Lead Climbing: Self-Belayed Rope Solo Climbing with Grigri Plus (Rope on the Ground)

This post is not intended as a guide! It is meant to offer some ideas and show how I proceed. Climbing, especially rope solo, is very dangerous! Therefore, please thoroughly test and practice all techniques in a safe environment.

Process:

• Find a suitable spot to build the lower anchor point
• Build a secure anchor/stand with the direction of force upwards as well as downwards (thick tree, multiple bolts, power triangle)
• Tie the rope into the anchor
• Tie a stopper knot at the other end of the rope
• Adding more stopper knots as you go can be a valuable addition!
• Place the rope on the ground with the end-knot on the bottom of the pile
• Attach the rope to the belay device
• Check the functionality of the belay device
• Start climbing
• While climbing, always clip the rope into protection points
• Occasionally, you can attach the quickdraw with a short breakable Prusik loop to prevent rope slippage (possibly with a bungee cord)
• At the end of the rope length, build another anchor
• Switch to rappel mode, then remove the quickdraws as you descend. For traversing routes, you may want to leave some quickdraws in place
• Dismantle the lower anchor and then climb back up in top-rope solo mode

Nowadays, I often keep some slack with a Roll’N’Lock to ensure smooth function of the Grigri+. In this photo, I’m standing at the anchor and preparing to start the next pitch in lead climbing.

Final Note

With the rope on the ground, you don’t need a backpack, allowing for a more effortless climb. However, the end knot or stopper knots can get caught in cracks and vegetation. The risk of snagging must be assessed individually for each rope length.