What is an easy and cheap method to make a retreivable false crotch for tying in?

[shanexv]

I am 20 years old and have been climbing for the past 4 years with an old school arborist.
Right now I climb with two buckstraps for the way up and who knows when you may need to use that second one for something else. I figure 8 to my butt strap and use a blake's hitch.

I have no problem with this setup and am completely comfortable with it but I would like to make a retrievable false crotch I could use to tie myself in to when I have no decent natural crotches or spars to run my line over.
I would like for it to be able to be choked onto the tree pretty much anywhere so I can choose my suspension point.
Also, for blocking down large logs, I need a way to choke or hang my climb line to a clean log and decend to the ground if I choose, or decend down a bit, strap a lanyard around and work the choked line down so that I can cut the wood above it and when I've got the log at the height I want it I can decend without having to spike plum to the ground.

 

[newsawtooth]

Rope with a carabiner wrapped around the spar and then clipped back to the rope works well. Then attach your favorite descender to the line and to your harness. I chunk down spars with the previously mentioned technique, a gri-gri and a lanyard. If I will be returning to the tie in point I'll work off the same as an SRT TIP. Also, another member Iustian, pointed to another piece of gear the 'secret weapon' that can be similarly used. As far as being retrievable if the choke method is used as a TIP, you can attach a utility line to the carabiner choking off the stem and pull from the ground to loosen it, but it can get stuck. Or attach the choking carabiner to the rope with a clove hitch and a long tail that you can pull on to loosen. There are some other methods using long friction savers or a second line, a search of the site will reveal other options explained in detail.

 

[SoiLLclimber]

I know you are looking for a cheap option, however I would highly recommend the pulleySAVER from Teufelberger. Works great as a false crotch and even better when working down a spar. The pulley reduces the amount the effort on your part which makes for a more enjoyable climb.http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?category_id=350&item=1820

 

[shanexv]

newsawtooth - to sum this up..Pretty much connect a carabiner onto the end of my line, wrap around the tree and clip to choke it off. To remove or drop it down tie a small line to the carabiner to pull down. The only problem I have is that I don't have a decender, I am running on minimal gear and this winter things have been pretty slow and don't have the spare money to buy anything else at the moment. I don't have much experience with single rope, the most that I have done single rope is with a ropeman acender and a prusik backup to footlock up a rope when spikeless climbing and I change to drt when I get to my tip. Is there a hitch that works to decend srt or am I going to have to give in and order a decender?

 

[Carburetorless]

I use basically the same method mentioned, except I make loop in the rope with a figure 8, then clip a biner into the loop, and clip the climbing end of my rope into the biner.

Like this

 

[Iustinian]

 

[newsawtooth]

Is there a hitch that works to decend srt or am I going to have to give in and order a decender?

Hitches alone aren't great for SRT, they seize up. But they can be used, just a five wrap prussic can work. A decender doesn't have to be a gri-gri or an ID like in Carb's picture. Which identifies another viable method for a remote tie in point. You could use a figure of eight and prussic back up or just a carabiner and a munter mule. These may get you by for a while. They wont be ideal to work off of because they aren't as easy to tend slack with and aren't auto locking. They can work on a spar, since you're mostly going down anyway. Kevin Bingham (who invented "the wrope wrench") developed an elegant SRT solution found in this thread: http://www.arboristsite.com/arborist-101/116285.htm

Low and slow, bro.

 

[shanexv]

Alright thanks guys. I'll try this out along with all of the hitches I can think of until I find what works for me. I remember something that the guys I have rock climbed with have done and I have never tried on a complete vertical decent. They used a carabiner in the same way you would use a figure 8 to repel

 

[jefflovstrom]

Why not just buy one?
Jeff

 

[Iustinian]

Why not just buy one?
Jeff

exactly -- $100 for a gri gri is well worth it. Descenders are cheap if you're only using to come down to the next cut - figure 8, ATC, Reverso, lots of really affordable stuff to choose from.

 

[shanexv]

I looked at the grigri 2 and I have to say I like it. I will definitely be adding that to my list next time I am ready to order gear. Unfortunately there aren't any shops around here to get any kind of climbing equipment at all. I like your pics, Iustinian. I just tried something based on your setup and I believe it will work for me for the time being. Thanks for the input everyone.
I have been learning the "old school" methods of tree work from a man thats been doing it for 40 some years and he has showed me alot and is incredibly good at what he does with the minimal equipment that he believes in but I would like to be up to date with everyone else!

 

[jefflovstrom]

I am 20 years old and have been climbing for the past 4 years with an old school arborist.
Right now I climb with two buckstraps for the way up and who knows when you may need to use that second one for something else. I figure 8 to my butt strap and use a blake's hitch.

I have no problem with this setup and am completely comfortable with it but I would like to make a retrievable false crotch I could use to tie myself in to when I have no decent natural crotches or spars to run my line over.
I would like for it to be able to be choked onto the tree pretty much anywhere so I can choose my suspension point.
Also, for blocking down large logs, I need a way to choke or hang my climb line to a clean log and decend to the ground if I choose, or decend down a bit, strap a lanyard around and work the choked line down so that I can cut the wood above it and when I've got the log at the height I want it I can decend without having to spike plum to the ground.

Seriously,
Jeff

ArborMaster 2-Ring (Aluminum) Friction Saver : SherrillTree Tree Care Equipment

 

[Iustinian]

I looked at the grigri 2 and I have to say I like it. I will definitely be adding that to my list next time I am ready to order gear. Unfortunately there aren't any shops around here to get any kind of climbing equipment at all. I like your pics, Iustinian. I just tried something based on your setup and I believe it will work for me for the time being. Thanks for the input everyone.
I have been learning the "old school" methods of tree work from a man thats been doing it for 40 some years and he has showed me alot and is incredibly good at what he does with the minimal equipment that he believes in but I would like to be up to date with everyone else!

good for u buddy! I dunno what its like where u are at, but around here -- most tree services provide their climbers with the bare minimum, heavy leather wide back floating d saddles, MAYBE a cougar if you're lucky. The great climbers around here have put their time in and bought their own setup, top-of-the-line gear. You spend $1.5k-2K on a nice setup of climbing and rigging gear, it will pay off for you if you have the skills to back it up, you'll make it -- either with the bigger company or on your own -- about $100/month got me $1m of general liabilty starting out and never had a problem making money since -- but I started being somewhat of a gearslut but it paid off not too long after the small investment was made.

 

[dts99]

this video has a few ideas, altho its not what i believe you are looking for but still some stuff for your bag-o-tricks

[video=youtube_share;gy4tdr1oZo0]http://youtu.be/gy4tdr1oZo0[/video]