hitch climbing

[MattP]

hi im still useing a blacks with a split tail i think it works well but im looking to move up to a vt or distel, has someone got any pics or video of climbing on these? thanks matt

 

[treesandsurf]

There's a wealth of information on this website. Click on the "Articles" link on the main menu (above), and read through the articles pertaining to friction hitches (many by Mark Adams).

Also, for more pictures you might try searching through old posts on this website, and google images.

jp

 

[Mntreedawg]

Matt, I suggest reading a book called the Tree climbers companion. That book will teach you alot. Also, try a distel before the vt. The vt can be a very picky hitch. Remember, low and slow. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[MattP]

im looking for pics and vibeos of the v.t and the distel at work climbing, mntreedawg i have that book i have been climbing for 7 years im not a beginner. i have tryed the v.t and distel but woz not convinced by them,i have no problem with the way i climb useing a blacks and a split tail,and adjustable side strop my side strop has a distel and a pulley and it works real good but i did just not get to grips with it for my climbing line, thanks matt

 

[fhfr436]

[ QUOTE ]
im looking for pics and vibeos of the v.t and the distel at work climbing, mntreedawg i have that book i have been climbing for 7 years im not a beginner. i have tryed the v.t and distel but woz not convinced by them,i have no problem with the way i climb useing a blacks and a split tail,and adjustable side strop my side strop has a distel and a pulley and it works real good but i did just not get to grips with it for my climbing line, thanks matt

[/ QUOTE ]

Youch, try some punctuation, capitalization and proofreading.

 

[Kathy_Holzer]

[ QUOTE ]
im looking for pics and vibeos of the v.t and the distel at work climbing... my side strop has a distel and a pulley and it works real good but i did just not get to grips with it for my climbing line, thanks matt

[/ QUOTE ]

hi matt.
not sure what you're really after - secret technique that makes the vt less sketchy? if so, there isn't one. it's a sketchy hitch and you either kinda like it and get used to the sketch factor, or you say screw that and use another hitch. i've been using a vt (2 wraps, 3 braids for my 155 lbs) for quite a while now and am pretty used to just not trusting it unless i set it with my hand first. if i'm standing on the tree and the hitch is opened up a bit, i'll set it with my hand every single time before i trust it with my weight. after a while it's a habit like any other and doesn't take much thought. the distel i found to be much more trustworthy, but also tended to lock up more often. nothing wrong with a blake hitch either - very solid respectable knot. kind of a midline sedan to the ferrari of the vt. room on the road for all kinds of cars.

hope some of that helps.
k.

 

[OTGBOSTON]

[quote

hi matt.
not sure what you're really after - secret technique that makes the vt less sketchy?

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe the XT?

 

[NickfromWI]

Maybe the Michoacan?

Matt, you just got to play around with it until you find the setup that works best....for you.

love
nick

 

[MattP]

hello, thanks for the responses, i think im going to try the distel,
can anyone recommend a climbing line and friction hitch cord combo?
thanks matt

 

[treesandsurf]

I use a 11mm Blaze climbing line with the 3/8" beeline tied with fisherman knots so it's easy to adjust the length to get the perfect 'fit'. Personally, I love the distel as I trust it 100%

jp

 

[MattP]

hi treeandsurf, im looking at Samson Velocity climbing line and Bee-line 8mm Eye to Eye Prussik? wot do you think? p.s i take it your a surfer? im a skateboarder. thanks matt

 

[treebing]

try em all. they all get the job done.

 

[treesandsurf]

[ QUOTE ]
hi treeandsurf, im looking at Samson Velocity climbing line and Bee-line 8mm Eye to Eye Prussik? wot do you think? p.s i take it your a surfer? im a skateboarder. thanks matt

[/ QUOTE ]

Same same, the velocity should be perfect as well. In fact, I prefer the velocity line as it has slightly less stretch (IMO) than the blaze line.

Skated for about five years before surfing, but still like to cruise around once in a while

jp

 

[MattP]

hay treeandsuff,i had a go with my Yale XTC Fire line(12.7) and 10m Beal for the knut hitch worked real good very smooth, and not as much work as my blackes, When im due(soon) to get some new gear im going to get the velocity line and bee line 8mm. i cant believe i climbed like that for soooooooo long the change is a good one. matt

 

[MattP]

hi is it best to untie my knut every time im not climbing or leave it on me line? i had a blacks befor that and untied it every time .

 

[pigwot]

I've settled on the Michoacan; I find it pretty predictable, grabs well with five turns, and tails really easily using the HitchClimber. Only thing I need to work out is I've been using half of a crossbridge setup to extend the knot away from me for hauling myself up into the tree. It is about three inches too long. Guess I'll have to get Nick to splice me up a couple.

