Remotely setting an SRT traverse

[edfrank]

This is a technique I've been working on to remotely set a single rope (SRT) traverse from one tree to another. This can be a very handy technique for research climbs. In the video I use a homemade slingshot attached to my foot to throw an 8 oz weight trailing a throwline to another tree. The slingshot allows me to make a relatively flat trajectory throw compared to the big arc you get hand-throwing. The other advantage is the slingshot will throw an 8oz bag 50-60 feet horizontally. Once the bag is over a limb I demonstrate a technique called the "Dangle" to send a small grappling hook over to the destination tree to retrieve the throwbag. Once I have the other end of the throwline back I can set my climbing rope to traverse over to the second tree.

Note: For the traverse shown in the video I went out on the line first with a safety tether to test the soundness of the setup before crossing over. Safety first.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63_nLZchBpo[/youtube]

As it turns out this is an eastern Massachusetts white pine that I recently measured to be 126' and reported to the ENTS mailing list. When I shot the video I didn't realize the tree was quite that tall. During the video I estimated I was in the 75-85' range doing the traverse test, as it turns out I was more in the 100+ foot range. Doesn't really matter though except to point out that height estimates without benefit of accurate measuring technique can be waay off.
-AJ

Andrew Joslin
Jamaica Plain, MA

[Will Blozan]

Andrew,

DUDE! I love it. Man, do I ever want a grappnel hook now! Thanks for sharing this nifty trick. Hope you're well.

Will

[AndrewJoslin]

Andrew,

DUDE! I love it. Man, do I ever want a grappnel hook now! Thanks for sharing this nifty trick. Hope you're well.

Will

Glad you liked that Will. The way I'm doing it you need to be high enough in the tree equal to the distance of the traverse. Most of the time that's not an issue, if your height in the tree is less than the distance to the next tree it's probably easier to reset a line from the ground to the next tree. One of the things I like about the technique when coupled with a slingshot (footshot or whatever you have) is that the path to the next tree can be obstructed and the line can still be set.

I'm doing fine, thanks for the good wishes, am super busy right now so I haven't had time to post much.
-Andrew