Beginners climbing guide, hints, tips and general climbing techniques

[Adam Bourne]

along with the rigging thread Adam, this is a great idea for a thread. good on ya bro

 

 

Thanks mate it's nice to have good lads/climbers like you with me

 

With all the experience on the forum it should turn out to be a good thread:001_smile:

[Grass hopper]

Nice one Adam , will do some rope work tomorrow and go for a climb the weekend , thanks again for your time.

[Adam Bourne]

That is no bother at all mate glad to help out:thumbup1:

 

That's what we're here for mate...

[David Goss]

I've spiked up a stick and realised i left my mainline on the deck

 

haha i blew a soggy bit of dorito out my nose laughing.... only cos i have done the same:blushing:

 

So have I, I've even free climbed up an easy conifer and had to come down to get a climbing line.

 

Not done that yet but there is still time

 

I would like to know what it is about the "Prussik" that I was taught to use that stops people using it.

 

All I here talk of are Distel and VT and Blakes and Khliem (not sure of these spellings sorry)

 

I asked about them on my CS38 and can't say I was given a solid reason why they are not part of the course.

 

 

Prussik rocks and dont let anyone tell you different:sneaky2:

I was taught on a prussik and still use one on my flipline, in fact here is another little tip if you use the magic prussik... It can be used in BOTH directions so when you are in a bit of a bad position and you need to change position of your flipline but you dont want to take off the anchor you have till you are ready, you can throw over the tail end and attach it to your harness, then release the prussik till you start using the other end of your flipline and then take off the original anchor.

 

Is that understandable? i am tired:001_rolleyes:

[Danavan]

The Dalai Lhama ..on tree climbing….glasshopper

 

“Do everything with a mind that lets go. If you let go a little you will have a little peace; if you let go a lot you will have a lot of peace; if you let go completely you will have complete peace.”

 

[Danavan]

Great idea for a thread Adam. Lots of questions out their & lots of answers too.

 

Looks like a good start too..

[wood cutter]

hi guys in reply to your question the italian hitch, with either a hitch climber as you say or a swing cheek pulley can be used. The friction hitch is tied very similar to a blakes so may be useful without learning a confusing not. I have climbed on a blakes for about 7 years and to be honest once your used to a friction hitch it can be difficult to change your style, as i know other experienced guys have tried this and just gone back to the good old blakes!

 

good luck.

[Adam Bourne]

hi guys in reply to your question the italian hitch, with either a hitch climber as you say or a swing cheek pulley can be used. The friction hitch is tied very similar to a blakes so may be useful without learning a confusing not. I have climbed on a blakes for about 7 years and to be honest once your used to a friction hitch it can be difficult to change your style, as i know other experienced guys have tried this and just gone back to the good old blakes!

 

good luck.

 

 

The Italian hitch Or Munter hitch should not be used as a friction hitch mate its for belaying and ties nothing like a Blakes hitch! Or are you reffering to something else?

[scotspine1]

Here we go mate, a normal Blakes hitch with an added pulley for better slack tending,

 

just to illustrate how a pulley can be added and take out at least 50% of the friction in your system.

 

Adam, 50% of the friction is not removed from the system, it's displaced from the branch into the hitch which is not always a good thing.

 

On the Blakes with a micro pulley, it's a good idea to add one of those small accessory/keyring biners or something similar between your main krab and the micro pulley as it allows the pulley more freedom to turn to either side as you take up the slack and also when the micropulley is acting as a fair lead.

Edited December 13, 2012 by scotspine1

[Adam Bourne]

Adam, 50% of the friction is not removed from the system, it's displaced from the branch into the hitch which is not always a good thing.

 

On the Blakes with a micro pulley, it's a good idea to add one of those small accessory/keyring biners or something similar between your main krab and the micro pulley as it allows the pulley more freedom to turn to either side as you take up the slack and also when the micropulley is acting as a fair lead.

 

If my rope was running over a branch then I would have a lot if friction! Compared to that of running my rope through a cambium saver/friction saver, if I added a pulley into that friction saver then I'm taking at least 50% of that friction away, now if I ran my rope through just a pulley for example a pulley saver/ART rope guide then I've take nearly over 90% of the friction away I had when it was over a branch? Would you not agree?