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Rappel fail - need advice

pesqimon said:
You could, just that it's probably not necessary. You can tie it like Mike suggests most of the time, but the day you findyourself hanging from a crotch just remember to tie it on the link side and it will probably be fine. If you are climbing up like the OP or 1 sticking, you probably won't be in a crotch. You end up in a crotch, typically, if you throw your rope up for SRT.
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Great point, I do like SRT so I’ll need to remember that. I noticed some of you mentioned the scaffold knot for tying in the link, is that better than a figure 8 knot for getting the rope down? I do worry about my figure 8 getting hung up on a branch


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TooheyBirdie said:
I climb w/ WE steps as well and have started repelling this year.. I think i've stacked all the dumb things you can do to repell into a few sits this season... forgetting to hook up the pull down line, forgetting to undo the gear tie, pulling from the quick link, pulling the side of the rope away from the quicklink which resulted in me pulling the quicklink into a crotch and getting it stuck... might not be vital, but having an accessory carabiner attach your pulldown rope sure does help.. reduces the friction between the pull down and the repel line so it's easier to pull through. I have also made a mental note to always clip just behind the scaffold knot on the repel line and to turn the link on the tree to an area where I can A) have a clean repel B) REACH my WE steps (ended up to far away from the trunk one time.. bet that woulda been funny to watch). C) in a direction where I can walk back from the tree to pull the repel line down as pulling the line out seems to help it release....

.. keep working your system.. you'll dial her in... keep in mind.. i've had all the issues above and I only sat 4 times so far this year... HAHA
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I too have screwed up points A and B you brought up, and ended up having gravity take me in circles around the trunk


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cockyrooster2013 said:
Great point, I do like SRT so I’ll need to remember that. I noticed some of you mentioned the scaffold knot for tying in the link, is that better than a figure 8 knot for getting the rope down? I do worry about my figure 8 getting hung up on a branch


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Click to expand...
It’s not that much better, but the scaffold is more streamlined. So the link doesn’t flop around much and is easier to handle. A scaffold is just as likely to get hung on a branch. A fig8 or scaffold will come loose just as easy though as far as when you pull down.
 
Been there done that too. I’m getting rid of the gear tie and will use a clip to keep tether tight. I don’t have enough room between the rope and tree behind my oval to clip my pull up rope, so I’m gonna add a loop to my tether and clip into that……thanks Razorback! I may just use 550 paracord same as my pull-up, but I have other cords laying around. EThese are tweaks I’ll put into play next time I go up. I’m also thinking I’ll put that loop on the other side like shooter mike! Thanks for the ideas!
 
I posted this (below) in "Why dont y'all 2 TC" but its perfect for this thread.. and now after several tries it works perfectly!

Last night I experimented with using the JRB hitch after reaching hunting height with my rappel rope/tether. I climbed with my rope in normal quick link girth hitch mode, then at height I attached my second bridge to my leg tether, then pulled out extra rappel rope and tied a JRB hitch above my girth hitch, then released the girth hitch and used the quick link as the JRB hitch lock. Because I have 40' of rappel rope I measured the leftover rope for my rappel and it came to 27 feet. So I put my pull down string on the quick link locking the JRB hitch. Then after hunting, I took out the quick link lock on the loop but still had my retrieval string attached to it(which is the release side of the JRB hitch), rappelled down, and pulled on my rope retrieval string and WOW I haven't gotten my rope out of the tree that easy before.
What I learned from that is that if I'm below 28/29 feet off the ground I'm gonna rappel down using the JRB hitch. If 30 and above then I'll just reattach my quick link girth hitch and rappel like usual.
I've just been a little bothered by how much noise and sometimes effort it takes to pull down my rappel rope with the usual method. The jrb hitch just melts and the rope comes down so quickly and smoothly.
 
The tree makes my decision on how to retrieve my rope. If it’s super rough “sticky bark” as I call it. Where the rope falls into large pieces. I hook up 6-8” before the rope goes back through the delta link and pull it back through. Same for trees with branches galore. Smooth trees / limbless I hook my pull down line behind 6-8” behind the scaffold an delta. I try to get away from the tree as much as I can. Usually 1 good tug and it’s free falling down.
 
