Rope runner pro

[rico]

Its strange that a lot of these youngsters seem to look down on hitch based setups... They do realize that many of the best climbers in the fucking world still run hitch based setups? Why? Because a pro can get a hitch to be as quick and sporty as a mechanical, but good luck getting a mechanical to be as silky sweet as a hitch that is truly singing...

 

[islandarb]

Honestly this chap has started out on the wrong foot. He made a post, got hammered and starts to fuss. Just so typical of the new generation. Would love it to be different as I have kids. Trying my best to teach them to stay humble. Sam is nine and climbs SRT on a wrench. No way is he seeing one if my OG runners. I personally am fluid with both. Know what I pick to climb on everyday, a bloody wrench with my faithful micho. Fuck all the noise.

 

[rico]

A bloody Wrench and a Micho is still king in my book bruv.. Nothing has come close to dethroning it thus far....

 

[dmonn]

I'm very curious about why some of you were saying you should start climbing MRS rather than SRT. I started climbing as a caver, and started SRT. I had never even heard of MRS until I started in tree work. I still don't use MRS very often. It rarely seems more advantageous than SRT for what I do (mostly removals with a little pruning, and relatively small trees). SRT also seems to be less complicated than the moving rope systems, and way more efficient. No need for a cambium protector/friction reducer. It can be done pretty simply with a hitch based system. A little mechanical help is nice (rope wrench or HHX), but not essential. So why is it helpful to learn climbing and moving in the canopy on a moving rope system?

 

[DSMc]

... So why is it helpful to learn climbing and moving in the canopy on a moving rope system?

This should be obvious. The more knowledge and skills you can master, the more scope you will have at what you do.

With that said, if I was just starting out in this profession, with all the advancements in climbing gear available, there is no way you would keep me on a hitch based MRS for any longer than it would take to understand it.

A MRS is not inherently safer, as looking back at accident reports will show. The new tools we have for SRS are simply fantastic and trustworthy and I believe it to be a superior system for tree work.

Safety comes not just from tools and technique, but from acquiring the knowledge and skill to achieve your goal.

 

[Lupin_IV]

Forum interaction 101 you gotta be able to take the mild heat from old timers

 

[Chris Schultz]

Since we’re on the subject..... would the RRP be a good first SRT mechanical? I’ve climbed a season on a Blake’s, been on hitchlimber for a few years, and a season or two on rope wrench SRT. RRP vs. Unicender, would one be a better first than the other?

 

[Crimsonking]

Since we’re on the subject..... would the RRP be a good first SRT mechanical? I’ve climbed a season on a Blake’s, been on hitchlimber for a few years, and a season or two on rope wrench SRT. RRP vs. Unicender, would one be a better first than the other?

The unicender is simple, but it’s not the smoothest srs device. The rrp needs fine tuning, broken in, and periodic lubing of the spring, but offers a smoother ride and an overall better experience in my opinion.

 

[islandarb]

What happened to the OP? He get weak knees or ran out of argumentative bravado.

 

[Jehinten]

Since we’re on the subject..... would the RRP be a good first SRT mechanical? I’ve climbed a season on a Blake’s, been on hitchlimber for a few years, and a season or two on rope wrench SRT. RRP vs. Unicender, would one be a better first than the other?

I agree with @Crimsonking. My experience is not with the pro version of the rope runner but it's still a smoother ride than the unicender. However the unicender does handle pitch better, if that's a consideration with your climbing. Around here conifers are pretty infrequent, so it's not as big of a concern.

 

[moss]

I'm very curious about why some of you were saying you should start climbing MRS rather than SRT. I started climbing as a caver, and started SRT. I had never even heard of MRS until I started in tree work. I still don't use MRS very often. It rarely seems more advantageous than SRT for what I do (mostly removals with a little pruning, and relatively small trees). SRT also seems to be less complicated than the moving rope systems, and way more efficient. No need for a cambium protector/friction reducer. It can be done pretty simply with a hitch based system. A little mechanical help is nice (rope wrench or HHX), but not essential. So why is it helpful to learn climbing and moving in the canopy on a moving rope system?

