SRT Questions! Apprentice!

M

Mparko93

Location
Australia
Hi all,
I've got a few questions regarding srt and wanting to get some feedback :)
There's quite a few scenarios I'm realising more at work that SRT would be saving me energy, time and from accidents.

What is everyone's go to canopy anchor? (not sure I'm ready for basal anchors just yet)
I'm thinking of using the notch quickie with alpine butterfly anytime I'm making a large ascent into a tree and potentially as my choking off method when blocking down or have no TIP over a union etc...

Being in subtropical Australia also I do quite a lot of palm removals and have made it a rule for myself to always be tied into any palm over 3 metres, I tried a method last week of getting my throwline up and over a frond, down to the ground, tied a running bowline around the palm with yosemite tie off, clipped the throwbag to the loop of the bowline, towed my climbing line to the crown of the tree, weighted the line with two bodies and starting to make my ascent.

What are some peoples thoughts of other canopy anchors for palms that might not degrade my rope so much?
In my head I feel safer with rope on rope as my anchor for palms as they tend to be alot smoother with their bark yet when I think of constantly resetting my anchor as i block down the palm maybe adding a ring or notch quickie might be better and save my rope in the long term??
And do you think and anchor ring or quickie wouldn't slip / would choke the line to the palm as effectively as rope?

Tethers! I'm rattling my brain at the moment trying to decide whether to get a single or double eye tether?!
It will be getting added to my hitch climber with michoacan!
I'm wanting the ability to switch from SRT to DRT effortlessly without having to remove the biner my prussic and hitch climber are attached to.
My current thought is to go with rope logic shorty single eye tether (as i want a very compact system) attached to the top attachment of my hitch climber with the notch quickie (slick pin through tether not rounded end) maybe with a rubber gromet on the other side to the tether to orient it correctly.
What are peoples thoughts on using a singe eye tether on a hitch climber?
I've seen some people set it up on youtube but I worry seeing how much it kinks the tether and might effect the wrench in ways.
My other thought was to attached the double eye tether to the middle attachment of the hitch climber with the quickie but am worried how much this is going to lengthen my overall climbing system ?
 
For palms - Basal tie straight over the crown (minimum two healthy green fronds between rope and ground). Use your lanyard around trunk whilst ascending as safety. Just pull the rope through with throwline. Will be a little bit rough on rope with thorned fronds like robusta etc. Too much risk of bits of old petioles or rougher trunks grabbing the loop on the raising the loop method.
 
Mparko93 said:
I'm wanting the ability to switch from SRT to DRT effortlessly without having to remove the biner my prussic and hitch climber are attached to.
My current thought is to go with rope logic shorty single eye tether (as i want a very compact system) attached to the top attachment of my hitch climber with the notch quickie (slick pin through tether not rounded end) maybe with a rubber gromet on the other side to the tether to orient it correctly.
What are peoples thoughts on using a singe eye tether on a hitch climber?
Click to expand...
Consider the Lawton tether, about halfway down this page: https://www.wesspur.com/ascenders/mechanical-friction-hitches.html

Lawton tether.jpg
 
Just get an akimbo if you're transitioning between srt and mrt. The mrt experience is not optimal, but the changeover is instant. Very important for crane removals where the $clock tick$...
 
For a canopy anchor set from ground I find running bowline with Yosemite finish is effective, no extra gear required and only need rope length twice the height of the high point. This isn’t really suitable for retrieving if you do any redirects on the way down.
This works well for blocking down too, just leave the knot tail long enough to reach your next setup. Flip line in and pull the climb line down to you.

Haven’t done any palm work so can’t give any opinions there.

I use a single leg tether with the hitch climber and find it works well. It fits straight onto a standard oval carabiner, the hitch cord holds it in place.
 
Chaplain242 said:
For palms - Basal tie straight over the crown (minimum two healthy green fronds between rope and ground). Use your lanyard around trunk whilst ascending as safety. Just pull the rope through with throwline. Will be a little bit rough on rope with thorned fronds like robusta etc. Too much risk of bits of old petioles or rougher trunks grabbing the loop on the raising the loop method.
Click to expand...
Not sure I'm quite comfortable with the basal tie just yet, kinds spooks me thinking of cutting my line etc haha :)
Can see how quick and easy it would be to set!
And pulling my ropes through the crown if they're rough just gives me shivers haha :)
Thank you for the response!
 
Aerial Traveler said:
My go to canopy anchor = Canopy cinch using a rated stainless steel delta link. I prefer the delta link over the Quickie since you don't have to think or worry about the orientation of the slic pin.