 

[pigwot]

oh, and yes, I find it a good habit to untie my knot each time. That way you are continually assessing for wear and can gauge when you should toss your eye to eye and pull out a new one. Safety.

 

[jerseygirl]

OK - bringing this BACK UP

I setup my split tail - BEGINNER ON THIS LEVEL

AND here is the video with the issue I am having. I am using Poision Hi-v climbing line and what ever cord for my hitch - I am using a Distel - the video is of me - just inches from the gorund. I also have photos. I have some adjustments that are needed, the lenght and all that stuff and the position of the biners gates. also I will not be using those biners (i think)

Watch the video to see MY PROBLEM - I can not get the hitch to advance. WHY ME?????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpIciSsCjPo

thanks

 

[Jman]

Try a shorter cord lenght? What cord are you using? It looks like its not stiff enough to react to your pulley to push it up. If I remember correctly when I used a distel with Tenex it was 36" from eye to eye. The wrap below looks to spread out. Also it might not be dressed properly. Thats all my fried brain can get out. If your still having trouble come monday I'll take some pictures and give a few more examples.

 

[moss]

Reminds me of the first time I tried a closed split tail. How the heck do you get off the ground? (I said to myself) Getting off the ground is the trickiest part of climbing a closed split tail.

Remember that it is a completely different paradigm than climbing on a Blake's. You don't really advance the hitch. The rope just moves through the hitch as you go up. You advance yourself, not the hitch.

A few comments about your setup. You have too much play in the system, see how the biner holding the hitch drops down the bridge? You want that biner to stay in one place. Three ways to do it on your harness:
1. Put a swivel on the bridge and clip both biners into the swivel
2. Get a hitch climber pulley
3. Put a ring on your bridge that's large enough to attach both biners

What happens either way is that the biner holding the hitch is anchored and won't go sliding all over the place when you stand on and pull down the rope.

Another place to remove slop (play) is to shorten your hitch cord so there's just enough to tie the hitch and get it on your biner. Feel free to add a little more tail on the scaffold hitch, you don't want that to slip through.

After you get that tuned up you'll have a chance. You'll need to hand tend the rope through your footlock to get off the ground. It's a little awkward but you have to do it until the weight of the rope takes over and tends your single footlock loop. It is much easier to use a Pantin. The Pantin starts self tending very quickly, for my rope (Tachyon) it's when my Pantin foot is around 6-8 feet off the ground.

Other problems you may encounter...
When you have the working end of the rope (up rope) and the hitch biner in close proximity (on a swivel, the same ring or a hitch climber pulley), the double overhand loop knot (Scaffold, whatever) can cause the hitch to release. That's one reason why most climbers like to have a splice on at least one end of their rope. The splice won't upset the friction hitch.

The basic climbing principle is...
You don't advance the hitch, as long as you're moving up (standing on the rope with Pantin or single or double footlock on the tail and pulling down with both arms above the hitch) the hitch just sits there and the rope passes through it. When you want to stop to rest or you've reached your destination the hitch grabs the rope. Depending on what hitch you're using and how long the split tail is etc. you may have to flick the hitch up from its "collapsed" position to make it grab. That' show the hitch is supposed to work, when you're climbing it collapses, when you load it it extends up and grabs the rope. Whenever you load a closed split tail to set the hitch you have some "sit back". The more play in the system, the greater the sit back. Most climbers try to remove as much play as possible from the system to minimize sit back. If you have way too much play you're not going anywhere (what happened in the video).

If you can find a local climber who uses a closed split tail hitch it would be very helpful to examine their set up and observe how they get off the ground.

Caveat:
Many work climbers don't climb from the ground on a closed split tail. They footlock on a doubled rope or SRT up, then switch over the DdRT closed hitch once they're in the tree.

There is also the hitch bridge system that basically puts your hitch biner on a tether and allows you to get off the ground same as you would on a Blake's, pulling rope below the hitch. Once you're in the tree you move the hitch biner closer to the harness (still attached to the tether) and then take advantage of a closed split tail for climbing in the tree.

Hey, you should've asked at Tanglewood! I would've shown you I put a Pantin on my right foot and single footlock the tail below the Pantin with the other foot so I have two legs working instead of just one. As I mentioned you can also footlock the tail with both feet to get the same effect
-moss

PS, I accept donations

Ps 2: I just noticed that you do have a spliced eye on the climbing rope, on eless thing to worry about.