MRS is a fundamental tree climbing skill. You can tie in MRS with tail of your SRS rope, you can use your lanyard as a second system in MRS mode, very handy. You can quickly switch in and out of SRS and MRS modes to deal with specific situations in trees. If a climber doesn’t have strong MRS experience they won’t have it in their mental toolbox when it could’ve been very useful.
-Aj

 

[rico]

What happened to the OP? He get weak knees or ran out of argumentative bravado.

We seem to have gotten an influx of uppity newbs lately.... Short on listening skills, and seem to think they already know better... Fucking kids these days.

 

[Reach]

MRS is a fundamental tree climbing skill. You can tie in MRS with tail of your SRS rope, you can use your lanyard as a second system in MRS mode, very handy. You can quickly switch in and out of SRS and MRS modes to deal with specific situations in trees. If a climber doesn’t have strong MRS experience they won’t have it in their mental toolbox when it could’ve been very useful.
-Aj

MRS is also necessary climbing with a crane, and a basic MRS system can be put together with nothing more than one rope. This means when your mechanical device fails, falls apart, or something else untoward happens, you can tie up a quick system that will allow you to get back to the ground without waiting for professional rescue.

 

[moss]

Great points @Reach. @dmonn mentioned caving as an example where MRS is not needed. Caving on rope is up and down, tree climbing is 3-dimensional movement to the max.

To Reach’s point about a failed or stuck (big gob of pine pitch will do it) multicender device. That would be brutal to sit there waiting for “someone” to get you down (very long wait) ‘cause you
couldn’t tie a Blake’s.
-AJ

 

[Crimsonking]

MRS is a fundamental tree climbing skill. You can tie in MRS with tail of your SRS rope, you can use your lanyard as a second system in MRS mode, very handy. You can quickly switch in and out of SRS and MRS modes to deal with specific situations in trees. If a climber doesn’t have strong MRS experience they won’t have it in their mental toolbox when it could’ve been very useful.
-Aj

Moss, this is perhaps the clearest, most concise explanation regarding the benefit of learning mrs!

A tree mentor of mine challenged me to climb mrs more often because I had learned primarily srs. Since then it has been a wonderful skill to have. There are times that an M rig is just what the doctor ordered, where nothing in the srs bag of tricks performs quite as well. These days it’s hard to say how many times I may switch between them in a day, sometimes even in a single climb.

I owe so much of my development to the teachers who insisted that I simplify, and go back to basics to find what I had missed. The kicker- this was 5 years into my climbing. That’s what gets me about newer climbers that barely have any experience feeling like we’re holding them back. If I had stopped 5 years in, I would have known how to do a lot, but 5 years later I better know WHEN to do the things I know.

 

[rico]

There are times when MRS is simply the better tool for the job, so why not have it in your arsenal....

 

[Chris Schultz]

That would be brutal to sit there waiting for “someone” to get you down (very long wait) ‘cause you
couldn’t tie a Blake’s.
-AJ

True, but descending on a Blake’s could be/is brutal too.... why I always keep a fig. 8 on my saddle, or a munter would work also...

 

[southsoundtree]

Great points @Reach. @dmonn mentioned caving as an example where MRS is not needed. Caving on rope is up and down, tree climbing is 3-dimensional movement to the max.

To Reach’s point about a failed or stuck (big gob of pine pitch will do it) multicender device. That would be brutal to sit there waiting for “someone” to get you down (very long wait) ‘cause you
couldn’t tie a Blake’s.
-AJ

A munter hitch will get you down.

 

[dmonn]

This has turned into a great thread. You guys have convinced me to expand my climbing skills. I just wish there was someone I could learn from in person. I'm a little old to join a crew (69).

 

[Njdelaney]

I'm still a new climber but I have made a point to do MRS and SRS. I use a hitch climber set-up, a HHX, Rope Wrench and a RR. I also climb MRS on a Blake's hitch sometimes, and sometimes I also footlock up a single line with no harness or anything but a rope and myself(never higher than 10-15 feet though). I rotate all of these because 1) it's fun and I love learning things and getting better at them, 2) I'm a firm believer in the idea that doing more different things helps you see the common principles involved in all of them, 3) I have found that having lots of different ways to skin a cat can get you out of a jam when it really counts. If you're the best in the world at only one specific thing one specific way, you're set up to fail. Again, I'm still a new climber so now I'll shrink back into the shadows and take my tongue lashing from the Old Crusties haha