Hitch Climber.... Am I just a big fairy...?

[Joe Loggs]

If your heavy and struggle to pull your weight then the hand over hand method will be tough you can still thrust using both hands on the rope at once like you would on a prussik. Once you get the nak of that you can do 3 thrusts hold yourself then tend the slack.

[RobRainford]

for ascending, get a pantin, works wonders.

 

i think the friction saver would be the biggest issue here, get a longer one!

[WeeDee]

for ascending, get a pantin, works wonders.

 

i think the friction saver would be the biggest issue here, get a longer one!

 

Or place it in a better position.

 

You've quite a few things going on here at the same time - and it's resulting in disatisfaction.

You need to change one thing at a time so you then find what part of this set-up is causing the bother (or the most bother!).

 

After that, you can start changing each variable to see how it affects the whole.

 

It's worth remembering that you've only begun to find the ideal set-up, give yourself a bit of time.

[WorcsWuss]

Grippy gloves help alot, are you using them?

 

I have Petzl Cordex Belay gloves, love 'em...

 

If your heavy and struggle to pull your weight then the hand over hand method will be tough you can still thrust using both hands on the rope at once like you would on a prussik. Once you get the nak of that you can do 3 thrusts hold yourself then tend the slack.

 

Not that heavy, just not tuned into this way of climbing yet I think, and my braking TIP did nothing to help!

 

for ascending, get a pantin, works wonders.

 

i think the friction saver would be the biggest issue here, get a longer one!

 

Yes and yes Rob.... I will try it again on the Croll with a short loop but I think a pantin will be a worthy investment, I do like using an ascender and a footloop... I'd like an adjustable CS... do I need to be able to splice to assemble the kits that FRJ sell....?

 

Or place it in a better position.

 

You've quite a few things going on here at the same time - and it's resulting in disatisfaction.

You need to change one thing at a time so you then find what part of this set-up is causing the bother (or the most bother!).

 

After that, you can start changing each variable to see how it affects the whole.

 

It's worth remembering that you've only begun to find the ideal set-up, give yourself a bit of time.

 

As I see it, the main issues are the friction at the top of the system - this is easily rectified with a longer false crotch - and my technique. I will add a pantin to it I think, I do like kicking the line through with my foot and the system I have previously used doesn't seem very compatible with this, unless I add a strop in between the ventral and HC to position the hitch the same distance from me as my blakes was....

 

Experimenting is all part of the fun though isn't it!

[DrewB]

You can make your cs bigger by just girth hitching a ring onto some webbing and make a Prussic out of it and attach to your cs. Instantly adjustable cs. For ascending, maybe try an o rig with you hc if your having trouble bro.

[WorcsWuss]

You can make your cs bigger by just girth hitching a ring onto some webbing and make a Prussic out of it and attach to your cs. Instantly adjustable cs. For ascending, maybe try an o rig with you hc if your having trouble bro.

 

My CS is a stitched webbing one from Buxtons, will a webbing prusik work OK on it? Plus I need a ring....!

You'll have to enlighten me on an O rig Drew...

[DrewB]

Yeah it'll work. You could just girth hitch the webbing again onto the cs ring if you want to just extend it without it being adjustable. If you haven't got a ring a maillon is fine or a carabiner if it's all you got. An o rig lets you adjust how far your hc sits away/close to you, all you need is a bit of cord. Do a search for orig and I'm sure there will be pics the climbers section.

[scotspine1]

Is it now generally accepted that when people refer to the Hitchclimber setup there referring to the good old fashioned split tail system of climbing with a slack tender/fair lead micro pulley? be it with a VT, Knut, Distel, Swabish or whatever?

 

 

Its seems people are mistakenly assuming this method of climbing particularly when used with a VT is called the Hitchclimber system or method.

 

People were climbing trees using micro pulleys for slack tender, fair lead and tailing well over 10 years before the Hitchclimber appeared on the scene.

 

A Hitchclimber is nothing more than an adapted micro pulley. Without the micro pulley there would be no Hitchclimber

 

Think someone brought this up sometime before. People need reminded of it every now and then otherwise it's gonna be assumed that advancing friction hitches with a pulley and having a fair lead never existed before the Hitchclimber.

 

Personally I dislike the Hitchclimber pulley. But I respect the designers for trying to come up with a pulley specifically designed for treeclimbers.

 

For me the more simple a setup you have the less you have to worry about. This has worked for me for the past 15 years. I can understand if people dont like the single carabiner but you go with what you've become accustomed to.

Edited January 8, 2012 by scotspine1

[WeeDee]

I agree with what you have stated. And I accept that some people are refering to the Hitchclimber system with little knowledge of the evolution of split-tail sytems that 'paved the way'.

 

But when someone refers to the Hitchclimber system, or set-up, they may be merely describing - in a concise way - the equipment and technique that is sitting before them. They may appreciate that it's not a world beyond a split-tail system integrating a slack tender/fairlead micro pulley, but they might just find it easier to communicate their set-up by calling it "an HC system".

 

I don't think most people mean to discredit the work of those who have previously developed the techniques that have lead to the production of the Hitchclimber pulley - they are porbably just using the 'short-handed' way of communicating that often leads to a change in how language is used - admittedly with a loss in exact meaning.

[slimjimvw]

Somebody call a vet because because this Swan is siick ! Ooooooosh !

 

 

This is all you need , problem solved.

 

On a more serious , helpful note. I think you need to try it again , sounds like the combination of anchor point etc was really working against you. If you cambium saver is that short try girth hitching a pulley on tape sling as your anchor point. Less friction the better.