Advice on keeping Blakes hitch within easy reach during ascent

[Diesel JD]

I played around with the DRT technique tonight. I was taking out a limb or two in a small(6"dbh) hardwood for my dad. As I have told you all, I tried my hand at climbing before, but didn't know about the friction hitches, so I had to hold myself up on the rope when I'd climb. No rest unless I was lanyarded in. Very tough, and the Blake's just makes climbing much easier, but one problem I did have was keeping the Blake's within easy grabbing distance. Seemed to slip up the rope and stuff. Never completely out of reach, just a strain. I wonder if my "bridge rope" was too long? It is a different climbing quality rope, maybe 5' in length. Another thing, after watching Ekka's video again, it looks like I was falling back on some old bad habits and making this harder than it has to be. I was pulling up with both hand and the frantically grasping for the Blakes. Looks liek correct technique is to pull up with one hand and grasp the Blake's hitch with the other...correct? Finally, I had forgotten how nasty rope burn is...what kinda gloves do you all recommend for DRT climbing. Thanks,
J.D.

 

[Ekka]

It sounds like the bridge was too long.

Also, I use the same type of rope as the climbing line but preferably a different colour.

New rope can slip a bit and the bridge gets a little longer.

I like it when the ropes that little bit fury and loses it's sheen.

The prefered technique is to have one hand just beneath the blakes hitch and your other hand holding the hitch. As you pull down on your climbing line thrust your butt upwards (body thrusting) and slide that blakes up with that other hand.

Takes a bit of getting used to I suppose. Also, us spike TD climbers dont do it much, that's how fat asses like me can still get around OK, we use spikes and our legs a lot so a lot of pruning really has it's toll on me to. Hence Pantin, kanga etc, little devices for making life easy.

Then along comes the footlocking dude and blows ya all away, by the time you got ya rig sorted they're already up there.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

If bridge is too long/ a bridge too far; you'd have to start like that?

Split tail or all in one?

Slack to move should come from either end. Should be locked down well to saddle connection on one side and a stopper knot on the other side of Blake's/ any open ended hitch / any hitch you grab only 1 leg of pull from coil rather than both. Trapped between no movement from snap end and no movement from stopper end, should have no way to walk away from ya??

Generally it is the Tautline (2 over 2) that can walk, like it's brother clove hitch (same formation in 1 over 1). A Blake's Hitch is like an Anchor Hitch(Round Turn sitting on it's own tail); with 2 more turns, that aren't trapped, so should not walk. Unless it is a SuiSlide/ wrongly maid Blake's; whose Bitters / tail is on the wrong side, and the rotation/ elongation / stretch of the line will loosen, not tighten Blake's. In any case, if it is walking away from you it should be stopped before it completely walks of the job/ off the line!

 

[Diesel JD]

Well, I am very new to tying the Blakes so I could be tying it incorrectly, but it does hold strongly under my body weight, no slipping. The rope types are an old piece of Samson Arbor Plex which is still in good to very good condition. My main climbing line is a 150' hank of 1/2" High Vee Safety Blue, almost brand new. Yes I did have a stopper knot on top of the hitch, a double overhand. I probably should ahve shortened the bridge and tied the Blakes a bit closer to my saddle. How far should the bottom end be from the saddle, generally speaking?

 

[beowulf343]

Just my preference-on my tail I have about three inches, a figure 8 knot(leftover safety technique from my snap and taughtline days) then I start my blakes about 3 inches above the figure 8. I like my blakes in front of me, not above me.

I think it also depends on your saddle. When I tie my blakes on my pinnacle, it is about at my chin. Other guys I know that tie it the same way but on different saddles have the blakes higher.