Any Rope Wrench or Hitch Hiker users here?

[Bermy]

I've watched and listened and read along with lots of the stuff about the RW, and the new RR and BDB, here and on facebook...honestly, I don't think I'll change. The only one to me that looks tempting to try is the BDB...bu tin the back of my mind I really like that the HH is a COMBINATION of mechanical and hitch based.

I look at the RW and all I can see is the potential for it to get pushed down from the top when climbing through tight branches and stuff, and the length of it overall limiting how close I can pull into my TIP...and also the times I have had my HH and hitch smashed up against a branch I am trying to climb past...you know what I mean?

 

[Tim_B.]

Means a lot when Dave says something about a climb system. The man was a die hard Unicender user previous, if I recall correctly.

I am coming to understand that it means just about everything, and that I can just be a hard headed individual who is sometimes slow to learn. Having said that, I think it is still important to be willing to try the alternatives, to see if anything can be gained from their use. It is the fact that Dave has tried them all that gives him all of his knowledge.

Tim

 

[Tim_B.]

Hahaha! Well it is true that most of what is in my mind is no longer fresh! But because I am my own boss I will often take the time to play with my many tools, switching between trees, just to remind me of what each has to offer. Still like what the HH brings to the table best.

About your concerns on removing a tool for a redirect, there are other ways that you might try instead. One would be to use the tail of your rope. Toss it over your redirect crotch and once you can get the end back, tie on a carabiner. Clip the carabiner onto your climbing line above your friction device and pull it up to the redirect point. You can tie off your now floating false crotch with a retrievable or a non retrievable knot and go to work, or climb up to the new suspension point and change things from there.

There are lots of different ways to accomplish a task, you just need to find what works best for you.

Dave, your first paragraph brings up a huge point about a big advantage to being your own boss, and that is the freedom to set your own agenda. Also, the fact that you continue to push the limits of your knowledge by being willing to constantly try new things, or to revisit things you've tried already to see if there's something you might have missed the first time.

I thank you for the ideas you stated in your second paragraph. The idea of pulling my climbing line above my system up to a new redirect point, thereby eliminating the need to untie the system is a really interesting one to me, but I'm afraid I'm having difficulty understanding the methodology for being able to tie a stopper knot at a location that is remote from me. I've been playing around with a twenty foot lanyard that has biners on it for the last half hour, trying to replicate the technique, with no success. I am getting ideas from the process, however.

I'll need to search through YouTube to see if I can find any vids on how to remotely set a stopper knot.

If it were possible, it would allow you to add a redirect point to an already existing string of redirect points, without having to swap the whole system over to a new leg of rope. It would also mean that this last support point need not be six inches in diameter, capable of supporting 100% of your weight, as most of your weight would already be distributed amongst all of the other redirects.

It might be possible to put a foot ascender on the cinched leg of rope in order to climb up to the redirect point, but if it popped off during the ascent I'd be headed for a fall.

It is my own shortcoming, but the remote setting of the stopper knot is just not computing for me at this time, and I need to research the concept further in order to try to understand how it is done, if I am even understanding you correctly.

Thanks for all of your help and suggestions. Also, you were involved in the development and testing of the Hitch Hiker, were you not? If that is correct, thanks for helping to bring such a great product to the hands of climbers.

Tim

 

[DMc]

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/srt-sing...gear-less-tail-less-retreivable-redirect.html

Tim, check out this video and discussion. Though Dan is using it for a different purpose, this is the type of knot I was referring to, not a stopper knot. You would use this or something less sketchy to secure the base leg of the floating false crotch. You could carry a short length of rope specifically for setting remote redirects if this is something you run into often.
You could also just use your lanyard, if it is long enough or a grapple to haul yourself over to the new suspension point. Once there you could run your climbing system over the crotch without fear of it getting jammed.
Please understand that there are a ton of variables on how or when these things will work. I am just using them as examples of potential work-a-rounds.

 

[Tim_B.]

