Working on SRT

[Tom Dunlap]

Today I had the opportunity to try out a different SRT setup. The tree that I was working on was a weeping willow right on the edge of a lake, hanging over the lake. There wasn't a good tie-in in the willow so I set my static line through a high crotch on a nearby birch and anchored it at the base like my normal SRT ascent system. That left me with enough rope to work the willow and drop down into the drink if I felt like it

I clipped my Gri Gri to my saddle and headed up the leaning willow. This worked out pretty good because I could climb up and down and use the GG to take slack or rappel. The system has potential.

The one drawback, and I was aware of this before I started, is that the GG will slip a little if the tension is off the rope. It takes a small amount of load to acuacte the cam on the GG.

In the past, I've used my Kong Speleo to work the tree. That is fine except it's really hard to take slack up the Speoleo.

Has anyone got experience working off a Gri Gri or I'd? I've been told that the I'd is a better tool for working on SRT.

Are there other tools that might work for going up and down the rope? I know that I could use a friction hitch too. The reason that I'm reluctant to go that route is the long learning curve to find a good cord and hitch to work off single static line.

Tom

 

[hillbilly]

I know of one arborist over here who works off the I'd.
I've never seen him in action, but he explained that he
had a handled ascender on a express-sling right above
the I'd at all times. Used it whenever he need to ascend
or return from a limbwalk. Disabled it (in some way!?) on
descents. The big downside of the system seems to be the
doubled force on the tie-in branch.

I have a Gri Gri for belaying when wall climbing, also
used it for work positioning a few times when rinsing
gutters. Nice tool. Read that some people modify it so
it slack-tends even better, sounds a bit risky to me.

 

[davespencer]

The Grillion won't slip when not under tension. It does not have the extending handle though so it requires a bit of force to rappel. It also requires a screwdriver to take off and put on the rope.

Dave

 

[Burnham_Chamberlain]

How about an Ushba basic ascender? I have descended on it in a doubled rope setup...not sure for SRT. It may be too hard to rotate under full load on a single line. Travels up the line very nicely, grips with minimal loss of position, easy on the rope...no teeth.

 

[tod_k]

I often use a grigri when rigging down a spar in srt set up( climbing line tied to stem with a running bowline) .

 

[bradley]

I've used that method a ton from everything to cleaning gutters, to trees, to setting bolts on toprope, etc.... I use a petzl ascencion on a daisy above the grigri if i'm free hanging. It's a good system for alot of up and down. Used it a couple of weeks ago to paint trim on a 14 pitch roof.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Today I stopped at Fresco and played with the I'd. Tony has some tree trunks set up in the shop for climbing demos. Much better than just a rope hanging from the ceiling.

I like the I'd because it has a lock off which the Gri Gri doesn't. When I used the GG I found that it would slip a little unless I weighted the rope.

 

[treeclimber165]

Tom-
Will the I'd self-advance or do you need to pull the rope through it when ascending?
I thought the LJ was the most advanced item for this type of thing. Or is the LJ only for doubled rope technique?

I would be interested in using SRT for more than simply accessing tall trees, but it's hard to beat the inexpensive efficiency of a Distel hitch using doubled rope technique. It works so well that I pretty much gave up on the idea of buying a LJ.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

The LJ is for DdRT.

Both the I'd and GG need to be tended.

Right now, the times that I climb on SRT is mostly going down and only a little lateral or vertical movement. I'm doing the climbing for a scientific sampling project. I have to climb to the tops of oaks, cut some samples and descend. Since I SRT ascend its a natural to work in the system too. I'm going to borrow an I'd to see what it is like to work off of it.

You're right, once a person gets a hitch fine tuned its a thing of beauty. Cheap too. I do like my LJ and other ART tools

Tom

 

[Mark Chisholm]

A guy from Petzl ( Michel Goulet) sent me a pic of an SRT method that might be usable for tree climbing. It is called a RAD system. It uses an ID for rappelling and a fixe attached to a handled ascender with a foot loop. The Fixe is used to pull the slack through.

 

[Ghivelder]

"I have to climb to the tops of oaks, cut some samples and descend"
I guess the I'd has no rivals for such a use, even more so if you already ascend using SRT. The one I have is the big one, for ropes up to 13mm. I do not recommend it since is definetely too heavy. The smaller one with a smaller rope must be fine.
The real unique feature of the I'd is the anti-panic function. It is definetely tha safest piece of equipment to have someone you're not sure about (I'm thinking of recreational TC)descend on.

Sergio

 

[Yoav]

Problem with the rad is that every time you advance that upper ascender with the pulley attached, you are lifting the weight of the rope beneath in an awkward fashion. One nice advantage is really easy upwards ascent, but its not worth it as you climb higher and the rope gets heavier!

Heres an idea, on your arb line Ddrt set up, place an ascender above your friction hitch/micropulley. Take the slack end of the rope, put it through, and youve got the rad with the pulley/hitch instead of a grigri. You can easily pull yourself up with one hand- its a 3 pulley setup. Easy way to have it handy is to have a quick attach ascender with a simple nonlocker carabiner hanging from the bottom...use that biner instead of the pulley....

the rope weigh problem is less, too, because arb lines tend to be shorter. Try lifting your rad setup with a long long line beneath you and its not so handy in that aspect.

 

[HuskyRacer]

The I'D has my preference. I have used both the GriGri and the I'D.

The controlled rapelling in combination with the lack of slip under no load conditions and the locking possibility of the I'D are the main advantages.

The I'D has a blocking cam which protects the user when the rope is looped in the wrong direction, a feature the GriGri doesn't have, making the I'D a pretty fool proof device.

The I'D in combination with a handled ascender in a SRT configuration is my favourite climbing system.

Cheers, Dick

 

[HuskyRacer]

It will not self advance, you'll have to pull the rope through. When you loop the rope through a micropulley on the handled ascender the rope weight will assist in pulling it through the I'D.
Dick