Ropetek Hitch Hiker
- Thread starter PCTREE
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Burnham
Woods walker
SkwerI
Treehouser
Adrian, I'm afraid I have to agree with the others on the Cooper. It looks like a hitch designed by somebody still used to using a Blake's without a hitch tender. When I first ventured into the world of advanced hitches, the best piece of advice I ever got was "keep the hitch as short as possible to reduce slop". The Cooper looks to be the exact opposite, with an extra foot of slop added in for no reason (unless the user wants to constantly push the hitch up by hand). I think using a hitch like that would create and reinforce inefficient habits.
bonner1040
Nick from Ohio
Maybe the twist doesn't collapse..
Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2
Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2
rbtree
Climbing Up
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2005
- Messages
- 1,924
I have to maintain that from as close an examination as I can make, the different nomenclature of the hitches in those two photos Jack has posted seem totally arbitrary. To my eye, the left has one braid and the right has two.
Y'all are of course free to dismiss my opinion. I shall personally continue with my own interpretation...which amounts to a tiny molehill beside the knot terminology mountain
.
I confess to have tilted at a few windmills in my life, before this one.
Back to this if I may. There's two differences in that photo....the Valdotain has five wraps and two cross overs..when dressed it will convert to four and three. It can be formed with seven wraps...and will still convert to a 4-3 configuration, and the crossovers of each end are all either on top or underneath each other. But the only real difference is in the way the crossovers are formed.
The Vt has four wraps and three braids. When tied the three crossovers are braided, with the second crossover of one end passing under the other. I believe a Vt will grab a bit more than the non braided Valdotain....
As far as the double overhand stopper knot goes, when it's dressed properly, it takes on the appearance of a scaffold knot (or what is sometimes called half a double fisherman's)
Ok, now back to regularly scheduled programming....
kevin bingham
TreeHouser
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2010
- Messages
- 4,788
Coopers hitch is a suprisingly great hitch. Been running it for about a month. It tends great and is quite reliable
pete mctree
Treehouser
I have used it for a week or so & yes, there is sit-back, but it also self-tends well & grabs reliably. Like most things in life, you compromise good & bad to your preferences & strengths.
chris_girard
Treehouser
LOL. Paul I love the Valdotain knot, though it's too damn hard to say and spell so I'll just call it the "V" Knot or french prussic. Releases awesome for me as well.
rangerdanger
TreeHouser
There is a bit of sit back, yes, but like Kevin and Pete said, it's a great hitch, and I'll compromise a bit. For me, it's not a huge issue, I'm not worried about the few inches of sit back I get. It tends so well, and releases so smoothly and grabs consistently, I can't ask more for a great hitch. Yes, I've tried the Valdortian, it worked well, but I couldn't quite get it dialed in as sweet as the cooper is right now. I'll mess around with it some more, I always enjoy tinkering with hitches, trying to find the perfect one.
Burnham
Woods walker
pete mctree
Treehouser
That's cool Paul
A quick bit of feed-back on the H-H;
The system itself is a joy to use & tends & switches from ascent to descent seamlessly. It fuctions well both with a single line & when used with traditional dDrt. I love the way it "responds" by giving more friction when a greater force is put on it.
The major negatives at this moment are my flounderings with my attempts to learn srt climbing. I look like a three legged rino learning ballet at best
A quick bit of feed-back on the H-H;
The system itself is a joy to use & tends & switches from ascent to descent seamlessly. It fuctions well both with a single line & when used with traditional dDrt. I love the way it "responds" by giving more friction when a greater force is put on it.
The major negatives at this moment are my flounderings with my attempts to learn srt climbing. I look like a three legged rino learning ballet at best
PCTREE
Treehouser
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #564
Pete, I also would be in that boat, however I just Wraptor up and then on removals tie into the top and SRT the tree. Works really well as there is so much less slack tending etc, however to date I havent tried ascending with it as Im lazy
BTW are you tying the cordage to the biner??
BTW are you tying the cordage to the biner??
pete mctree
Treehouser
Someone needs to hide that wraptor for a few days.... 
