Tree Climbing Systems: Progressions in Doubled Rope (DdRT) 

This video is about the most efficient 13 minutes of climbing knowledge for a beginner to watch. Very well done...thank you.

Aha! 3 holed hitch climber pulley only with a spliced eye rope termination or if wanting to continue down the RU-vid arborist rabbit hole and investigate the M-system. At long last I understand why some use a simple micro pulley for slack tending and some use the hitch climber pulley. Thank you so much for consicely illuminating this!

Awesome. In the last year, I went from a Blake's Hitch to Hitchclimber and now I'm on a ZigZagPlus... every step of the way playing around and experimenting with different ideas and new approaches... it has been a true pleasure to learn every step along the way and appreciate the evolution of the craft.

I'm not one to leave Comment's however... out of like 75 - 100 "how to video's" I watched on climbing/cutting Tree's, I find this to be 1 of the best personality explained vertical video's on the subject at hand I come across! Don't get me wrong, there's alot of great video's out there but you own this 15 minutes for sure! Great performance my friend! I'm interested to see what else you have on here!

great video. Ive been climbing 18 years. I started on a Prussik then a Blakes, pulley system, hitch climber and finally settled on a zigzag. learning all the time

Best explanation I've seen. Started climbing in 97 and still using the same system! I keep thinking about upgrading, but worried that after so many years I'd mess it up and fall out of the tree! Lol thanks for all your great work, can't wait for your next video. Stay frosty brother.

It’s hard starting out because there r so many different systems trying to figure out which one to go with vids like this help thanks brother 👊

What you describe at 11:40 I learned the hard way one day climbing a black walnut. About half way up, I'd say 30ish feet, I took a good 5 foot slide when my foot ascender kicked out. Luckily I grabbed my hitch and glazed the shit out of it and it stopped me. Talk about a scare. Any time I tie a fisherman's as my termination for DrT I connect it to my ring instead of the hitch climber. You offer good advice. Keep up the good work.

I'm really enjoying your videos. Being 66 years old and somewhat new to tree climbing, im sifting through tutorials to make this simple. I have 40 years forestry and tree experience, but i need a wee more climbing teaching to be comfortable. Only basic 30 to 50' single stems.

man I'm from Brasil and I learn a lot with your videos! I would like to thank you!

So super glad I can go back in time find a educational video that I knew you post so I can teach or so new climbers a system they never Hurd of. Thanks Joe from California

Fully old school guy here. Thanks for helping me update myself!

I'm glad I found this channel. You go into much more detail than most which helps tremendously. I'm new to climbing and learning a lot from your channel and years of knowledge.

Thanks a lot for taking the time to share your knowledge, experience, and depth on this particular subject, Patrick! Keep staying safe!

Thank you for this! I've been learning what I can about tree climbing online over the past few years (for trying recreational one day) , but I'm still trying to fill holes in my knowledge. For example, I couldn't find an explanation of what a "split tail" is anywhere... and here it is - answered in a concise explanation of climbing system set up! I look forward to watching more. Thanks again. Stay safe!

I've been climbing for a few years and I still like to watch these videos of yours. It's just good to have a refresher and see it all. Sometimes we get stuck in our ways and it's just nice to cover the basics again. Thanks, bud.

Yes it is Really good! I go between a split-tail & a self tending prusik by using the end of my Split-tail to atrach to the prusik on the working end of the line when i want a long bridge. I like using my HitchClimber Eccentric cuz I can use a short bridge & the shape of tge Eccentric is built great for pulling the slack out from below. Recently I've been using a micro-pulley that is a Petzyl Pinto where I can use a sewn eye to eye with it & hide the 2 sewn ends in the beckett of the Pinto so I don’t actually have to incorporate a DMM Oval into the setup. . Every 🌳 is different & I've found the flexibility more functional.

Your videos are top tier man. Appreciate the knowledge.

this video was very helpful thanks for helping us new climbers out

Thank you. I like the way you explain/show these vitally important systems. Nicely done. George.

Thank you for such a clear, concise, easy to understand explanation of the spectrum of DRT systems! Super helpful!

im grateful for this video..im zero knowledge, so this is very informative

Thank you for this great video. You told and showed it in a good way ...Cheers from Denmark

I taught my self to climb at age 50. I started with the blakes hitch . Being the tool junky I am I used all of the systems including mechanical SRT. Bust I will always have a use for a double rope system. If you are just learning you should start with these methods. They help you to learn to tie and dress knots and they also give you the confidence in your rope. And that is something you will always need your life hangs from it.

Love this video! You're and great teacher . Thanks for all the great content!

Straight to the point! Welldone!

Thanks bro, always love your videos I’m a newbie and they’re always informative and a big help, looking forward to the next one

always great information Joe

Great stuff looking at the evolution - here's some time stamps stepping folk thu the progressions for those looking for easy references 0:56 #1 Moving from closed system to open (we did that back then) 2:27 #2 Introduction of a micro pulley for slack tending 4:00 #3 Eye to eye friction hitches tied to the pulley 9:46 #4 Hitch Climber pulley, allows for only one carabiner to the bridge

Great explanation. Thank you.

Thank you so much! Been just using a split tail for 10 years.

Awesome video! I'm learning all the time! I had to subscribe! Cheers from Australia just subbed.nice work 🙂👍👍👍

Great informative video. Nice work

My favorite part of using the triple attachment pulley over a micro pulley is how it holds the system up at a nice working hite well hip thrusting. Great video!

Excellent, thank you very much.

