advancing my friction hitch while using foot ascender

[Plasmech]

Yesterday I DRT ascended a large oak dead-stand using my CMI right foot ascender. It went very well except for the fact that I had to hand advance my 5-coil French prusik. I've seen videos like this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-_GUggGMmM

...where the friction hitch bottoms out on a tending pulley and advances itself. However, I wasn't getting nearly enough "stroke" with my right leg to take the slack out of the prusik system, bottom it out, and pull through the tending pulley. I was using my Weaver Cougar with that generously long rope bridge and a home-made 30" DFL ended 8mm prusik cord. Any ideas on what I was doing wrong? It wasn't the end of the world, I could tend the prusik *relatively* easily, but wasn't nearly a slick as Gerry's video where he literally walks right up the rope. (At this point I'm just going to use a right foot grab and don't find a left foot grab necessary).

[RacerX]

Not sure what went wrong but just remember that on a DdRT setup when you use a foot ascender you'll only go up 1/2 of the distance you push the rope down. So sometimes it seems like you're moving a lot of rope and not really getting very far.

[canopyboy]

Plas-

I think the difference between what you are trying to do and Gerry's video may be that he isn't ever resting on his hitch. He's always standing on one of the two ascenders. Once he reaches the point where he wants to put his weight back on the hitch, he'll need to move the hitch up with his hand like you are doing.

I haven't tried the ropewalker system yet, but I often use a hand ascender and a single foot ascender. I step up with the foot, advance the hand and just hang while I raise the foot again. The hitch just pulls along on the pulley, but same thing -- when I want to put the weight back on the hitch, I have to tend it up tight.

[TDunk]

I use the same system as in the video, and like Canopyboy said, with the TWO foot ascenders your never resting on your hitch. When you climb DRT with one foot ascender you have to take all the slack out of your hitch first, plus with the 2:1 ratio, your really not climbing that fast.

The biggest improvement to this system is buying a hitch climber pulley. It keeps everything in line and keeps the pulley from flopping around and getting cocked sideways, thus making you advance farther with each stride.

[SINGLE-JACK]

Originally Posted by TDunk

I use the same system as in the video, and like Canopyboy said, with the TWO foot ascenders your never resting on your hitch. When you climb DRT with one foot ascender you have to take all the slack out of your hitch first, plus with the 2:1 ratio, your really not climbing that fast.

The biggest improvement to this system is buying a hitch climber pulley. It keeps everything in line and keeps the pulley from flopping around and getting cocked sideways, thus making you advance farther with each stride.

Originally Posted by canopyboy

Plas-

I think the difference between what you are trying to do and Gerry's video may be that he isn't ever resting on his hitch. He's always standing on one of the two ascenders. Once he reaches the point where he wants to put his weight back on the hitch, he'll need to move the hitch up with his hand like you are doing.

I haven't tried the ropewalker system yet, but I often use a hand ascender and a single foot ascender. I step up with the foot, advance the hand and just hang while I raise the foot again. The hitch just pulls along on the pulley, but same thing -- when I want to put the weight back on the hitch, I have to tend it up tight.

I use the DLRW, too (with CMIs) and am quite happy with the system. Not resting on your hitch any more than necessary is certainly a key element to the efficiency of the system - keep pressure on your CMIs. However, there are tricks you can use to make your hitch tender system a lot more efficient, also.

[TreeCo]

Originally Posted by Plasmech

Yesterday I DRT ascended a large oak dead-stand using my CMI right foot ascender. It went very well except for the fact that I had to hand advance my 5-coil French prusik. I've seen videos like this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-_GUggGMmM

...where the friction hitch bottoms out on a tending pulley and advances itself. However, I wasn't getting nearly enough "stroke" with my right leg to take the slack out of the prussic system, bottom it out, and pull through the tending pulley. I was using my Weaver Cougar with that generously long rope bridge and a home-made 30" DFL ended 8mm prusik cord. Any ideas on what I was doing wrong? It wasn't the end of the world, I could tend the prusik *relatively* easily, but wasn't nearly a slick as Gerry's video where he literally walks right up the rope. (At this point I'm just going to use a right foot grab and don't find a left foot grab necessary).

I use a seven wrap french prussic. Got a pic of your? Five might not grab the rope if you suddenly load it.

As far as taking slack out of the system.....just keep hand over handing the rope until you are tired and need to take a rest....then slowly load your prussic...don't just drop on it. Unless you are climbing out of a pulley you should easily be able to hold your body weight between single foot strokes and that is what you are going to have to do....because the system you are using...is the one I use.....and slack doesn't come out of the system until you sit back and drop a few inches. Before sitting back you could try holding the rope with one hand and with the other slide your prussic up a few inches to capture a little gained height.

[Blakesmaster]

If your rope bridge and hitch cord are too long I could see them not advancing with you but hanging up on the line till your foot ascender runs into them which is bad, bud. You need to make sure that your friction hitch is nice and close to you ( for safety as well as efficiency ) that way it advances up the line with your saddle as you hand over hand the rope and step with your leg. Don't know if that's the problem but you did note the length of your rope bridge so it might have something to do with it.

[TreeCo]

Originally Posted by Blakesmaster

If your rope bridge and hitch cord are too long I could see them not advancing with you but hanging up on the line till your foot ascender runs into them which is bad, bud. You need to make sure that your friction hitch is nice and close to you ( for safety as well as efficiency ) that way it advances up the line with your saddle as you hand over hand the rope and step with your leg. Don't know if that's the problem but you did note the length of your rope bridge so it might have something to do with it.

Good advice.

It's the length of the prussick cord plus the length of the sliding bridge if the saddle has one.....and mine does.

If the prussick cord comes anywhere close to the foot ascender then the prussick cord is way, way too long!

[lync]

plant your left foot on top of your right, on the shoelaqces. when you step down use both feet, and pull down at the same time with both arms. at the end of the stroke hold the rope in place with your arms while you slide up the foot ascender and left foot. once you start to step down again slide hands up for the next pull. only weight the prussic to rest