Warning: changing my rope climbing technique mid-job almost got me stuck

I always used a Blake's hitch for ascent, but last month I switched to a mechanical Prusik after a buddy convinced me it was faster. Tried it on a 60-foot white oak in Portland and nearly couldn't get back down when the locker jammed on a wet branch. Finally went back to the Blake's halfway through and finished the job in 20 minutes. Has anyone else had bad luck with mechanical hitches on wet bark?

3 comments

3 Comments

riley_miller2517h ago

Wait, are you sure the mechanical hitch was the problem and not just a bad day? I mean, I've been running a mechanical Prusik for like two years now on all kinds of wet trees out here in the PNW and honestly it's been way smoother than Blake's for me. Maybe it's just the locker you were using? Cause I've had a cheap locker seize up before but a decent one never gave me trouble even in rain. Idk, I feel like people blame the system sometimes when it's really just a piece of gear that wasn't set right or wasn't the right fit for the job.

gibson.sarah12h ago

Heard that loud and clear. I think you're totally right about the locker being the weak link, not the system itself. I've seen people swap out a sticky carabiner for a clean one and suddenly their mechanical hitch runs like butter again, even in the rain. The gear matters more than the technique sometimes, especially with those moving parts. And honestly, if your hitch is set up right with the right friction, it should handle wet bark just fine. So yeah, blame the locker, not the whole idea.

drew_bennett246h ago

You missed the point a bit. The locker isn't the mechanical hitch, it's just the carabiner that connects everything. If that carabiner gets sticky or has dirt in the gate, it can make any hitch feel rough. I've seen guys swap a clean locker in and suddenly their Blake's runs perfect again. The Prusik works fine in wet bark if your friction is dialed in, I'm not arguing that. But a worn or cheap locker will choke a mechanical hitch just as bad as a manual one. So yeah, gear matters more than most people give it credit for, especially the small stuff.