I read about one in The Wild Trees but can't figure what it looks like. At first I thought it might be similar to a Double Daisy Rope but then they mentioned it having a couple of split tails and being 60 ft long. Anyone have a drawing or de_script_ion?
Thanks,
Randy

Richard Preston is very careful not to describe any techniques well enough to get anyone into trouble who's reading the book. Last year I was trying to answer this question, that's a long story for another day.

Anyway the upshot is that the research climbers in the book were using a form of adjustable double-ended lanyard. This is described in Dick Flower's intro to recreational tree climbing book.

Imagine a 60 foot rope doubled with a biner on each end. The center of the rope is anchored to the climber's harness with a pair of split tails. The climber flips one of the biners over a branch, brings it back to his harness and clips it in. Then climbs up on one split tail. When they reach the TIP they throw the other end of the lanyard with biner over a branch and continue climbing on the other side of the lanyard. This is known as alt-lanyard climbing and can be done with two shorter lanyards or one long double-ended lanyard. To be nice to the tree put a rope sleeve on each side of the lanyard. It's very easy to hang up the end of your lanyard if you're not paying attention, be careful.
-moss

Thanks Moss. Interesting concept. I'd love to see someone climbing w/ that but it's definitely not gonna be me. I've come close enuff w/ a short DDaisy to need dental work as Treeman suggests.
I would think it easy to get a biner hung up using that system.
Appreciate the de_script_ion.
Randy

burrdoc wrote:
...I would think it easy to get a biner hung up using that system.

If you're worried that the biner will get stuck when you're pulling it back over the branch just take it off the end of the lanyard and pull the bare rope end back. Then re-attach the biner. If you have a spliced eye on the end of your lanyard it's quicker to take the biner on and off the lanyard.
-moss

thanks moss, I just finished that book and your de_script_ion matched my thoughts,
although it does not seem that practicle in a tree as large as a redwood.

I've read The Wild Trees and had been wondering myself how that Spider set-up worked. It sounds like Moss is describing a double lanyard set-up.

I have a double ended lanyard from Sherrill (11mm) with a 2-way mechanical cam in the middle that I use when climbing above my initial SRT rope. The cam is supposed to allow for single-handed adjustments of the lanyard length, while holding at that length if weighted. I keep the cam attached to my main center attachment on my harness, and alternate the other ends of the lanyard to the right and left side of my saddle as I climb, pulling slack through the mechanical cam as I go.

Is that the basic "spider" set-up? From the book it seemed more, I don't know, specialized than that.

My problems with this set-up have been:
1) I find the cam doesn't set as well as I'd hoped (it's called Gibbs CliMair (photo attached)). It is nice in that generally I can pull through the slack with one hand, but fully weighted the rope still has a tendency to slip through the device. If I'm stopped for a while, or strongly dependent on the attachment, I've had to tie a stopper knot in the rope to keep it from slipping through the cam.
2) If I'm suspended with the cam and side-attached lanyard, my saddle holds me in a funny position that's not real comfortable (compared to being suspended from only the center of the harness). So while it's good for tree security, you can't "hang out" with this type of set-up (at least, not with my saddles).