What are you using for SRT and why?

[Benjo75]

Welcome Cambium Climber!

 

[Porkbrick]

I climb on an akimbo (duh) and usually carry a second akimbo, a steel triple lock biner and a sling+biner combo ( I love the eidlerid cord loop slings!). I have an art positioner on my lanyard. The second akimbo gets used often as a short system either off the tail of my main line or with a 20’ short rope. The sling can be a redirect set retrievable or not, it’s also my foot loop for my custom knee ascender. The steel biner gets used as my terminal connection when climbing mrs and it gets used as a redirect (yes, side loaded against the stem. Only when it’s within my reach, usually just to stabilize while making an awkward cut or installing a better redirect). A lot of the time I’ll natural crotch redirect and throw the tail of my line across to the next planned section of the tree before dropping through the crotch. After working the section under the redirect I’ll get ahold of the tail of my rope, take the akimbo off the rope and pull the loop back through the first redirect. I can set redirects ahead of me that way. Always a pantin on my left foot as well.

 

[SeanKroll]

@cory how's your SRT progress?

 

[cory]

Um, well, um, it is, I guess, non existent.

OTJ I never want to take the time to experiment then, and weekends I simply haven't made the time to do a rec climb and get the feel for it.

I'll probably get into it sometime between this weekend and 5 years from now. Thanks for asking though

 

[gf beranek]

I tried single rope technique in the early 1970s. Quite simply by tying a taughtline hitch to a single run of manila rope. My attempt failed miserably. Low and slow.

Despite the fact I figured it could be done... if by some means the friction on the hitch could be eased enough to make it run smoothly on the rope. Instead of herky-jerky, and the thought of using roller chain in the system come to mind. 30 years later Morgan Thompson's Unisender come to be. It was the incarnation of what I was imagining in the 70s.

Many variations have come about since.

In the early 80s I bought some Gibs Ascenders to reach the old-growth canopy. Although not close to the arborists methods of single line technique all of it has made dramatic improvements over the years.

 

[SeanKroll]

Srt saves so much time over isolating a limb, it might be worth starting SRT-ascent, switch over, and keep doing the work part the hard way. Haha.

 

[cory]

I do lots of wraptor ascents, does that count?

 

[Jonny]

You’ll get to it man. When you’re hired to work a tree down can sometimes be a poor time to get experimental and leave your comfort zone. Talk a friend or family member into joining you for a little rec climbing.

 

[cory]

You kinda read my mind, I'm hoping to do a rec climb with my son who likes climbing at the gym.

 

[SeanKroll]

That's cool, and a sensible plan. Did the ninja do any SRT, where you saw it in action?



I didn't know if you had any kids.




I was part joking, part serious.

I find SRT way easier on my body.

 

[Burnham]

I tried single rope technique in the early 1970s. Quite simply by tying a taughtline hitch to a single run of manila rope. My attempt failed miserably. Low and slow.

Despite the fact I figured it could be done... if by some means the friction on the hitch could be eased enough to make it run smoothly on the rope. Instead of herky-jerky, and the thought of using roller chain in the system come to mind. 30 years later Morgan Thompson's Unisender come to be. It was the incarnation of what I was imagining in the 70s.

Many variations have come about since.

In the early 80s I bought some Gibs Ascenders to reach the old-growth canopy. Although not close to the arborists methods of single line technique all of it has made dramatic improvements over the years.

Those were days when we simple tree climbers were trying like hell to figure out things the cavers had long since begun to develop. Stole a bunch of ideas from them, didn't we . You and I, Jer...and some others, not many but for sure we were not the only ones...began the journey that today's SRT equipment designers/developers have now brought to full fruition.

The first time I ascended a true oldgrowth Douglas fir on my old Texas style sit/stand SRT ascent only system, beating what I knew would have been an extremely arduous spur climb by probably a couple of hours time...eff' me, that was magical.

The stuff today's climbers often must take for granted is light years ahead of those early days...even more magical, I'll tell you true.

It's a beautiful thing to have seen happen.

 

[cory]

Did the ninja do any SRT?

Nah, even though he's young he's old school. Though I think he too is toying with the idea.

 

[Jonny]

There’s a good pic in The Fundamentals of Gerry with those Gibbs. One of them right around knee level I think (might be wrong), one on a footloop, and one on the bridge. Leads me to believe Gerry had a rope walker ascent system decades before it caught on in the industry.

 

[cory]

 

[Tree09]

I get the time thing, and i get not going rec climbing in winter, but waste a weekend messing with it and you'll see why

 

[cory]

I believe ya.

I have no logical reason for not having messed heavily with it already.

 

[biggun]

It does help climbing and working with someone already wise to SRT.

My mate Joe has been climbing 16 years and runs a company here in Oslo. He has been asking q’s for the last year or so and eventually put in an order and got a Akimbo.

We have done quite a few big limbs together and again he has been asking q’s about this and that. The other day he did a large Birch prune himself. When he got down I said ‘your enjoying this aren’t you?’ I could tell by the body language.

In his words it has rejuvenated his climbing with fresh techniques and makes him think more about the task but is far easier on the body for large prunes.

In other words he is pretty hungry to climb again after beating his body with doubled ropes systems for the last 16 years.

His first full SRT climb in November. Large Elm prune, in the rain. Talk about low and slow LOL.

 

[SeanKroll]

Miriam and I discuss a Busman's Holiday, post covid... I'd show you a trick or two, Cory.

The S.C.A.M. or similar gives 3:1, without setback. Beats 2:1, DdRT, as needed. Easy to set up, and use or not...keep the standing end clipped to you.


Wide spreading trees would be much more suitable with the redirects, limb walks, and consistent friction.

 

[cory]

Miriam and I discuss a Busman's Holiday, post covid... I'd show you a trick or two, Cory.

That would be awesome.

Get here soon, we'll do some cold dunking

 

[pantheraba]

You were golden until you got to "cold dunking"...that would have me looking sideways at you!

 

[pigwot]

Cory and Sean,
Let me know when the GTG is happening and I'll run up to CT, too.
That'd be a fun time!

 

[cory]

Mini Treehouse GTG!

Gary. A hard man like yourself??

Yoga.

Bando.

Fitness.

Discipline.

It's a miracle you are not already a disciple of cold water, it fits hand in glove with your interests.

 

[pantheraba]

I have a bando buddy that swears by it...he has been cold swimming for years.

He's kind of crazy sometimes, too. I have to be careful what he tries to get me into. As I get older, I am more comfortable like this (from the very first GTG):

 

[cory]

Great pic.

Who's the guy next to B? Lordy he looks like a tree man

 

[pantheraba]

He's a treeman but one that only gets in the creek when he HAS to....