Ropes and the rain.

Good day all.
I know that it's not advised to climb in the rain or storms for a number of reasons. However, I was curious to know what expericed climbers have to say about rain affect your friction hitches. The blakes hitch is specifically what I'm interested in. Does the rope getting wet seriously affect the friction or is it just something that needs to be set a little tighter and then carry on?
Thanks again for all of the insight.

rcames2005 wrote: Good day all.
I know that it's not advised to climb in the rain or storms for a number of reasons. However, I was curious to know what expericed climbers have to say about rain affect your friction hitches. The blakes hitch is specifically what I'm interested in. Does the rope getting wet seriously affect the friction or is it just something that needs to be set a little tighter and then carry on?
Thanks again for all of the insight.

If anything you might want a Blake's a little less tight, when hitches get wet they tend to grab harder and release harder, not much fun. Blake's works wet, just need to be a little more careful, you need to do more work taking load off the hitch with your hand on the down rope so the hitch does less work.
-AJ

Thanks for the information. Always helpful to have an idea before things get encountered. I made my first actual climb today and didn't die. So I call it a success. Didn't go very high. But got well practiced with a throw bag and cut a few limbs

rcames2005 wrote: Thanks for the information. Always helpful to have an idea before things get encountered. I made my first actual climb today and didn't die. So I call it a success. Didn't go very high. But got well practiced with a throw bag and cut a few limbs

Congrats on your first climb and not dying!

Just a heads up, based on my progress over 15 years or so of climbing starting as a total beginner:

I understand your motivation to trim limbs while you're climbing. I ask you to consider putting that aside for now. You are likely very capable working with tree parts on the ground. Before you start trimming stuff in trees, please get a bunch of hours just climbing without a hand saw on your harness. Very surprising things can happen while you're working in a tree, you cannot anticipate what kind of situations will develop. To prepare yourself, become very strong in your climbing skills. When "things happen", and they will believe me, you'll need strong climbing skills to respond or even better, prevent. For example excellent "work positioning" skills are an absolute prerequisite for safely cutting wood up in a tree. For now simply climb around deadwood. If it is loose enough to break by hand or hung up detached by all means throw it down. Good to communicate clearly with anyone in the general vicinity on the ground when you do so. If you have deadwood or tree parts that you feel threaten you or your property, hire a tree service to take care of it. The money you would save by not doing so will seem trivial after an ambulance ride or worse.

And lastly, when you do wield a saw in a tree, hand saw or powered, always tied in twice. Too many professional tree climbers have died because they felt they were experienced enough not to have to do that.

Apologies for speaking in such direct perhaps grim terms, it is not because I doubt your abilities in general. Rope and harness climbing is a specific skill, working in trees is another specific skill, one before the other.

Thanks for listening,
-AJ

I appreciate the words of wisdom. I took care and was using a second tie in before any cuts were made by hand. I am not trying to get hurt out here either. It's all good.

rcames2005 wrote: I appreciate the words of wisdom. I took care and was using a second tie in before any cuts were made by hand. I am not trying to get hurt out here either. It's all good.

Excellent.