Speaking of SRT systems...

tree md · Mar 26, 2009

After reading about the Texas climbing system and watching the Mitchelle rope walker vid I am a little curious how some of you guys are ascending on a single rope. I have been looking at the Texas system but I thought the Mitchelle system was really slick. I have hand and foot ascenders and I'm thinking about buying the other components I need for the Mitchelle system. I can footlock and hip thrust but since I quit smoking last year I am getting fat and would like to find an easier way. My hand and foot ascenders work but my foot ascender will not attach mid line and is kind of a PITA. I plan to loose some weight this Summer (I always do when the weather gets hot) but would still like to find an eaiser method for ascending.

What are you guys using and how is it working for you? I am particularly interested in the Mitchelle system. Pics would be great.

Blakesmaster · Mar 26, 2009

I used to use to hand ascenders, one attached to my belt and the other w/ a foot loop to srt. PITA! I recently bought a cmi foot ascender and now I use that combo'd with my VT. It's pretty slick. I just take the foot ascender off once I'm in the canopy, switch to dbrt and I'm ready to rock. I saw the rope walker thing on a vid and was impressed with the ease but it seems way too gear intensive for working climbs. Unless I'm going super high I'm not going to spend that kind of money or time setting up.

moss · Mar 26, 2009

For a a heavy climber the Mitchell System is going to be the best option for SRT, mainly because the chestbox is going to hold your body position more vertical and you won't be wasting arm energy trying to lift your upper body off horizontal with every push.

The Tree Frog would be the next choice best choice (over a Texas System) for you but it's not going to hold you up vertically as well as the Mitchell. With some tweaking you could improve the Tree Frog to hold you more vertical but it's not going to be the best "out of the box" system for you.
-moss

md_tree_dood · Mar 26, 2009

Agreed. ^ SRT systems that don't use the inch worm system are pretty dependent on a chest adapter in order for ergonomics and therefor are going to be "gear intensive". Why not just get a set of mar-bars? Its' not SRT but its the easiest, fastest way of ascent.

John Paul Sanborn · Mar 26, 2009

moss said:
The Tree Frog would be the next choice best choice (over a Texas System) for you but it's not going to hold you up vertically as well as the Mitchell. With some tweaking you could improve the Tree Frog to hold you more vertical but it's not going to be the best "out of the box" system for you.
-moss

It is good, and it sound like Larry has most of the gear already. Just a Kroll and a few more carabiners and slings to add to the mix.

tree md · Mar 26, 2009

John Paul Sanborn said:
It is good, and it sound like Larry has most of the gear already. Just a Kroll and a few more carabiners and slings to add to the mix.

My thoughts exactly. A few components and I would have the Mitchell system. More cost effective and sounds like the best system for me from what Moss is saying.

Question about the Mar bars. How does it work? I remember seeing them in the older Sherrill catalogs but haven't seen them in recent issues. Never seen one used before.

tree md · Mar 26, 2009

OK I am seeing one in the Sherrill catalog, guess I just missed it before. Looks pretty slick.

Thanks for the input guys.

John Paul Sanborn · Mar 26, 2009

tree md said:
Question about the Mar bars. How does it work? I remember seeing them in the older Sherrill catalogs but haven't seen them in recent issues. Never seen one used before.

I use my uppers most every climb, just clip them on and it's like footlocking a chinup. Lower are problematic for the first 10 ft or so.

If you are set on SRT, Greg Liu developed a more compact set for singe rope. I think Roger B. has a set. i cannot find anything on the web about GLEasy bars other then on the buzz.

rngrchad · Mar 26, 2009

My typical srt system is (but subject to change sometimes)

A gri-gri and a Black-Diamond Handled rockclimbing ascender. I place a long loop of webbing or sometimes etriers (short nylon webbed ladder) on the ascender and tie-in short to the gri-gri. I feel it works really really well. I typically run the belay end of the rope to the bottom of the trunk or an adjacent tree with a few full wraps and tie it back into the "running" portion of the rope with a bowline and yosemite tieoff, or a re-traced figure eight.

