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Sticks going up, rappelling down?

A

arrowchukker

Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2020
Messages
80
How many guys stick climb up, then still rappel out of the tree?
What are the pros and cons?
I’ve been playing with doing this at like 5 feet off the ground.
I’m pondering this setup for this year. Do you guys hang on your rappel rope? Separate tether then switch to rappel rope?
I’m naturally a minimalist, so I want to keep it simple, safe, yet still efficient and effective.
 
Yup. People do all of those things :tearsofjoy: . If you like minimalist then climb and hang on your rappel line. Definitely bring a tetherand or linesman with you too though. Lots of people will argue that being on the rappel line is safer, no switching lines at hight and the option to bail at anytime. You can SRT back up too.

Rope management could be a con, that's a lot of tether during the climb but you'll need to try that and see how you like it
 
Horn said:
Yup. People do all of those things :tearsofjoy: . If you like minimalist then climb and hang on your rappel line. Definitely bring a tetherand or linesman with you too though. Lots of people will argue that being on the rappel line is safer, no switching lines at hight and the option to bail at anytime. You can SRT back up too.

Rope management could be a con, that's a lot of tether during the climb but you'll need to try that and see how you like it
Click to expand...
I’m going to use a linesman on the way up. Will use an 8/auto block for rappel. I’m not sure there is a definitive way that is better, just trying to get ideas in case I’m overlooking something
 
Yes. This is what I do. And I am still refining my methods and process.
Lineman’s belt (8mm Oplux) and mainline (9mm canyon elite) for the ascent. Rappel down with a Madrock. Adding an auto block for the ascent as well.
Can’t think of any cons yet. Pro is that it is far safer of a descent than trying to find steps going down (especially if using aiders). The safety issue compounds in the dark and with heavier clothing.
 
raisins said:
You want to use 3 or 4 sticks to climb and then rappel down?

If so, seems like extra gear and work when you can just climb down the sticks already attached.
Click to expand...
I’m five sticks with a single step aider on the bottom stick. My platform is generally 17-18’ off the ground. The trade off is extras to rappel vs hitting steps correctly on the way down, especially after evening hunts.
 
I started rappelling down last year after climbing with sticks. Just for clarification I am 64 years young, use Skeletor sticks (also have Hawk and Lone Wolf originals with both sets have one step aiders on them). The reason I went to rappelling down is I use a multiple step aider with the Skeletors. I can get 6.5' to 7' with the first stick then I would just use the remaining 3 sticks to go on up. What I am currently doing is using the multi step aider with two or three sticks to get to between 15 and 20 foot. I don't like climbing down with an aider especially a move able aider so rappelling down was a natural choice for me. And by the way it is fun. I use a 9 mm rope from EWO with a figure 8 and swabitch hitch attached to my lineman belt loop for the auto block. Very easy to switch to the rappel rope while on my platform by using my linesman rope for safety. When I come down I actually just walk down the tree between steps, removing the steps as I come down. The rope, figure 8, carabiner and cord for the auto block hook up take up very little room and weight very little in my pack.
My method isn't for everyone but it works for me. Lots of good methods and various set ups to try, I'm sure you can find something that will work for you. By the way 2 skeleton sticks with the multiple step aider will get me to 14' placing my platform a foot higher is 15'. 3 sticks will easy get me to 20'. Three sticks, platform, rappel rope with accessories totals around 10 lbs, everything goes in my pack along with other needed items for the days hunt, carries like a dream compared to a climber or sticks and a hang on. I wear my saddle in--Latitude Method 2 panel.
 
When I multi stick climbed I switched to rapelling down after a season, so much easier/safer than trying to find aiders in the dark on the way down. When I one stocked I continued to rappel, and I'm debating going back to multi sticks or 2tc, and will still rappel down.
 
I’ll be mainly one sticking and repelling down this year. Even if I use my sticks, I’ll be repelling down. Using the repel rope as the tether at hunting height. No need in having 2 different tethers. Much safer and faster…especially in the dark.


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Last edited:
arrowchukker said:
How many guys stick climb up, then still rappel out of the tree?
What are the pros and cons?
I’ve been playing with doing this at like 5 feet off the ground.
I’m pondering this setup for this year. Do you guys hang on your rappel rope? Separate tether then switch to rappel rope?
I’m naturally a minimalist, so I want to keep it simple, safe, yet still efficient and effective.
Click to expand...

Check out this dudes method. It might give you some ideas?

