yoyoman
ArboristSite Operative
As climbing styles changed, specifically moving from pure DdRT to SRT and a mixture of both, it made me re-think the use of a pulley saver or minimized friction at the primary support point. This may especially come into play if a climber is setting a pulley saver just to block down a spar or mostly moving and descending from the primary support point.
I installed a load cell to the friction hitch on a DdRT (doubled rope technique) and I was amazed at what I found.
Suppose a climber has adopted more of an SRT (single rope technique) for the ascent, then switches to a DdRT by setting a pulley saver or such for working the tree on the way down in an effort to minimize friction, as was popular with a pure DdRT system. This may actually increase wear and heat on the friction hitch and make it less smooth to operate.
The friction at the anchor remarkably decreases the heat, friction and wear at the hitch, much more than I ever imagined. I found that, aside from using no friction saver/cambium saver (removal only), the caterpillar style provided the most friction, above leather, ring to ring and pulley to minimize friction at the hitch.
I installed a load cell to the friction hitch on a DdRT (doubled rope technique) and I was amazed at what I found.
Suppose a climber has adopted more of an SRT (single rope technique) for the ascent, then switches to a DdRT by setting a pulley saver or such for working the tree on the way down in an effort to minimize friction, as was popular with a pure DdRT system. This may actually increase wear and heat on the friction hitch and make it less smooth to operate.
The friction at the anchor remarkably decreases the heat, friction and wear at the hitch, much more than I ever imagined. I found that, aside from using no friction saver/cambium saver (removal only), the caterpillar style provided the most friction, above leather, ring to ring and pulley to minimize friction at the hitch.
