ROCK EXOTICA Soloist User manual

LEADING
Try leading a few easy routes at first to get used to the feel of the Soloist.
Remember that if you are bothered by drag, you can easily eliminate it (figure
6). Take a few small falls on bombproof protection just for fun (falls can be
fun?).
While leading, you’ll want to be aware of where the rope is below you, so that
in a fall, it won’t get tangled around your legs, which would prevent the jaw
from locking. Also, with any solo belay method there will be two parts of the
rope hanging from you, the anchored side and the free side (plus the rope
hanging from the backup knot if it’s attached to you). Make sure you clip the
anchored side into your protection.
Soloist
Solo Belay System
Instruction Manual
Manufactured by:
Rock Exotica Equipment
P.O. Box 160470 Clearfield, UT 84016
Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]
www.rockexotica.com
Rock Exotica Equipment makes no express warranties concerning the
Soloist. This product is solely for use in recreational climbing and
mountaineering, following the specific guidelines of the User’s Manual.

INTRODUCTION
The Soloist is designed to provide, in conjunction with a backup knot, a
means of self belay for the solo climber. The rope feeds through the Soloist
automatically as the climber advances, and it will handle a very hard fall and
it is easy to back up.
Approx. breaking strength: 5000 lbs (2270 kg)
Weight: 10 oz. (285 gm)
Construction: 6061-T6 and 7075-T6 aluminum alloys and hardened
stainless steel. All parts are machined from solid stock; no castings are
used.
WARNING
The Soloist is for expert use only! It is the user’s obligation to get proper
instruction and climb safely.
Solo climbing is more difficult and potentially much more dangerous than
climbing with a partner. Those who have made the decision to solo do so
entirely at their own risk. Use of the Soloist will not necessarily make soloing
safer.
Your ultimate belay is your backup knot. It must be placed to prevent serious
injury if you take a fall that the Soloist will not catch. The Soloist is intended
for use as an intermediate device that will shorten your fall if you fall relatively
upright and if the rope is free to lift up and lock the jaw.
Falling while climbing solo is extremely dangerous. Any solo belay method
should be regarded as a last resort that may allow you to survive the fall, but
no system, including the Soloist, can guarantee your safety in a fall.
Your first rule while climbing must be: Don’t Fall.
THEORY
In use, the Soloist is attached to the climber and as the climber ascends, the
device moves freely along the rope, one end of which has been anchored at
the bottom of the climb. The climber clips the anchored side of the rope into
protection as he advances. If the climber falls (in a relatively upright
position), then the pull of the rope will be from an upward direction, which will
cause the jaw of the device to lock against the rope and stop the fall.
RAPPELLING
While you are close to the ground, try rappelling a few feet with the Soloist
(see figure 7). Reverse the rope from how you had it for top roping (in this
new position the anchored side of the rope should come out the top of the
Soloist). It doesn’t matter if the jaw and pin are in the Soloist or left out.
Push a loop through the rappel slot, clip a ‘biner through it and rappel,
controlling the rappel with a hand holding the free side of the rope, just as
you would with any rappel method. Try again with two ‘biners, which should
give a little more friction.
Reverse the way the rope runs through the Soloist (now it should be back to
how it was while top roping). Rappel with one and then two ‘biners. Now put
the jaw in (if it wasn’t already), and you’ll try something that is only possible
when the rope is running the current way through the Soloist. With your
weight off the rope, lift up the tail end of the jaw with your finger and hold it
up as you apply your weight (of course, your controlling hand is holding the
rope, ready to control the rappel). As you apply your weight, the rope will
hold up the jaw and lock it. This is a way to hold yourself on rappel if
desired, but never take your controlling hand off of the rope, in case of
slippage, unless you tie a backup knot. Speaking of slippage, see if you can
lean back and bounce around and make it slip.
