single, twin or triple lanyard, ONE adjuster

i have been experiimenting with a unique setup.

what you'll need:

- 1 length of 11mm rope x 30' (i'm using dynamic, for the fall protection)
- 2 locking biners
- 1 oval Mallione Rapide
- 1 Petzl Shunt

Start by tying each END of the rope to a locking carabiner, using a double fishermans knot. You should have a long length of rope with a locking biner on each end.

Next, open up the Petzl Shunt, fold the rope in half and insert each half into the Petzl Shunt, forming a "U" loop BELOW the Shunt.

Attach the Shunt to the right (or left side) of your "D" lanyard rings, using the oval Mallione rapide. I prefer the right, but am ambidextrous so it does'nt really matter to me.

to use, take one of the lengths of rope, throw over a limb and clip the carabiner into the left (or right) "D" ring. Snug up the slack by pulling on the corresponding rope under the Shunt. Then take the other length of rope and throw over another limb. clip that carabiner into the other "D" ring and snug up the slack.

what you should have now is TWO loops, over two seperate limbs, on the right and left of you, with the excess rope slack hanging in a "U" shape under the Petzl Shunt.

To make a Third lanyard, take that excess and loop it over a limb or around the trunk, and tie it off with the knot of your choice to a "D" ring.

works incredibily well, you have a very wide length adjustment factor, and the Shunt locks off when you weight it, yet it is eays to adjust either loop. You can walk a limb, while simultaneously lengthening one loop, and tightening up the other as you approach it.

Pics soon.

What you're describing is known as a double-ended adjustable lanyard. There are several flavors with many variations per climber. Arborists typically attach with a closed friction hitch (or advanced hitch) on the side D's with the loop hanging in the back, rec climbers usually attach at the delta with various hitch configurations, the loop hangs in front. A spliced eye on each end of the lanyard makes a clean attachment for the biners and less snagging when you're pulling the rope out of a crotch. Caution, you can easily hang up the end of the lanyard because of the attached biner.

Can you unload the shunt under load? I'm thinking not, this is why two friction hitches are usually used so you can ascend or descend, ie: it is truly adjustable.

I'd use an arborist rope rather than dynamic (rock rope?), you don't want much stretch in the system. The idea is that you should never have slack in the system tree climbing so if you do fall there is no shock loading. The worst scenario is that you'll swing.

50-60 ft. is a good length for this lanyard, used this way it is a self-sufficient or primary climbing system. For conifers you can SRT up and then switch over to the lanyard once you're in the branches.

Here's a thread where I posted one that I built, the comments provide a good overview of what's being used:
Double-ended adjustable lanyard


Drawing with comments on Flickr
-moss

I guess we've figured out who will be illustrating my first splicing book!

love
nick

Originally posted by moss

I'd use an arborist rope rather than dynamic (rock rope?), you don't want much stretch in the system. The idea is that you should never have slack in the system tree climbing so if you do fall there is no shock loading.

Plus, 30ft of dyno rope will stretch very little. You'd still hit hard if you took a "lead" fall on a 30 ft piece of dyno.

mateo

How do you adjust each lanyard seprtly ? When the Shunt's release is pushed both ropes slip. Not a good setup when I want to move myself along an X-Y-Z axis.

If you'd like to see another lanyard setup, search for DEDA or double ended double adjusting here or TreeBuzz.

Today I used my DEDA to move up to the top of a spruce in order to deadwood. I used an I'd on the way down and still used both ends of my DEDA at the same time to move me in three dimensions.

oy vey people..... oy vey......

- the shunt releases just fine under load. A tiny bit of unweighting and pull the rope under the Shunt. Its NOT THAT HARD to move your hips in an inch and adjust the lanyard.......i'm used to doing this from treefalling with spurs and fliplines....don't even notice the motion, its automatic.

