SRT and Hitch test/question

[BenR]

Hi guys.

 

After some inspiration from a guy on one of the US forums, I thought I would give this a try and attempt to incorporate a pulley/slack tender. Unless it is not obvious from the poor photos, I'm testing a distel above and a michoacan below as a cheap SRT alternative to a unicender

 

It works ok on a few little tests on a short SRT lanyard (backed up on my main climbing system slacked out a bit). I thinking of trying a knut hitch on top next with the michoacan beneath and see if it is any better. Having the distel is a bit too much friction I think.

 

Another really useful feature is that I can throw my lanyard over my should and clip into the middle hole of the hitch climber to climb up with a pantin and hand ascender.

 

Anyway.. What are your opinions on any safety issues/problems with this system? I am going to get another spliced Armor pruss friction cord to replace the beeline up from Old Snake to slim the system down a bit at the carabiner..

Any other ideas?

[Will Hinchliffe]

Interesting. Does it load both friction hitches equally or is one a back up hitch ?

 

I would imagine you wouldnt be able to descend very well on just this without something else to add friction.

[BenR]

I had a little go with it in various different configurations of hitch combination. Best so far seems to be michoacan on the bottom and swabish or distel on top. Swabish binds a little on longish descents but is fairly easy to losten. Distel advances better and does not bind as much, but it does not share the load between the two hitches as well as the swabish.

 

Works best when the bottom of the top hitch is very close/touching the top of the bottom hitch. More testing needed!

[CraigD]

This may be obvious, but is this system so you can work off a single line instead of using srt just for access?

[BenR]

This may be obvious, but is this system so you can work off a single line instead of using srt just for access?

 

Yes mate, thats the idea. Sort of a soft unicender. Speaking with the guy who gave me the idea for the system, ive decided to attempt to make two balanced friction hitches from one long piece of cord. I will get some pictures up when I get my head round how to go about it. Going to try and keep the hitchclimber in there somehow.

[CraigD]

No worries thats what I thought.. what type of rope are you using to climb on using this system?

[MOG]

hey ben, just looking at that system and sorry to put a downer on it but if the top hitch gets forced down it will also pull the other down with it. for what eva reason probs unlikely but not good pratice i think....

 

and if you working single line you need to take out friction before the hitch like figure 8, fake revolver etc. i just had a go on a homemade friction device. a america guy also came up with i think. its a peice of wood/smooth metal etc that puts a bend in the rope before it gets to the hitch. works just like your normal system. (hitchclimber prussik, then peice of cord to the wooden device)

 

its mega easy to advance ur hitch just push's it forward, baiscally free to make too. best thing i have seen in very long time. cant remeber the name of it tho, sure somebody on here can help you out with the name. i am in the process of making and will try get pics up.

 

cheers Matt

[High Scale]

The Singing Tree Rope Wrench.

[BenR]

The Singing Tree Rope Wrench.

 

Yea, I have made one of those too. But I wanted to experiment with a solely hitch based system. I dont see any problem with the hitch getting pushed down as it bites down quite hard anyway. And that is exactly the same flaw as a doubled rope system. So there is no difference in that respect Imo.

[Craig Johnson]

i think that its an idea worth working on:thumbup1: just looking at the binner though and its too small for all those ropes, the loading is too close to the nose, i think that a hms type would work better here.