Finally got around to trying the Garda hitch today for an ascent and it's the simplest and fastest method I've yet come across! THANK YOU! I love it when guys make clear videos passing on their wisdom to the rest of us. I'm just ordering webbing and 'biners now to have a ready-made bull-hitch variant footloop always to hand. Once I get that tested, I'll make another one for my climbing partner daughter's rack as she is shorter. She'll find this much easier than two friction hitches ;-) PS We're in UK/Ireland so that's how far knowledge travels LOL!
These hitches and variants are suburb in strength and ease of tying. have used the saddle hunter hitch with and without the recovery method and found it works really well.
Found a way to UNTIE the water knot... squeeze / rub knot between your palms like warming your hands... loosens up the knot after tightened by many climbs!
Assuming it's adequately strong, I see no reason why not. I keep some Polyester Cam straps in my truck which have fantastic camo 1in webbing. Another important point is that although climbing is obviously a life safety activity, the footloop is not a critical component. For example, if my footloop experienced a webbing break in the middle of a climb, my safety isn't going to be in jeopardy.
I really like this without trying it yet. Can you tell me what specific rope sizes you are using on your main line? I have a decent amount of 9mm, but need something for friction hitch yet.
As demonstrated here, it is a doubled 8mm rope. It works perfectly with 9mm or 10mm rope as well. SRT climbers can also use it with a single strand of even thicker ropes. Stiff ropes don't bend and flow as easily as flexible rope, requiring a little more effort to remove slack and raise my leg as i climb.
Hey John! This is a brilliant system. Although I still prefer my mechanical devices for caving, both your JRB Hand Ascender and Garda Hitch gave me very great ideas about what I can do in times of emergency when I don't have my ascenders, or my ascenders are broken/lost all of a sudden. So I have been trying your system out a little bit. My question about this garda hitch footloop, is, do you think it is okay to attach a carabiner to the both of the carabiners of the garda hitch and attach my footloop to it? Would it cause any problems? In caving especially with rebelays we are in situations where we need to use the footloop outside of ascending, without detaching our connections to the rope, so when I need my footloop I can't disengage and remove the garda hitch. I think this would be just fine although adding a little more weight to the system, as much as a carabiner weighs, but would it cause problems with the mechanism of the garda hitch?
In my research, the Garda hitch is known as being somewhat unreliable. That's because the carabiners can shift and lose their bite on the rope. I solved that problem with the Bull Hitch variant used in this video. And so I would not recommend anything without that absorbing the load. What you could do is tie the bull hitch variant and close it in a very small loop using a water knot. Then clip your loop into that. Make sense?
Hey! I see, indeed it makes a lot of sense, that way I will still have access to a independent footloop. Your bull hitch variant also looks very useful and I am going to try it outside of the Garda Hitch as well.
Very good techniques and skill set. Thanks for sharing and I have a quick question. Would it be fesable to use oval quick links for the Guarda foot loop? I get it that it would be cumbersome for removal when Its time to descend but there would also be no chance of an open gate causing mishaps. Just wondering your thoughts on this. Thanks
Yes, Oval works, but with non locking gates only. In fact, if you look at the actual shape of some of the "oval" carabiners on the market, they have a slightly D shape. On my website, you'll find links to my favorite products at any time. Those products might change over time and so this comment will last longer than the recommendation in it, but the best favorite for the Garda I have found so far is the Fusion Supreme which is on the website. It has an interior dimension of 1.5in where most are 1.25 which allows the Rope to flow through it more easily. jrbtreeclimbing.com/
so if you were hanging off the garda hitch and best friend, hitches were useless for whatever reason, how would you continue to descend, or what would be your reaction for self rescue? I guess you could hang there and untie/retie the hitches, clip on your munter below the garda, put your weight on the munter, remove the garda, then descend? I’m using a tubular web best friend with water knot , might change to a beer knot , on a redundant bridge… been practicing getting ready for next year
This is probably the most insightful question I have ever received. I can't do it justice with a simple text reply. At an appropriate time, I will do a video on self rescue. The most likely scenario is that you lost one of your friction hitches and so you are hanging from one friction hitch and your best friend on the other side. And the simplest means to recover is to retie the friction hitch which slipped. There are multiple ways to do this. If the original cord is viable, that is the easiest option. Another option is with a spare cord you keep in your saddlebag. And a third option is to reach down and pull up the slack from the ground and use the spare end to form a Blake's hitch with just a couple of feet between it and where you tie it to your beaner. The extra slack becomes a repair device. It's too much for me to try to explain. I look forward to making a video as soon as possible
I think the reasoning is that the locking mechanisms will interfere with the biners being able to pinch down on the rope. If there's a gap between the biners at the top where the ropes run through, then it will reduce their bite on the ropes and the ropes could slip through.
The choice of a Saddle is up to you. There are numerous brands available from reputable manufacturers. I don't want to name any particular ones simply because I haven't had opportunity to try and test them personally. My content is generally focused on the climbing and works with any Saddle I am aware of.
It works on single or double. But make sure you buy the carabiners with no locking gate as per the ones on the shopping list on my website. jrbtreeclimbing.com/
Finally got around to trying the Garda hitch today for an ascent and it's the simplest and fastest method I've yet come across! THANK YOU! I love it when guys make clear videos passing on their wisdom to the rest of us. I'm just ordering webbing and 'biners now to have a ready-made bull-hitch variant footloop always to hand. Once I get that tested, I'll make another one for my climbing partner daughter's rack as she is shorter. She'll find this much easier than two friction hitches ;-) PS We're in UK/Ireland so that's how far knowledge travels LOL!