- you can adjust each lanyard independently with the Shunt - simply grab both ropes BELOW the Shunt, unweight the Shunt slightly (there is that 1" hip thrust again...), pull the rope you want to adjust WHILE holding the other rope Up a bit. Takes seconds if youre used to the setup. It does'nt slip if you know what your doing.

- rope. use whatever rope you want, I could care less. I had a 30 foot piece of dynamic rope lying around so i chose to use that, rather than cutting my arb line or my other lines. Apples Oranges Pears.....

. Your not falling 30 feet for christ sakes, if you happen to slip off the limb its maybe a foot. Your not climbing above the lanyard. Your simply anchoring youself to a limb or two . BTW, try falling a few feet with non dynamic line and tell me how you guts feel in the morning.. :| I happen to enjoy the stretchy absorbsion of the dynamic rope when i tested it low. Jumped off several feet above the ground, the lanyard anchored in two spots. The dynamic rope absorbed the fall, with zero slamming of my guts, whipping of my neck or any noticable strain on my harness. Did the same test with the lanyard setup rigged with static line and had a sore stomach and a whopper of a headache. YES you swing in an arc, on any rope.

YOUR MILAGE MIGHT VARY :|

anyways, just sharing an interesting lanyard set up, WHATEVER the "proper" name might be....... I call it a Shunt Lanyard, Ya'll can call it whatever you want.





BTW, NICK...when you get your splicing book published, i'd like to buy one!

SRT-Tech, you're getting some excellent comments, people aren't just making this stuff up, there's a lot of experience behind it. If you read the linked thread you'll get the A-Z on double ended lanyards.

The point is on slack vs. no-slack is that you don't fall a few feet if you tend your slack. The biggest falling danger to tree climbers is uncontrolled swing into the trunk or a limb. Shock loading is more likely to occur in SRT ascent if your tie-in blows out and your're smart enough to have captured a couple branches below you tie-in so you get the privlege of droping a few feet and shocking as opposed to dropping 60 ft. to the ground.

In DRT or lanyard climbing there won't be shock loading unless you climb above your TIP and fall or don't tend slack.

It's a cool idea that you came up with. It is well worn territory and many people are going to have useful opinions based on experience, that's a good thing 'cause after all the idea is to have better techniques and tools for climbing
-moss

sorry, i know, i came across as surly....(dont ask, long day.. )

My goal with this was to MINIMIZE and clean up the lanyard dept....get rid of the micro pulleys and tangley prussicks and have the ability to use a single adjustment unit for two lanyards.

I like the Shunt for its smooth action and its design as a prussick replacement. It has good feel int he hand, smootha action, plus it can handle two ropes.

i tried some of the other lanyards (ie: the inline doubled lanyard, but i find the adjusting and the fussing aorund drove me nuts. I also tried micropullies and prussicks on each side of the lanyard, but it got to be too fiddly for me and a cluttered harness...The Shunt solved all that (for me anyways...)

I can see what some of you are getting at with the dynamic rope. More than likely i'll end up getting another length of arb line for this setup, but i do like the softness and stretchiness of the dynamic rope.

anyways, off to bed, dog tired and all...

I've probably been more cranky than you lately, been working long hours. For a 30 ft. lanyard it is true that the dynamic rope isn't going to come into play so I guess it doesn't matter. A nylon dynamic rope is going to be less wear resistant than a poly arb rope, otherwise for that length as Mateo mentioned, shouldn't make any difference. I have a knee jerk reaction to dynamic ropes in trees, I've had top explain to my rock climbing friends too many times, "no you don't want to be climbing on your dynamic rope in a tree"
-moss

well, been using my setup for about the last 30 climbs, once you get used to careful adjustment of the SHUNT, its quite nice to use. at some point i want to switch the lanyard rope over to a safety orange collored static line, but for now i dont mind the slight stretch of the dynamic i'm using.

SRT-tech, what about putting a piece of Blaze in there?

love
nick

you read my mind Nick, after my CC is paid off (yea right) i'll be putting in and order for some Blaze and XTC Fire (man i llove that XTC)