Question about variation of VT system

T

TreeSurfer

I have a question for any climber out there that may have experimented with the VT in the way I have for the past couple of days.

So, I've been using the VT for quite some time now but I always found myself complaining about having to tend my slack as opposed to the blakes hitch where you would advance your hitch as you climb. I recently tried to solve this problem by adding an eye to eye from my saddle to my VT system. This allows me to continuously shag up the tree without needing to tend my slack. ( I use a hitchclimber pulley so there is one attachment point). Obviously, once I get up the tree I take the eye to eye off and continue to climb normally on the VT as is. But as far as shagging up the tree initially I really like this eye to eye idea. The only down fall is that the VT is out of reach and if an emergency were to happen you wouldn't be able to descend.

For this reason I am assuming I should not be practicing this technique? Any thoughts?
 
have you tried a second pulley on a short prussic just out of reach with a pulley attached to it.run your rope back through the second pulley and pull on the end your rope should advance without tending and you will have a mechanical advantage. you can even reach your knot if you need to descend.it works slick.
 
The setup you're describing is my exact setup when climbing and sleeping in big trees.

I use a red carabiner clipped to my harness and the lengthener-lanyard and that never gets unclipped. The biner with the pulley and VT is yellow and gets clipped and un clipped to lengthen/shorten the system.

It works and is safe. I migh be able to make a vid later.

love
nick
 
just make the eye to eye a little shorter so that you can just reach it.

Be careful though because I have found that when trying to tend a hitch way above your head, Your body feels like it is hanging and about to fall and therefore makes your hands grip tighter. As you start going faster, your body squeezes tighter and you zip down the rope. This does not happen when the hitch is next to your harness because your body does not feel like it is hanging on for dear life.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have a question for any climber out there that may have experimented with the VT in the way I have for the past couple of days.

So, I've been using the VT for quite some time now but I always found myself complaining about having to tend my slack as opposed to the blakes hitch where you would advance your hitch as you climb. I recently tried to solve this problem by adding an eye to eye from my saddle to my VT system. This allows me to continuously shag up the tree without needing to tend my slack. ( I use a hitchclimber pulley so there is one attachment point). Obviously, once I get up the tree I take the eye to eye off and continue to climb normally on the VT as is. But as far as shagging up the tree initially I really like this eye to eye idea. The only down fall is that the VT is out of reach and if an emergency were to happen you wouldn't be able to descend.

For this reason I am assuming I should not be practicing this technique? Any thoughts?

[/ QUOTE ]

I believe what you're describing here is the anchor bridge set-up. Check this out.

http://www.treebuzz.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=39935&an=0&page=0#39935
 
The introduction of the hitchclimber has provided a nice variation to the AnchorBrige: You attach a LONG (12" or so) cord to a ring on your bridge, with a carabiner attached to the other end of this cord.

The middle hole on the hitch climber would have a carabiner that attaches to your bridge when you want your hitch close to you (this is a normal setup for many people).

In the Third hole, you attach the carabiner attached to the LONG cord. The beauty of this system is that you can switch easily between a near hitch or far hitch close without ever being disconnected.

If you want to get fancy, tie a VT with a tiny cord on the LONG cord attached to your bridge. Then, your LONG cord is adjustable.

I tie my LONG cord onto a seperate ring and hook the carabiner through a D ring and the O ring when not in use.

I call this system the O'Vation
cool.gif
 
"The introduction of the hitchclimber has provided a nice variation to the AnchorBrige: You attach a LONG (12" or so) cord to a ring on your bridge, with a carabiner attached to the other end of this cord.

The middle hole on the hitch climber would have a carabiner that attaches to your bridge when you want your hitch close to you (this is a normal setup for many people).

In the Third hole, you attach the carabiner attached to the LONG cord. The beauty of this system is that you can switch easily between a near hitch or far hitch close without ever being disconnected.

If you want to get fancy, tie a VT with a tiny cord on the LONG cord attached to your bridge. Then, your LONG cord is adjustable.

I tie my LONG cord onto a seperate ring and hook the carabiner through a D ring and the O ring when not in use."



That is way cool. I like the fact that if you for some reason couldnt reach it when it is in ascent mode...the second prussick gives you the opportunity to "climb up to it".


I always have problems with my hitch slipping on these extendo systems but I think that is because I use fishermens instead of splices on my hitch cord.

Reason # 57 for Rich or Jeremy to teach me how to splice at geezers
 
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