisions
Self-belayed solo climbing must only be undertaken by experts
This case deals with climbing with a fixed belay rope, without loading the rope (except to rest). Ascending on the rope (caving, big wall, crevasse rescue, alpinism, etc.) is not addressed here.
If an accident results in unconsciousness (fall, rockfall), rescue will be difficult. Wearing a helmet is strongly advised. DO NOT CLIMB without one. Do not climb solo without informing a person of your destination and when you will return
No solution is universal; you must be able to adapt our proposed technical solutions to your chosen terrain
A good understanding of the solutions proposed in this supplementary information requires that you have consulted, understood and assimilated the Instructions for Use for all devices concerned
The proposed systems are complex; any modification can stop them from functioning properly
Only the techniques shown in the diagrams that are not crossed out and/or do not display a skull and crossbones symbol are authorized

Failure to heed any of these warnings may result in severe injury or death.

SELF-BELAY ON TWO FIXED ROPES: complete installation

Self-belay on two fixed ropes

Installation on the harness with two ascenders:

The primary ascender is connected to the harness belay loop with an OK carabiner.

MICROCENDER is positioned on the other rope as a backup. It is connected to the harness tie-in points with a quick link (PRESTO or GO), a 17 cm EXPRESS sling and an OK TRIACT LOCK carabiner.
After installation, verify that each ascender slides correctly on the rope in the up direction, and jams instantly in the down direction.
Before climbing, verify that all connectors are locked.

Gear necessary for the self-belay system:

two EN 892 dynamic single ropes or two EN 1891 semi-static ropes of 10 mm minimum diameter
a primary ascender (ASCENSION, MICRO TRAXION, BASIC, MINI TRAXION), and its OK connector
a secondary ascender: MICROCENDER and its OK TRIACT-LOCK connector
an EXPRESS 17 cm sling
A PRESTO or GO quick link, tightened with a wrench

Installing the secondary ascender: MICROCENDER only!

If primary ascender fails, there is a possibility of a factor 2 fall onto the backup ascender (twice the length of the extension). This type of fall is prohibited with a frame-loaded ascender, used without an energy absorber (ASCENSION, BASIC, MINI TRAXION, etc.), because the rope's sheath will be damaged or torn by the cam's teeth. Petzl therefore recommends using a cam-loaded ascender: the MICROCENDER.

Fall tests (height = twice the length of the extension), close to the knot, 80 kg dummy.

Emergency ascender	Extension	Impact force	Effect on the rope
MICROCENDER	GO + EXPRESS 17 cm + OK	4.8 kN
ASCENSION	GO + absorber NITRO + OK	4 kN
ASCENSION	GO + EXPRESS 17 cm + OK	4.7 kN	185 cm of sheath torn

Notes:

Always carry a descender (GRIGRI) and a footloop/ascender combo (TIBLOC + ANNEAU) to ascend the rope in case of failure to complete the climb
The two ascenders must not be connected to the same point on the harness: they can collide and be damaged during a fall
Roofs and traverses complicate the system: they require numerous directional points and additional precautions. Do another risk analysis for these particular cases

Attaching the ASCENSION and BASIC for self-belaying:
The device must be installed correctly on the rope, connected by the upper attachment hole, taking care to capture the rope in the carabiner.

Precautions

Notes:

In these situations with fall factor less than one, the ascender's teeth do not damage the rope.
Despite their aggressive appearance, the teeth on the BASIC or ASCENSION are not harmful to the rope in normal use.

The spring pushes the cam against the rope and causes it to engage the rope without sliding (and therefore without tearing), especially if the teeth are new and pointy.

Attention: in this photo,
the MINI TRAXION's ascender
function is deactivated.

Use of the MINI TRAXION pulley:
Warning!
Petzl has studied the current usage of the MINI TRAXION as a self-belay device on a fixed rope. Serious accidents and many handling errors have been reported.

The risk of using the device with the cam held open is significant, as well as the possibility of accidental opening of the cam when climbing.

Consequently, the MINI TRAXION must be paired with a different ascender: ASCENSION, BASIC, MICROCENDER...
Petzl does not recommend using a system consisting of only two MINI TRAXION for selfbelayed solo climbing with a fixed rope.

Non exhaustive risk analysis
The risks vary with the situation: do your own analysis!

Introduction to the installation risks:

Access from above presents a risk of falling before the rope is installed, be vigilant when approaching the anchor
Beware of rockfall while accessing the route from above, and when the rope is moving
Anchor or rope failure: adapt your installation to the site, choose a solid anchor on two triangulated points, avoiding rub points against edges or protrusions. A rope protector (PROTEC C45) may be required
Risk of ground fall: in the first few meters of the climb, even with a properly installed system, you can hit the ground in case of a fall, due to the elasticity of the rope. The static elongation of a rope is around 10 %. If your route is 50 m, there is a risk of ground fall in the first 5 meters of the climb, even from simply resting on the rope

Introduction to handling risks:

Sliding of the device: improper attachment, opening of the cam during use (rubbing, interference from foreign objects)
Device loss: when changing systems from ascent to descent, putting the descender on the weighted rope is tricky
Rope loss: If you are tied off to an anchor on a slab route, do not detach yourself completely from the rope: a slight pendulum can move the rope out of your reach
Slack rope: if the rope is not sufficiently weighted, the system cannot slide fast enough to keep pace with the climb and loops of slack are created between you and the anchor. The potential fall length will increase
Passing the belay and falling = factor 2. Always stay below your anchor point, making sure your setup allows for this during access and return

risks risks

Legends

Each piece of information is listed according to the technical level required for its application. Respect your own level when choosing your techniques.

Beginner technique
Technique usable by a trained practitioner of the activity.