Any Rope Wrench or Hitch Hiker users here?

[SouthSoundTree]

Who uses the HH with a 3:1 pulley for limbwalks/ assist from the ground for ascent?

I've used a Revolver. Might be my hitch being too tight for the 3:1 to move perfectly. Sometimes my HH bottom comes up, rather than advancing rope through the HH and beeline.

 

[Cold Logging]

I've never figured out why its called a 3 to 1 . . But no I've not found many limbs big enough to walk, that needed walking since I got my hh.

 

[bonner1040]

Who uses the HH with a 3:1 pulley for limbwalks/ assist from the ground for ascent?

I've used a Revolver. Might be my hitch being too tight for the 3:1 to move perfectly. Sometimes my HH bottom comes up, rather than advancing rope through the HH and beeline.

I demonstrate it a lot, but rarely use it.

mobile...

 

[NHlocal]

Ayuh, I've used the 3:1 setup with the Revolver for assist on ascent. And yes, I have had the bottom of the HH come up
while advancing(oh yeah, on limb walks also). I either continued to pull and it "straightened" itself out, or I stopped and
"broke open"/loosened the hitch without untying it. Either way it never seemed to be a big problem, more of a distraction.
It does seem to happen to me when I tie my hitch tighter, but not when I tie it "looser".
Hope that helps.....
can't wait to get "back in the saddle".

 

[Bermy]

I tried that yesterday, put the basic/revolver above the HH for a long limbwalk, it all worked just fine, except the tiddler branch I went out on broke and I had a nice swing...but the 3:1 helped me get back up easy!

BTW...is it just me...I find much more upper body work necessary when using SRT, ok, going up initially because you have both legs doing most of the work but doing the in between short ascents, I put my pantin back on and sort of sit/stand, but I seem to be exerting much more strength in arms and shoulders...

 

[NHlocal]

I find myself more and more clipping back in to my HH tender and using my foot ascender to position for cuts and "short ascents".....
Saves me a lot of time(and strength)to be able to finish the job safer.
I REALLY need to make myself a LOTS, I just keep putting it off. :roll:

Yes, I noticed having to "muscle" through positioning myself after switching over to SRT, on DRT you get used to having
the "ever present 2:1 advantage". SRT made me realize how much weight I was REALLY hauling around through the tree.....

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Wasn't someone trying a hitchclimber with a hitchhiker for a lower fairlead? I don't know that it is configured in such a way that it would integrate well in to a 3:1 MA system. If so, it could be cool. Maybe a screw link connector between bridge and HC and steel biner between HC and HH. Would that steel biner wear away at the hitch climber quickly?

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Minus all the friction. A pulley is nicest, for sure at your TIP, but then all the load is on your hitch on descents, unless on a HH. Wonder how a RW would work through a pulley on DdRT?

 

[Cold Logging]

I tried that yesterday, put the basic/revolver above the HH for a long limbwalk, it all worked just fine, except the tiddler branch I went out on broke and I had a nice swing...but the 3:1 helped me get back up easy!

BTW...is it just me...I find much more upper body work necessary when using SRT, ok, going up initially because you have both legs doing most of the work but doing the in between short ascents, I put my pantin back on and sort of sit/stand, but I seem to be exerting much more strength in arms and shoulders...

That is what I found also.

 

[Oldmilltreecare]

Who uses the HH with a 3:1 pulley for limbwalks/ assist from the ground for ascent?

I've used a Revolver. Might be my hitch being too tight for the 3:1 to move perfectly. Sometimes my HH bottom comes up, rather than advancing rope through the HH and beeline.

This happened to me when I first started SRTWP but now I don't bother using it, unless it's a low very long drooping branch.

 

[Oldmilltreecare]

BTW...is it just me...I find much more upper body work necessary when using SRT, ok, going up initially because you have both legs doing most of the work but doing the in between short ascents, I put my pantin back on and sort of sit/stand, but I seem to be exerting much more strength in arms and shoulders...

Hi Bermy
I found this when I started SRTWP. I was think "Hell, they said this would be physically easier but I'm dieing up here!"
After a few weeks I started to realise that I really had to analyse what I was doing with my technique and I had to try and look out myself from outside. So over the following couple of months I just improved my ability to balance on top of branches keeping my body higher up rather than down close to the branch as I would DdRT style.
Have you seen the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? It's the scenes when they are balancing on the bamboo high up. Visualise yourself doing this on your branch and be as light as possible on you feet.

For the short sit-stand ascents, concentrate on keeping your head forwards and close to your rope and as you step down on each foot, try to push your foot behind you. It doesn't actually push behind you but rather straight down. Therefore, ergonomically good. Also, take small steps and do it all slowly so that you can critique yourself.

I hope this makes sense.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Saw a chest box roller recently in person. Looks nice.

 

[Cold Logging]

Yup. I kindof gave up until I get a chest roller. But. I don't need to rope climb very often. And I need a 2 hand ascender. . If I had the right trees for it I would be doing a lot of it tho.

 

[Bermy]

Yes guys, all what you said makes sense, glad to know I'm, not the only one who's experienced this! Another thing going up SRT when your up rope passes close to a branch I would have been out, up and over WAY quicker on Drt...didn't like being all smooshed up next to the trunk on one rope. Beginner trials I suppose.

