HH2 Hitch Length

The Stitch Hitch is very easy to tie and adjust. Adjusting the tension is simply moving the ring down if it’s binding, or pushing the ring up and pulling on the legs to tighten. Everything is new and difficult for someone just learning, how is this any different?
 
Hey, DSMc, I will claim responsibility for driving/encouraging the discussion. You all know how backup-obsessed I've been since joining, and anything that allows a method of descending without having to perform a changeover or buying another $160 hitchhiker seems like something potentially worth playing with and investigating.

No worries - I'm not climbing on the thing. I've not even tied it yet. I'm relying on the HH2 for that, for the time being, and very low.
 
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Brocky said:
... Everything is new and difficult for someone just learning, how is this any different?
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The other way of looking at it is, everything is easy once you know how. Getting a hitch to work on a SRS line, by itself, takes experience, you have it so it seems simple. It isn't.
 
DSMc said:
The other way of looking at it is, everything is easy once you know how. Getting a hitch to work on a SRS line, by itself, takes experience, you have it so it seems simple. It isn't.
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I couldn't find the SRT on a prusik page. This tickled my fancy. I do have to agree that there are people new to the trade that will find this stuff overwhelming.
 
There are so many factors in any friction hitch / climbing system. Having someone show you how they feel it out and dress it. To get in the habit of weighing it every time, while lanyard in when changing over from ascent, TIP or any other time you system may act funny. After a bit it is second nature and you trust yourself and the system.
 
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The Oval VT and the Stitch hitch aren’t more difficult or dangerous to learn to use than the Wrench, HH, or a moving rope hitch, as they all basically work the same.

The above mantra is no longer true.

If you try them and they don’t function just like the hitches in the other three systems, as I’ve stated, post up what you used, or a picture.
 
Brocky said:
... Beeline doesn’t work good with either hitch. The cover is too loose and wedges between the cord and rope. HRC and Icetail also wouldn’t work for me.
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So do you believe that someone with little to no rope knowledge would have been able to determine what was happening with the above situations?

I am not discrediting your work with these knots or doubting their functionality. Just pointing out that what seems simple in your mine may be a complete mystery to someone with less experience.
 
A common system may be easier to learn (when you find a mentor) or accepted by a company SWP / local laws.

Not to say I won't play with Brocky's ideas for rec climbs (love tree work for the problem solving and playing around with what I can do).

In context of LF's post, it may not be the most appropriate system to learn on. My two cents.
 
Question after doing several 15' or so ascents this morning...

I attached my HH2 to the saddle with a 24" loop, and advanced it by grabbing the carabiner and sliding it up as I footlocked up (waiting on knee and foot ascenders). Is this the easiest/safest way to advance the HH2? Or should I be advancing it by grabbing the main rope and pushing upwards underneath the HH2?
 
I use a non-rated chest harness thing and a nonlocking biner to clip into my bridge pulley (hydra). Tending the hh from your bridge hardwear is safe and easy while rope walking. This way my hands are just holding the rope and keeping me upright. There is some sit back, as the hh biner inverts to slide up and un-inverts to engage the rope. But sliding the hh up that last bit to sit and rest after ascending is simple. Many people tend their multicenders with basic loop runners worn on the torso. Advancing it by hand also works, but takes more focus than something that drags it up the rope with your body. But when i do push it up the rope i also like to grab around the biner. Any other grip excluding the biner can engage the friction between it and the body/spine.
 
rope-a-dope said:
Any other grip excluding the biner can engage the friction between it and the body/spine.
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Meaning, accidentally get rid of the friction?

Also, is there a way to footlock while having an anchor point against the stem/trunk? I've not tried it yet in that scenario, but it seems like you definitely need to be free hanging to footlock.
 
LordFarkwad said:
Meaning, accidentally get rid of the friction?

Also, is there a way to footlock while having an anchor point against the stem/trunk? I've not tried it yet in that scenario, but it seems like you definitely need to be free hanging to footlock.
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I think he means that the friction of the carabiner could make it harder to advance it.
When you're close to a stem, or going up through a branch union, it is easier to use the one-footed footlock.
 
LordFarkwad said:
Question after doing several 15' or so ascents this morning...

I attached my HH2 to the saddle with a 24" loop, and advanced it by grabbing the carabiner and sliding it up as I footlocked up (waiting on knee and foot ascenders). Is this the easiest/safest way to advance the HH2? Or should I be advancing it by grabbing the main rope and pushing upwards underneath the HH2?
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I think your overcomplicating things.


Fwiw, you can made a wooden rope wrench for basically free. After a Grigri, I moved to this, before the RW zk1 happened.
 
southsoundtree said:
I think your overcomplicating things.


Fwiw, you can made a wooden rope wrench for basically free. After a Grigri, I moved to this, before the RW zk1 happened.
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Can you explain a little further? Is the RW better for footlocking than the HH2 or something? After spending another hour or so last night practicing, I think I'm learning to trust it more.

I'm not expecting footlocking to be the primary means of ascent after I begin using a mechanical ascender (saka and is stryder in mail), but I want to know how to do it and be reasonably okay-ish at it.
 
Also...

I tried neck tending the HH2 with the holster from WesSpur, but gotta get a better setup for the tether. Prefer lanyard over shoulder versus something around my neck.
 
LordFarkwad said:
Also...

I tried neck tending the HH2 with the holster from WesSpur, but gotta get a better setup for the tether. Prefer lanyard over shoulder versus something around my neck.
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You could try a piece of tubular webbing if you have any. I use to use a piece of webbing about 4' long-ish. I just tied it into a loop so it was comfy going around my back and through both arms. Brought the two ends together at my chest and used a small carabiner and swivel dog snap to hook to the holster.

Worked great but I found an old REI chest harness I had digging one day in my closet and started using that since I liked the look of it better.
 
Weaver SRT Chest Harness is a simple solution, I found it very helpful to shorten the straps over the shoulder. So that the tending point was higher on my chest (I'm short).

I made a bungee neck tender. 1/4" bungee in length of rope jacket. Swen into a loop that just fits over my head. The stitch that holds the loop together is only one strand. It fails around ~30 lbs of force. I have to rebuild it every now and then. The mini 'beaner is stitched to the bungee cord to hold orientation. You can see it on my IG in this post, scroll over to see. It is my go to tender. Quick to put on, light, has a good amount of give. I'm not nervous of it killing me.
 
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