Thanks for these ideas, Dave. I'd been thinking about the possibility of the base leg tied floating false crotch, plus the idea of carrying a separate rope for the purpose in order to free up the climbing rope. I don't own the grapple tool yet, but it is on my wish list. Seeing Reg Coates using one for his traverses from tree to tree makes it look like a really cool tool to own. I have used a base tied floating false crotch once already to support an impact block on a limb that was out of reach to me at that point in time, and it worked beautifully.

Thanks again for all of your great advice and suggestions. I really appreciate your patience with me.

Tim

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

PS. The Hitch Hiker hitch is a Valdotain, not Valdotain Tresse VT. Simple french prussic.

It takes some adjusting. Seems you can adjust to different rope sizes with a simple re-tie.

Jaime's Hybrid OAR was wicked to use. Didn't experience sap with it.

I know the HH is super bomb proof if it gets misloaded. I like that. The H-OAR looked skookum, too, but I get concerned about cross loaded linkages in a slip or such.

 

[Limbrat]

I've been trying something for a few weeks that has worked well so far and I'm just curious if anyone else ties off the tail of their climbing line when spiking up SRT with the Hitch Hiker. I've been using my over the shoulder tending strap while climbing and with the climbing line tail tied, the HH self advances with no need to stop and tend slack. Once at the top, I get my groundie to untie it and it's business as usual. Everybody may do it this way, I don't have much contact with other climbers besides you guys and girls. Anyone see any negatives in it? It adds just a little more resistance going up, but unless your hitch is tied super tight, it's negligible and not having to stop every few steps seems to be an advantage. Thoughts?

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

If you coil some of your rope tail, like closed-form throwing not, this weight can do the same job, without needing a groundie. A heavy throw weight on a biner, clipped into your rope can do the same. I then use the weight and steel biner to advance me rope.

Some will hang their climbing saw.

Don't you have too much tension for, if the rope is tight, avoiding slack?

 

[Altissimus]

I keep a small clevis through an eye , bigger stainless hook through that keep it about two foot off the ground....serves as dead weight climbing and my no knot haul up for whatever I my need that I did not forsee...

 

[NHlocal]

I've done it, works great!

Had it tied to my rigging rope bag which I pulled up when I reached my TIP.

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s5pU_hLRe6U?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Limbrat]

You're way ahead of me Randy, I should've checked out your vids!

 

[NHlocal]

Haha.....I don't know about being "ahead" of anybody, everything I know I've learned from others.
I'm just happy to be able to pass it along.

 

[Limbrat]

Sean, I tried the weighted line but the rope tied off with a little slack in it feels like it gives me a little more maneuverability. I'm going to continue to experiment with it.

 

[NHlocal]

It works with the 'Bone REALLY good.

Self Tending 'Bone

 

[Limbrat]

Is that a hydration pack Randy?

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Let us know what you find.

My M.O. is: how can I get the groundie to be freed up more from helping me when climbing, so that he can keep helping me by getting processing and clean-up done.



When I have a long spur climb back up a trunk, and am only ascending on my spurs and flipline, once I get some weight below, I tend to pull my HH body up the weighted rope, not lifting the rope, unlike the traditional tending by lifting against a DdRT pulley of the entire tail.


Lifting the rope to tend the rope is wasted energy (and joint life... its not the years, its the miles), when the alternative is available.

 

[Limbrat]

I'm with you Sean. If the ground guy has his stuff together, and it's at the beginning of a job, he's usually not too busy on a long spur climb, but I certainly understand that efficiency = money in your pocket. 10-4 on the miles too, once again, efficiency of movement saves your body. I am all about longevity.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I do it with some weight on the line if the stem allows. If it is too bid around for my comfort, no. Fast when you can though.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

When I have a long spur climb back up a trunk, and am only ascending on my spurs and flipline, once I get some weight below, I tend to pull my HH body up the weighted rope, not lifting the rope, unlike the traditional tending by lifting against a DdRT pulley of the entire tail.


