I played with SRT today; but I am afraid that I don't quite have it figured out, and I probably don't have the right toys for the job.
Going up the line is easy. Two ascenders, away we go! Easy! BUT...
I tried a quick transition to coming back down before I got too high. OOoops. Things started to go afoul. I was attempting to use a friction hitch in 8mm beeline for descent, but it always bound up on the 1/2" BlackMax climbing line and would not slide. VT, distal, and some other knot I made up on the spot all performed similarly: they would slide for about 2 feet, then bind up; the only option was to re-set the foot ascender and liberate the bound up friction hitch.
Here is the question: there are many different descenders that can be attached to the line, but are there any that are kept in use during the ascent? I have a figure 8, but how would one insert that into an SRT rig if you were forced to come back down in the middle of an ascent while the rope was still heavily loaded? Easy if you are standing on a branch, not so easy if just hanging in mid-air from your locked in foot ascenders.
Do the other (more money!) descenders stay in line during the ascent, or do you just figure out how to put it on when you decide to change directions?
Going up the line is easy. Two ascenders, away we go! Easy! BUT...
I tried a quick transition to coming back down before I got too high. OOoops. Things started to go afoul. I was attempting to use a friction hitch in 8mm beeline for descent, but it always bound up on the 1/2" BlackMax climbing line and would not slide. VT, distal, and some other knot I made up on the spot all performed similarly: they would slide for about 2 feet, then bind up; the only option was to re-set the foot ascender and liberate the bound up friction hitch.
Here is the question: there are many different descenders that can be attached to the line, but are there any that are kept in use during the ascent? I have a figure 8, but how would one insert that into an SRT rig if you were forced to come back down in the middle of an ascent while the rope was still heavily loaded? Easy if you are standing on a branch, not so easy if just hanging in mid-air from your locked in foot ascenders.
Do the other (more money!) descenders stay in line during the ascent, or do you just figure out how to put it on when you decide to change directions?