Srt ?

[goodaking]

When climbing the yo yo srt system can you use a vt hitch in place of the scroll?
And if you can use the vt should I use a micro pulley with it?

 

[Tom Dunlap]

A chest ascender isn't used in a RADS/yo you system. The lower ascender is a device like an Eddy or Gri Gri. Look at the attachment.

What system are you using?

You can use a friction hitch in place of any device. That's what cavers did in the 50's and 60's when they were getting all of this rope climbing lined up.

To keep things efficient you'll need some sort of slack tender in your chest ascender.

I wouldn't advise using a VT though. It is so long that you wouldn't be able to capture all of your upward movement as you walk up the rope. Try using a more compact hitch like a Distel with short tails.

 

[moss]

[ QUOTE ]
When climbing the yo yo srt system can you use a vt hitch in place of the scroll?
And if you can use the vt should I use a micro pulley with it?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you're referring to a Tree Frog not a Yo-Yo/RADS. As Tom mentioned the Croll is much more compact vertically than a hitch which allows it to function well in a Tree Frog.

The key to successfully rigging a Croll for a Tree Frog is to have a rated attachment point at the center of the waist belt. Examples of harnesses that have this feature are the Sequoia SRT and the Treeflex. As Tom mentioned, it's difficult to fit a hitch in there, it will tend to run up into the upper ascender

You can use a hitch on your bridge but it won't give you the support to keep you upright that a properly configured Croll will. If you do use a hitch definitely put a slack tender pulley on it. If you cinch anchor your access rope when you get to the top you can lanyard off, detach the cinch and convert over to DdRT with the hitch already in place on the rope. I use this technique once in awhile though not as a Tree Frog. It's a minimal SRT system, ascender up top, hitch on the rope below as described, footlock the tail with Pantin and single loop footlock for the other foot. Works fine in a pinch.
-moss

 

[Fairfield]

So I have tried the Yo Yo system and got to say not a fan... not so much. So I kicked around so ideas and came to like this one. I took a 8mm cord, attached a hand ascender into the top end of it. take the cord to your harness (same cord throughout) tie a butterfly and connect that to your hitch climber. Then the other end of the cord will be a larger eight on a bight for a foot loop. My other foot gets a Patin. Sorry if it is hard to follow that. I love that system and the best part is you can run up the rope with out having to set the line each time you step up.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Fairfield,

I'll have to study your pic a bit...but here are some things that come to mind.

Even though the orange rope at the bottom of your handled ascender isn't used in life support you might consider using a cinch type connection to the biner. This captures the biner and limits the tipping and jiggling in the system.

Clip a biner through the top holes of the handled ascender to capture the rope. A little more security.

Attach your footloop to the that biner.

You could experiment with using a shock cord attached to the HitchClimber. Attach the shock cord to the ascender too. This will pull the hitch along.

Jerry Beranek posted a clever rope walking setup that would be a good review.

 

[treebing]

I SRT with a Vt hitch. I have a top acender with a long footloop attached to it.

I have a vt with a hitch climber pulley to tend slack.
I throw my lanyard over my shoulder and clip it to the hitchclimber and tighten it so it stays up high on my chest.

I have a pantin for the other foot.

Very easy and I am tied into the rope at all times. I never have to unclip or untie my hitch from the line to work the tree.