Minimalist rope walking setups?

[Handy2]

I have not tried this, but stuff I'm thinking about:

Compact tree kit:

-Rollnlock 2.8oz, $60
-New Tribe Basic 32oz, $150 (can stitch on gear loops)
-Pantin 3oz, $80
-Perfecto 2.3oz, $25
-SMD (2) 4 oz, $42
-Buff
-XSRE lock .3oz, $17
-Mini Hitch Hiker X (for 8-11mm) abt. 6oz, $100 to make
-83ft. 9mm rope w/ splice
HTP 57oz, $87 or Bluewater Protac 52oz, $77 (w/o splice)
https://www.balancingearthslacklines.com/accessories-rope-bluewater-protac-p/bwpt.htm
-48” dyneema slings (3) abt. 8oz, $45
-8 oz. throw bag $17
-150ft. Wesspur capillary throw line
-Edelrid Madillo 13.8 oz, $110



RollnLock for lanyard adjuster and slings for lanyard when you can't use the tail of the climb line (advancing/resetting tie in point).
Buff and XSRE for neck tether. XSRE also for advancing/setting line (hence the lock).
Single foot footlock in place of knee ascender.
Comes out to about 8 or 9 pounds without the helmet (wear the helmet if biking, weight not counted).

Can also add Mad Rock Safeguard (5.5oz, $90) for rads/backup/secondary positioning.

Lighter 8mm rope option: Sterling Oplux or Atwood Grand

 

[DonnyCoffey]

Break rules guys. I want ideas that are not compliant with your work regulations. I need an ultralight and compact ropewalking setup for multi-day climbs deep in forests. Up to this point I have mostly just used a rapid ascent descent system made of a small ascender (I don't even use a hand ascender, just a wild country ropeman), a grigri, and a small footloop made from 7/64 amsteel. I don't do tree work, my climbing is mostly straight up and down from the TIP.

The problem? Lately I have been taking highline friends into the canopy which requires that I do a lot of up and downs. As you can imagine this gets pretty damn time consuming with a RAD setup. The trickier part is that I usually climb on 9mm ropes (to save even more space). Yes, I know, "Your gonna die."

I remember seeing some pretty awesome minimalist setups from Richard Mumford but I can't seem to locate the videos. Do you guys have any new efficient SRT ideas that minimize gear to the bare essentials and works with small ropes?

 

[moss]

Break rules guys. I want ideas that are not compliant with your work regulations. I need an ultralight and compact ropewalking setup for multi-day climbs deep in forests. Up to this point I have mostly just used a rapid ascent descent system made of a small ascender (I don't even use a hand ascender, just a wild country ropeman), a grigri, and a small footloop made from 7/64 amsteel. I don't do tree work, my climbing is mostly straight up and down from the TIP.

The problem? Lately I have been taking highline friends into the canopy which requires that I do a lot of up and downs. As you can imagine this gets pretty damn time consuming with a RAD setup. The trickier part is that I usually climb on 9mm ropes (to save even more space). Yes, I know, "Your gonna die."

I remember seeing some pretty awesome minimalist setups from Richard Mumford but I can't seem to locate the videos. Do you guys have any new efficient SRT ideas that minimize gear to the bare essentials and works with small ropes?

If you're climbing RADS I'm assuming you have a footloop hanging off your Ropeman rope grab for your left foot. To rope walk replace the Grigri with a hitch and add a foot ascender for your right foot. You'll need a HUT (Holder Upper Thingy), light bungee over a shoulder will work (or the mentioned buff/small carabiner combo), to move your Ropeman up as you ascend. The hitch just rides up the rope. Pull rope with both hands above the Ropeman, your feet do the walking.

At 2:33 in this video you'll see my version of this, used a Microcender instead of a Ropeman. I doubled a sling and put a webbing sleeve on it to keep it neat to make a short tether for the Microcender. The long footloop hung off the Microcender. I climbed many northeast U.S. white pine with it and PNW old-growth, worked well. For the hitch to ride up nice it needs to be attached low on your harness, too much slop with a bridge style harness.

8 years ago ;-)

-AJ

 

[Handy2]

RW

 

[neums]

...my climbing is mostly straight up and down from the TIP.

I remember seeing some pretty awesome minimalist setups from Richard Mumford but I can't seem to locate the videos. Do you guys have any new efficient SRT ideas that minimize gear to the bare essentials and works with small ropes?

At the risk of excluding a literal "ropewalking setup," having only a rope diameter-appropriate multicender and advancing tether for it is THE most minimal setup that I can think of. You could forego the tether but why punish yourself with the constant ascent upkeep? You only get better at footlocking.

@treebing making it look easy.

 

[Handy2]

RW

 

[TREEfool]

@Handy2 that works well!? what size is your rope in the photo?

@moss YES! so simple. thanks for making a video of it!

 

[Handy2]

@Handy2 that works well!? what size is your rope in the photo?

@moss YES! so simple. thanks for making a video of it!

8mm Atwood Grand. Never used an actual wrench, so I can't compare, but so far it seems to work quite well. I just scaled down Kevin's wrench to work on 8-9mm ropes. If I remember correctly from my CAD files, it weighs about a quarter to a third as much as the 11-13mm wrench. The blue rope in the background is 11.7mm Yale Blue Moon.

 

[Jonny]

You made that one? That’s not an ISC wrench?
Well done, that looks excellent!

 

[Handy2]

You made that one? That’s not an ISC wrench?
Well done, that looks excellent!

Yeah, that's why it isn't anodized. Thank you!

 

[Brocky]

Looks like special milled piece, looks like tether attaches to it, it separates the eyes, and protects carabiner when hand tending the hitch, notice the direction the rope goes through the carabiner.

 

[Handy2]

Looks like special milled piece, looks like tether attaches to it, it separates the eyes, and protects carabiner when hand tending the hitch, notice the direction the rope goes through the carabiner.

Yep, that's what the tether attachment is. The whole point was to have something lighter than a pulley. It has an aluminum core, and the "side plates" are made of leather flared and stiffened with cyanoacrylate. A thermoplastic like kydex would probably work better, though. The mini carabiner at the bottom (that encircles the hitch) is necessary to prevent the hitch from getting sucked into the Perfecto when hand tending.

 

[Brocky]

Thanks, thought it might be all alum, like the use of the krazy glue to form the sides.
For recreational wrenching this is my current configuration, carbon fiber tube in 8mm Reep cover, and two eyed strap for tending.

Simplified one more step is to use only hitch cord with wrench and tether, the stopper knot in back does the tending.