Footlockin scare!!!

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FlashTreetop1

Location
tulsa oklahoma
Anybody ever have a kleimheist not grab when you sat your weight into it!? Yesterday day I had a pretty good scare in a big pecan where it did not grab, I had to keep my feetlocked on the rope, hold on with one hand, and swing about 7 or 8 feet back to the tree and clip my lanyard in with one hand. I was about 35-40 feet up. My hands were cramping from holding onto the rope so tight, and it took me about ten minutes to settle down.

I have been consistently footlocking for around 2 years, and never had this happen. I had dressed the hitch, the same way I always do. If any of you have ever had this happen, throw me some suggestions to help me figure out what could have gone wrong!!???

Derrick Hulsey
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That's really scary when it catches you by surprise. But having managed to prevent the fall and hang on, and not be able to set the knot makes me wonder why it wouldn't grab. Something seriously going on there. Don't throw that prussic away. It may yield some clues yet as to why it didn't grab.

Glad to hear you stayed on top of it and managed to a way to safety.
 
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Hollenreich, you mean as I was shoving my knot up that I bumped the bottom loop over the next to bottom loop?

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Yes I wondering if you bumped the loop up onto the other coils. Would cuase the knot to lose holding power. Cuase in a sence the kleimheist is a Hadden knot tied wrong. Funny how a mistake knot becomes an recommended knot for footlocking.
 
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Its a very new prussik cord.


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Sometimes new cords can be slippery, especially coated. I have a tenex FL cord that was slippery when brand new.
 
Well Gerry B., the way that I always make my prussiks is that the top of the knot is just out of reach, so that you dont grab it by accident and go sailing down your rope. I probably couldve fiddled with it to get it to grab, but when it didnt, I just wanted to get onto that tree as quick as I could!!!!

Derrick Hulsey
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Almost a year ago I switched over from using a klemheist to using a 3-wrap prussik. I trust the prussik to grab much more than I did the klemheist, always felt a little weary.

jp
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I used to practice footlocking with no prussic, just a belay from a buddy. I wanted to see if I could come down the rope un-aided just in case anything were to go wrong. Just reverse footlock. It sucks but I did it a couple times just to make sure I could if I ever had to. Anyone else ever try this?
 
Back in 97 at our local TCC, a competitor FLed without a prussik loop (just the belay) and won the event with the fastest time.
 
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Back in 97 at our local TCC, a competitor FLed without a prussik loop (just the belay) and won the event with the fastest time.


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is this allowed?
 
It is no longer allowed by the rules. Did you test the knot as far as sitting in it before going up or did you just tie it like usual and go to work?
 
No, I did not sit in it b4 going up. I hate to say that, probably shouldnt do it that way. It always holds, and i guess this is a valuble lesson to not take that for granted.

Derrick Hulsey
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it's why they make ascenders, so you don't have to use a cord. The cord should be a back up only. In this time and age it makes no sence to footlock with just a prusik cord.
 
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