My first go on SRT

[Charles Hey Arborist]

Had a play today just removing a small branch from a cedar, was great!! Only a small tree but a good little practice.

 

I threw a throw line up, and was pleased I didn't have to isolate a branch in the busy canopy!!

Ascending was a bit fiddly- but can tell once I've got that sussed it will be effortless!

Getting out on a limb- was ok, nice only having a short tail hanging to the ground.

 

Bad points:

Hitch wouldn't bite properly- very off putting!

I'll have to work out what HAAS is

Felt silly carrying 30 things with me up into the tree!

Had to remove hitch to put rope up, then remove it again to put rope away.

Didn't get a chance to try swapping to a tip tie as I didn't like my hitch.

 

So my questions are:

What's a good friction hitch and hitch cord to use? I'm on Yale kernmaster 11mm. Whatever I tie with whatever cord doesn't seem to bite nicely. The Knut on a short 70cm eye to eye cord didn't grab after an ascent, didn't realise smoothly and after trying to stop descending felt like it slipped a bit further down!

I've tried 70cm stein 8mm, 75cm Yale beeline 10mm, 90cm ocean polyester 8mm (far too long). Nothing seems to bite the kernmaster nicely

 

I used a RH pantin, 2 hand ascenders and a foot loop from left hand ascender to left foot. Felt a bit fiddly, what should I improve there?

 

I assume most people like to keep a short length of rope below them to reach the ground? Would make it easier to move the tail around the tree and means you don't have to get all the rope out for small trees. What's the best way of doing this? I pulled just enough rope through with throw line, then attached my hitch. Is there a better way of doing this?

 

 

Thanks

Charlie.

[Old Mill Tree Care]

Well done Charles.

I can't help with the hitch slipping as I use a Hitch Hiker.

 

Leave enough tail so you can get to the ground from the branch tips.

Dispose of the empty hand ascender. It will bother you when you need to coordinate both feet and hands.

 

A HAAS is a more efficient alternative to hand ascender & footloop.

Scroll down and you'll see a thread all about it.

 

Don't carry 30 things into the tree with you. You don't even need redirect strops, just clove hitch your rope onto the branch as a redirect.

 

Things I take:

Pantin.

HAAS.

Lyon sling as chest harness with snap gate biner.

 

 

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[lakeyboy]

I cant help with the whole srt thing, but in regards to your hitch I saw a chap on tinternet was showing how he remebers the similarities between different hitches and how it helps him tie them.

Anyway say you tied a knut, you end up with the terminations in front of the rope, he suggested if the hitch doesn't set properly try tucking them from front to back and then attach your carabiner, sorry if I cant explain very well haha

[Charles Hey Arborist]

Well done Charles.

I can't help with the hitch slipping as I use a Hitch Hiker.

 

Leave enough tail so you can get to the ground from the branch tips.

Dispose of the empty hand ascender. It will bother you when you need to coordinate both feet and hands.

 

A HAAS is a more efficient alternative to hand ascender & footloop.

Scroll down and you'll see a thread all about it.

 

Don't carry 30 things into the tree with you. You don't even need redirect strops, just clove hitch your rope onto the branch as a redirect.

 

Things I take:

Pantin.

HAAS.

Lyon sling as chest harness with snap gate biner.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk mobile app.

 

Thanks I can see it being amazing once I get used to it!

I would love something like that, but the only UK sold option right now is rope wrench?

 

That makes sense- you think just 2 hands on 1 ascender would be better?

 

I'm going to try and work HAAS out now, might be easier now I've had a go.

 

I think I just took stuff up to try different things, like using a pulley to help come in from a limb walk. I didn't like that the little bit I tried, but want to try again.

 

Sounds like minimal kit which would be nice! Can you explain how to clove hitch rope on please

 

 

C

[chrisj]

Please don't take this the wrong way and forgive me if I'm telling you something that you already know. You said that you were having problems with your hitch. You weren't using just a hitch were you?! You can't decend on just a hitch srt like you would ddrt. You need another friction device in the system like a rope wrench. So if you were using just a hitch that would be where your problem was.

[Charles Hey Arborist]

Hi Chris, no I wasn't! But thanks.

I was using a rope wrench, with a Knut and a small pulley. It just didn't work nicely and grip when I wanted it to.

Thanks

 

Lakey- thanks but nothing like that seems to help. It just feels very 'slippy' and won't bite the rope after taking weight off it. Like the ropes are really slippy.

[chrisj]

Oh that's good then.

 

I thought it sounded like you had done your research and would have known, but I didn't want to assume that, and then find that you'd had an accident because you didn't know.

[Charles Hey Arborist]

Yeah thanks I should have put up a little piccy

 

Had a play- this VT seems to grip ok. Is the rope wrench ok off to one side like that though?

[Old Mill Tree Care]

Yeah thanks I should have put up a little piccy

 

Had a play- this VT seems to grip ok. Is the rope wrench ok off to one side like that though?

 

I think it's ok but i'm not a Wrench user. It's at that angle because of the tether you have.

One of Adam Bourne's tethers would keep it all in line.

 

Don't start spending loads of money on gear no though just cos we say it's good. I say a HAAS is brilliant but you may grow to love the hand ascender/foot loop.

I say (& most agree) that the Hitch Hiker is better but it may not be for you.

See what I'm saying.

The more you climb with what you've got, the more feel you'll get for what you like and what you know you'll like more.

[James Atkinson]

This is what iv been using after Adam recommended it to me, iv added another rap at the top, how heavy are you mate?

 

 

 

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