Follow any of that? lol.

tree md · Mar 26, 2009

rngrchad said:
My typical srt system is (but subject to change sometimes)

A gri-gri and a Black-Diamond Handled rockclimbing ascender. I place a long loop of webbing or sometimes etriers (short nylon webbed ladder) on the ascender and tie-in short to the gri-gri. I feel it works really really well. I typically run the belay end of the rope to the bottom of the trunk or an adjacent tree with a few full wraps and tie it back into the "running" portion of the rope with a bowline and yosemite tieoff, or a re-traced figure eight.

Follow any of that? lol.

Absolutely. I use the black diamond ascenders myself. But why do you feel you need to take a few wraps with a yosemite tieoff?

rngrchad · Mar 26, 2009

tree md said:
Absolutely. I use the black diamond ascenders myself. But why do you feel you need to take a few wraps with a yosemite tieoff?

I'm sure it isn't necessary, but the rock-climbing world refers to the multiple friction wraps as "full strength tie-off" and suprisingly after wrapping the rope 2 or 3 times around the base of the tree it would most likely always support your weight without unravelling. The bowline tied back into the running line just makes the system "fail" proof (no such thing I know) but also keeps the knot from ever having to support a tensioned load. It isn't complicated, I just make it seem so.

tree md · Mar 26, 2009

rngrchad said:
I'm sure it isn't necessary, but the rock-climbing world refers to the multiple friction wraps as "full strength tie-off" and suprisingly after wrapping the rope 2 or 3 times around the base of the tree it would most likely always support your weight without unravelling. The bowline tied back into the running line just makes the system "fail" proof (no such thing I know) but also keeps the knot from ever having to support a tensioned load. It isn't complicated, I just make it seem so.

I just tie off with a running bowline. You do know the WLL of the rope is half when tied off to the trunk right?

rngrchad · Mar 26, 2009

tree md said:
I just tie off with a running bowline. You do know the WLL of the rope is half when tied off to the trunk right?

Working load limit is 1/2 because of the "pully" effect of the rope being sling shoted into the canopy back through the crotch then down to the climber....is this what you mean...effectively becoming a 2:1 system aka top-roping.

tree md · Mar 26, 2009

rngrchad said:
Working load limit is 1/2 because of the "pully" effect of the rope being sling shoted into the canopy back through the crotch then down to the climber....is this what you mean...effectively becoming a 2:1 system?

Yeah. I just thought that you might not know since you were taking wraps before you tied off.

rngrchad · Mar 26, 2009

tree md said:
Yeah. I just thought that you might not know since you were taking wraps before you tied off.

Cool, I appreciate any tips/hints/ideas as I am totally green at tree-climbing. I guess to sum it up, the only reason I wrap is because it doesn't tension the knot which doesn't really matter with a bowline anyhow. When rockclimbing I lived and breathed by the clove-hitch and the retraced figure eight. Now in the trees I'm living by running bowline...

VA-Sawyer · Mar 26, 2009

You do know the WLL of the rope is half when tied off to the trunk right?

Sorry, but I really have to argue with this statement.

Lets say you weight 250 lbs. If you hang from a rope tied to an overhead limb, every inch of the rope feels a 250 lb strain. The branch also feels a 250 lb load.
Now, if you run the rope through a pulley hanging off the branch and tie it off at the trunk, the rope still sees the same 250 lb strain. The difference is that there is 250 lbs on the tied off leg and 250 lbs on the leg you are hanging on. Each inch of the rope feels a 250 lb strain, but the pulley and branch are feeling 500 lbs of load.
The same rope will work for either setup, but you need a bigger branch for the second one.

Oh yea, I really like my Treefrog system.

Rick

tree md · Mar 26, 2009

VA-Sawyer said:
Sorry, but I really have to argue with this statement.

Lets say you weight 250 lbs. If you hang from a rope tied to an overhead limb, every inch of the rope feels a 250 lb strain. The branch also feels a 250 lb load.
Now, if you run the rope through a pulley hanging off the branch and tie it off at the trunk, the rope still sees the same 250 lb strain. The difference is that there is 250 lbs on the tied off leg and 250 lbs on the leg you are hanging on. Each inch of the rope feels a 250 lb strain, but the pulley and branch are feeling 500 lbs of load.
The same rope will work for either setup, but you need a bigger branch for the second one.

Oh yea, I really like my Treefrog system.

Rick

I wasn't sure about that one so I looked it up. I was taught that it would reduce the WLL of the rope by half but it appears that you are correct, it reduces the WLL of the limb. Makes sense when you think about it.

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