Beginning SRT

DdRT is a safe and elegant system which I'll always appreciate, but I'm thinking about adding SRT to my bag of tricks. What I'd like to do is put a system together.I'm thinking about Imori or Vortex for a line (I like rope I can hang on to), and naturally I've gotten very interested in some of those cool devices, like the Unicender(PRICEY), the Hitch Hiker, and the Rope Wrench. What do you guys love, or what would you avoid? Do you have strong feelings one way or another or would you say, just dive in?

Tricky question to answer, of the systems you mentioned above I like the rope wrench best. But... none of them may be the best beginner technique to learn SRT. Also, you need to add in a foot ascender like a Pantin to use any of the above effectively. I like the Yo-Yo or RADS as a first SRT system. Requires a single handled ascender, a long foot loop, and a descent device like a Grigri or RIG to complete the system. -AJ

The way I see it, it looks like a RADS system is efficient for vertical ascent and descent, right? So that when you get up in the tree, you'd switch over to a DdRT system for moving about, is that correct? One of the things that looks attractive to me with say a Hitch Hiker is the ability to easily switch between doubled and single rope technique. Also the pendulum drops look pretty cool. But I could get way ahead of myself here I guess. In a nutshell, I'm trying to increase my mobility in the tree.

By the way, Thanks AJ!

What I'm doing now is using DdRT with split tails and a Blake's hitch. What I like about it is it's totally reliable. I use a combination of footlock with a Pantin, and I keep my bridge as short as I can, gripping one hand above and one below the hitch. I've tried using a pulley for a slack tender, but it doesn't seem to give any real advantage. Also I'm working with double crotching. There's some some limited opportunity for branchwalking in the trees that I climb, but there's lots of possibilities for traverses. I'm in the woods, and the crowns can be a little spare, but there are lots of them in close proximity.

All of these systems overlap in capabilities. You could climb entirely on a RADS and have complete canopy mobility, a bit clunkier than say a Rope wrench but it would work. RADS is completely functional without much tweaking (the footloop length) out of the box. The rope wrench requires quite a bit of tweaking to get it to fly right. Once it's dialed in I believe it's the current ultimate for canopy mobility. I have my wrench set up arranged for seamless switchover to DRT. Hitchhiker is a bit of weight so if weight matters not the greatest rec climbing choice.

Main safety consideration for the wrench and hitchhiker is that the hitch must grab when you sit back on it without using your hand to set it. You have to dial it in and test for sure grab every time you put it on rope. With the rope wrench you're using a fixed length eye-2-eye hitch cord so once you have the cord diameter, length and the hitch dialed in you're good to go every time you install it on rope. You still have to test for grab before climbing.

None of the above systems is the most efficient for long SRT ascents. Say you have to ascend 80-100+ feet on a regular basis. You would want some type of rope walker system with multiple ascenders or at least a Texas system with two handled ascenders.

So you can see, it's very murky territory saying this is better than that. Would be good if you could climb with an experienced SRT climber and try different approaches before you buy.
-AJ

This sure is an interesting topic. On the one hand, the simplicity of DdRT is one of it's most attractive features; ascent and descent and motion throughout the tree, all on a system of knots that can be made on one length of rope. Add in a friction saver, tie in, and your good to go. Once you get it down, it's simple, safe, and effective, and we can trust our lives to it. Now, moving on to SRT, we enter into the world of gear. Many systems and pieces of gear, each of which we have to learn thoroughly well, because we have to trust our lives to it. But I guess what we're always looking for is a way to get the most out of our effort, to work faster, or easier. So, with DdRT, we take two steps up for every one step SRT. Does that mean twice the effort? SRT can sure be faster. Then isolating your TIP is important in DdRT, but not necessarily so in SRT. Lots of subtleties.

Anyhow, I see what you mean about it being a tricky subject, but I believe I see a Rope Wrench in my future!

I have a friend in Andover, which I guess isn't too far from your neck of the woods, so maybe sometime it would be possible for me to come up your way for a climb. Thanks for all the good advice, and I've really been enjoying your videos!
~Walt

Anytime you're headed up to Massachusetts or New England area let me know and we can get a climb in. I think you'll like the wrench. Post questions if you run into problems climbing on it. The most essential aspect of SRT has nothing to do with the gear or technique. How and where you set your rope is the key consideration for SRT. That's where you want to exercise the upmost caution as you learn to judge the strength of your anchor limbs, really an extension of the tree assessment skills you've been building for DRT. I believe SRT rope settings can be much safer than DRT settings when you distribute the rope (and climber load) across several branches. However there are plenty of opportunities to cause yourself trouble with an SRT setting.
-AJ

I've been reading about that subject in Best Practices for SRT. It looks like things can get interesting really quick as you start moving through the canopy!