Tips for Climbing a Tulip Poplar

[southsoundtree]

I think I mention, you can double a throw line through your climbing system. If you need to pull it back, or keep tension, you can. If your climbing system goes up right, just pull the throwline out, if not needed for coming down.

 

[LordFarkwad]

You right, you right. Just gotta remember to provide a means always of pulling it back down and resetting if necessary.

 

[Jehinten]

I was using the quickie all over the place, but whipping that cinch as it goes up the trunk could easily result in it getting mucked on the way up, which I then wouldn't be able to fix unless I already had a retrieval line in position.

You can always tie your alpine butterfly or running bowline knot with a tight enough loop that it holds the quickie secured. Then there's no worry of it changing orientation as it's being cinched down. Not only will the head of the slick pin be against the tree, but it will also keep the slick pin on the climbing side of the anchor so that it rolls as your retrieving it to reduce friction.

 

[GregManning]

4) Should have (and will) connected long throw line I used to get the initial set to the running loop, like whoever it was in this thread said I should do, as I allllllmost ran out of retrieval line on the way down. It's a 50' or so throw line that I have on my saddle with the end connected to that red Weaver ditty bag that is hanging above the ground in one of the pictures.

Alternately, with a 50' TIP and a 200' rope:
Install the rope thru the TIP & bring tail back to ground.
On the rope's working side, tie a "slippery over-hand knot" (or other easily removable mid-line knot) & run it up to the TIP. This then indicates the minimum tail length for later retrieval using only the rope (w/o throwline). (50' tail in tree + 50' tail on ground)
Using the tail side, tie a mid-line bowline (mid-line alpine, etc). Install Canopy loop.
You'll have 50+ ft of tail just reaching the ground

Link done by Derick Martin:

 

[Richard Mumford-yoyoman]

I was using the quickie all over the place, but whipping that cinch as it goes up the trunk could easily result in it getting mucked on the way up, which I then wouldn't be able to fix unless I already had a retrieval line in position.

It has not been a problem for me, perhaps making the eye of your Alpine butterfly a little smaller will help. Also if I'm not going to make it retrievable, and for easy advancement, I'll just put it to the termination eye of my rope.

 

[moss]

Dang. That's kind of a big downside, isn't it??

Nothing is perfect, 99.99999% of the time you use a Quickie you can orient it correctly.
-AJ

 

[DSMc]

Still, not as bombproof as a 6 dollar Maillon. So why is it so popular?

 

[SomethingWitty]

No wrenches. If I could engage the maillon in a couple of seconds with no tools, I'd be all over it.
You just can't get enough torque on that little gate without it. (I recall someone using a piece of bigshot tubing rolled onto it to provide a slightly larger diameter and improve purchase for your fingers. I haven't tried it and I am not sold.)


I recommend everyone start with some sort of screw link for midline cinches in the canopy... but everyone gravitates towards the quickie.

 

[rope-a-dope]

After using both, the quickie is always on the saddle, the dimensions are just really handy for other tricks beyond a cinch anchor. You can squeeze a bight through it on smaller lines. Roomy enough for multiple ropes, but still very compact for a connector. Plus a huge gate opening!

 

[Louhut]

Quickie is great , no torque setting, it’s tiny and easy to load correctly.
I have hand tightened screw links and had to use a spanner to get them loose. I love screw links but I’ve modified the gate in mine with a piece of shrink tube with a an arrow beneath so I know which was is to loosen

I’ve never had a screw link come undone with hand tension and I have the biggest diameter link. Would never need to worry about the tightness of the link with a quickie because of the 4 action locking.

As for the tree; Never see mature tulips in the UK, just big Lombardi and Black poplar commonly. I like the ranch structure on black poplar, the branches are really far apart good for swings and jumps but my tie in is always choked onto a stem whether it’s MRS or SRS. This way I don’t have to be second guessing a tie in because the branches are so weak in tension, loading in compression with a cinch is good. For moving rope I climb with a pulleysaver and SRS i can have a quickie or a screw link on a prusik with alpine butterfly beneath so I can adjust the working end of my line to allow for redirects or advancing.

I’ve reduced several poplars, big cuts can fluff up with epicormic shoots very violently or die back. I’ve re-pruned a black poplar and the cuts heal quite well (if made at the right time, good quality cut, small cuts etc)

 

[SomethingWitty]

I have to play with setting a screw link on a prussic for cinching. I like the quick adjustment idea for spar work.

 

[Louhut]

I have to play with setting a screw link on a prussic for cinching.

I love it if I send a link up on a prusik I can always readjust my tail quick and easy Incase I need more for a redirect or to advance. Just make sure you have the stopper beneath the prusik because it will almost definitely slip down the rope because of the branch.

 

[SomethingWitty]

I'm going to start using a pinto cinch again. I just got a pinto prussic from a fancy teufelberger friction saver, and I bet it is a smoother setup than capturing an alpine butterfly loop between the cheeks.

Did we get a final "no" on using a pinto for cinches? Or is it still more of a "questionable technique that I probably shouldn't do but it will also probably be fine"?

 

[Louhut]

Did we get a final "no" on using a pinto for cinches?

All I know is that DMM never tested the pinto in that configuration so the safety and strength of the pinto is officially not known to DMM. I think they don’t want people to use them this way just to save their skin if anything bad were to happen, which is fine by me.

However, third party testing (I don’t know who by) resulted in the pinto being strong enough for the technique. It’s not something I would do because I use my pinto on my u saver and another on a lanyard.

You could always do the quickie in and alpine butterfly and just have the pinto beneath i if you were concerned?

 

[SomethingWitty]

All I know is that DMM never tested the pinto in that configuration so the safety and strength of the pinto is officially not known to DMM. I think they don’t want people to use them this way just to save their skin if anything bad were to happen, which is fine by me.

However, third party testing (I don’t know who by) resulted in the pinto being strong enough for the technique. It’s not something I would do because I use my pinto on my u saver and another on a lanyard.

You could always do the quickie in and alpine butterfly and just have the pinto beneath i if you were concerned?

I suppose.
I'm going to play with a few configurations. Fewer parts and steps are always my favorite once the novelty wears off.

 

[Louhut]

Fewer parts and steps are always my favorite once the novelty wears off.

I use a quickie on a prusik, backed up with an alpine. Works almost as well as the pinto on retrieval because the pin rotated (like a pulley but nowhere near as fast).