Question: how to ascend at 45°

bstewert

Assuming you had a good TIP in the target tree and a good anchor point at the bottom of your 45° angle, how would you tie to the line and pull yourself up without wearing yourself out? It looks like the guy in this photo has a second line, maybe a 2:1, or maybe someone is pulling him up. What if you only had a single rope?

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Apocalypsse

You could use one of those portable winches, like Ekka has.

Garry Brockley

thats more like 30 deg. in that case hand over hand clipped on with a crab and a klem in front loose, easy climb.

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TrevMcRev

Looks like he's on doubled rope but attached to a zipline for positioning.

This can be utilized to suspend you over a dodgy tree thats unsafe to climb.

bstewert

I could see hand over hand on a more shallow incline, like in the pix. But what if you're at 45° or greater, like say, 60°? Could you get your legs involved to help out?

stirmantrees

he looks like he is heading down to where the other branch was zipped line. kinda lowering himself down the zip line.

galbee what is a crab?

definitely utilize an ascender and hand over hand in that case. remember that on a zip line the last half (unless its as tight as a cable would be) is going to be much steeper.

on going up a tree at an angle i usually body thrust, 45 degrees is not bad.

Eric Frei

Definately break out the motorized ascender!

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Cole

i would use a petzl tandem and a petzl pro traxion, a pulley set up would be great you could maybe anchor from the tandem wit the traxion as your capture device take a hand ascender or two...dunno just throwing a few ideas out there guys, what sort of set-up gear did you have in mind

Fairfield

try this. http://video.yahoo.com/watch/2329268/7306443

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bstewert

Pretty good video. Is that you?

That's the idea, but I would have liked to see him continue all the way up. I'm not that strong, and would need to get my legs involved somehow or add MA. Also, let's add into the scenario that the line has to be tighter, due to obstacles below.

stirmantrees

just curious, whats your objective? sounds like more than pulling yourself up a tree.

tighter line would be in your benefit.
most acending techniques srt, etc. asume you are going straight up. the problem you would have going 45 would be the constant strain on keeping your legs up while your upside down. you need to be locked in with your legs via ascender/ boot/etc to the line so that your not having to lift at all with the legs just pushing/standing. i know 2 pantins would be something to look at but consideration would need to be taken for side loading.
the closer your upper body was to the main line the better so your legs are pushing straight. i would be attached with a pulley on my saddle, prussic running ahead and both feet locked into some double ascender set up on the rope with no play. got to be able to get your feet out so if its to complicated when you get to your objective(still wondering what your doing here) you would be in a bit of a 911 call situation.
theories are nice and all but if you are not a seasoned professional at rigging and or tree works and the forces at play you may be setting your self up to get hurt.

bstewert

stirman, thanks for the answer, that is helpful. Actually, I haven't run into a need to ascend at 45° yet. I just saw this photo, and thought having a practiced technique might come in handy someday. If I had an actual situation, I could snap some photos and go from there.

So one day I went out, found two trees about 25' apart, set one end of a static line anchored near ground level on one tree and the other end about 25-30' up the other tree, with a z-rig to take out slack slightly. Then "pretended" I had to get across a small koi pond with alligators (the koi and alligators get along in this pond).

Had a Petzl tandem pulley and biner attached to a small Petzl rigging plate, then another biner to the ring on the bridge of a Sequoia, so right there I'm not tied in super close to the rope. Then a VT ahead of the carriage, attached to the outside hole of the rigging plate. Hand over hand, upside down, with feet hooked on the rope worked for a little while, but I wore myself out pretty quickly.

stirmantrees

anything to keep from having to hook or hold your legs up will reduce energy usage. even a rope you you stick your ankles through would slide or mabye a micro pulley with a little sling for the old feet. definitely some ascenders for the feet

Fairfield

If you would want to add your legs into it, I have a easy answer to the problem.

1) Go out and get yourself a short elastic line ( small diamter ) attach it to youre carrage pulley.

2) Then run the other end down to a Gibbs that goes below you on the climbing line.

3) Attach a foot loop to the Gibbs.

The above set up well allow you to stand on the Gibbs and still move youre upper body up.

4) Attach a patin foot ascender to the other foot that will go on the climbing line below the Gibbs.

Now when you stand on the Patin and bend the other leg the elastic cord will go from being streached out to pulling the Gibbs up towards youre body allowing you to then stand on the foot loop. Repeat process.

I was just playing around on the video. I had a friend that is a rescue buff and he didnt get that I can controll myself coming down a zipline when under tension by only using a hitch. Yes I know there are better ways to come down with less friction. Again I was playing around. Eather way the above tip does work and it allows your legs to not be above you in a way that you are upside down.

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Fairfield

forgot to say if you have a high chest attachment it would be great to keep youre upper body up and not hanging

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