Throwline trick for traversing

NickfromWI

King of Splices
Joined
Mar 30, 2005
Messages
4,992
Location
Snowless California
This was posted on treeclimbing.com today. I was blown away by its simplicity. It solves a problem I've spent a bit of time trying to solve.

http://pabllo.cocolog-nifty.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/10/09/lineretriever_2.jpg

lineretriever_2.jpg


love
nick
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5
I've tried it at home a couple times today. I swapped out the second throwbag for a small grapnel similar to this one:

twistedgrapnels.jpg


This cuts down on weight aloft, but more importantly it avoiding you from having to make the 2nd throwbag dance around the first line to grab it.

All in all it's a neat trick.

I often have a throwline with me in a tree. I am going to try this tomorrow using the tail end of my climbing line as the first throw line. This will allow me to not have to carry TWO throwlines in the tree.

love
nick
 
This was posted on treeclimbing.com today. I was blown away by its simplicity. It solves a problem I've spent a bit of time trying to solve.

OK, Nick, I am going back and try to understand it...but I have to stop laughing first..:lol: I figured all that Japanese jibber jabber was part of a bad joke but you sound like there really is something to it.

But, thanks for the laugh anyway. Domo arigato gozaimasu
 
I like the idea, but it seems rather optimistic that less than 4oz of weight difference would be enough.
 
OK, Nick, I am going back and try to understand it...but I have to stop laughing first..:lol: I figured all that Japanese jibber jabber was part of a bad joke but you sound like there really is something to it.

But, thanks for the laugh anyway. Domo arigato gozaimasu

It took me a minuet to understand as well Gary. Basicly, you are in a tree and need a redirect or set a new tip, but not that mobile. The heavy throw line sets the rope over the limb you want. The smaller throw line is there just to pull the heavey throw line back to where you are.
Hell, I don't even have one throw line yet!!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13
Give it a shot...it works. I don't even want to begin to explain the shenanigans I've gotten mixed up in trying to figure out how to retrieve a line that was tossed into a limb to far away to grab with a polesaw.

love
nick
 
Nick, do you know the trick of using the belly of your line to flip around the end of the line and pull it back?
 
i've used my lanyard-boomerang ala Beraneck or one of those extendable retreivers. Sometimes swinging out to do it.
 
I've used the sidekick rope retriever to extend my reach a bit just like a pole saw, but it only goes so far. When I have to make a long traverse I use the jam knot from Gerry's book. I always have a hard time using throw line in a tree because it tangles and gets caught on branches. If you could make a clean toss, that method looks fairly slick though.

Darin- What is the trick you are talking about, to use the belly of the line to grab the end?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #18
Bounce, I'll see if I can explain the trick Darin is talking about.

1-Haul up the tail of your line, tie a monkey's fist
2-Toss line laterally...say 10' away. Of course- you made it on the first shot
3-Now the tail is over the branch, you're holding the standing end.
4-Start feeding slack into the standing end and it begins to drape and form a "belly" that starts drooping toward the tail.
5-Feed enough slack into the belly and you can swing the belly over and grab the monkey's fist.

I've used this technique before. I find that for me it is very limited. I could never make this work on a 40' toss. But it is a great one to know, especially because it doesn't require any extra supplies.

A variation that I'll do is instead of just draping over ...

Actually, I'll post a pic in a minute here...

love
nick
 
Frickin cool! I've never thought of that before. What a slock idea for short traverses! I can see what you mean though about it not working so great for the 40 ft distances. It would be hard to swing the belly that far.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #23
The trick on the left is good enough for throws that are just out of arms reach. Anything longer and you gotta toss the bight like on the right. The possible distance is really limited by the branches below you and between you and your tossed line.

Enjoy!

love
nick
 
Nick, I've been using a very similar technique for years...it was subject to discusion in a couple of threads back in other iterations of the TH, but are gone now, my search shows. I'm talking about your original thread starter, not the loop of climb line trick.

I too use the little grapple hook from New Tribe, though I have the original design.

What I do differently is I don't use a second throwline and a release. I have the grapple tied on a seperate 20-24 inch loop of throwline. After you get the throwbag over the limb you wish to traverse to, let it drop several feet farther than you are from the limb and then hold snug. Prusik the grapple onto the throwline right at hand...a 6 wrap holds it tight easily.

Now let the bag drop under control...that will carry the grapple over just as your example does. Get the grapple right up near the limb, pull back and forth to get it swinging. When it hooks the throwline under the limb and above the bag, pull the throwline back towards you. The grapple will bring the bight of line back to you just as the bag reaches the grapple.
 
Back
Top