the best way up big trees.

[roachy]

For me single line on long ascents with an ascender ,back up ascender and then footlock.DRT can get heavy on the tall ones.Mar-bar turn your hands as in a under grip chinup,putting more strain on your biceps with a single handled ascender your hand is turned to the rope and you have less of a tendency to pull this way,allowing you to sit in your tether and take a larger bite.just my opinion :

 

[jmack]

system

My setup for single line ascents is a Petzl handled ascender, pantin, and a friction hitch at my waist as a backup. I stack my feet when needed, but most of the time I can get a good bounce going, and it's a breeze with one leg.

that sounds like a good system

 

[jmack]

4x4

If it was a tall tree and a long way up big shot the line up.

For entry why not the double line system with a redirect pulley at the bottom to a 4X4. would that be good?

is it good? how did it feel for you

 

[jmack]

cambium saver

any one here still body thrust off the ladder?, i mean go grab the big shot set a 75ft crotch grab the 35ft ladder and just plain old pull your butt up the tree, it not that hard maybe set a cambium saver if you are feeling week that day or have someone back you up as you free climb the tree , but what do i know, there are 1001 ways to skin a cat.

the cambium saver wow bro you really are old school. if your into body thrust you gotta try friction savers one ive got has a pulley in it, if im going for a big shot im gonna leave the ladder

 

[Sunrise Guy]

Everything that goes up must come down: With that in mind, try the RAD system using the Petzl I'D. This is a very compact system and allows you to come down any time you want by simply locking off the I'D, detaching your ascender/footloop set and micropulley, and gently releasing the handle on the I'D. You'll come down smoothly, and if you decide to go back up, just reverse the above removals. The I'D is a bit pricey, but I've used mine for over a year now and I really like it. See page 33 of the Sherrill catalog for details.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

RADS setup

 

[Tree Frog]

I like what I see in the RAD setup. Is there an additional safety belay associated with this setup or is the ID the only connection point on decent?

 

[Sunrise Guy]

The catalog mentions an additional belay, if I remember correctly. I use only the RAD set-up shown. If it feels goosey to you, add an additional static line on another limb, and wrap a longish prussic around it and fasten the free end to a carabiner on your harness middle loop. Advance the prussic as you ascend if that gives you a more secure feeling. On the descent, free the prussic from your harness, take it off the second line, and ride smoothly down with the I'D.

As a matter of absolute fact, this morning, at 10AM, I taught my girlfriend the RAD technique. By 10:10AM, she was forty feet up a live oak and descended with a smile on her face. It's honestly that easy.

 

[Tree Frog]

I'm ordering one today. Thanks.

 

[Fireaxman]

If it was a tall tree and a long way up big shot the line up.

For entry why not the double line system with a redirect pulley at the bottom to a 4X4. would that be good?

Stoneland, I'ld like to advise AGAINST the 4X4. A 4X4 is capable of putting entirely too much tension on your climbing system (including the tie in point) if something gets hung up. It can happen to quick for you (in the tree) to stop your operator (in the cab, where he can neither see nor hear you all that well) before something goes desperately wrong.

This comes to you from my long list of near misses. It was not good.

 

[Sirpouralot]

1 Well the easiest if you have a crane is of course the crane. That's assuming you don't have a bucket truck.

2 When neither of those are available. We often put the throw bag up into the top of the tree and pull the rope up, and then use the kawaski mule to pull the climbers up. If it is a tender tree then we run a pulley up the rope so as not to burn the crotch. Usually this is not a problem and rarely needed..

3 If no mechanical advatage exits, then for removal we use hooks with a couple of guys belaying to help assist the climber.

4 Where the tree is to be trimmed, then there is no faster way than to foot lock up the tree, if the tree can't be free climbed.

 

[046]

thanks Tom, does anyone know of a video showing how this hardware works?

RADS setup Attached Images
File Type: jpg 2-I'd with leash web.jpg (94.8 KB, 98 views)
File Type: jpg 1-Shunt w-DMM Revolver side w rope cropped email.jpg (147.2 KB, 96 views)
File Type: jpg Single stirrup web.jpg (120.8 KB, 91 views)

 

[Tom Dunlap]

thanks Tom, does anyone know of a video showing how this hardware works?

There is plenty of info on how RADS works but you have to come over to :censored: ...well, if I told you exactly where, I'd get in trouble...

If you can't figure it out I would bet that google would have something archived.

A few weeks ago I got an Edelrid Eddy. It is a much better tool for RADS than either GriGri or I'd. the best of both worlds.

If you're at Expo you will be able to find me somewhere preaching the gospel of SRT. Poisoning one mind at a time!

 

[046]

Tom, thanks... checking out pdf's posted right now...

have not visited for quite sometime. site sure has filled up!

 

[Mitchell]

self tending

There is plenty of info on how RADS works but you have to come over to :censored: ...well, if I told you exactly where, I'd get in trouble...

If you can't figure it out I would bet that google would have something archived.

A few weeks ago I got an Edelrid Eddy. It is a much better tool for RADS than either GriGri or I'd. the best of both worlds.

If you're at Expo you will be able to find me somewhere preaching the gospel of SRT. Poisoning one mind at a time!

Thanks for the info Tom

I have used the gri gri and the id a fair bit and remain sold on them both.

After some searching I am still not sure about one aspect of the eddy that bothers me about the gri gri [ which is my go to unit right now and it made me forgo friction hitches].
That being self tending; where by the weight of the runnning end dangling to the ground pulls the rope through the gri gri. I have to re set the lenght by pulling slack back through the gri gri every time i need to by pass a branch with my flip. how does the eddy work in this regard.
Im hoping you say it solves this problem as I am thinking of ditching the gri gri even though I like it for its slack tending ease when ascending the rope.

Cheers