Hitch Cord Vs. Climbing Rope

TreeLogic

TreeLogic

Branched out member
Location
Coastal SC
Can anyone make a generalization on prusiks and climbing rope?

Do slick ropes work better with fluffy cord? Does slick cord do better with a fluffy climbing line?

I know there are a thousand variations, and if you have a favorite combo, let's hear it. But mainly I'm just looking for general ideas here. Thanks in advance.
 
I love OP or AP 10mm on Tachyon or Imori (probably any climbline of that diameter or larger would be great). I'm over 200 lbs. so the larger diameters make all the difference for me. Reliable grab and no binding at all.

I use 32" E2E hitch cords and tie a 5/1 Michoacan. This combo works best for me in SRT and DdRT.
 
Yeah, I grew up on safety blue and a split tail Blake's hitch of the same diameter, so I like the OP 10mm too. Smaller diameter VTs get too hot for me on a fast descent.
 
I think the ideal difference between hitch and climb line is about 2 or 3 millimeters. 8mm hitch on 11mm climb line, 10mm hitch on 12mm climb line, and so on...

I went through countless combinations until I upsized my hitch to 10 mm. I used knotted ends for a bit while experimenting with different lengths and hitch configurations (Distel, VT, XT, Knut, etc.) I finally found my home with the Michoacan which is basically a Blake's with a closed tail. I use it on my lanyard and climbing system. One lanyard is 8mm OP on Platinum and the other is 8mm RIT (Sterling Ropes) on 11mm Bandit (Yale Cordage).

I get reliable action out of those diameter combinations, though some hitch cord requires some break in time to become more supple. I'm running stitched eyes on all my hitch cords and lanyards (for constant diameter, full length) but use a hand splice on my climb lines.
 
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I think the ideal difference between hitch and climb line is about 2 or 3 millimeters. 8mm hitch on 11mm climb line, 10mm hitch on 12mm climb line, and so on...

I went through countless combinations until I upsized my hitch to 10 mm. I used knotted ends for a bit while experimenting with different lengths and hitch configurations (Distel, VT, XT, Knut, etc.) I finally found my home with the Michoacan which is basically a Blake's with a closed tail. I use it on my lanyard and climbing system. One lanyard is 8mm OP on Platinum and the other is 8mm RIT (Sterling Ropes) on 11mm Bandit (Yale Cordage).

I get reliable action out of those diameter combinations, though some hitch cord requires some break in time to become more supple. I'm running stitched eyes on all my hitch cords and lanyards (for constant diameter, full length) but use a hand splice on my climb lines.

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Eric,

Right on the money. I like your style and have found everything you are saying to be true. I think if you were forced into a rule of thumb or generalization one might say the bigger the climber the bigger the hitch cord????
 
Right on Mark!

Bigger wood, bigger saw.

Heavier guy, larger diameter lines.
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It's sad to think that I steered away from 10mm hitch cord without even trying it. I think it's mostly due to messing around with HRC for so long. The second I switched to 10mm OP it was like magic...same with 10mm AP.
 
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Ah, Armor Prus. That's one I haven't tried. Is it as slippery as OP or a little softer?

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AP and OP are quite alike, though the AP jacket seems a bit more supple. Perhaps that's just the "random" portion of the weave. I'd happily run either one since they behave almost identically.

Just a side note: I most often climb SRT with a Rope Wrench. When I climb DdRT, I do notice that legs of the hitch get slightly longer over the course of a long climb. This means the hitch is gradually tightening up, and I simply massage a bit of slack back into the coils of the hitch and I'm good to go again for a while. When I climb SRT on the Rope Wrench, I never once have to fuss with the hitch. I think that's due to the Rope Wrench creating enough friction to allow the hitch to see less than 1/2 the weight of the climber.
 
I love HRC for many reasons, and I used it for DdRT for what seems like forever. I preferred knotted ends with it. It would last so long that I would swap it out just to be on the safe side, even when my gear inspection indicated otherwise. When you wash that hitch cord, they come out looking almost new. I think when they get hot, they hold fibers of the climbing line and appear worn, but washing them gets them back to new condition. I always did a double take when emptying the wash.

There are a few reasons I switched away from it:

- I found that the best way to deal with the binding issue (before ever climbing SRT) was to run a tall hitch. I can dig up an old one and measure the knot to knot, but in any case, they were long. I tied a 4/3 VT and found I could easily break it open and massage slack into the coils. The major downfalls to that were lots of sitback, more effort to make smaller tension adjustments when bucked into a work position with my lanyard, and difficulty to reach when getting out onto lower role angle limb walks.

- I also got onto the Rope Wrench train. A tall hitch is not fun when dialing in a length for a stiff tether. The whole system becomes really tall in order to operate safely.

- I got into using stitched eyes (there was a time when I thought I never would). Stitched eyes work awesome for keeping the bulk down with the Oceans' Tether on the Hitch Climber pulley with an oval carabiner. The length of a typical stitched eye works awesome when attached to the bottom eye of the HC pulley. You get full hitch flexibility at the point when the hitch passes by the top of the pulley. This allows you to dial in a super responsive hitch with minimal sitback.

- I think that a climber weight of 190 lbs. to 200 lbs. is probably the cut off point for 8mm hitch cord. Anyone over should really think about trying 10mm on an acceptable climb line in the high 11mm range or above. I really wanted a single hitch that would perform well in SRT and DdRT, so going to 10mm meant no more HRC. 10mm OP was my immediate choice, and I found out about AP shortly after. They both work awesome IMO.
 
Damn Eric, are you putting on weight...you little fatty and your 10mm AP....I had some of that the other day but it was too huge to tie knots and use to wrench....so gave it away...might try some of the stitched stuff....BTW AP is from NZ folks...rope junkie like me....Now to get some Tuefelberger Platinum 11.5mm to round out my wrenching rope collection, pays to be a small low overhead company....
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Damn Eric, are you putting on weight...you little fatty and your 10mm AP...

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I had to loosen my saddle after coming home from Alaska. I couldn't believe it. I sure need to trim off a few, no doubt.

I hear ya' about the bulk when using knotted ends, and I would likely tough it out with 8mm if stitching was not an option. Alex runs the 10mm now, too, and he loves it. He's running my old hank of Imori...with my old lanyard...and my old saw...and my other ZK-2 and tether...Dang! Time for him to get some of his own swag! LOL!
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I'm climbing on 10mm (OP) only for DRT or SRT and I weigh practically nothing. Cooper's Hitch is my go-to. It may be that bigger diameter hitch cord is better for heavier climbers, it's also excellent for lighter climbers.

Interesting to note, once in a while I wrench on my 10mm Sterling HTP, 10mm hitch cord is excellent on it.
-AJ
 
Alex runs the 10mm now, too, and he loves it. He's running my old hank of Imori...with my old lanyard...and my old saw...and my other ZK-2 and tether...Dang! Time for him to get some of his own swag! LOL!
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Hey say hi to Al for me, tell him I am glad he is riding your gear and not to stop that's what good bosses are for.....lol...
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