Rope Wrench feedback

[Ian Flatters]

Hello,

 

I know theres been a couple of threads on this but that was a while back. Im curious to how many people:

A) Own one

B) How often do you use it

C) Your opinion on it.

 

Kind of looking into my SRT a fair bit at the moment.

[DrewB]

Hey Ian,

Kevin sent me one ages ago now and to be honest when i first got i didnt really get on with it. I found it good occasionally, say when throwing a high tip and only going up to remove a hanger but apart from that i just couldnt see the point. My rope walker for ascent and double rope for climbing seemed unbeatable in my eyes.

However, ive now been giving the wrench a lot more time and changing how i climb to accomodate its pros and cons a lot more.

Slack- really like how by moving 1:1 i eliminate slack a hell of a lot quicker. The 1:1 makes coming back in from the very ends of branches harder (installing a 3:1 makes things easier but 95% of the time i forget). The advantage of making temperory tips also allows you to use different angles to help the walk back in-again this takes time to remember to do and im still learning.

The single line is weird and sometimes unnerving after using double rope for so many years-it doesnt look right!

Im still not sure how to make temporary redis that i can get back to me without the wrench getting caught in the crotch though im sure this will come with time.

I prefer the wrench over the uni as the hitch feels more like a normal climbimg system.

I like how i can be climbing on a lowerable anchor system

I normally have the rope about 2m longer than the height of the tree, this prevents tangles and issues with rope getting snagged on brash. Being tied off does pose the threat of groundies cutting the rope but you can a, tie it higher up the stem out of saw reach but still lowerable or b, put a protecter sleeve around the standing part of the rope.

Overall i really rate the wrench-it wont replace my trad system but i wouldnt go to work without it either. Im way quicker ascending with croll,hand ascender but i like the way i can work straight away on the ascent with wrench. Get one but be prepared to be a learner again- im finding it fun having to relearn how to climb!!

[High Scale]

Drew, have you got the removable pin for the RW? It makes the wrench much more user friendly.

[DrewB]

no not yet carl-its on the to do list bro

[DrewB]

the Pinto works a lot nicer than the hc for me and keeps the wrench facing away from me. the qr shackle lets me use the pinto for other things without untying knots.

[RC0]

FYI, let me start by saying I weigh about 11st, have done since I was 20. What strength and conditioning I do possess comes solely from tree work over 22 years, although my DNA and attitude probably comes into play also. All-in-all I have what I'd consider very good power-to-weight Ratio for tree climbing.

 

I’ve been using a RW (for-pruning) for a couple of days now. Felt a little strange at first, the whole SRt thing really, but then I got the feel of things.

 

After the second tree on day one I couldn't think of a single reason to why I'd ever want to go back to DdRT (doubled rope technique)....I still cant believe I'm actually saying this:confused1:

 

I was always put off SRT for tree work after seeing photos of guys with lots of gear (clutter) that I assumed you needed to make the whole thing work. When in reality you really don’t need half of that stuff, just your hitch, the wrench, lanyard and a pantin. These guys, while they probably know their stuff paint a quite negative picture in the tradition of tree work, more likely to scare than convert anyone.

 

Re-direct slings are really handy also, with the line being non-moving you can snap them on anywhere along your route that might give you a better line-angle or potential swing reduction

 

For long ascents a basic frog-walker system is easy to compile by adding a grab and a sling for your foot, along with the stuff you already have. Hang it on the back of your harness for when you need it....but even 20-30ft ascents with a sole pantin on the left foot is still way faster and easier the any DdRT frictionless system that I've ever used....although having a pair of gloves does help a lot when raising you foot/pantin each time.

 

The base-anchor technique obviously has the rescue option and non-required limb isolation with your throw-line. You do get a little extra sit-back which can put some wear on the cambium so that’s something to consider depending on what your working on. Also, you can judge exactly how much line (tail) to use relative to a particular tree as the base-anchor can be set anywhere along the length of your line....so you've not got 50ft of line hanging below that you don’t need.

 

Limb-walking, in or out, just get on with it, there's nothing to it....grab the rope and tend the slack, find your balance.

 

 

The recent DMM/TM pulley-savers and ART stuff, while very well thought-out and engineered to the highest standard are realistically as good as it’s gonna get for DdRT....while SRT, for me at least is already way faster and yet still in its infancy.

 

Again, I can only speak relative to my own experiences and climbing ability.

 

My wrench was given to me to trial, I didn't pay for it and otherwise would've been happy enough to carry on never knowing. I reluctantly accepted it only because the guy seemed to know how to put its best points forward. Glad I did, and don’t regret not having one earlier as I now have it all to look forward to.

 

Taking nothing away from Morgan Thompson’s ingenious unicender, but tree-guys generally feel better with a hitch, they know exactly what to expect....and the simplicity of Kevin's rope-wrench offers that feel and familiarity that we all know.

 

I don’t have the quick-release pin yet and am not too bothered for now....it’s not that difficult to work around. I have yet to do any removals but don’t foresee too many sticking points there either. Still early days but my feeling so far is that this device and the technique (SRT) it complements is a huge step forward for better efficiency in comercial tree-climbing

[DrewB]

bloody well said reg

[Dan Curtis]

All we need now is approval to use srt for work positioning. I know there are guys doing it already but it causes troubles with insurance IME.

 

Does anyone know if or when the rw will hit the uk market? I suppose it'll have to go through all the ce testing for that.

 

I have a feeling that whenever the unicender finally gets released there will finally be something kosher (in this country) that works as an srt positioner, which should hopefully make afag/nptc/loler etc realise it is a valid option for work. Then fingers crossed let us use it legitimately

[atree]

Always great to read your post/opinions Reg:thumbup1:...However Ill stick to my Spider jack

[DrewB]

if a 10m CE lanyard is used in single leg configuration and its cool to use, does that mean the single line hitch is therefore deemed safe? just putting it out there to fuel the debate:)