Eric,
You know i love to have 10 ways to do the same thing so i can always get out of a jam. I have been using the ATC for descent lately and find it travels up the rope very easily. I hook it up for descent under my SRT gear and every now and then as i ascend i pull the rope below it and it rides up right below. When i want to change over i do a quick leg wrap and unhook SRT and im on my way down. Keep trying new things, but try them LOW.
Climb Safe Dan

Moss wrote about the cautions for descending on SRT using a friction hitch.

During my SRT research I've tried many rope-hitch-cord combinations trying to find one that works both for ascent and descent. So far...nothing has worked for both. Almost any hitch will work for ascent. But when it comes time to descend the hitches tend to lock off really hard.

I always have at least one extra HMS biner along in case I need to descend on a hitch. The biner is used to tie a Munter and the hitch then becomes the second attachment point.

Using anything except one of the high temp sheath hitch cords is not a good plan. SRT hitches get VERY hot! One of my tests was the Cheek Test. After a hard or fast descent I would put my cheek up to the hitch to see how hot it had become. In a very short time all hitches got hotter than I was comfortable with.

Here is a photo of a set up I used while climbing back up a rock face that I had just rappelled down but I was too lazy to walk all the way around to the starting point. I kind of improvised and it work even thou you are actually "walking " up the rock and the rope is mostly keeping you in place as you make progress up. This was tied with static rock climbing rope that is not very "flexible" to tie knots.

I'd still consider myself a beginner, but I've done a fair amount of climbs (including a professionally guided climb here in the NW up a 230 foot Douglas Fir).

I'm so much a fan of SRT with a RADS / Yo-Yo technique that I've never really attempted to climb DRT. I know the ropes are designed for it, but it seems to me that doing a lot of DRT climbing will wear out a rope faster and is at least a little harmful to the limb the rope is being pulled over.

My advice is lay out for a good Petzel ID or Eddy (I have and have used both). I know they're a bit pricy, but they are very straightforward to use, and offer a lot more security than friction hitches. They are especially good for long descents. When I've descended with friction hitches I've had trouble fine-tuning the knot to be not too loose or not too tight, and in all but short descents you have to really watch the speed and time because the rope will heat up quickly (I've melted cord doing this).

I'm envious of your cabin with big trees around it. I live in a sub-division and have to content myself with begging friends to climb at their house, or climbing the bolts I've rigged on my 25 foot chimney.

Holden wrote:

I'm so much a fan of SRT with a RADS / Yo-Yo technique that I've never really attempted to climb DRT. I know the ropes are designed for it, but it seems to me that doing a lot of DRT climbing will wear out a rope faster and is at least a little harmful to the limb the rope is being pulled over.

We put a sleeve on the rope to protect the branch climbing DRT. SRT is great to get into the tree, especially tall conifers. Once I'm in an area of a conifer where the branches are somewhat close together I switch over to DRT. For climbing in hardwoods DRT seems to be a preferred choice, there's a lot more lateral climbing in the tree and it's quick to re-pitch using the other end of the rope (DRT) as you move about the crown of a hardwood.
-moss

Hoot- I'd love to hear more about your descent. Moss has the same question as I: what climbing line are you using, and what line were you using as the split tail?

I think I'm not envisioning what you are talking about right, because what I'm picturing from your explanation makes it sounds like you lucked out big time and were only a slight distance from a scary accident.

I've toyed with the Blakes on SRT and found that I could make it work with 1/2" vectran double buried on what I think was a 5/4 Blakes (it was a long time ago, so I don't remember for sure). I found that when I changed any one variable, the system would either slide uncontrollably or lock up beyond use.

So did you get to see the nice views through the binocs? And WELCOME TO THE SITE!!!!

love
nick