The choice of which position to rappel in is up to you, but the following is
often convenient for free climbing on multiple pitches when you are rappelling
on the climbing rope: After leading the route, tie the free end into a rappel
anchor (establish it so that it will be a safe belay anchor for the next pitch; i.e.
protect against an upward as well as a downward pull). Before rappelling,
reverse the rope (from the way it was while leading) so that the rope from the
rappel anchor goes in the bottom of the Soloist. Rappel and clean the route
(in this position you can lock off the rappel if necessary to make cleaning a
stuck piece easier). At the bottom, unclip the rappel ‘biner, untie the belay
anchor and you’re ready to second the pitch using the Soloist as a top rope
belay.
There is one other rather obscure advantage to rappelling with the rope in
the above position. The ‘biner clipped through the rappel loop is, of course,
what gives the system its friction. If the ‘biner should somehow come
unclipped while rappelling in this position, the jaw would simply lock,
preventing a fall. For this reason, this position may be safer if a locking ‘biner
is not available.
Now that you’ve tried a few mini rappels, climb the whole pitch, pulling the
slack through (it may slide through by itself, depending on the route) and
tying a few backup knots as necessary. Then try a couple of full length
rappels. If you’re nervous, you can back up your rappel by tying a few loop
knots down rope, untying them as you get to them.
Rope Size: 10-11 mm for lead climbing.

WEARING IT
The open side of the Soloist is the front. The ‘biner hole is the top. The
rappel slot is near the bottom on the back of the Soloist. Tie the Soloist to
your waist harness and clip it to your chest harness in such a way that the
open side is pointing more or less to the front (figure 2).
To see how you’ll hang from it after a fall, throw your climbing rope around a
friendly tree limb and hang from it. The Soloist is pretty forgiving in how it is
worn, but you want it to be comfortable (not too tight or too loose) while
climbing and to not let you turn upside down while hanging from it. You
should also not wear it too high or it may come up and hit your face in a big
fall.
TOP ROPING
Now that you know how to put it on and back it up, it’s time to get out there
and do something with it!
Go to your favorite crag and put up a top rope on an easy route (wear a
disguise if you are afraid of being seen on anything less than 5.11). This is a
low intensity way to learn that, yes; it really will catch a fall. Put the rope in
the Soloist, remembering that whether leading or top roping, the anchored
side comes out the bottom and the free end comes out the top (figure 3).
Double check, as you always will before climbing, by pulling up on the
anchored side to make sure you rigged it correctly and that the jaw is free to
rotate.
Climb up a few feet (take up the slack by pulling on the side of the rope that
comes out the top of the Soloist) and tie a backup knot. Now . . . JUMP!
Assuming that the laws of physics are in effect, you won’t go far. Climb up a
few more feet, but this time leave some slack in the rope and jump again.
After you’re comfortable taking these simulated falls, you should explore the
limits of the Soloist, so tie a short (1 foot) backup and keep your hands on
the rope to hold yourself. Hang from the rope with the Soloist and, with both
feet on the rock, start leaning back (you may have to walk your feet up the
rock). Eventually the Soloist will release. Let yourself slide down to the
backup knot. You’ve just simulated what happens when you take a fall that
the Soloist cannot catch. Try a few more gentle falls at various extreme
angles and positions (ignore the stares of mystified passersby) so that your
backup catches you. Try some with the knot not attached to you and some
with it hooked to your harness.
The device is backed up by tying a loop knot in the free side of the rope. The
knot may be attached to your harness or just left hanging (but make sure it
cannot come untied).
ATTACHING THE SOLOIST TO THE CLIMBER
The Soloist is attached to the climber’s waist harness with a loop of 8 or 9
mm rope (tied with a double fisherman’s knot) and it is held in an upright
position on the climber by a chest harness (which can be just a piece of
webbing; see figure 1).
The open side of the Soloist faces forward (figure 2).
The Soloist should be located at the correct height relative to the climber’s
body, which will help you to stay upright after a fall. (If you turn upside down
after a fall, the Soloist will probably release).
Most people will position it so that the bottom of the Soloist is a little higher
than navel level. After a fall you should be able to hang from it totally relaxed
and be in no danger of turning upside down. Avoid wearing it too low and/or
very tightly, as this will increase the leverage of your upper body to turn
upside down.