Friday I climed a euc in a bit of breeze, SRT, my down rope was very close to my up rope, it kind of gave me the weeblies, looking down at it and realizing only my weight on the other side is keeping me up there...
I got up to a nice fork and switched over to Drt. Several things were playing on my mind, breeze, slippy smooth euc and there was a lot of deadwood and ants running up and down all over the tree, plus that sweet/rotten smell of bacteria and weepy bits on the trunk.
I was much more comfortable moving around on tried and true Drt for most of it,

After a lunch break we had a 15' branch to remove over a shed, and SRT came back into play, I was able to route my rope to drop me right over the removal branch...went up to it fine, climbing through mid air, very nice!
Set up the basic/ revolver for the out and back to set the rigging. So it seems it has its place, and climbing iffy trees is not the place to try a new system!!

 

[NHlocal]

Agreed! Getting used to/comfortable with a new system is best done in "safe" conditions.
Sounds like you're slowly becoming "convert" of SRT.....

 

[Cold Logging]

Bermy ; your weight on your support limb or crotch srt is prolly about the same as mine is drt. , well maybe a little less.

I think that being able to use srt, drt as needed is the key. Different trees require different methods.

 

[Bermy]

I hear you!
Problem is I hear all these stories about eucalupts just dropping branches for no apparent reason...makes for an interesting mind game about your TIP...

 

[bonner1040]

Probly way less. Unless you isolate your climb line and then base tie you never hit that (theoretical) 2x force. With the deflection and how I set my line, generally across the top of the tree, my PSP (primary suspension point) probly never sees more than 1/2 my weight or less.

I hang off ridiculously small stuff SRT that I would NEVER tie into DRT.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

yep.

Try out your new climbing systems without the pressure of work. Go dangle around in the garden 10' off the ground. Eat a meal. whatever.

 

[Bermy]

Well I tried it out again yesterday...60' leaning pine removal that had to have the tops cut out because of targets, no room to drop in one.

I tied in SRT to the tree behind it and used the basic/revolver 3:1 for the first part of the climb as I was taking in slack as I fliplined & spiked up the leaner. It would have been perfect all the way but there was one branch from the tie in tree that deflected my line to horizontal right at the top of the leaner...bugger.
Two lanyards solved the problem.

All I can say it that tree would have been much more difficult for me without the SRT option, I would not have been happy tied into it alone (root heave behind it) and Drt would have taken I don't know how long to isolate properly in the other tree not to mention maybe not having enough rope, and friction and...and...

I am very much enjoying the expanded scope of climbing techniques, evolving all the time!

 

[ClimbMIT]

Sounds like you almost had the perfect set up Bermy. Sometimes it's worth the extra time setting up so the climb will go smoother and more efficient once in the tree. IMO I am a beginner as well and haven't been using SRT that much lately. I need to do some rec climbs and get my rope walker system dialed in. I mainly use RW when I am climbing SRTWP but have had a chance to climb on the HH as well recently. Both are fun to climb on when dialed in correctly.

 

[Oldmilltreecare]

Yes guys, all what you said makes sense, glad to know I'm, not the only one who's experienced this! Another thing going up SRT when your up rope passes close to a branch I would have been out, up and over WAY quicker on Drt...didn't like being all smooshed up next to the trunk on one rope. Beginner trials I suppose.

Friday I climed a euc in a bit of breeze, SRT, my down rope was very close to my up rope, it kind of gave me the weeblies, looking down at it and realizing only my weight on the other side is keeping me up there...
I got up to a nice fork and switched over to Drt. Several things were playing on my mind, breeze, slippy smooth euc and there was a lot of deadwood and ants running up and down all over the tree, plus that sweet/rotten smell of bacteria and weepy bits on the trunk.
I was much more comfortable moving around on tried and true Drt for most of it,

After a lunch break we had a 15' branch to remove over a shed, and SRT came back into play, I was able to route my rope to drop me right over the removal branch...went up to it fine, climbing through mid air, very nice!
Set up the basic/ revolver for the out and back to set the rigging. So it seems it has its place, and climbing iffy trees is not the place to try a new system!!

Hi Bermy
You definitely did the right thing reverting back to DdRT for that tree. When I was learning SRTWP I got freaked out a couple of times and started wasting energy due to being nervous. A quick switch back to DdRT got me to relax.
In time, I became so accustomed to SRT that I can no longer deal with DdRT unless the tree is tiny and the rope is there to stop me bruising my bum if I fall!

 

[Cold Logging]

Climbing with flipline and spurs is where I've used srt the most. In bushy trees its often impossible for me to get both parts of a drt line even close to being able to climb that way. But with srt I can base tie to a different tree. I found on side trimming srt worked best by far many times.

But since I've never climbed a tree just on a rope. I don't feel I'm really ( doin it) as far as rope climbing.
I have found some good practice trees here near home and want to start practicing just rope climbing.

 

[Bermy]

It keeps getting better and better...small elm, robinia removal of one stem and a blackwood cleanup...easy peasy moving around in the canopy, just need to fine tune the knee ascender bit, its ok but not as good as I think it could be.

I'm getting the hang of going back up with just the slack tender on the HH and the pantin, much easier on trees that have grippy bark and plenty of branches, not like that nasty slippery eucalyptus.

The HH SRT is definitly a different set of movements than what I've been used to Drt, different way of climbing the rope, different way of utilizing the advantages.

 

[NHlocal]