Silent Partner

“Any climbers out there? Does anyone have any experience with Wren Industries Silent Partner? Specifically, any experience with using it in a top-rope system?”

“No, but I'm interested.”

“We, SAR team, wanted to try them out and Cal-OSHA said they didn't meet their "standards" So we couldn't, but they looked real good.”

“I've been doing some research into solo climbing and it looks like the Silent Partner is the way to go. It (supposedly) is self-feeding, leaving both hands free to climb. Climbing Online reviewed it and said they never could get it to feed smoothly in a top-rope situation, but none of the other info I've come across agreed with that. It does weigh more than the other options, like Soloist, Solo-Aid. But it doesn't require you to wear a chest harness, and it will support an upside down fall, or a fall when the angle is less than vertical, since it is rope-speed actuated. I've also heard of people using a rigged up gri-gri or even a figure-8 to self-belay, but I don't think that is particulairly safe.
From the retailers I've talked to, it sounds like they are really starting to take-off. Hardly anyone has them right now and the shop in Denver, where they are made, is taking reserve orders to try to get them out.”

“Keep us up to date on them m-nuts, I've never even heard of it before. Solo climbing is something that I'd be interested in checking out tho. Thanks for keeping us in the know!”

“Here is the web address, the manual contains a lot of info.
http://www.wrenindustries.com/silentpart_home.html”

“I did a new rout once solo with a Petzl Crole(I think that's the spelling) hooked to my chest. I wouldn't recomend that sh!t to anyone! Skeery!”

“if your partner is Silent doesn't that mean your doing something wrong. I don't have that problem, do you?”

“.”

“I can't say much but about them but I have using the silent partner one time for just a couple feet. It didn't feed the rope very well, but it is suppose to be the best out there.”

“Hehe, tha's a dang fine point ThinAir.”

“cool device, but using carabiners to attach the silent partner to your saddle??? What if the damn thing gets twisted, you fall, and it loads on the gates? I'd be tempted to use 2 screw links instead. I use screw links on anything that makes a sudden & violent change in orientation. But then I'm an arborist, not a rock climber.

I love the advice in the manual: "It's best not to fall." Gravity never sleeps, eh?”

“Well I spent the day trying out my new Silent Partner. Like the manual says, its not a real complicated device, but it does take practice to get the hang of it. I tried out several routes on a 60 ft. face at my local crag. Your rope-management skills definately need to be up to par, climbing solo you have a lot of rope to keep track of. I did initially have problems getting it to feed smoothly, but by the end of the day things were going much better. It helps a lot to anchor your rope at the base of the route and not have much slack. It also works much better on routes that are straight up and down. 3/4 of the way up one route it kept locking up (I thought). I spent about 20 minutes cussing and swearing, trying to get the freaking thing to feed. Every time I thought I had it fixed, I would try to move up the wall and get hung up again. Finally I realized it wasn't the Silent Partner (it was working fine), one of the knots in my back-up line was hung up 20 ft below me! Wow, did I feel like an idiot! I had a lot of fun, though. I think this is gonna be a great new toy!”

“Thought I would bring this thread back to life, 'cause of the other climbing thread.

I'm now climbing almost exclusively with this thing. Even when I go with other people now, we all use the Silent Partner.

It doesn't work well on ALL routes, but on straight vertical rock w/o much traversing, it really shines. I've really come to enjoy soloing with it, I can go whenever I want and not worry about my friends schedule.”