OPERATION
The Soloist must be rigged correctly (figure 3), so that the anchored side of
the rope comes out the bottom of the Soloist (but don’t put it through the
rappel slot by mistake). The free side of the rope comes out the top of the
Soloist and through the chest ‘biner. Before climbing, double check by
pulling up on the anchored side of the rope to make sure you rigged it
correctly.

The Soloist relies on the direction of rope pull to lock it. The critical angle is
the angle that the rope comes out of the Soloist. It will not lock if you fall
headfirst.
In a free fall beneath your pro (figure 4), even if you are leaning far back, the
Soloist should lock. But if your last piece of protection angles sharply away
from you (for instance, on a low angle slab figure 5), and you fall leaning far
backwards, the Soloist may not lock. (For the same reason, do not lean far
back after a catch on a low angle slab).
Your chest ‘biner through the top hole keeps the pin from coming out. Use a
full size ‘biner and not a mini which may not be large enough in diameter to
capture the pin. Make sure the one you use is large enough.
If rocks, ice, etc. fall onto the Soloist while climbing, check the unit for debris
that could jam the jaw.
REDUCING DRAG
At times, as you climb long pitches, there may be enough rope between you
and the anchor that the weight of the rope causes drag through the Soloist.
This weight on the anchored side may also pull the free end through up to
your backup knot during the last part of a long pitch. These problems can be
avoided if the weight is taken off the anchored side as needed (usually only 1
or 2 times a pitch).
If danger of an upside down fall is great, you can always tie your backup as if
you weren’t even using a Soloist (you can use a clove hitch on a ‘biner
attached to your harness for the backup, as it is easier to adjust in small
increments than a loop knot). Then you’ll still have the advantage of having
the Soloist catch you if you don’t fall upside down.
Backing up the Soloist is easy since you can simply tie a loop knot and
attach it to your harness or just let it hang down. A well tied loop knot left
hanging should not come untied, but if you are worried, clip a ‘biner through
the loop and around the rope. Attaching the backup knot to your harness is
not necessary since a knot will not go through the body of the Soloist and the
rope is kept inside the Soloist’s body by both the chest ’biner and the jaw pin.
The choice of whether to attach the knot to you or let it hang down depends
on several things. At times you’ll want to let it hang down to prevent the
weight of the anchored side from pulling the free end through. Conversely,
you will sometimes hang it from your harness to reduce drag through the
Soloist. Most of the time, though, you can do either one, or its often nice to
just let it hang because that reduces the number of parts of the rope that are
hanging from you.
(By the way, if you’re doing an extremely tortuous route that snags the free
side of the rope as it gets pulled up, you can do as conventional climbers
would be forced to do and climb it in short pitches. Or, you can coil the free
side of the rope or put it in a stuff sack, and take the whole thing with you,
uncoiling it as you go so it can feed through the Soloist.)
When lead climbing, if you can judge where your backups should be, you can
tie them on the ground and untie them when necessary as you’re climbing
(but it is usually easier to put them in the right place as you climb).
(Remember that in lead climbing; a backup knot is pulled up, moving toward
you).
When top roping, you can also either attach the backup knot to you or let it
hang down. You may prefer to let it just hang down most of the time (unless
the knot could jam in a crack when it is later pulled up) because the weight of
the rope will often pull the rope through as you climb, so you don’t have to
pull it manually. When you do let it just hang down, you can leave all your
backup knots in the rope and untie them subsequently when you pull the
rope up or you can tie one, pull up the rope and untie the previous knot,
thereby only keeping one knot in the rope. (In top roping the climber moves
up and away from the backup knot).

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
If you have any questions about the Soloist, please contact us. We would
also like to receive comments, tips on using the Soloist and reports of solo
climbs. Information on solo climbing is very sparse and your contribution
(which we will pass on to others) can be important. Thanks!