Right now I'm carrying a 60' piece of 8mm rope and I just use a biner block around the tree. Larger diameter pull cords are so much easier to handle (and coil), plus the biner block orients the pulling end in a good spot. This lets me rap and pull from up to 30' with no funny business
 
batguano said:
Right now I'm carrying a 60' piece of 8mm rope and I just use a biner block around the tree. Larger diameter pull cords are so much easier to handle (and coil), plus the biner block orients the pulling end in a good spot. This lets me rap and pull from up to 30' with no funny business
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Care to share a few more details on this biner block? Knot used for bite to catch biner? Etc


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I clove hitch a locker to the rope, then pass one end around the back of the tree and clip it into the locker. If I can't find a picture I'll take one in the next day or two
 
It just occurred to me after rappelling maybe 10 times last year that I have a problem… I’ve been lucky because I’ve been climbing limbless trees, the rope pretty much just falls. But I use my Michoacan TRC knot (that I connect bridge to when hanging) as my autoblock and that thing would not be easy to take off the rope. So if I do encounter a high limb I’m not going to be able to pull that through the delta link. Is my only option to abandon the friction hitch if rappelling? I suppose I could use a Hollowblock for rappel and stash my friction hitch on the other side of the delta link, man there’s so many puzzles.
 
neonomad said:
It just occurred to me after rappelling maybe 10 times last year that I have a problem… I’ve been lucky because I’ve been climbing limbless trees, the rope pretty much just falls. But I use my Michoacan TRC knot (that I connect bridge to when hanging) as my autoblock and that thing would not be easy to take off the rope. So if I do encounter a high limb I’m not going to be able to pull that through the delta link. Is my only option to abandon the friction hitch if rappelling? I suppose I could use a Hollowblock for rappel and stash my friction hitch on the other side of the delta link, man there’s so many puzzles.
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I do a michoacan but with an eye to eye. I hang off it while hunting as well... when I go to rappel I attach my atc above the hitch with an additional biner...then move the binder I was hunting off of to my hip... when I get down, you can either untie or just slide it off the end of your line... just tie it back on the rappel line when I get home
 
I use a Singing Tree Quickie through a tight eye on the end of my rope. I connect my retrieval line behind the Quickie using a 3d printed device for keeping your climbing line/ tether tight to tree and it girth hitches around the rope. It is made on Amsteel and provides a loop to connect your retrieval carabiner and I never get rope stuck in tree. You are applying force on the Quickie side and it acts like a pulley reducing friction. The pictures I have seen people are putting retrieval line on wrong side of quick link there by increasing friction and making retrieval more difficult.
 
One could also tie an Alpine butterfly on the quick link side to attach retrieval line to. Just a couple of ideas.
 
TooheyBirdie said:
I do a michoacan but with an eye to eye. I hang off it while hunting as well... when I go to rappel I attach my atc above the hitch with an additional biner...then move the binder I was hunting off of to my hip... when I get down, you can either untie or just slide it off the end of your line... just tie it back on the rappel line when I get home
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Yes this is pretty much my process, just with a figure eight. I like the TRC hitch and the bite I have on the Rescue tech but you’re right I might just need to get out the credit card and accept that replacing it with eye to eye would give me more flexibility in taking it off the rope if I’m going to need to yank it all the way up and through… thanks!
 
neonomad said:
Yes this is pretty much my process, just with a figure eight. I like the TRC hitch and the bite I have on the Rescue tech but you’re right I might just need to get out the credit card and accept that replacing it with eye to eye would give me more flexibility in taking it off the rope if I’m going to need to yank it all the way up and through… thanks!
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If you tied your own prussic loop, pretty easy to just tie your own eye to eye... also gives you control on the length you want.... I like a my hitch to be tight to the tether since I like running a long bridge... best of luck man
 
neonomad said:
Yes this is pretty much my process, just with a figure eight. I like the TRC hitch and the bite I have on the Rescue tech but you’re right I might just need to get out the credit card and accept that replacing it with eye to eye would give me more flexibility in taking it off the rope if I’m going to need to yank it all the way up and through… thanks!
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Cruzr sells a TRC eye to eye that I've been eyeing. https://www.cruzr.shop/product/cruzr-distelschwabish-hitch-cord/ couldn't resist the dad joke.
 
I think out in the yard I’m going to see if I can stick with my current rig (pic) by just loosening the hitch and slipping it onto a stick or biner or something, and then just working it back on the rope after tree retrieval, without ever actually untying it. Those knots on the biner are tight.
 

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neonomad said:
I think out in the yard I’m going to see if I can stick with my current rig (pic) by just loosening the hitch and slipping it onto a stick or biner or something, and then just working it back on the rope after tree retrieval, without ever actually untying it. Those knots on the biner are tight.
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That's a good point.. can be a pain to get those loose, but I typically just deal with it at the house later.
 
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