Brilliant video

Thank you. So much to learn.

awesome. I'm a noob, but know I want to do DRT. Seeing the progression to more hardware etc helps to make sense of all of the options.

Thanks Patrick

Muchas gracias!! he aprendido mucho en este video!! Thanks 🙏👍!!!!

That was great Patrick, Be well

👍you are a great teacher love you're videos thanks keep up the great work

Great stuff Thank you

Cool video I'm just starting.

Good morning, I am just starting out, I have bought several items and you have helped me pick what I need to get going. I’m 46 and I am LOVING getting up in the trees trimming and cutting. Keep posting videos for us beginners

Very well done Sir. Respect.

THANK YOU !! VERY VALUABLE

Great vid! Years of SRT and figuring I should learn DdRT (hear it's best for work-positioning, especially limbwalking and such) Will say that I'd ignored the Hitchclimber, considering it a price-gouge item (like 4/5 pro arborist items, it seems), but now seeing that I've gotta say I'm not even sure how comfortable I'd be *using* the thing...doing it "the right way" makes it so that the pulley is the main strength member of your system (so unless it's an >8k MBS pulley, that means it'd be weaker than my climbline, and my hitchcording), I can kinda see "how nice & convenient" it is but any lil pulley does that (mine were like 12 and $14, IIRC, one's a CMI too :) ), am all for putting my true life-support 'biner through my pulleys SO LONG AS the hitch is sitting inside the 'biner as well, but putting different, *adjacent* force vectors onto a pulley - a pulley that's clearly designed for forces on 1 plane, not lateral forces - as the center of your life support seems risky to me...but then again I've never heard of people breaking them (though I can't imagine *how* such stories would really get out in the 1st place, since they'd probably be catastrophic)

That's adorable how your son helped you with the videography and said, "It's really good 👍" @ the end. So as you go up the rope the end on you gets shorter and the other gets longer compared to the branch you're hanging from?

Thanks for that

Thanks, very informative

I’ve been starting out and struggling with the VT prusik/hitch climber system w/out a spliced eye climb line and was wondering how to manage the bunched area ...now I see that I should be just clipping in to the bridge...I’ve had no problems yet if I use the middle hole (top is way to close), but was concerned as I’ve had to mind my prusik. Now I’ll use the bridge, thanks!

Thank you

Great video man

P.S. Great video Patrick!!!!

Happy Sunday!

Watching again. Your careful and thorough teaching skills are much appreciated!

I use the top connection point for clipping in my neck tether when I'm on the wrench.

Thanks for the great video. What length is that 10mil eye to eye that you used tying the schwabisch hitch?

I went from the closed system with one rope with the Blake's Hitch directly to the hitch climber pulley eye to eye system, so this is great content to see the progression for DRT. I've learned a lot from your channel over the past year. Is that a double overhand termination knot around the biner? When I was on the closed system, I would tie two overhand knots, one on top of the other, around the saddle dees. What would you recommend to tie in that instance? Thanks for the great content!

Very helpful and well presented. Is it fair to assume that these progressions are to make life easier ie less physical? I'm in need of a little help as I head for 59!

Deadfishpoter, I don't think Jerry is going do anymore printings. I couldn't find one,except digital one from Educated Climber.

I couldn't help but notice how the tending pulley as installed side loaded the split tail biener.

You the man ‘arry...( Frank Bruno)

This video is basically my climbing progression. I now climb 90% srt with the rope wrench but some situations ddrt is faster to get set and climbing. Climb high and read more 🤘 (Still waiting for another update on the new printing of Jerry's book)

If you have a spliced eye on one end of the rope can you still set it through a friction saver remotely?

Hey boss, what length you recommend on the prusik cord, i see 28-32" options. Awesome video 🙏

Another great video, but no o rig !?? That's gotta be the best oh the hc pulley !

do u have any video showing how u make that middle ring bridge for your harness. i got a Cougar saddle and it doesn't have the middle ring bridge.

If the carabiner is oval shaped, does it matter if you rotate it around after it’s attached to the pulley? If so, is it a safety issue of some sort?

Hey there I am a wannabe climber and I was wondering if you need a bunch of mechanical devices for SRT like Rope Runner or Rope wrench why can’t you just use friction hitches and ascenders?

New to climbing so this is a newbie question. For the hitch climber with the "fancy" pulley, could you use a non-spliced rope if you used a figure 8 with a big loop so the knot was well above the prusik? Hopefully the question makes sense.

What are the benefits or how does it make it better than the Blake’s hitch?

Hey thank you so much. How long is the prustik please

How long is the prusik cord????

I still prefer DRT/MRS over any type of SRT. Simpler and less expensive gear

About half way through this video you mentioned using a 10MM eye to eye prusik cord with 1/2" climbing rope. How long should it be? I see they typically come in 24" and 30" lengths. My climbing rope just arrived and it's Yale XTC Fire 1/2". I also have a Hitch Climber Pulley I can use with it. Thanks in advance for any help Patrick.

Where did you get all the gear?

you forgot to mention the self tending Blake's hitch with a cord an accessory carabinee and a micro pulley.. that would be the third system on the progression

Dear sir I am a beginner tree climbing so I have something to ask you as shown below. 1. I weigh about 68 kg . How big of climbing rope diameter for me ? 2.How big of pusik rope diameter to fit with the climbing rope in the first question ? Thank you in advance .

I'm not a climber but when your doing a double rope system shouldn't you use a figure 8 on the tale of your rope?

Sounds like you have a new production assistant...

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