SRT anchor belay system

[The_REVerend]

Been playing with the mini porta wrap for a while like this
Works like a dream and ya groundies understand this which is good for us climbers is a rescue situation
Remember brothers a ground man is your best bud!
So make it easy on them in a bad situation

 

[tod_k]

The Treemagineers showed me this belay anchor. I like it, it,s very simple, clean and fast with little equipment. It is also arbor and rescue freindly. A munter backed up by a half hitch plus a prusik. Very easy and fast. They used a hitch climber I only have one. So I used the CMI.Nice clean connecting points.

 

[Shawn]

I like that setup. Looks like a nice range of adjustment too.

 

[Shawn]

Isnt that one of the homemade rope guides from another thread?

 

[tod_k]

It's kinda like that. Mine Is a 25' 16 strand rope with a ring spliced in it. I like it because there is no caribiner on the tree and no knots to tie. Like a prusik adjusting rope guide the concept is the same except you need a rigging plate on the pulley. I really like it because it;s simlpe clean and fast. In the past I have used a sling and a gri gri. I also used the access line with wrapes and then tied off to it;s self. This anchor is also freindely to arbors and rescue personal. It seems to have many bennefits with little limitations? In my market a 200' access line will do the job 85% of the time so anchor works well for use.

 

[Shawn]

Where did you get that "rope guide" made? Do it yourself? I emailed Nick and he said he can make me one in a few weeks, so now I just gotta wait. Wish I knew how to splice myself, would save me time, money, and id get to get "creative". Oh well. I dont think i have the patience to splice anything other than 3 strand.

 

[tod_k]

I had the sling spliced and then just made up the rest.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Before I changed to using th trunk wrap anchor for my access I used this adjustable anchor that Nick made for me.

The sling has eyes with thimbles in both ends and is long enough to go around a 6' diameter trunk. The sling is made from coated material for durability. The adjuster is made from non-coated to make for a firmer grip. This is just about the only place in any of my climbing gear that I use prusik. This allows me to slide the adjuster to either end of the sling. A klemheist could be used and just invert it but that didn't turn out to be quite as fair as using a P.

A munter could be used in place of the rack to eliminate one piece of gear. I like the rack because it has a lot of friction. In an emergency there is little extra brain power available to be used to judge how much belay to use. If the access line has any tree friction the rope will have to be manually fed to start the belay. This is a good thing I think.

 

[Shawn]

I like that sling, interesting idea to use thimbles! Ive always thought about buying a rack, but I have a hard time justifying it when I already have 2 figure eights, a grigri, and an ATC(rock climbing friction device). Not to mention friction hitches and such. But maybe some day, Ive heard the smootheness when the rope is running through is amazing. I really like that sling though, and thats something I could make in 3 strand until I can get Nick to make me something.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Shawn,

Three strand would be perfectly suitable. The reason that I had Nick make that one up is that I wanted the most compact and lightest combo. Be sure to choose a grippy material for the adjustable cord. Something that goes just a bit flat is my preference.

 

[jeff_r]

I'm curious about this backup - is the Klemheist good for descending, or lowering? Also, won't the wraps burn or damage bark? Not a big deal relative to an emergency I suppose. Looks so simple, a little too simple. . .

 

[Tom Dunlap]

The purpose of the klemheist is to have a brake in the system. As the victim is lowered the rescuer can let go and the rope will lock-off. Since most of the load is dissipated as friction in the trunk wraps it takes very little effort to lower.

You're right, the wraps could burn the bark. but this is very unlikely if enough wraps are made on the trunk. This is another example of what I call the 'snowshoe effect' The bigger the snowshoe the more support it will give.

During demos and practice I have yet to have even a small concern about burning either the bark or the rope.

The retro-simplicity is the beauty of the whole rig. The money saved by not having any sort of friction device can be used for some other higher purpose...like buying a Unicender

 

[jeff_r]

I see. So the rescuer would be holding the tail of the rope and using the wraps on the tree while decompressing the Klemheist to lower the climber. Sounds simple enough. I will pull my dog up a rope first and see what happens.
I will start with a hitch climber and then look at this unicender.

 

[Rocks_and_Trees]

Hey Tom, Just wondering why there is so much slack in the anchor. Why wouldn't you pull it tighter? Is is to reduce the bend radius, or maybe to assist in the release of the hitch in a rescue scenario?

It looks like it could slip

 

[Tom Dunlap]

That isn't the best picture of the Trunk Belay.

A better setup would be to take another turn around the trunk before clipping the Belay Hitch.

On that particular setup there is a branch just out of the picture up to the left that acts as a catch so that the TB wouldn't roll up.

Good eye

 

[Rocks_and_Trees]

Ok Thanks, I've seen it set up that way before and thought there might be a particular reason for it. Yeah, taking another turn would be solid. Just working on perfecting my SRT anchor today

 

[Tom Dunlap]

R&T,

Take pics of your TB and post them if you can.

 

[countryboypa31]

How long of a rope do you use when setting up an srt belay?

I'm just curious cause if your climbing an 80-90ft your gonna need a fairly long rope to have a full belay if your at the top when you need to be lowered. In an emergency situation.

 

[Rocks_and_Trees]

[ QUOTE ]

R&T,

Take pics of your TB and post them if you can.

[/ QUOTE ]
Okay.

Here's a few I've been playing with so far

 

[Rocks_and_Trees]

Here's another one. It's a few half hitches above a figure 8 backed up. A friend and I tested it out and it is easily belayable. Does it seem okay to you?