split tail knots

[niftysteve]

http://www.abc-of-rockclimbing.com/climbing-knots/prusik-knot.asp

 

 

i found this site for some of the knots

[Mark T]

How come, at college they only teach 3 knots: prussick, figure of eight and bowline? when there are so many others to use? Out of interest...

 

Not sure which Colleges you're referring to but we will demonstrate as many knots to our students as we can, as long as they have mastered the basics... as a rule most 1 and 2 year arb students will have seen / used the prussik (open and closed systems), schwabish, distel, blakes hitch, VT, hitch climber and maybe even the lockjack now... obviously, we start with the basic 3 knot system so that if someone burns out, cuts or drops a prissik loop then they can still descend safely. All knots used must be tied many times correctly before they get off the ground.

[Mark T]

Thats not to mention rigging and other general knots!

[Sciadopitys]

I'd like to know how many people can climb with just a rope and no form of split tail, prussik, or even another short length of rope?

 

I actually needed this in an emergency the other day for the first time in my career as an arborist - I was doing an aerail inspection of a 90ft. Beech, i was about 15ft. from a good anchor point and i threw my rope for the branch and it managed to clove-hitch itself around the branch somehow!!! I hung all of my 95kg on it and there was no chance it was moving! What are the chances of this happening? And guess what happened next? A f%$*king hail storm within seconds!!! I was up there in nothing but a t-shirt, hahaha

 

I was obviously lanyarded in, but without the basic knowledge i was taught in college (bowline, blakes and figure 8) i would have been stuck up there in the hail. I quickly pulled up my rope and tied in with my spare karabiner and throw for a lower branch this time!! I climbed up with the other end of my rope and released the spilced end and clipped in to my anchor point and carried on in the hail. I just wonder what i would have done without this knowledge, i was doing an inspection alone (i now know why it is important to have a rescue climber with a spare room and kit beneath ya!!) There was no way i could have unclipped the lanyard and free-climbed up to untie the clove hitch, the bark was slippy in the rain and the space between where i was and where the rope was, only had 2 branches! (apart from being very unprofessional practice!!).

 

That basic knowledge saved my bacon!!

 

I use the other end of my rope quite often - if the job requires more than my 4m lanyard!

 

Good basic knowledge i say - i know climbers who don't know how to use the other end of their ropes!!!!!!!

[Frank]

my rope only has one end, haha

[Frank]

I'd like to know how many people can climb with just a rope and no form of split tail, prussik, or even another short length of rope?

I can make a harness out of vine, just like Bear Grylls. Edited December 4, 2008 by Frank
spelling

[Ian150482]

How come, at college they only teach 3 knots: prussick, figure of eight and bowline? when there are so many others to use? Out of interest...

 

 

I think its because, your mainly there to learn to climb, branch walk. On these 5 day courses they just dont have the time to start discussing different types of friction hitch. I started out using a prussik, then blakes, and still use the blakes till this day, and now and again use the v.t.

 

Point im making is, i think it just comes down to experience, once you get safe and good at climbing you can start trying different hitches.

 

I can see why they dont teach you to climb on a v.t and thats simply because, climbing within the criteria of the 38 it is difficult (or i find it difficult) to body thrust, and alot of climbers (me included) when using the v.t, climb with slack in the system, and then pull it through until it starts tending itself. Plus with the v.t you need to be confident and commited when putting your weight on it.

 

Hope that makes sence.

[hesslemount]

In my experience Blake's is much easier running than a six wrap Prusik but the Blake's hitch causes friction on the same area of the split tail meaning more costly replacements (split tails) more often. Prusiks you can adjust each time so the friction wears on a different patch. I've been playing with the valdotain tresse OR vt in climb speak (1.5M of 8mm arimide with attachment knots formed by anchor knots with a overhand stopper; ISA small fixed cheek pulley) and think I'll never look back. There's just too much advantage in limb walking with the fair lead system and one handed adjustment leaving the other hand free for balance assistance. Just keep the Blakes and Prusiks with you for back up when you have a bad knot day.

Edited December 5, 2008 by hesslemount
Grammatical

[Ian150482]

As you say with the v.t being good for fair leading back from a long limb walk, you can do the same, or similar with the blakes / prussik with a pulley, i use it all the time.

 

As regards with the split tails being expensive, why not make your own, just like making your won prussik loops up.? Thats what i do.

[Peter]

Do you knot or splice Ian?

 

Spliced split tails are easy to make, everyone should know how to do it.