dark arts of arborism

For the most part I try to keep my rock gear and tree climbing gear in their respective niches because of rope stretch and diameter differences. However the new rock exotica Akimbo has got me thinking that there is more crossover appeal than I otherwise thought. Does anybody use a SRT system (like a unicender, akimbo or rope wrench) for rope soloing or hybridize the dark tree arts with more conventional rock climbing rigs? For instance, I don't see many people ropewalking when, in many cases, it would be a more a more efficient way to jug.

Ropewalking like this ?

youtube.com/watch?v=qGkuQof…

I do when playing photographer, pull out the ol haas, foot ascender, rope wrench with the trusty michoacan.

I use my tree gear at less popular crags.
Specifically a HH2 (hitchhiker 2) and full rope walker setup.

My reasoning for why I usually only do it when I'm at less popular spots is so I don't have to explain it 10373029 times a day. People look and ask questions when you literally walk up a rope in seconds and I'm pretty introverted and usually just want to be left alone to climb in peace.*

*also I'm not comfy giving anyone random any advice so as to limit my liability (personal or legal) so I just stick with what's common if other people will be around... 

I thought this was going to be how and when to discretely Kinder a scruffy tree in an inconvenient spot, an art needed in some regions that get quickly overgrown

I didn't even know you could fat shame a tree

Phil Lauffen wrote: I didn't even know you could fat shame a tree

Mountainproject post of the year, 2019.

That's because most of us are rock climbers, not rope climbers. I've only had the need to jug the rope a handful of times in 15 years, I'm not gonna go spend $350 (cost of that Akimbo) to help me climb a rope better. However, if I have the need to jug the rope a lot (photography, big wall), I agree that it's probably beneficial to look at some of the techniques used by arborist for better efficiency.

aikibujin wrote: That's because most of us are rock climbers, not rope climbers. I've only had the need to jug the rope a handful of times in 15 years, I'm not gonna go spend $350 (cost of that Akimbo) to help me climb a rope better. However, if I have the need to jug the rope a lot (photography, big wall), I agree that it's probably beneficial to look at some of the techniques used by arborist for better efficiency.

If you work on routes, scrubbing and bolting, you end up jugging ropes a lot.

Yeah the biggest crossover for me has been route development. 1/2" rope works great for anchors and single strand stuff. All sorts of mechanical ascenders to play around with.
Slabs still kinda suck for ascending rope with foot ascenders though.

Kelley Gilleran wrote:Slabs still kinda suck for ascending rope with foot ascenders though.

Kick your foot ascender off the rope and frog man (sit-stand) using just the knee ascender with your right foot (the one wearing the not in use foot ascender) planted either on top of the left foot (the one with the knee ascender) or on the wall as needed.

Not many slabs around Ohio but that's how I do it when the rope is touching the spar of the tree I'm working. 

I've been thinking about it. I've used my rope walker system with a micro-trax for a progress capture when rock climbing. I've been thinking an Akimbo, Rope Runner, or the like would be good for TR soloing. 

The expense of the Akimbo, Rope Runner, and other multiscenders would only be justifiable if you had to descend frequently.  If only going up mostly, there’s cheaper devices, or even friction hitches.

I come in from a caving background so I'm most used to frogging style SRT (well TAG cavers rope walk but I haven't done much there).  Since I already have a basic and a croll, I tend to TR solo with a chest harness and the croll with the basic on backup, which can easily be switched over to frogging up if need be.  I generally like frogging for being a nice balance of efficiency and maneuverability.   My bare minimum frogging setup is a croll with a sling serving as a chest ascender and a prusik locked to a sling connected to my loop and another sling as a foot loop (though obviously it's much nicer to have a basic than the prusik).

I wonder if this system could be useful on long overhanging walls.

Cereal Killer wrote: Kick your foot ascender off the rope and frog man (sit-stand) using just the knee ascender with your right foot (the one wearing the not in use foot ascender) planted either on top of the left foot (the one with the knee ascender) or on the wall as needed.

Not many slabs around Ohio but that's how I do it when the rope is touching the spar of the tree I'm working.

I find a jug and a gri gri work great for me but I'm usually only dealing with a rope length not multi pitch. But yes when in a tree I use the method you've described. 

Although a schwabisch and and a hitch minder are my go to. I learned on a taut line so...

I have used my hitchclimber/ropewrench for toprope soloing. I used a 4x distal.  It worked ok. Needs weighted to autotend well for the first 30ft or so.