SRT meets DdRT and cambium saver

pantheraba

pantheraba

I took advantage of a beautiful day here to experiment with SRT. I threwballed a line about 40 feet up an oak that needed some dead limbs taken out...let the rope hang down free to the ground, anchored (clove hitched with 2 half hitches) the other end to another oak about 20 feet away.

I tried using my 2 CMI ascenders in my hands first...one with a short loop to my harness, the other with a long loop that I could stand in. I put a long split tail Blake's hitch above all that for a backup. This was a difficult setup. Then I tried footlocking with 2 upper ascenders...this did not work very well either.

I then took the leg rig and moved it down low...put a short loop on it and used it to stand in while I advanced the upper rig. (asc-leg 1.jpg)

The upper ascender would push the Blake's ahead of it (SRT-upper.jpg).

Then I could sit in my harness supported from the top ascender, reach down and advance the lower rig.

This worked pretty well...I was impressed with the amount of distance I could cover with each iteration. It was, however, right leg intensive. So I added a second loop to the leg rig and could now use both legs (asc-leg 2.jpg).

Once I got to the top, I set my leather false crotch/cambium saver (DdRT-SRT.jpg)...this is the first time I have used this type false crotch/friction saver. If you have not used one consider trying it for DdRT...the smoothness of the rope gliding through the leather is impressive. It saves wear on both the rope and tree. Retrieval worked just like it should have, no problem.

Anyway, I used DdRT once the SRT got me up to the work area...I cleared the ascenders, roped out the deadwood and then used a figure 8, with the DdRT as a backup, to descend.

I plan to keep experimenting with my ascenders and my SRT...I'll be curious to see and hear how others are doing things.
 

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I know some with high resolution screens will likely think otherwise, but my 1152x864 behind the modem says thank you for the perfectly-sized (both ways) pics.

I'm glad to hear about the leather cambium/rope saver. I'd been eyeballing it in the catalog and pondering how it might "feel". I wouldn't be surprised if it gets a little smoother as it "glazes" up internally.

If you can devise a way to not have to sit down for every bite you take it's quite easy to gain a good 3 feet per "stroke".
 
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I'm glad to hear about the leather cambium/rope saver. I'd been eyeballing it in the catalog and pondering how it might "feel". I wouldn't be surprised if it gets a little smoother as it "glazes" up internally.

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It is amazing how smooth it is...mine is brand new; I cannot imagine it getting even smoother. I wish I had gotten it a long time ago.
 
i inquired this idea to my employer, but he never got back.
instead of purchasing an ascender, what about using a 4' length of old rope- tie a blakes hitch on one side to climbing line and a bowline on the other end. and use this for ascending (foot in bowline, blakes hitch to connect to climbing line). this would be a great way to save money, but since i do not climb much, i have not had the chance to test it. would this be a pratical idea? rather simple to install, once in the tree it could be used as a redirect or something
 
Pantheraba, if you add a bungee between the ascenders, the lower one will automaticly come up, as long as you lift your legs. And, it might be simpler and easier to attach a friction hitch (preferably a knut) directly to the upper hole on the ascender.
 
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Pantheraba, if you add a bungee between the ascenders, the lower one will automaticly come up, as long as you lift your legs. And, it might be simpler and easier to attach a friction hitch (preferably a knut) directly to the upper hole on the ascender.

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THAT is exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping for with this thread. I kept looking down at the lower rig and thinking there oughta be a way to have it advance on its own...the bungee is a perfect idea. I'll definitely try that.

The knut idea not only sounds simpler, it will be a "cleaner" solution...I had quite a lot happening with attachments at my harness.

Thanks much.
 
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If you can devise a way to not have to sit down for every bite you take it's quite easy to gain a good 3 feet per "stroke".

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Glens,

That was the other thing I noticed on SRT. When I did move it was a long ways...not the quick pull and short advance of DdRT but a long distance gaining stroke with each SRT pull.
 
Gary,
You are on the verge of re-discovering either the full ropewalker system (which uses two ascenders, one at foot and one up top connected with a bungee) or the frog system (which uses one ascender up top with a leg loop coming down to the left leg and a Pantin on the right foot). You can see these and other SRT systems in Sherrill's catalog. They have been worked out and are very efficient.
One thing you have to decide is would you rather walk up the rope or frog(sit/stand motion) up the rope, then develop your system from there.
I use the frog system without the Croll as shown in Sherrill's, but many people are not aware that Sherrill's frog system is a modification to what is called the traditional "Frog" system because it allows you to "Walk" up the rope, which is actually better IMHO. So in my opinion it's not a true frog system since it's not a sit stand motion as traditionally named in other climbing circles(i.e.caving), but is better.
However, I had been piecing together a system which was less gear intensive over the past year, trying to achieve the same action as a Ropewalker system where you could really walk up the rope, which is the fastest and least exerting, and discovered that I had come up with the same as Sherrill's frog system which walks up the rope also, but with less gear. You only have to use one ascender, not two,
and can use a friction hitch or Yate Rocker in place of the Croll.
On this modified system either under SRT or DdRT you can really fly up the rope.
Good luck.
 
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