# vt/hitch climber setup



## Adkpk (Sep 11, 2009)

Here is my set up to ascend the tree. Just pull and go. At the top connect hitch climber to bridge, toss the prusik and connect the static end of the rope to the hitch climber. I rarely undue the vt from my climb-line.


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## SINGLE-JACK (Sep 11, 2009)

Looks like a well thought out system! I'm always interested in better ideas. Please tell me more about your prusik loop system for postioning the hitch climber. Do you position it high so you always pull below the vt?


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## Blakesmaster (Sep 11, 2009)

Adkpk said:


> Here is my set up to ascend the tree. Just pull and go. At the top connect hitch climber to bridge, toss the prusik and connect the static end of the rope to the hitch climber. I rarely undue the vt from my climb-line.



Do you have problems with your D rings sliding one way or the other on your climb line because the rope is only looped through them instead of connected or is that why you set it up like this so that you can adjust where your VT sits on your line simply allowing you to pull rope below it or bring it in close for descending? Seems like it might be a safety issue of some sort but I can't say I wouldn't try it.


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## Blakesmaster (Sep 11, 2009)

Also, isn't the prussic loop on the biner tending your hitch a little unnecessary with the hitchclimber pulley?


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## SINGLE-JACK (Sep 11, 2009)

Blakesmaster said:


> Also, isn't the prussic loop on the biner tending your hitch a little unnecessary with the hitchclimber pulley?



I think *Adkpk's* system is similar to the "Loop Climbing System" pictured in Sherrill's catalog (p47) except he's using a prusik instead of a Ropeman Ascender. 

*Adkpk*: If I'm right, I'm interested in how well a loop system works.


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## moss (Sep 11, 2009)

Yep the benefit gained is you can adjust the position of the VT up or down so you can pull on the tail under it if you want. The downside is you lose the advantage of a split tail when you're advancing your rope in the tree. Normally you just lanyard in, unclip the biner on the end of your main rope and move it up over a higher branch. This system takes a little more to "undo" to advance the rope.

I think setting an eye-to-eye split tail high so you pull under it is overrated, if you have a Pantin on your foot you can keep the VT (or whatever hitch you use) low and just pull rope above the hitch. Once you're up high enough the weight of the rope self tends through the hitch anyway so you'd only need the VT up high to get off the ground if you didn't want to use a Pantin or footlock the tail.

All that said it looks solid.
-moss


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## SINGLE-JACK (Sep 11, 2009)

moss said:


> Yep the benefit gained is you can adjust the position of the VT up or down so you can pull on the tail under it if you want. The downside is you lose the advantage of a split tail when you're advancing your rope in the tree. Normally you just lanyard in, unclip the biner on the end of your main rope and move it up over a higher branch. This system takes a little more to "undo" to advance the rope.
> 
> I think setting an eye-to-eye split tail high so you pull under it is overrated, if you have a Pantin on your foot you can keep the VT (or whatever hitch you use) low and just pull rope above the hitch. Once you're up high enough the weight of the rope self tends through the hitch anyway so you'd only need the VT up high to get off the ground if you didn't want to use a Pantin or footlock the tail.
> 
> ...



GOOD INFO!!! I've been wondering about the "Loop System" for some time.


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## Blakesmaster (Sep 11, 2009)

moss said:


> Yep the benefit gained is you can adjust the position of the VT up or down so you can pull on the tail under it if you want. The downside is you lose the advantage of a split tail when you're advancing your rope in the tree. Normally you just lanyard in, unclip the biner on the end of your main rope and move it up over a higher branch. This system takes a little more to "undo" to advance the rope.
> 
> I think setting an eye-to-eye split tail high so you pull under it is overrated, if you have a Pantin on your foot you can keep the VT (or whatever hitch you use) low and just pull rope above the hitch. Once you're up high enough the weight of the rope self tends through the hitch anyway so you'd only need the VT up high to get off the ground if you didn't want to use a Pantin or footlock the tail.
> 
> ...



Great info, moss, and I agree while rec climbing and trimming that setting your hitch high has limited benefits because I always use a foot ascender in those instances. When I'm doing a removal though, I could see where hand over hand on the rope would be very helpful. I'll probably not use this loop system and simply add a loop runner between my D's and my hitch. Thanks again, moss.


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## Adkpk (Sep 11, 2009)

I am not much for foot work on a rope. If I can't trunk walk I use my Texas Monkey System. It's not thought out at all. Slack tending seemed like a waste of energy to me so I just moved the hitch up and held it with the prusik. I just grabbed a piece of accy. cord and off I went. It needs to be adjustable so you don't put the hitch out of your reach. Somedays I want to take long pulls and some days I just want to take quick short ones. 

Like I said in my op, I unhook at my tip or wherever I want to start to work and clip the bottom biner to my saddle and the static end of the rope goes to the top biner. That way I have to slack tend but it's important to have the hitch right handy to reach for braking and releasing. 

This set up is not my idea. When I bought my hitch climber I needed some info on how to set it up and in doing so I saw this set up many times. Ok mine is neat and fancy with those pretty splices but looks aren't everything. That set up works and it as handy as I have found. 

Here's a pic of it in action.


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## Adkpk (Sep 11, 2009)

This tree is not a removal. It's the tree at my shop which I have been practicing my climbing and pruning as I go. It's not finished but here's a pic of the tree.


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## irish93stang (Sep 12, 2009)

basically same set up here except i have a distel hitch and my hitchlimber is locked onto a swivel on the bridge of my saddle agree with moss the pantin is nice!! i sometimes add a piece of webbing to get the whole setup above me but i like how u position it with the other prussik. hows the beeline on the lava rope? about to buy some... im runnin HRC right now


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## irish93stang (Sep 12, 2009)

also whats the length of ur eye to eye when u run the VT hitch... might order an extra bee line to try that out


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## Adkpk (Sep 12, 2009)

Bee line works real good on the lava. I don't know hrc But I think the difference is the heat factor with bee line is greater. I have been using that piece for a long time. 

I am using Ice tail on my lanyard which is three strand and I also am liking that better than the tenex I had on it before. It slides much better and hasn't missed a grip yet. 

The Bee line can tend to not grip if you don't have worked around the rope satisfactorily but I haven't had a problem with that setup for a number of climbs now. I leave the hitch climber on the rope between climbs. I only undo to use on another rope.

The hitch climber set up doesn't only offer a vast variety of set ups but more importantly, piece of mind. It's a sturdy hunk of hardware. It sits tight on your line, not like a mini pulley and the hitch doesn't get up in the works like other pulleys. 

For me eliminating knots offers a better view of what you have going on. I didn't like looking all around the clunky knots to see if my set up was tight and right. I just give a feel to my splices and if they are hard I am left with more room in the cranium to focus on the task at hand.


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## Adkpk (Sep 12, 2009)

irish93stang said:


> also whats the length of ur eye to eye when u run the vt hitch... Might order an extra bee line to try that out



30 "


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