Hitch Climber Expertise Needed...

Is there any problem with using the spliced end of the climb line on the termination end? I thought I heard once that it's not good for the splice but I can't really see why. In the O-rig that is...
 
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Brady Chapman said:
I recently ordered a hitch climber setup (have been climbing on a taughtline hitch forever) and I am curious about termination knot possibilities. My climbing line does not have a spliced eye, nor do I really feel like spending the money to get one at this juncture, but I am aware of the potential problems with the termination knot affecting the friction hitch. Is there an alternative termination knot that can be used that will not affect the friction hitch?
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I have had no issues using a buntline hitch for termination with the hitchclimber. I clip the termination end into the middle hole on the hitch climber and use either a VT, Michoacan, or Knut. Never had it slip.
 
Bhard47 said:
Is there any problem with using the spliced end of the climb line on the termination end? I thought I heard once that it's not good for the splice but I can't really see why.
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If you position the hitch climber close to you then the splice will be bent in your biner / ring / pulley whatever you have connected the "O" to. This bending of the splice should be avoided.
 
Bhard47 said:
Is there any problem with using the spliced end of the climb line on the termination end? I thought I heard once that it's not good for the splice but I can't really see why. In the O-rig that is...
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arbre said:
If you position the hitch climber close to you then the splice will be bent in your biner / ring / pulley whatever you have connected the "O" to. This bending of the splice should be avoided.
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Yes best avoided, you could ruin your splice, the nice part of the system is the adjustment and being able to move it as close to you when needed.

IMG_3270.webp
 
I am not sure if the bending is a problem for every type of splice and I am also interested in what others have to say. But especially the Teufelberger "slaice" I have on my rope is a splice with stitches in addition and the stitches are sealed with synthetic resin. This part of the splice is therefore very stiff and I would never try to bend it.
 
Bhard47 said:
View attachment 33504
"O" rig... Yes?
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I just lost another fairly long post because of a browser crash. The short version is, as long as your spliced eye is part of the same leg of rope to which your green prussik is attached, it looks right to me. If the eye is part of the leg of rope your friction hitch is attached to, it's wrong. We cannot tell from the photo because the rope legs at the bottom are not showing.

You probably got it right, I just can't say with certainty without seeing that part of the setup.

The other thing I would say is I'd prefer it if you used similar materials as dogwood did for his Hitch Climber tending prussik; namely a thinner accessory cord and dog snap. It would make it harder to confuse the two friction hitches. Also, using it the way it's set up in your photo has me thinking the two hitch cords might bump into each other and interfere with each other. Using accessory cord, you could make that prussik longer so that it sits higher up and completely offset from your friction hitch.

Great photo of your setup, by the way.

This info you've provided about not using a spliced eye in an "O" rig system is interesting, and something I had not heard about, so thanks for that. Maybe you could just tie a standard termination knot for use with the "O" rig, and save the eye for use with a second system for work positioning, once you get higher up in a tree.

That's all of my thoughts for now. Good luck with it.

Tim
 
I was kinda hoping for others to weigh in as well. Im kinda new at forums and threads so I'm wondering if this topic should be in a different place.
 
TimBr said:
I tried to find something on the web about the "O" system, with little success. There's one short video I found on YouTube, but for me it produced no sound, so I could not hear the climber's explanation of how it all worked.
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Here's a Red Wings commercial featuring fellow buzzer Raven. You'll see the O Rig in action when he's on his initial ascent. If I climbed DdRT regularly anymore, I'd still use this very helpful tool. IMO, it's most helpful on long ascents and limb walk returns. Unfortunately, compared to SRT ropewalking, the O Rig's got nothing in comparison on long ascents. But it's leaps and bounds better than body thrusting, and manually tending your hitch. In a nutshell, the O Rig moves your climbing hitch almost out of reach, so that you can body thrust without even thinking about your hitch, and it sucks up the slack with every pull of the fall line. In addition, it's adjustable, like a pulley on a prusik in a typical mechanical advantage setup. So you can move the system away from you when beneficial, but close to you again when it's a better fit for the station you're in.

BTW, this is a pretty cool video...one of my faves. You'll notice some good quadcopter footage and crane work.

 
Bhard47 said:
I was kinda hoping for others to weigh in as well. Im kinda new at forums and threads so I'm wondering if this topic should be in a different place.
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I think it's ok posted right where it is. You are off to a really great start, in my opinion, as far as posting on the forum is concerned. I hope I'm not being too much of a PITA with my critiques of the photo and system, I know it takes work to do all of that. I'm just trying to be honest and straightforward.

Tim

By the way, I think the fact that you splice your own rope makes you one of "the few, the proud, the rope splicers". I do not yet know how to splice rope. The fact that you do makes you a valuable commodity on this and any other forums you choose to participate in.

It would be interesting to know what percentage of climbers know how to do their own splicing. I'm betting that it is a fairly low number.
 
Honesty and straightforward critiquing no matter how back patting or brutal it is is important. How's anybody gonna get better otherwise?
I am already rethinking what to do to refine my set up. I want it to work for me because I can really wrap my mind around the theory of it now and I can make it happen with gear I already have.
Rope splicing is actually what brought me to treebuzz! Lol I thought everybody spliced their own ropes!
 
TreeLogic said:
Here's a Red Wings commercial featuring fellow buzzer Raven. You'll see the O Rig in action when he's on his initial ascent. If I climbed DdRT regularly anymore, I'd still use this very helpful tool. IMO, it's most helpful on long ascents and limb walk returns. Unfortunately, compared to SRT ropewalking, the O Rig's got nothing in comparison on long ascents. But it's leaps and bounds better than body thrusting, and manually tending your hitch. In a nutshell, the O Rig moves your climbing hitch almost out of reach, so that you can body thrust without even thinking about your hitch, and it sucks up the slack with every pull of the fall line. In addition, it's adjustable, like a pulley on a prusik in a typical mechanical advantage setup. So you can move the system away from you when beneficial, but close to you again when it's a better fit for the station you're in.

BTW, this is a pretty cool video...one of my faves. You'll notice some good quadcopter footage and crane work.

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Great post, TreeLogic! I've never seen that ad before, really well done. I've been wearing Redwing boots for 25 years or so, so it is cool to see an actual ad for the product.

Great explanation of the advantages and use of the "O" rig system.

Thanks again.

Tim

Just for the record, before anyone jumps on it, when I say I've been wearing Redwing boots for 25 years, I don't mean without a break. I usually take them off before I go to bed at night.
 
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