lowering rope

[billpierce]

having used an old 13mm climbing rope for years i got a 16mm marlow lowering rope. i haven't really ever used pulleys and have occaisonally used stein lowering devices which i have liked. i was amazed at using the new rope over branches at how quickly it began to glaze (very light but i wasn't lowering big bits.).

 

so this is all probably obviously to most of you but having worked for a tree surgeon for a number of years he rarely if ever used pulleys etc and used what he described as a "bull" rope? we used the base of the tree as a brake if needed. the rope lasted for years - granted we never thrashed absolutely masssive bits down, but they certainly weren't small neither.

 

so what kit do i want? will a strop and big d shackle be ok (its 28mm diameter steel.) or will it be too narrower apoint for the rope to go over? i don;t do loads of big dismantles just a few now and then so don;t want to go and spank lots more than i need to. of should i just get a better/tougher lowering rope?

 

thanks for advice

[Andrew Gale]

If it's simplicity you want, then I don't think you can go much wrong with a dead eye sling, whoopie sling, a small lowering block, a number of slings of differing sizes and a handful of steel karabiners; for friction control use a type of capstan (there's a few out there).

 

I would also suggest you purchase The Art and Science of Practical Rigging by the ISA; very useful with loads of good diagrams.

 

I'm sure there will be loads of other options made available to you by the other forum members but this is what me and my guys use for every day lowering; we do bigger stuff and have bigger kit to accommodate that but for simplicity I think the a fore mentioned works very well.

[billpierce]

would you consider a x ring instead of a small block? also have much experience using sirius bull rope instead of the other sort? is that sort of rope more forgiving?

 

thanks

[Andrew Gale]

I've never used the X rings so I can't comment but they do look very good from the video clips I've seen.

 

Rope wise we use a mix of Yale double Esterlon for the bigger diameter ropes and a Marlow braid for the smaller diameter ropes; I've not used the Sirius rope so again I can't comment.

 

Certain ropes will work better with more acute angles that the X rings will produce and others will work better with the block set; again my rope selection is somewhat limited so I can't really comment on kit outside my experience.