Srt

[beastmaster]

Here's a short video I made real fast this morning, not as good or as informative as I would of liked. Used my iphone and this is the first video I'v ever done. But you can see how I use the foot locking with the rads. I know it looks slow and it is, but for less then 30 or so feet your there in about the same amount of time it'ed take to set up the leg strap. Best of all it takes no energy. If you were making a long ascend you would want to use the leg strap attached to the bottom of the hand ascender. You move pretty fast like that, but it takes a little coordination that some people just don't seem to be able to get.
To descend you normally remove the hand acsender and come down using just the gri gri. After a while you'll start liking the grigri. I use a palming method to feed line when limb walking that works pretty well.
Like any new Technic, it seems all ass backwards compared to what your use to, you have to learn it and be confortable with it and I don't see how you can't love it.

Low tech RADs - YouTube

 

[Guran]

Great to see you in action Wade. :msp_smile:
I'm lousy at footlocking, so when I use the RADS with a Grigri, have a foot loop on the left foot attached to the hand ascender and a Pantin foot ascender on the right foot.
Kind of wierd set up maybe. It's like SRT on the left foot and DdRT on the right one. But as you mentioned, it's quite effortless, escpecially on the rifgt foot as you have a 3:1 mechanical advantage there.
Looking forward to your next movie!

 

[CanopyGorilla]

​

Here's a short video I made real fast this morning, not as good or as informative as I would of liked. Used my iphone and this is the first video I'v ever done. But you can see how I use the foot locking with the rads. I know it looks slow and it is, but for less then 30 or so feet your there in about the same amount of time it'ed take to set up the leg strap. Best of all it takes no energy. If you were making a long ascend you would want to use the leg strap attached to the bottom of the hand ascender. You move pretty fast like that, but it takes a little coordination that some people just don't seem to be able to get.
To descend you normally remove the hand acsender and come down using just the gri gri. After a while you'll start liking the grigri. I use a palming method to feed line when limb walking that works pretty well.
Like any new Technic, it seems all ass backwards compared to what your use to, you have to learn it and be confortable with it and I don't see how you can't love it.

Low tech RADs - YouTube

No doubt you are a more experienced tree guy than I, but I have been big wall climbing and doing rope access SAR work for years. You should be clipping that pully to the bottom hole of the ascender and adding a free oval to the top to lock the rope in. I understand that it is not the life support end of the system, but it will keep everything in better alignment and is generally good practice.

 

[beastmaster]

​

No doubt you are a more experienced tree guy than I, but I have been big wall climbing and doing rope access SAR work for years. You should be clipping that pully to the bottom hole of the ascender and adding a free oval to the top to lock the rope in. I understand that it is not the life support end of the system, but it will keep everything in better alignment and is generally good practice.

I understand what your saying, but when I attache the pulley with a caribiner to the bottom hole, I don't get now where near the distance on the up slide and that limits how much I can ascend with each movement. I also seem to be able to be more fluid with the foot strap coming of the bottom hole then having it cross the pulley from above.
I am totally self taught so I very likely do a few things ass backwards, but since the hand ascender doesn't actually support your weight as far as life support goes it seems like more of a matter of personal preference.

 

[Guran]

I also use the top hole on the hand ascender to clip in the micro pulley, and the bottom hole for the foot strap. Just works better that way.....
Göran.

 

[monkeylove]

That makes 3 of us plus loads more out there. I was taught both ways, with the only explanation being that they work the same except when you want to come back down. On top you have to remove the biner and then the ascender as opposed to just removing the ascender when the pulley is clipped in the bottom.

 

[yoyoman]

..... I haven't seen a great video explaining the rads system.

Can anyone tell me why it is called the R.A.D.System?........................'cause I don't see anything rapid about it.

Don't get me wrong, I think it is a great and useful system, just don't think it is "rapid". The not Petzl definition, using "rope" is probably more accurate.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Can anyone tell me why it is called the R.A.D.System?........................'cause I don't see anything rapid about it.

Thought you were still banned?

 

[yoyoman]

so... I have a hand ascender and a rope man. I was thinking if I put the hand ascender to my saddle and 1 foot and the rope man to my other foot and have a bungee advance the rope man when I slack it. it doesn't work. the bungee just flips my biner. I really just wanted to play until I decided on a system and I wanted the rope man for other purposes. what I am envisioning is another hand ascender for the other foot. would this allow me to just walk up the rope? would I be better with a foot ascender?

thanks!

I did a quick little climb SRT using the Kong Duck, it is very similar to the Ropeman. This is not my normal way to climb but I thought it would be interesting to try to put together something with the tools you are talking about (added a foot ascender because I suck at foot locking). I assumed you would switch over to DdRT at your TIP.


It is just one way to do it.

SRT climb with a Kong Duck. Ascent to a ring to ring friction saver set from the ground - YouTube

 

[Saw Dust Smoken]

rads keep it simple

From the bottom of hand ascender a short piece of rope or a real foot loop. For one or both feet use in loop. I just put one foot on top of the other and use a single loop. This is a sit - stand style of rads. The foot locking u showed just makes a mess of a simple climb. The top biner is right. The cmi pulley can be modified. Switch the plates so the pulley stays open. Easier for rope on or off. Will make removing or putting on hand ascender quicker. Simple things that keep it simple \ easy to use. Now if I just find those pics!

 

[beastmaster]

It's probably just me but that foot strap is a pain to carry around and store. Even when I do use one on a high climb I toss it once I'm up there. Foot locking just seems natural to me. I work off the rads and go up and down a lot. I often will not remove the hand ascender and pulley, but clip the rope that runs through the pulley throu a biner when going down a side or limb walking.
You don't want to lose that end of the rope or you can't come back up. When limb walking you can use that to pull your self back towards the tree. You get lots of leverage with that 3 to 1 action. Anyway if dependent on that foot strap you can't do that. Some times my hand ascender is 30 feet above me, but more often only 10 or so feet. I'm the first to admitt I'm probably doing it all wrong, but I learned with out having any preconceived ideas of how to do it and developed a method that works best for me. If I hadn't lost my foot ascender I'd probably be working the rope wretch for SRT.
I rarely acend more then 50 feet(though I've done a 100 + a few times)and I don't even own a foot strap. Just one more thing to lose. I use a sling when I do need one. seems simple enough to me. I try to not get stuck on traditions, but think out side the box. If I was doing 80 foot climbs on the RADS every day I might feel different.

 

[Saw Dust Smoken]

I see your point. And that does work for sure. The short piece of 7\16 rope I use for foot loop is easy to store on bottom of hand ascender. The 3 to 1 back to the hand ascender 30 ft above works. I just use the hand ascender to re-ascend with. Easier on the hands. After a full week of climbing. The hands thank you for this. I'll find those pics tomorrow.

 

[Wadar]

Petzl RIG SRT

I use a Petzl RIG on my bridge, and a left handed Petzl ascender with an adjustable Yates foot loop for my right foot. For big climbs (or when I feel lazy) I add a pulley to the ascender creating a 3:1 system.