Rope wrench tether = I use the double eye Rope Logic shorty tether and attach the tether to the center hole of the DMM Hitchclimber pulley with a 5/16" stainless steel wire lock clevis pin. I prefer the wire lock clevis pin over the Quickie because it doesn't pick the eyes of the tether with the slic pin plunger from the Quickie. Also the wire lock clevis pin has the right usable length (1 1/8") to accommodate both the eyes and the pulley side plates. The wire lock clevis pin is also way easier to open.

Maybe other members can help with tips for climbing a palm trees.
Click to expand...
Are the delta links rated as good as the quickie in terms of the side load rating?
And how are you setting the link? with a knot or the end of your line?

Where were you able to find a double eye shorty tether? I've been looking everywhere!
I've seen the clevis pin being used before online, what are your thoughts on the way the pin is being loaded in a fall etc? Does the pin need to be rated for life support?

Do you have any photos of your setup?

Thanks again for the reply!!
Much appreciated!
 
Noodle said:
For a canopy anchor set from ground I find running bowline with Yosemite finish is effective, no extra gear required and only need rope length twice the height of the high point. This isn’t really suitable for retrieving if you do any redirects on the way down.
This works well for blocking down too, just leave the knot tail long enough to reach your next setup. Flip line in and pull the climb line down to you.

Haven’t done any palm work so can’t give any opinions there.

I use a single leg tether with the hitch climber and find it works well. It fits straight onto a standard oval carabiner, the hitch cord holds it in place.
Click to expand...
Yeh im only wanting to use the running bowline for blocking down or palm work :)

Where are you attaching the tether onto?
 
Everything stays in line, my chest harness attaches snuggly to the centre hole on the hitch climber.

I will often switch to MRT during a climb after ascending SRT, all I have to do is take one leg of the hitch off, take the tether off, add a carabiner back onto the HC. Very little loose hardware when changing over which is good too.

The Lawton tether looks like a good option too! I might even look into DIYing mine to work in a similar way.
 
Last edited:
Mparko93 said:
Do you know where I'm able to source them?
Haven't had any luck on my usual browse and through google :(
Click to expand...
Go to Gap Arborist Supply website, type in "tether" and scroll down a bit in the results. They carry the At Height 9.5" Double Leg tether.
 
Mparko93 said:
Interesting!
Haven't seen this before :)
How do you find it functions with the biner attached to it?
Have you used the standard set up before?
Intrigued to know how this works
Click to expand...
Well, I never use it that way (not my photo) but that's how it was designed to be used. I've seen some guys use just an XSRE carabiner to connect the tether to the pulley - not sure how floppy it gets when ascending, but works fine on descent.

I think some climbers, if they are using a Hitch Climber pulley, when switching to MRS, just disconnect the Wrench, flip it over, and pin it to the standing part to stow it while working MRS.
 
Mparko93 said:
Not sure I'm quite comfortable with the basal tie just yet, kinds spooks me thinking of cutting my line etc haha :)
Can see how quick and easy it would be to set!
And pulling my ropes through the crown if they're rough just gives me shivers haha :)
Thank you for the response!
Click to expand...
Never cut any ropes, anywhere.

Tie in twice.

Your base tie can easily be at 8'
 
You may could save your favorite rope a little more by using a false crotch type rig for climbing palms. Pull up one least favorite rope through the fronds with pulley or biner on the end that your most favored climbing rope can anchor to. The first rope would then have to be basal anchored. You could work your climb line either srt or ddrt. I think getting comfortable spiking the palms you'll be removing with your backup cinched on the trunk will be faster, but totally understand the need for a reliable life line through the middle of the palm.

For a canopy anchor, I get a lot of friction from redirects when it's just the alpine butterfly. There's a video somewhere on here about the Texas tug where you tie another butterfly just below the first one and attach a pulley that the working end goes through. This lines up the slack when retrieving from the ground.

The Lawton tether is great at reducing the slop in the attachment points. Either way, the single leg tether is the way to go. I run it with the hitch climber often. I just stumbled upon a more symmetrical way to put it on my oval biners with the stein double eye pulley. Because the side plates meet at an angle, you can cheat it in the middle without taking up too much real estate.
 

Attachments

  • KIMG0930.JPG
    KIMG0930.JPG
    360 KB · Views: 38
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Kask Stihl NORTHEASTERN Arborists Wesspur TreeStuff.com Teufelberger Westminster X-Rigging Teufelberger
Back
Top Bottom