It's not just the initial ascent just the spready habit of alot of the trees I work.
I set the H-H with the cordage tied around the biner , but by keeping the stopper knots below the dogbone it, for me is just an exercise in compliance
I did not get on at all with bee-line (understatement), so I am trying ice tail at the moment. I have a couple of other cordages I will try with the PI before I decide
It's not just the initial ascent just the spready habit of alot of the trees I work.I set the H-H with the cordage tied around the biner , but by keeping the stopper knots below the dogbone it, for me is just an exercise in compliance
I did not get on at all with bee-line (understatement), so I am trying ice tail at the moment. I have a couple of other cordages I will try with the PI before I decide
pete mctree
Treehouser
Did not perform reliably with the PI. I must say that the rope is quite smooth due to it's use with a lock-jack. Perhaps If I had given it more time to break it in, It might have performed better, but with my level of inexperiance with srt I needed a positive grab with the hitch. I will give you better feed-back in a couple of weeks or so, when, not only will I be more profitient, but I will have tried more options & retied the bee-line
Ha ha ha! That produces a powerful image. I had the same problem. It's hard to relearn and fumble around at something you are very good at. Just take your time and analyze the movements and it will come to you and be oh so worth it.
Dave
chris_girard
Treehouser
Hey Paul, on pg 44 of this thread, you show a picture of how you have the HH setup in your bridge. It looks like the rope and biner are set so that if you have to take up slack in the system than you pull your climb line up and away from you.
I have my HH setup just the opposite so that when I have to take up slack I pull the rope up towards me. Is this the wrong way to have the HH setup, or is it user preference?
Hope that I'm making myself somewhat clear and that you can picture what I'm referring to.
I have my HH setup just the opposite so that when I have to take up slack I pull the rope up towards me. Is this the wrong way to have the HH setup, or is it user preference?
Hope that I'm making myself somewhat clear and that you can picture what I'm referring to.
PCTREE
Treehouser
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #570
Trying to figure what the ramifications might be...... To me having the spine face you (which is the prissiest view of it IMO) just makes sense to me. This is how you tend slack for a hitch climber and the rope naturally drops out the bottom... I would recomend the way I do it just because thats how our instructions that we are just finishing up say to do it
quabinclimber
TreeHouser
Paul, how is the Yale buzz line working out for SRT and with the HH?
Do you have a picture of how you set yours, Chris? The HH does work best if the spine is facing you as the rope then falls straight down through the carabiner. If you have your climbing line routed properly through the HH, if the opening is facing you, then the trailing tale of your line would be crossing the carabiner. Not as clean. If the tail is falling straight down when the opening is facing you, the slack tending options will be limited.
Dave
bonner1040
Nick from Ohio
How is everyone holding the HH up while ascending?
I saw Daves picture
But It looks like that might be a bit uncomfortable when leaning back, if not preventing you from leaning all the way back.
Dave?
Interested to know what everyone is using, chest harness or a lanyard over the shoulder and where you clip it into.
I saw Daves picture
But It looks like that might be a bit uncomfortable when leaning back, if not preventing you from leaning all the way back.
Dave?
Interested to know what everyone is using, chest harness or a lanyard over the shoulder and where you clip it into.
Nick, that solid yellow cord is a bungee loop that is attached to the rear center of my harness. Once you get the length right it is very comfortable. But the only time I will use that setup is with a rope walker or as a self belay when spurring up. In both those situations leaning far back does not normally happen and in an open air ascent where the Hitch Hiker is taking the place of a Croll, a non stretchy shoulder harness will give you a lot of support for maintaining an upright body position.
Most of the time while moving through the tree, a light hand is all it takes to advance the HH. For as strong as it grabs, it is amazing how completely it releases with just a light lifting of the carabiner.
Dave
Most of the time while moving through the tree, a light hand is all it takes to advance the HH. For as strong as it grabs, it is amazing how completely it releases with just a light lifting of the carabiner.
Dave
