Another retired blakes hitch!

[Blakesmaster]

I bought a micro pulley a couple years ago but it didn't seem to help at all with my (do I dare say) taut-line hitch.
Got'er hanging on the wall right here in front of me. Hasn't been any good to me yet but it sure looks cool hanging there.

No it's not for sale, I think I'm gonna look into some new tricks soon.

If it's all that, I want in on that action.

You can start slow like I did. Just go to an open system using a split tail to tie your friction hitch ( blakes or tautline, shouldn't matter ). P.S. You can use the end of an old climb line to make the split tail and bingo, nothing spent. Attach the pulley to your splitail with a brass clip and use it to tend your friction hitch. You'll notice a slight improvment but it probably won't impress you. What it will do is make you hungry for more. Then you've begun your transition to the dark side of the rope.

 

[Bermie]

I researched the 'hitchclimber pulley on a bridge' method some of you guys use and it looks very appealing but at the same time adding more gear to a pretty gear-intensive setup. Hitchclimber pulley seems so big, anyone ever try that double tie-in micropulley?

TITS

I have moved on from a blakes to a VT and a hitchclimber...and I LOVE it! I tried blakes and a pulley, distel and a pulley, just didn't cut it, but the hitchclimber is like otis elevator!
My setup works best with the icetail for the VT, the beeline I have is a bit too short and I found it bound up too quickly making it hard to slack tend. The icetail releases well and is long enough to give good slack when limbwalking or descending.
I thought the hitchclimber with the two crabs might have been too bulky but I have to say it's never been a problem at all. I did a big takedown last week where I had to move back and forth between two leaders, go down and out to another, back up...being able to slack tend with one hand is a dream!

No looking back, but blakes is there when needed...

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

http://wesspur.com/images/pdfs/hitch_climbers_guide.pdf

Interesting pub on the Hitchclimber.

 

[gitrdun_climbr]

Wow that is a good write up! I notice they don't depict or discuss the hitchclimber used on a bridge, something you ingenious tree climbers figured out along the way no doubt.

I plan to try your setup soon Bermie, just want to play with this distel a bit longer. Do you leave your bridge clipped in all the time and just pay it out when you need it?

Won't climb again till Tuesday, splitting 12 firs to be cleaned with another climber. Took the wrap back off and shortened it up a bit more hoping for some self-tailing. It'll be bigshot, then hand and foot ascender with distel inbetween on a 2:1.

Raymond, lol, my 'old school climber' bud laughs at all my clutter cause I'm in that learning curve but don't let that run you off! Amidst all that complicated gear I can now go up drinking a cup of coffee almost instead of huffin and puffin!

 

[Bermie]

Ummm...I'm not sure what you mean...

"Do you leave your bridge clipped in all the time and just pay it out when you need it?"

My hitchclimber is clipped into the ring on my floating bridge with the bottom krab and there it stays, I unclip the rope from the top krab to reposition...is this what you mean or have I missed the plot somewhere?

 

[tree MDS]

Man I'm so ol' school I guess.
Looks like ya guys just see how complicated you can get it.

Dont feel bad ray, I still like my taughtline, but like you, after hanging around here listening to all this bs, shortly I'm gonna try and find the most complicated getup possible - just so I dont have to feel like a fossil anymore - and be done with it once and for all!! lol.

 

[gitrdun_climbr]

Ah, I used the term 'bridge' loosely, sorry. I was envisioning a webbing sling or hank of rope as a 2 foot 'extension' from saddle to krabs/hitchclimber giving you a couple feet to pull from under your knot for ascending...then krabs/hitchclimber clipped back into saddle for working.

As if the system needs more gear added to it:jawdrop:

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

The floating bridge is an integral part of many "newer" saddle styles. A short piece of rope that goes from one hip to the other. Many people adjust theirs to a comfortable length other then the factory set, but I've only "heard" of a few who run one that is adjustable.

 

[gitrdun_climbr]

I have fixed Ds unfortunately...yes my saddle is a fossil!

Gonna fashion a webbing runner to go between Ds and krabs/hitchclimber so hands fit under hitch instead of above it. Should tend itself from the start and save all progress.

I'll go tie a beer knot and try to take a photo. All the kiddies finally went down for a nap!!

 

[gitrdun_climbr]

With bridge payed out for ascending:

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/treemonkey2/1239689370-1.jpg

With bridge bypassed but ready:

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/treemonkey2/1239689322.jpg

Granted I don't have my hitchclimber pulley to go in there yet, wanted to get opinions on it before I bought. I'm about convinced.

This configuration actually works AS IS in the living room though not field tested. Nor will it be tomorrow on the big fir day. Anyone find sketch in this configuration? I'm aware of the short tails on the beer knot.

Thanks.

 

[dave_b_quick]

distel's twisted sister, schwabisch

I was using the distel and loving it for flipline and climbing hitch use. Only issue I had was that sometimes it would get over-tightened and was a bit hard to loosen up again. Finally switched to a schwabisch, the same knot except the bottom hitch is in the other direction so it's easy to loosen with a push of the thumb if the knot gets too tight. Distel might still have a slight edge with a self-tending pulley, but for all else I'm sweet on schwabisch.

 

[oldirty]

i like the schwabby for my footlocking prussic.


gitr....i did that with my rig one day because my rope was like 2ft too short for me to hook it to my bridge and get in the tree. worked the absolute balls. hand over hand with ease. the only thing i didnt like was that if any thing was to happen i couldnt get to my knot to rappel. perfect though to get to the first branch to stand on and hook up normally.

 

[rbtree]

He is a crazy old fart, ain't he

Heyyyyyyyyy


I resemble that remark!!!!

 

[rbtree]

I researched the 'hitchclimber pulley on a bridge' method some of you guys use and it looks very appealing but at the same time adding more gear to a pretty gear-intensive setup. Hitchclimber pulley seems so big, anyone ever try that double tie-in micropulley?

TITS

Hey, Ollie!!

Love my hitchclimber....which I picked up in Hawaii summer '07 ISA.....far better than the "Mickey Mouse"

it self tends when footlocking the tail or using a foot ascender....

As I see you've already discovered, add a sling to extend the whole works to arms length and pull the tail, it self advances.

"Tie in twice, stupid", old dirty