Lifting the rope to tend the rope is wasted energy (and joint life... its not the years, its the miles), when the alternative is available.

To clarify, I generally use my lanyard for my over-the-shoulder advancing tether. When I am using my flip line for climbing, I slide the Hitch Hiker from hanging low, to up high, just in the rhythm, step, flip, step, flip, slide, step flip...

If there is too much grip from the hitch being very tight, then typical pulling up to advance slack is necessary. When its in the sweet spot, it starts to feed, with a bit of slack, possibly a hint of creep if not set firmly by sitting on the saddle/ HH solidly. When I'm working, I find I tend to notice if I have a hair of creep, and bump it with my sleeve a hair, it sticks. Something I do, effectively unconsciously. Of course I could run it a bit tighter, but I'm happy that way.

 

[sawman]

I've been trying something for a few weeks that has worked well so far and I'm just curious if anyone else ties off the tail of their climbing line when spiking up SRT with the Hitch Hiker. I've been using my over the shoulder tending strap while climbing and with the climbing line tail tied, the HH self advances with no need to stop and tend slack. Once at the top, I get my groundie to untie it and it's business as usual. Everybody may do it this way, I don't have much contact with other climbers besides you guys and girls. Anyone see any negatives in it? It adds just a little more resistance going up, but unless your hitch is tied super tight, it's negligible and not having to stop every few steps seems to be an advantage. Thoughts?

Brilliant limbrat!! Sounds like this would work on paper, can't wait to give it a try this weekend! (Got some tall ones to do)

 

[DMc]

When the HH hitch is set right, it should slide up the rope with just a relatively small amount of tail weight. With it clipped into a chest harness you should not have to touch it, just climb.

 

[NHlocal]

Is that a hydration pack Randy?

Yes it is. It's a Dakine Hydrapak, it'll hold 3 liters.

 

[MasterBlaster]

More than I like to pack around.

 

[NHlocal]

Working solo a lot I don't have the option of having a groundie send up water.
And if I know I'll be up in the tree for more than an hour I wear it, having ice water
on demand when I want it is more than worth the extra couple pounds.

 

[Tim_B.]

I've been trying something for a few weeks that has worked well so far and I'm just curious if anyone else ties off the tail of their climbing line when spiking up SRT with the Hitch Hiker. I've been using my over the shoulder tending strap while climbing and with the climbing line tail tied, the HH self advances with no need to stop and tend slack. Once at the top, I get my groundie to untie it and it's business as usual. Everybody may do it this way, I don't have much contact with other climbers besides you guys and girls. Anyone see any negatives in it? It adds just a little more resistance going up, but unless your hitch is tied super tight, it's negligible and not having to stop every few steps seems to be an advantage. Thoughts?

I don't even own spurs yet, but I understand what you are describing here, I believe, and it sounds like a great solution to me. Because you have no foot ascender incorporated with the spurs, the rope would just hang slack below you and not allow the hitch to run up the rope effectively. Nice work around. I think I've read that there are a couple of different rigs out there that incorporate a foot ascender with spurs, but I have not dug deep to learn about it yet, as so far it's not the kind of climbing that I do.

Tim

P.S. Just in case, I'll mention here that when I prepare to climb using my Hitch Hiker, when I first make up my hitch it can be really resistant to tending easily. I like to tie my hitch tight against the sloping side of the Hitch Hiker so that it has as little slack in it as possible, so that after it gets fully weighted it is as close to the top of the Hitch Hiker as Paul Cox recommends it to be. So the point I'm getting to is that initially it's really tight and hard to tend, but that by sitting in it a few times to get it to set, while I'm still on the ground, it gets easier. Then I like to try to sit in it really hard, after I know the hitch is behaving as it should to catch my weight. Loading it hard seems to me to make it tend slack effortlessly once I actually start climbing using a foot ascender and an over-the-shoulder tending strap.