Wonderful to get this feedback. Thanks!
You have put do much thought into this method. I hope it becomes main stream
Thx for your support. It will catch on only if it deserves to.
These hitches and variants are suburb in strength and ease of tying. have used the saddle hunter hitch with and without the recovery method and found it works really well.
Found a way to UNTIE the water knot... squeeze / rub knot between your palms like warming your hands... loosens up the knot after tightened by many climbs!
That's why it's not safe to use in webbing.
@@samyonboard I'm new to tying knots in webbing; which knot do you suggest?
Hi John
I dont mean to sound like i want to cut corners but can we use webbing from a ratchet strap?
Assuming it's adequately strong, I see no reason why not. I keep some Polyester Cam straps in my truck which have fantastic camo 1in webbing. Another important point is that although climbing is obviously a life safety activity, the footloop is not a critical component. For example, if my footloop experienced a webbing break in the middle of a climb, my safety isn't going to be in jeopardy.
I really like this without trying it yet. Can you tell me what specific rope sizes you are using on your main line? I have a decent amount of 9mm, but need something for friction hitch yet.
As demonstrated here, it is a doubled 8mm rope. It works perfectly with 9mm or 10mm rope as well. SRT climbers can also use it with a single strand of even thicker ropes. Stiff ropes don't bend and flow as easily as flexible rope, requiring a little more effort to remove slack and raise my leg as i climb.
Hey John! This is a brilliant system. Although I still prefer my mechanical devices for caving, both your JRB Hand Ascender and Garda Hitch gave me very great ideas about what I can do in times of emergency when I don't have my ascenders, or my ascenders are broken/lost all of a sudden. So I have been trying your system out a little bit.
My question about this garda hitch footloop, is, do you think it is okay to attach a carabiner to the both of the carabiners of the garda hitch and attach my footloop to it? Would it cause any problems? In caving especially with rebelays we are in situations where we need to use the footloop outside of ascending, without detaching our connections to the rope, so when I need my footloop I can't disengage and remove the garda hitch. I think this would be just fine although adding a little more weight to the system, as much as a carabiner weighs, but would it cause problems with the mechanism of the garda hitch?
In my research, the Garda hitch is known as being somewhat unreliable. That's because the carabiners can shift and lose their bite on the rope. I solved that problem with the Bull Hitch variant used in this video. And so I would not recommend anything without that absorbing the load. What you could do is tie the bull hitch variant and close it in a very small loop using a water knot. Then clip your loop into that. Make sense?
Hey! I see, indeed it makes a lot of sense, that way I will still have access to a independent footloop. Your bull hitch variant also looks very useful and I am going to try it outside of the Garda Hitch as well.
Very good techniques and skill set. Thanks for sharing and I have a quick question.
Would it be fesable to use oval quick links for the Guarda foot loop? I get it that it would be cumbersome for removal when Its time to descend but there would also be no chance of an open gate causing mishaps.
Just wondering your thoughts on this.
Thanks
Yes, Oval works, but with non locking gates only. In fact, if you look at the actual shape of some of the "oval" carabiners on the market, they have a slightly D shape. On my website, you'll find links to my favorite products at any time. Those products might change over time and so this comment will last longer than the recommendation in it, but the best favorite for the Garda I have found so far is the Fusion Supreme which is on the website. It has an interior dimension of 1.5in where most are 1.25 which allows the Rope to flow through it more easily.
jrbtreeclimbing.com/
You mean "Maillon Rapide" screwlinks? Will work best with gates opposed, but as you said, a lot of effort to install and take out.
so if you were hanging off the garda hitch and best friend, hitches were useless for whatever reason, how would you continue to descend, or what would be your reaction for self rescue? I guess you could hang there and untie/retie the hitches, clip on your munter below the garda, put your weight on the munter, remove the garda, then descend? I’m using a tubular web best friend with water knot , might change to a beer knot , on a redundant bridge… been practicing getting ready for next year
This is probably the most insightful question I have ever received. I can't do it justice with a simple text reply. At an appropriate time, I will do a video on self rescue. The most likely scenario is that you lost one of your friction hitches and so you are hanging from one friction hitch and your best friend on the other side. And the simplest means to recover is to retie the friction hitch which slipped. There are multiple ways to do this. If the original cord is viable, that is the easiest option. Another option is with a spare cord you keep in your saddlebag. And a third option is to reach down and pull up the slack from the ground and use the spare end to form a Blake's hitch with just a couple of feet between it and where you tie it to your beaner. The extra slack becomes a repair device. It's too much for me to try to explain. I look forward to making a video as soon as possible
Nice!
Why can’t it be 2 identical locking biners? Mine seem to work thus far.
It can... your choice!
I think the reasoning is that the locking mechanisms will interfere with the biners being able to pinch down on the rope. If there's a gap between the biners at the top where the ropes run through, then it will reduce their bite on the ropes and the ropes could slip through.
Can you add a list of the equipment used in these videos? Name of caribiners, ropes, saddles/harnesses? Thank you JRB!
I am now maintaining a "shopping list" on my new website.
jrbtreeclimbing.com/
The choice of a Saddle is up to you. There are numerous brands available from reputable manufacturers. I don't want to name any particular ones simply because I haven't had opportunity to try and test them personally. My content is generally focused on the climbing and works with any Saddle I am aware of.
Does this work on a single strand of 8mm rope or do you need something larger?
It works on single or double. But make sure you buy the carabiners with no locking gate as per the ones on the shopping list on my website.
jrbtreeclimbing.com/