Get to the top!

[Ekka]

Hey mb,

No ear muffs?!! :Eye:

Hey Tinman44, try trunk walking, flick your lanyard up the tree a bit, make sure you're the right distance out with your knees half bent and walk up the trunk taking in slack on your life line as you do it.

Also you can try a foot assist, the new Petzl ones have a really fine spring in them and the weight of the rope is enough to allow traverse.

One of my guys uses 2 ascenders with foot loops, he's a rock climber adventurist style guy.

You can also tie in a vt on your lifeline with a short tail to your center D's, have a micro pulley hooked in just below the vt, have another prusik under that again with a loop for your foot ... push down on the prusik with your feet, the lifeline pulls down, the vt stays put because of the micro pulley and you move up, when you take pressure off the rope with your feet the vt holds you in place for it to happen all over again.

Similar to the above you can have a Gibbs rope adjuster hooked to your D's, that does away with the micro pulley and the vt and just foot push up .... there are many ways to skin this cat BUT THE LAST THING WE DO IS BODY THRUST ... bad for the back, bad for the tennis elbow. Your legs are the biggest muscles designed for taking body weight, try to work them out and leave your arms for the sawing etc.

Regarding choking off your lifeline, just do a running bowline and choke it off to the trunk with a prusik etc pushed right up against it. If you're on smaller diameter trees and a bit worried also double wrap your lanyard.

 

[tinman44]

i'm learning to ascend using a split tail blakes hitch, i need a micro pulley to tend the slack but i think i will invest in some ascenders and maybe a pantin. i have been ascending one tree with the foot lock and its supposed to be the hardest way to reach the canopy. but i figure get good with the hardest way and the others will seam easy. i also need to work my arms, legs back into shape, and hoping to lose a little weight in the process

 

[TREETX]

Footlock it bar none the fasest and easiest way to get into a tree.

BTW - Footlocking the tail of your rope is NOT what I mean.

 

[a_lopa]

 

[tinman44]

Footlock it bar none the fasest and easiest way to get into a tree.

BTW - Footlocking the tail of your rope is NOT what I mean.

huh? i'm so confused

 

[tinman44]

its important to know where to have your point, and what to leave to get the job done.

so whats your point?

 

[a_lopa]

 

[TREETX]

Like this

 

[Lumberjack]

I use a VT instead of a blakes. When I am ascending using the traditional method, I use a VT and micro pulley (like always) and a pantin (like always). I body thrust and I foot lock, a mix between the two, depending on where I am in the tree and how far i have to go.

Get a micro pulley, that will help you alot right there. Also for rope climbing, learn to footlock, and/or get a pantin. I use a pantin, and while I understand the mechanics of foot locking, i dont do it because my boots wont let me grab the rope.

When I am climbing SRT is the only time i use an ascender, then its my ascender, a backup friction hitch with a micro pulley, and my pantin.

The pantin is a crutch for those who dont FL, but it is also a valuable tool for some applictions in climbing.

 

[glens]

Maybe it needs to be stated for clarity that there's a difference between foot-locking a rope (static; single or doubled) and foot-locking the tail of a "traditional" (almost) 2:1 setup?  If there were no frictional losses involved in the "traditional" method it would be a wash at best, climbing twice the rope at half the load.  In normal practice it ends up being mostly just climbing twice the rope with nearly the same load, and who wants to do that?

Glen

 

[canopychick]

I use the body thrust method all the time.

Oh, I LOVE that method.



**means to be a smartass**


**runs & hides**

:blob5:

 

[TREEWRK]

I personally like the hanging in a tree and checking out the scenes brifely I use
a petzel ascender myself

 

[Treeman14]

Oh, I LOVE that method.

Yes, but have you done it in a tree? :angel:

 

[P_woozel]

Footlock it bar none the fasest and easiest way to get into a tree.

BTW - Footlocking the tail of your rope is NOT what I mean.

Fastest for those competent at it, easiest? I disagree, i can drink coffe almost while jugging up, little more effort to footlock.

 

[huskycandoit]

MB
I agree and I disagree I guess Im a rookie because I've only been climbing for about a year and a half. And I to get to the top to tie in with my through ball. If not i will go the highest i get my line to then try to get up higher with a pole saw.

 

[MasterBlaster]

The whole point is... get to the top.

In almost every case, the higher and more well thought out yur TIP iz, the easier the work can be performed.

And don't be skeered to grab that 2nd TIP when needed, just don't become dependant upon it.

Climbing is like chess, not checkers.

 

[TREETX]

In Austin, I had a huge post oak about 4 feet from my computer, growing out of my back porch (that is why I rented the house). I always kept a line in it and practiced my footlock until now I can finally FL in redwings, hightech hikers, or 5 gallon buckets.

Whatever gets you there bro. But fact is, you can learn new techniques on the job, if you wanna grow, you have to climb in your own time.

You probably can drink coffeee while "jugging" up, after all, you aren't going anywhere very fast.....

.02

 

[a_lopa]

very true,the part about learning in your own time.

 

[canopychick]

Yes, but have you done it in a tree? :angel:

I would do it in a tree. I would do it with a key. I do so like that method, Man. I do so like it, Sam I am.

 

[Tom D. Wilson]

hmmm..... doughnuts.