Hitch Climber

[Paul Smith]

I have just switched to this system and i am having a little difficulty with access. i am using a distel or swabish and I find it difficult to get used to because its close. I like a standard long prusik where I can get a nice long reach. The system is excellent for branch walking etc.

[Ben]

I find it best with a distel, it sits under the second biner and doesnt self release.

[Peter]

I have just switched to this system and i am having a little difficulty with access. i am using a distel or swabish and I find it difficult to get used to because its close. I like a standard long prusik where I can get a nice long reach. The system is excellent for branch walking etc.

 

When you switch to a short hitch you have to relearn the body thrust technique.

 

Rather than pull down on the rope push up on the hitch, pull down above the hitch, hold with the left arm fully extended, and pull the slack through. Once you get high enough for the weight of the rope below you to make the hitch self tend, your efforts will have paid dividends and ascending becomes a breeze!

[bob]

today i left my trusty shunt in the truck and tried the hitch climber along with the vt. I found that it was very close to my body which at first was a bit awkward but im used to using the shunt. it tendered really well and was realy good for branch walking were as the shunt can be a bit jerky. i thought that i might be takng a risk by using it for the first time on a 30% reduction on a big beech but once i got used to it didnt give it too much thought. ill certanly try it again, and can quite easily see myself changing my climbing system once again.:wave:

 

does that mean you will be buying one or have i lost mine

[rbtree]

When you switch to a short hitch you have to relearn the body thrust technique.

 

Rather than pull down on the rope push up on the hitch, pull down above the hitch, hold with the left arm fully extended, and pull the slack through. Once you get high enough for the weight of the rope below you to make the hitch self tend, your efforts will have paid dividends and ascending becomes a breeze!

 

Or you can modify it with a small diameter prussic cord near the end of the rope. Clip it to the middle hole in the hitch climber with the smallest clip/mini-biner you can find, adjust away from the body, and you have an extended self tending hitch.

 

Love my hitchclimber, both set up normally, and extended.

[Peter]

Or you can modify it with a small diameter prussic cord near the end of the rope. Clip it to the middle hole in the hitch climber with the smallest clip/mini-biner you can find, adjust away from the body, and you have an extended self tending hitch.

 

Love my hitchclimber, both set up normally, and extended.

 

Another handy technique to have in the tool box, but i dont use that very often, as opposed to the standard set-up which i use just about every day.

I find the extendable system a bit fiddly to change over, especially since you detach the rope completely from the harness, and i'm always concerned about losing the rope altogether and looking like a total numptus!

[Marc]

I just don't see the point, of having an extended set-up, its handy to know, but other than using it to body thrust and self tend it seems pointless to me. Your hitch it to far ahead making adjusment and descent harder.

Am I missing something?

 

If I am climbing a big tree i'll footlock into the crown, then all I have to do is ascend and decend within the crown. I find planning my root well saves me energy, if for any reason I have to drop far down one side and ascend again, rather than set up an extending bridge, i'll use a revolver karabiner with a small prussik attached above my hitch then clip the tail of my line into that then decend.

That way I have a 2 way pulley system to haul myself back up and it tends my hitch for me. You just have to be carefull that you don't send the revolver to high or it will meet your friction saver before you get to where you want, so not perfect but handy to know.