Rock Exotica Equipment [phone] Phone
P.O. Box 160470 [phone] Fax
Clearfield, UT 84016 [email protected]
USA www.rockexotica.com
LEARNING HOW TO USE THE SOLOIST
While the Soloist operates on a very simple principle and has only one
moving part, it has a unique purpose and is totally unlike any other device.
To become comfortable with the Soloist and able to use all of its potential will
take some time and experience.
This is a guide to help you learn to use the Soloist. When you’re through you
should have understood and experienced:
1) Backing up the Soloist 5) Falling on your backup
2) How to wear the Soloist 6) Rappelling
3) Top roping 7) Lead climbing
4) Falling on the Soloist
BASIC OPERATION
To see how the Soloist works, put the rope through it and pull on the end that
comes out of the bottom (figure 3). If you pull down on the rope, it will travel
freely through the Soloist, but an upward pull will cause the jaw to lock,
preventing rope travel. One end of the jaw acts as a lever; the other end is a
cam that solidly locks the rope. Experiment with various angles of pull
(relative to the body of the Soloist) and you’ll find that even a horizontal pull
will start to lock.
BACKING UP THE SOLOIST
The most important thing to remember is that the Soloist is directional and
was designed to stop relatively upright falls. It is easy to backup, and
generally, the greater the risk of falling upside down, the shorter your backup
should be.
The falling climber’s body position is identical in both of these cases. But the
angle of the rope coming out of the Soloist is not the same.
The climber on the left is falling from a vertical route and the rope is coming
out of the Soloist at a sufficient angle to lock the jaw and stop the fall.
The climber on the right is falling from a very low angle slab and because he
is leaning so far back, the angle that the rope makes with the Soloist may not
be adequate to lock the jaw. If the climber fell in the more usual manner for
such fall (leaning more into the rock), then the close-up view of the Soloist
and the rope would look like that on the left, and the jaw would lock.

Note: You can often forget about relieving the rope weight if you don’t mind
some drag, but relieving the weight is very fast and simple, and allows you to
solo any route without drag.
Weight can be relieved in either of two ways (figure 6). The first method is to
tie a knot in the rope and clip it into your pro when weight gets to be a
problem. This is simple but will increase your fall factor. The second method
is to carry a sling of small diameter rope (such as 3mm). Tie the sling with a
prusik onto the climbing rope below a piece and then hook the sling over
your ‘biner so that the climbing rope is pulled up tight. Given sufficient sling
length or low sling breaking strength, this should not increase the fall factor.
(Obviously, you’ve got to pick the right piece to use with either of these
methods since it may later be subjected to an upward pull).
A lot of weight on the free side of the rope can also cause drag. This is easy
to remedy. Just clip your backup knot to your harness. On the other hand, if
the weight of the anchored end is pulling the free end through, letting the free
end hang down without being clipped to your harness (but with a backup knot
still in it!) will balance the weight of the anchored side and prevent it from
pulling through.
It will quickly become second nature to keep the two sides balanced and
relieve the weight when necessary thereby keeping drag unnoticeable.
TOP ROPING
The Soloist can also be used for a top rope device. Just as for lead climbing,
the anchored side of the rope comes out the bottom of the Soloist, but of
course with a top rope the anchor is above you.
As you climb, you may have to pull the rope through by hand, but often the
rope will feed by itself once there is enough rope weight on the free side. As
when leading, back it up with a knot in the free end.
RAPPELLING
The slot on the bottom of the Soloist can be used for rappelling on a single
rope. To do so, just push a loop of rope through it and clip a ‘biner (or two,
for more friction) through the loop as you would with a belay plate. You don’t
even have to remove the jaw.
Note: When rappelling, the rope can run either way through the Soloist (i.e.
the anchored side can come out of the top or the bottom; see figure 7).
When the anchored end comes out of the bottom, the jaw must be in the
unlocked position to rappel; the jaw can be placed in the locked position to
stop the rappel if desired (see Learning How To Use The Soloist).
The rope can run either
way when rappelling