vt causing twisting in rope

blacktopp

blacktopp

Location
White Rock, BC
i have noticed lately when im climbing that the rope is twisting while its moving threw my friction hitch, this get very annoying when it get all tangled up. anyone else have this issues? my vt is tied with 4 wraps 3 braids outside inside outside, im climbing on my posin hi-vee or xtc plus climbing lines with a beeline for a split tail
 
Maybe because your rope is new? I am using PI with the exact same knot and I am not having any issues like that.
 
It's worse on new ropes. You need to stretch out your rope before bagging it whenever you can. I've heard of guys tying their VT in the opposite direction each time but that never worked for me.
If you use a long rope on a short tree several times in a row, the rope never gets stretched out and the hockling is murder.
It's not just the VT, all knots do it in some measure, Distel was the worst for me but even a Blakes will do it.
 
I too have experienced this just the way you describe. However, as stated previously, it's not just the VT. I'm using my VT with Tachyon which has been in use for about 8 months now and I still have the problem from time to time. I find that the tighter, i.e., the more wraps that I put into the hitch the worse the problem becomes. So for example, if I use 3 wraps up top Vs. 4, it's better, i.e., causes less twisting. I also found that alternating the overlaps coming down helps Vs. keeping the same one crossing over the top each time. Even with various "preventive" measures I still have problems from time to time and the best cure is simply to get the rope out of the bag and stretched out while climbing. If I'm tending the rope and letting it drop freely it takes the twists out of the line, however, if I do a bunch of short up and downs with perhaps half the rope left in the bag it became a real mess. I feel your pain, because it really frustrated me, however, running a little looser VT seemend to help me a lot.
 
its a worked in rope almost a year old, but i have defnitly noticed it more after a few glazed spots showed up on my split tail. thanks for the tips, i will try changing the way i wrap see how that works
 
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i have noticed lately when im climbing that the rope is twisting while its moving threw my friction hitch, this get very annoying when it get all tangled up. anyone else have this issues? my vt is tied with 4 wraps 3 braids outside inside outside, im climbing on my posin hi-vee or xtc plus climbing lines with a beeline for a split tail

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What rope are you climbing on? And what are you using as a hitch cord (name the cordage and diameter).
 
I'm a big fan of short ropes... since I went through this rope cutting phase a while back. Hockles fall out of short ropes since they get stretched on every climb.

Anyway, I use a 70' Velocity lifeline more than I use my 150' PI. I used to favor a 90' PI lifeline until a customer saturated it with wasp killer before I could stop'em... I don't trust it now though. Next rope I buy will be 90' once it's spliced.
 
Great, thanks for the quick response. Sounds to me like your friction hitch is too tight. Try a 4 coil, 2 braid hitch or a different hitch altogether, maybe an "XT". I had the same problem with 11mm climbing line and 8mm hitch cord. I tried the XT and that problem went away.
 
I don't know if this will help anyone or not, but here is a little trick I use whenever possible.

When I know I'm coming down the tree and have about 20 feet to go, I look for a little stem or cut off branch....just anything to loop the tail end of the rope over.

That way, when I descent it pulls my climbing line off the ground and really cuts down on the twisting. Just keep a heads up when you touch down since the tail end of the rope is gonna be peeling off the stem and coming down.

I only do this if I'm using a 150' on a short tree, but it is a neat little trick. Otherwise, yea, keeping a 90 footer around for the small stuff keeps a lot of twisting problems at bay.

Hope that makes sense......
 
That's a good technique, John. I like to do the same thing cause I feel like I can really honk on my hitch and get some good safe speed going, and my rope de-twists (not a word, I know) itself.

SZ
 
I wasn't talking about just now, I was talking about everytime you've ever talked in your whole life.

Your life is a disappontment. Your a disappointment.

As far as the hockleing goes, I do what john suggested. It works well.
 
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I wasn't talking about just now,

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Then you should have said "this is a rhetorical question", and I would have known, pig.


But why would you do that. You think rhetorical means something having to do with the human eye.


SZ
 
try using the other end of your rope once in a while. Otherwise, when you get done with a climb, pull your rope out the other way, all the way through the tree. I do this with rigging lines when they get twisty. You have to stuff all of your rope, but it gets the twists out....
 
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what is the xt climbing hitch?

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A VT with a twist in the braids. I'd love to see a picture of it tied correctly. I haven't tried it because I don't know how to tie it.
 
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