Introduction and SRT question

[treeweaver]

Hello everyone,
my name is Dorian, I've been climbing for 7 years and reading the buzz for 3 years. I never got round to posting any questions but last Friday I ended up nicking my arm with my 200t doing the old cut and grab technique. Internal stitching and 13 staples on top ensured that I now have more time to spend on the computer,at least for the next 2 weeks.
I have a question. I have been climbing ddrt and footlocking for years but with some recent back pains I have decided to try frog walking as an ascent. I use a unicender at the top with lanyard connected to my sequoia. Below it I have ascender with a footstrap and obviously a pantin on my boot. As I push up the rope moves too far from my body making it difficult to progress and losing more energy than I would footlocking. Does my hardware configuration sound wrong? Do saddle suspenders with a croll make a massive difference?
I hope not as my sequoia is not an srt model and I would hate to have to try and sell my saddle to get a new one.
There is an SRT climb in Austin this weekend which I will be going to but to watch but no climbing for me with my injury.
I'd appreciate any input and thanks to everyone who has posted good advice over the years. I've learned a lot from this site

 

[moss]

Sorry to hear about your injury but good news that you have some time for research and development.

The Tree Frog is dependent on a close attachment of a Croll or similar ascender, that's why the Sequoia SRT harness and the TreeFlex have the attachment loop right at the waist.

With your current harness you'd be better off climbing a RADS or classic sit/stand SRT system, as you described, the Tree Frog as configured isn't giving you any advantage over footlocking.

I'm less familiar with a ropewalker/chestroller system, what Dan Weiss from Connecticut has been burning up the TCC's with, it might be a better option for your harness. Maybe Dan or some one familiar wit the system can chime in with the details and harness requirements.
-moss

[ QUOTE ]
Hello everyone,
my name is Dorian, I've been climbing for 7 years and reading the buzz for 3 years. I never got round to posting any questions but last Friday I ended up nicking my arm with my 200t doing the old cut and grab technique. Internal stitching and 13 staples on top ensured that I now have more time to spend on the computer,at least for the next 2 weeks.
I have a question. I have been climbing ddrt and footlocking for years but with some recent back pains I have decided to try frog walking as an ascent. I use a unicender at the top with lanyard connected to my sequoia. Below it I have ascender with a footstrap and obviously a pantin on my boot. As I push up the rope moves too far from my body making it difficult to progress and losing more energy than I would footlocking. Does my hardware configuration sound wrong? Do saddle suspenders with a croll make a massive difference?
I hope not as my sequoia is not an srt model and I would hate to have to try and sell my saddle to get a new one.
There is an SRT climb in Austin this weekend which I will be going to but to watch but no climbing for me with my injury.
I'd appreciate any input and thanks to everyone who has posted good advice over the years. I've learned a lot from this site

[/ QUOTE ]

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Bring your gear on Sat and we can work out the bugs

If I understand, I think that adding a chest ascender and attaching the footloop to the Uni will make ascending easier.

 

[treeweaver]

I haven't tried the RADS system yet but I have tried the sit/stand srt system and found it to not have any particular advantage to a classic footlock. I am very tempted to sell my model sequoia and go for the srt kind. We'll see how the srt picnic goes. Thanks for your help.

 

[treeweaver]

Tom,
I am looking forward to seeing what we can do with my system and pretty bummed that I won't be able to climb. See you saturday

 

[Treelimbjim]

Glad you took the leap and made a post. Welcome.

See you Saturday. There's a couple of ways I ascend that hardly require the use of my arms.

 

[Waldo]

one thing that might help you is to take smaller steps, it may not sound like much, but if you are going for as big of steps as you would take in a foot lock its going to be harder to stand up on the rope.

 

[treeweaver]

yeah, I did discover that on my second try. I was taking big ol lunges as you would footlocking and I actually pulled something behind my knee. even with taking smaller steps, something seems to not be right. I'm curious to see what suggestion Tom has for me on Saturday

 

[TLHamel]

I use the Frogwalker with my treeMotion; the Croll is attached via karabiner to my bridge. You do not need a dedicated Croll attachment point to make ropewalking easy. However it is a nice addition! Smaller steps are a must as well as proper lengths of your tether and footloop.

 

[familytree]

I agree with taylor. I use my treemotion in a frog system with my uni as my chest ascender. It works great.

There is no reason you have to have a dedicated tab for a chest ascender. It does help with the clanging noise that happens when there is slack in the bridge but that really isn't a big deal. I take small steps to begin with so it's not a big deal to me (i'm short).

I have tried the treeflex with the dedicated srt tab and I wasn't impressed. I then attached my chest ascender to the bridge of my treemotion (at the advice of TL hamel) and I was much happier and more comfortable with that.

 

[Zac]

the trick I have found with the frog walker is to take small steps. Not so much a "grip it and rip it" activity.

The croll makes it easier to keep yourself upright and in line with your rope.

 

[treeweaver]

I appreciate all the tips and advice. I now have to wait for my arm to get better. I am looking forward to giving it another go

 

[treebing]

I do think you have it configured wrong. The top acender should have the footloop attached to it. Not the lower acender.

I girth hitch a foot loop about 3 feet long to the top acender. then, I have my friction hitch at my saddle. I am attached to the rope at both the top acender with a tether and at my saddle with a vt. I hold the friction hitch at my saddle up high with a tenex loopie around my shoulders and a biner clipped to the top hole of the hitch climber. does that make sense? The loopie is nice because its quickly adjustable and useful for other things on a climb, put it around your back and arms and clip the biner at your chest. If you dont, the friction hitch sags down, But it also holds your chest to the rope somewhat like those rollers are designed to do.

If your still falling away from the rope, You can make a makeshift roller with a revolver biner at you chest too. this sucks you into the rope. this rides higher on your chest and clips in above the hitch on the rope.

I find most of the time that isnt nessesary if you just balance on the pantin and foot loop like they are stirrups on a horse and you are posting. Practice balancing on your legs and use minimal arm strength. go straight up the rope.