 
I mainly one stick so rappelling is obviously my only way down but I will say when I go to a preset I always rappel down and if I preset a tree and go to take it down I’ll climb up tie in and rappel down to take the sticks. I just feel safer all around being girth hitched to the tree as opposed to using a linesman. I also hunt solely off of the tether but I always carry my linesman on my hip just incase
 
First year I climbed up and down sticks with one step aiders with a lineman’s belt. Climbing down got sketchy in the dark and cold (approaching 0F) with cold hands and feet.

Last year I started one sticking with a Madrock Safeguard, liked it until I had to put on heavier boots in October and couldn’t get my foot into the highest step of the aider at my second move. Muscled myself up my stick, scared the **** out of me. And even tending my slack as I went up the aider, I don’t like having the slack in a static rope system.

Went back to mini beast sticks with 3 step aider in the lowest and EWO wire aiders on the rest. I climb with a lineman’s belt, at hunting height I use my Safeguard and rappel rope as my tether. I just collect my sticks on the way down. Much safer for me than climbing down sticks in the dark and cold.
 
I did it for awhile and still do occasionally but I must be slow because I have so many issues surrounding the rappel that nobody else seems to have. I either forget something, like undoing the clip, or something gets hung up. I end up climbing back up or yanking the thing from 50 different angles before it gives. I like the added safety, I like pulling the sticks off while hanging, I don't mind carrying the rope, but my experiences retrieving the rope have been 90% headache.
 
THill202 said:
I did it for awhile and still do occasionally but I must be slow because I have so many issues surrounding the rappel that nobody else seems to have. I either forget something, like undoing the clip, or something gets hung up. I end up climbing back up or yanking the thing from 50 different angles before it gives. I like the added safety, I like pulling the sticks off while hanging, I don't mind carrying the rope, but my experiences retrieving the rope have been 90% headache.
Click to expand...
Just keep practicing, was for me at first as well. One thing to help the yanking- don't clip your pull down rope to your quick link, hook it up 6 or so inches away and give your rappel line some slack. Think of it as pulling some of the rope up through the quick link (to make a larger loop) rather than pulling the quick link down. You can when undo the stopper knot in the end of your rope (if you have one, reccomended) and pull the entire length up through the quick link-you have to do this if you're over a crotch/branch.

I also started using some extra 7/64 amsteel for a pull down rope, you don't want Paracord etc-too much stretch.

But seriously, just like climbing with sticks, pulling the rope down does get easier with more practice, though I'm sure we all get a rope stuck every now and then.
 
Old Man Hunter said:
I started rappelling down last year after climbing with sticks. Just for clarification I am 64 years young, use Skeletor sticks (also have Hawk and Lone Wolf originals with both sets have one step aiders on them). The reason I went to rappelling down is I use a multiple step aider with the Skeletors. I can get 6.5' to 7' with the first stick then I would just use the remaining 3 sticks to go on up. What I am currently doing is using the multi step aider with two or three sticks to get to between 15 and 20 foot. I don't like climbing down with an aider especially a move able aider so rappelling down was a natural choice for me. And by the way it is fun. I use a 9 mm rope from EWO with a figure 8 and swabitch hitch attached to my lineman belt loop for the auto block. Very easy to switch to the rappel rope while on my platform by using my linesman rope for safety. When I come down I actually just walk down the tree between steps, removing the steps as I come down. The rope, figure 8, carabiner and cord for the auto block hook up take up very little room and weight very little in my pack.
My method isn't for everyone but it works for me. Lots of good methods and various set ups to try, I'm sure you can find something that will work for you. By the way 2 skeleton sticks with the multiple step aider will get me to 14' placing my platform a foot higher is 15'. 3 sticks will easy get me to 20'. Three sticks, platform, rappel rope with accessories totals around 10 lbs, everything goes in my pack along with other needed items for the days hunt, carries like a dream compared to a climber or sticks and a hang on. I wear my saddle in--Latitude Method 2 panel.
Click to expand...
Xactly!! 66 years of age. Either one stick or 3 ONE’s with aiders. Started fooling with aiders back in the RCH/Assault days before saddles. For me to not foot-search for an aider in the dark, rappelling was the best option. These old bones won’t heal like they used to, so safety is a primary factor now. But whatever system works for someone else, just be safe and have fun!
 
THill202 said:
I did it for awhile and still do occasionally but I must be slow because I have so many issues surrounding the rappel that nobody else seems to have. I either forget something, like undoing the clip, or something gets hung up. I end up climbing back up or yanking the thing from 50 different angles before it gives. I like the added safety, I like pulling the sticks off while hanging, I don't mind carrying the rope, but my experiences retrieving the rope have been 90% headache.
Click to expand...
The running JRB hitch might be something you want to learn and test this off season.
 
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