WLR Hitch Discussion

[Bigfoot522]

This rope is petzl kernmantle 11mm and the cord is maxim 8mm.
3-3-3 works good.
I had passed one end back thru a leg of the hitch.
It looked good but the hitch wouldn't go up, it bound.
Then I just put both ends together and tied a knot and it work very good.

 

[Brocky]

To rappel just thread the 8 as usual. This means a quick unclip at the bridge.
Descend with friction hitch for saftey and for stopping to work hands free to collect platform and one stik or tethers.

No need for removal if the bight of rope is put on the carabiner instead of wrapping around the eight. A second wrap on the carabiner gives plenty of friction.

 

[cng]

I made several climbs today.

I want to thank you guys for my new favorite hitch.
It does everything I want.
I don't suppose I have anthing more to add to this thread.

I’m going to try this setup. I also climb on my rappel, and I’ve got a DIY Wraptor backed up with a RCH on a friction hitch. Threading my figure 8 for rappel is always difficult because I unclip my saddle, and that puts all of the tension on the RCH, below where I’m trying to attach the figure 8. As you mentioned, I’ve started using a lineman’s belt to relieve the tension on the tether, but this looks like it would mostly fix that issue by keeping the tension above the figure 8 right until you loop it around the bottom ring.

 

[cng]

No need for removal if the bight of rope is put on the carabiner instead of wrapping around the eight. A second wrap on the carabiner gives plenty of friction.
View attachment 79893

I see what you’re doing! Leave the tension on your bridge and carabiner in the 8, but just open it up and slip the rope in. I’m excited about trying this.

 

[FrankNess14]

I see what you’re doing! Leave the tension on your bridge and carabiner in the 8, but just open it up and slip the rope in. I’m excited about trying this.

Check out the munter/super munter rappel method. Eliminates the 8 and is super smooth. Form the hitch, slip it on the biner, hold the brake strand and glide to the earth!

 

[Bigfoot522]

To be honest because I use a soft shackle I never unclip. I just make the bite bigger like a jump rope over my shoulder and pass my feet and then just pull the slack.
I'm never unclipped. I could come down on the hitch itself but thats too much wear.
The WLR is easy to tie and just plain works up and down.

 

[cng]

Check out the munter/super munter rappel method. Eliminates the 8 and is super smooth. Form the hitch, slip it on the biner, hold the brake strand and glide to the earth!

I’ve definitely tried this, but I got tons of twist in my rappel rope using Resc Tech. I don’t know if it’s because I had my RCH friction hitch below or not, but I don’t have that problem with the figure 8. Also, I had to relieve tension from the rope longer to tie the Munter than to switch to the figure 8. If Brocky’s method works the way I think it will, I can just slip the slack end of the rope into the biner and then undo the hunters bend.

 

[Brocky]

To be honest because I use a soft shackle I never unclip. I just make the bite bigger like a jump rope over my shoulder and pass my feet and then just pull the slack.
I'm never unclipped. I could come down on the hitch itself but thats too much wear.
The WLR is easy to tie and just plain works up and down.

I like to use a soft shackle to attach to the eight, but like the ease of just opening the carabiner, as shown above, called Sport Mode use. Something with horns is needed, and a way to easily make one is to turn the eight around and cut some of the large circle off. I got a large aluminum rescue eight which is about 1/2” thick. A smaller version can be made of a regular eight by drilling a hole as well as cutting, black dot on the blue one is the hole location.

 

[cng]

I like to use a soft shackle to attach to the eight, but like the ease of just opening the carabiner, as shown above, called Sport Mode use. Something with horns is needed, and a way to easily make one is to turn the eight around and cut some of the large circle off. I got a large aluminum rescue eight which is about 1/2” thick. A smaller version can be made of a regular eight by drilling a hole as well as cutting, black dot on the blue one is the hole location.
View attachment 79956

Based on your earlier photo, I’m not understanding why something with horns is needed. Looks like you can just pull a bite through the loop when you’re ready to rappel and then slip that bite into your biner. What am I missing?

 

[Brocky]

I want to replace the carabiner with a soft shackle for less metal to metal. Nothing has to get disconnected to produce friction.

 

[cng]

I want to replace the carabiner with a soft shackle for less metal to metal. Nothing has to get disconnected to produce friction.

Ah, I see. Thanks!

 

[Iron_llama]

Well, I took advantage of the warm weather to trim some branches from over the garage and wound up with my pole saw stuck in the cut. 1-sticked up on a WLR to free my saw and finish the cut.

I like it. I might pull some of the cobra weave out to see if it will tend easier. Or use a separate tender, which I've been trying to avoid. I used scaffold knots to attach it to my carabiner and the load seemed evenly distributed. It is a longer hitch but not unreasonable.

 

[FrankNess14]

Anyone else tried the WLR hitch with the cord and rope being the same size? 5mm Beal BUL on itself in a 4/3/4 WLR is buttery smooth and locks up tight for me in what little testing I’ve done so far.

 

[Brocky]

Well, I took advantage of the warm weather to trim some branches from over the garage and wound up with my pole saw stuck in the cut. 1-sticked up on a WLR to free my saw and finish the cut.

I like it. I might pull some of the cobra weave out to see if it will tend easier. Or use a separate tender, which I've been trying to avoid. I used scaffold knots to attach it to my carabiner and the load seemed evenly distributed. It is a longer hitch but not unreasonable.

Maybe try less wraps, the weave allows the easy release, not enough for biting though. The Cobra weave is actually a series of Michoacán finish’s. I’m not finding any difference when just using wraps compared to the original WLR, which has 7 wraps, when counted by usual method.

 

[FrankNess14]

Maybe try less wraps, the weave allows the easy release, not enough for biting though. The Cobra weave is actually a series of Michoacán finish’s I’m not finding any difference when just using wraps compared the the original WLR, which has 7 wraps, when counted by usual method.

I’ll have to try that again, but I think the method of doing the top wraps on the WLR pretty much guarantees that the very top wrap doesn’t get so tight that it carry’s the bulk of the load and becoming very difficult to break loose under weight.

 

[Fl Canopy Stalker]

Maybe try less wraps, the weave allows the easy release, not enough for biting though. The Cobra weave is actually a series of Michoacán finish’s I’m not finding any difference when just using wraps compared the the original WLR, which has 7 wraps, when counted by usual method.

Brocky how do you feel about the catalyst hitch? Have you tried it? It also seems to be easily self tending but again I’m not sure about the bite if shock loaded

 

[Brocky]

Usually if the hitch self tends it doesn’t bind up easily, although some will self tend at first then bind up with some use. Here are some others that resemble it.

 

[Brocky]

I’ll have to try that again, but I think the method of doing the top wraps on the WLR pretty much guarantees that the very top wrap doesn’t get so tight that it carry’s the bulk of the load and becoming very difficult to break loose under weight.

I think the top wraps also are kept in tension by the short bridge, this might make it grab better than just a series of wraps.
Heres the WLR and Synergy X, side by side for comparison.
Front

Back

 

[BTaylor]

@Brocky I guess those are easy to tie once you have the pattern down but dang they look complicated.

 

[gcr0003]

Your WLR looks weird brocky, looks like your cobra weave is off, and your transition from the wraps is too? Maybe it’s just the picture?