Rope Walker Help

[TreeLogic]

What would make my friction hitch and rope wrench hang too low during ascent? Everything seems to stay at waist level or below.

Using zk2 with stiff tether, Pantin, hand ascender attached to left foot loop, op 10mm michoacan. Stiffy sandwiched between fixed gate micro pulley with hitch legs outside.

I'll try to get a pic tomorrow.

 

[bonner1040]

You need a HUT or hold up thingy. Either a chest harness, or LOTS (lanyard over shoulder) or a neck strap or something to hold the climbing system up against your chest.

Look how Mike uses his lanyard over his shoulder.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0iC90dXqh4

 

[TreeLogic]

Thanks Nick. I thought the LOTS was to help you stay upright. I didn't realize it helped keep everything in the right spot.

 

[bonner1040]

Glad to help!

 

[Tom Dunlap]

So..you're saying that your hitch slips down when you ascend?

When I see that it tells me that there's a chance that the hitch might not grab when its supposed to...a dangerous configuration.

Upper tethers help slide the hitch/ascenders up but shouldn't be relied on to get the hitch/chest ascender to function.

 

[treebing]

HUT!

 

[TreeLogic]

No, hitch is holding tight Tom. But thanks anyway. It almost feels like too much play in the saddle bridge. I'm new to SRT...love how quickly you go straight up a rope...and learned from the start, from countryboypa i think, you want a tighter hitch than DdRT.

 

[TreeLogic]

[ QUOTE ]
HUT!

[/ QUOTE ]
Thanks Mr Bingham, will incorporate a HUT. Props to ya sir.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

This is what I clip to the top of my Uni to tend it. The little chrome piece came from the webbing neck lanyard from a camera. It acts like a slack tender for the toggle lock on the bungie cord

 

[TreeLogic]

So, the HUT should connect to the RW in my scenario? Or could it attach to something else?

 

[Tom Dunlap]

I connect mine to the top of whatever is my upper ascender. In your case, the RW. I've seen some clever loops added to the RW to attach the lanyard/HUT...

 

[TreeLogic]

Upper ascender...would the hand ascender count? Or do you mean RW and friction hitch only?

Thanks again Tom.

 

[TreeLogic]

I think I know what happened yesterday with my setup...which worked well the few times I've used it prior.

I forgot to tether the RW to the hand ascender. I made a small loop of throwline which stays on the RW. I forgot to clip it the hand ascender. Wow, could've gone bad, huh? Or was I backed up fine by the tight hitch cord?

So, if that was the case, is the LOTS still a good idea?

 

[Tom Dunlap]

TL,

One good reason NOT to tether the RW to the upper/hand ascender is that it allows you a quick exit or movement without disconnecting from the upper.

If I were to want to connect to the upper I'd add a tether from the upper back down to my bridge or front connection. That leaves the RW/Uni etc. to operate by itself a little better.

 

[islandarb]

OK I will join this one, I use a chest harness hand made with tubular webbing...on ascent I will simply clip the dogsnap into a throwline loop at the bottom of the ABR tether and away I go advances the system like a dream....the chest harness is so light and non invasive I hardly know it's there....been using this method since Jan 2012 so it works....no hiccups....plus it keeps me upright so no kickin out the pantin ergonomic I say....especially for hand over hand ascent which I like for short jaunts...

 

[TreeLogic]

Many thanks...

Sorry for the repetition but wanna make sure I got it right. Forget attaching the RW to the hand ascender. Better to attach via chest harness or LOTS to RW.

Swing, appreciate the help man. So you attach to the bottom of the stiffy...where it clips into your hitch climber...correct? And you only use the hand ascender for long ascents? Just hand over hand with Pantin normally?

If you find time, no rush, I'd love a pic of your chest harness and maybe the attachment.

BTW, your lanyard looks almost identical to the one I just made. Basically a CE, 20 footer, with pinto, made of Blaze, and I spliced a tight eye on each end (that was fun but I finally got it). I made the thimble & prusik too but find it gets in the way for the most part so took it off for now. The pinto attachment point is the BOMB! Now I know why everybody's screaming about them.

 

[islandarb]

Hey Logic, here's a pic of my SRT gear and my current lanyard ( Luke @ treestuff makes my lanyards, this one is platinum rope with sewn eyes which I love )... this is a derail but I like to use a piece of maxim cord as my thimble equiv, so I can SRT my snap for full use of my 9 foot lanyard...don't like long lanyards....that maxim just slides around when not in use, hardly notice it...you can see the loop of throwline at the bottom of the ABR tether, I prefer it there as my bridge length and chest harness puts everything in alignment and keeps the system in front of me...yeah I just got that ISC handled ascender and ABR footloop...it replaces my petzl ascender and homemade footloop....only use it on long ascents in open air...I even footlock sometimes just to mix things up...did that mostly with my first wrench before I got the pantin...I climb on cougar regular and the blue or yale luna and now have the new safari kernmaster in the mail which should be top notch SRT rope....that chest harness was made at my sailmaker's shop on a commercial machine, but not necessary as it's not for life support....it's adjustable and easy on and off...sorry for all the YAP but I like to be clear about what I climb on....

 

[TreeLogic]

You're the man, Swing! Appreciate the YAP.

 

[Treezybreez]

Hey TL check out this set up.

The lanyard over the shoulder works well for me.

 

[Adkpk]

Looks pretty good. Treezy lanyard and climbing rope are the same?