That moment my climbing line got pinched 60 feet up

I was pruning a big oak in a backyard east of Austin last Tuesday and my friction hitch locked up solid right as I leaned back for a cut. Had to hang there for a good 4 minutes working it loose with one hand while my arm was shaking. Anybody got a go-to method for avoiding line pinches on thick crotches?

2 comments

2 Comments

simon_davis1mo ago

Wait, was it actually a pinch or did your hitch just grab too hard on that rough bark? Pinches usually happen when the rope runs between two close branches, but a locked up friction hitch on oak bark is a common problem with certain rope types. Something like a 3-strand eye splice or a slightly shorter hitch tail might help you avoid that whole shaking arm situation next time.

derekp701mo ago

Hold up, are you talking about a real pinch or just the hitch locking up on me? Because I swear that rope grabbed HARD on that oak bark and my whole arm was shaking trying to free it. Did changing to a shorter hitch tail really fix that for you, or was it more about the rope material itself?