D Mc
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Everything posted by D Mc
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R Mac, you will like the RW, it is a good tool, just not my choice.
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I like your kit, Jeff, classy and well thought out. I have used a bungee neck tether and even though it did work well, I found it lacking in one important function. It gave no upper body support during rope walking. This is the major benefit to a shoulder harness with a quick adjust buckle. I can tighten up mine to where the amount of effort needed by my arms to keep me upright is almost nil. This is a huge energy saver in long open air ascents.
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Well I'm really biased, I love the HH. Such a great tool, compact, indestructible and with a pulley as smooth as glass. Notice that there is nothing around the hitch. In use, the HH does not bend the rope. This means the friction does not change from the top to the bottom of a tree, or anywhere in between. I have climbed on all the currently available SRWP tools and some still being developed. Of the ones currently available, for me, the HH2 is the best. This picture is with the HH2 clipped to my chest harness for ascent.
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Some things to think about. Both the HAAS and the SAKA have a strong following, they work way better than other knee ascender setups. The HAAS came out first and was revolutionary in that it stored the bungee in a tube below the ascender, first one to do so that I am aware of. The SAKA came out shortly afterwards with some changes and a new name and from what I have read has sold a fair number. I find this whole situation awkward as these are not large corporations but individuals where even small numbers of sales can make a difference. I have a tendency to remain loyal to the originator of this ascender design because I thought it was such a great idea and think he should be rewarded for it. The new Velox should be fantastic!
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Nice, simple and easy to understand videos, thanks! With so many SRWP tools now available, with more on the way, a video of each using this same simple format, describing setup and use would be a real help for climbers trying to make a decision on which one to buy.
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SRT kit what combinations would you suggest.
D Mc replied to Darrin Turnbull's topic in Climbers talk
HH2 Petzl Fix pulley Petzl Torse chest harness HAAS CT foot ascender
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Do your regulations cover the use of a 3 legged orchard ladder?
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I actually give thought to most everything I do. Never trust your life to something you can't see. If you are not 100% sure, take another shot. A good suspension point should easily support 2x your climbing weight. The force multiplier has mitigaters in the form of friction and rope angles. One of the great things about base anchors is being able to use the tree's structure to your advantage. When you open up your rope angles by catching more then one crotch, you are not only reducing the force multiplier but you are reducing the side loading on those branchs and, instead, loading them more in comprehension. Much stronger, offers redundancy, and potentially keeps the base leg out of your work area.
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We have had bidirectional movement with ascenders for years. What we got with the new multiscenders is complete 3 directional, fluid movement and that is indeed what has allowed the safe use of a static/stationary single line for work positioning. I still prefer a simple base anchor for virtually all my climbing other than removals.
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Safe and simple is very good but fortunately it no longer requires using a prusic on DdRT to be true. The company I started with in the late 60's was very much ahead of it's time in the use of rigging tools and climbing methods. We found it to be a waste of time to hire an experienced climber due to their total inability to learn or accept new ways. I think the tree industry breeds a special kind of stubbornness.
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We are all different in how we climb and what we like so there is room for lots of different tools. However, as a hitch-based tool, it is not surprising that you were unhappy with the HH performance with the above statement. It is all about the rope/hitch combo. Get that right and it is sweet. Once my hitch is set I do not need to adjust it for the rest of the climb. Of all the tethers I have tried I still like the fast adjusting Petzl Torse with a swivel snap, so when it is not being used to advance the HH it is clipped onto my waste belt and keeps my harness in place. My setup advances as smoothly as a Hitchclimber pulley so it is rare that I use the tether for anything other than ascent.
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Setting aside the absolutes of always and never, I do believe that SRT is better for most of what we need to do on a daily basis.
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Well said! Even though I will use DdRT on occasion, SRT just feels better for most everything.
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It is used to describe the use of two ropes in an SRT system.
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That is some good work in showing the new developments in SRT tree climbing. Even though I constantly and eagerly devour this type of information, I'm not sure that I would agree with above statement. I rarely use any of the many complex possibilities within SRT tree work and even in its simplest form it has completely replaced my DdRT working. I look at new information on climbing system development and use in the same way I do advanced rigging solutions. I love learning them but it is rare that they are used in my daily climbs.
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This is true. It is also true that you are no longer burdened with the foolishness of youth and have learned, hopefully, how to work with greater efficiency. After a tree climbing career of over 45 years I am a shadow of what I once was and I suffer from many of the things that you said and can still climb and climb well and enjoy the hell out of it. I agree with Skyhuck, that many people let themselves fall apart because they are lead by society to do so and it is so easy. Age will impose limits on what you can do so realize that but only change what you do because it makes sense for you, not because someone else said you should.
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I know what you suggest sounds simple and should work, but it will not. Paul has tried dozens of different pulley configurations. The only ones that work are those that control the carabiner without interfering with the movement of the HH.
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I have tried many different size and shapes of rollers and sheaves and though they do make things smoother, they don't do the same thing that a pulley will. A pulley not only reduces tailing effort but also keeps the HH straight and inline while doing so. That improves consistency and reduces setback. A trick that I have mentioned before, is to gently squeeze the end of a fixed pulley untill you get the opening small enough that it is a press fit onto the bridge ring. When done right it makes putting on and taking off the pulley much easier.
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The new HH2 is smaller, lighter, stronger and much more refined. Things can change but, I believe, Paul's intent is to offer a special HH friendly pulley to be sold with the HH2. He has been working on an HH with a pulley integrated into the body for years and has come to the conclusion that it's not going to happen. Countless prototypes tried and binned. The plus side to this is the new HH2 is a tuff, little bad ass with improved handling characteristics and should be available soon. In an SRT climbing workshop recently that had all of the currently available SRWP tools on rope, the HH2 drew the most interest from the climbers present.
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Pine pitch will most definitely create problems like you describe, Gerbutt. Quick cleaning will take care of that. Carefell, do not assume that any carabiner will work as safely as the one supplied with the HH especially if you are experiencing jamming, it should not. I would expect that if you have enough time on your HH to have need of replacing the steel carabiner, that the HH itself should be carefully examined for wear. Look for anything that would impede free movement, like depressions or burrs on the steel side plates. The HH is a tough tool but it does wear and needs the same scrutiny that you give the rest of your life support system.
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I do understand that and I like seeing all the great knee ascenders you guys are coming up with. In my eyes though the HAAS is a specific type of knee ascender, do to it's design.
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You guys are making some great looking knee ascenders but I wouldn't call them HAAS. Though knee ascenders have been around for a long time what Michael made is different in the fact that the bungee is hidden inside the tether and starts at the top of your foot. This combined with the stiffening tube inside the tether rope makes for a highly efficient and unique knee ascender and as far as I know, is the first of its kind.
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The TM waist belt is dead easy to tighten when it is weighted. Just snug it as best you can then clip onto your rope and sit in it. A whole bunch of slack will magically appear. Unclip the waist snap, tighten and re snap.
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The Pantin works fine but the CT is better and has more range. Maintaining good form is easy in open air ascents but when it comes time to cross limbs and the tail of your rope is no longer in line with your ascent the CT could care less. Chances are, if you fined releasing the super smooth lock on the CT challenging or annoying you didn't give yourself enough time to get used to it.
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Definitely more of an advantage then a hindrance. You just clip in and go. It does not matter the rope angle or which way your toe is pointing and the lock is smooth and easy to use.
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