langcliffe said:
Alex said:
I don't see how ropewalking is harder to pass rebelays I sometimes 'rope walk' in a sudo sense by using my pantin on my left foot and my foot loop on the right.
I think that the important word here is "sudo" (or pseudo as it is sometimes spelt). Rope walking with a frog set-up and a pantin is fast, but it is not viable for long free-hanging pitches. Moreover, it reverts back to the orthodox sit-stand system at rebelays.
Proper rope walking systems (e.g. the Floating Cam system, and the Mitchell system with its many variations) are fast and efficient, but tend to be more difficult to get onto the rope, and also to pass rebelays without the fixed chest ascender, and hence are not used much in Europe.
Frogging with a pantin/foot ascender so alternating steps is "Frog Walking" here. Much harder than rope walking itself. Get yeself a chestroller, it does WONDERS. with that if you already have a pantin you can set up a single bungee ropewalker (my current system I just made and LOVE). Its not any harder to pass things than a sit-stand. Basically same as a frog. Your weighting on rope is a little different is all. QAS (upper ascender) croll is the knee ascender (basic is the typically knee ascender but this prevented me from needing to buy one) on left knee with a waist teather (this prevents a heel-hang scenario) and the I use a CMI foot ascender (pantins are hard to use in a ropewalking system because of how easy they pop off rope, it is hard to keep your foot in the right position for it not to do this in a ropewalker). The foot ascender is still not considered a "life support" though, that is your knee and upper ascender. Carry a separate upper ascender to pass knots and crap with, or changeover.
I also know people make psudeo chest rollers by using webbing for a chest "bra-like" harness with a 'biner clipped through it in the front with the rope through it. The round biners like petzl attache seem to work better for this. I wouldnt know firsthand as I just got a chest roller. For passing belays and stuff you just pop it off rope easypeasy.
double bungee ropewalkers are a little trickier for doing on rope manovours with but you might want to look into the single bungee setup. It's basically frogwalking, just move the croll to the knee and add a chest roller.
Another system to look into would be a Mitchell. You can do a bungee mitchell system which is basically as easy as a ropewalker but some say easier to do the on rope manouvers with. You could also make a frog-to-mitchell system....ah the combos are endless!
tl/dr there are a LOT of ways to ascend...PLAY at vertical practice! I guess that might be harder there if "everyone" uses a frog. But read up on the other stuff and play with it, and there have to be some people there who use a real Ropewalker or Mitchel....
Or...you know...buy me a plane ticket over and I'll come teach you about all our wide and varied systems there