ADJUSTABLE FRICTION SAVER for Use As A SPAR Anchor for Arborists & Tree Climbers!

Be prepared to fast forward during gear changeovers (you might miss a few important discussion points, though)!

In this episode, I demonstrate both the ANSI approved method and a few experimental methods for climbing MRS and SRS attached to a stem via an adjustable friction saver. This video was one take and no edits, so try not to get too upset with all the equipment changes. I honestly believe that a lot of people benefit from seeing exactly how the changeovers are done, how long it takes, what to expect, and although it may add some boring sections for those already familiar with what I'm doing, it can serve as an invaluable instructional for someone less knowledgeable!

In this video, I show how to use an adjustable friction saver to have a cinching tie in point on the stem of a tree and how to add a pulley to reduce friction with both an MRS or SRS system. In the latter, it would be used to make pulling the rope through redirects much easier and with the former, it would reduce the amoutn of friction experienced by the climber as they do limb walks and generally move about on branches or make redirects.

It is important to note that, for most applications, the use of a cinching adjustable TIP (friction saver) is done by putting the rope through the two rings. When doing SRS, an alpine butterfly knot is placed on the side of the small ring so that it jams, allowing for the use of the single strand exiting the other side. This setup will still cinch down so long as the climb always maintains a proper angle with their rope relative to the orientation of the friction saver.

As stated in the title, connecting oneself this way while topping a tree or chunking down big pieces off of a stem, when connecting with both rings (no pulley), is the ANSI approved method for doing so. This is because the cinching function of the friction saver (so long as a fist's width is maintained between the large and small ring) prevents a climber from being ejected from their TIP, preventing them from pinwheeling down the tree (which can happen if you are using a typical flip line only). It also will prevent any serious falls as a result of a climber gaffing out or losing their footing.

Adjustable friction savers are relatively inexpensive to buy and I believe every tree worker should own one because of the myriad of different, helpful ways in which it can be utilized for both work and pleasure climbing. If buying one is out of your price range, don't worry! You can easily create your own by obtaining a length of rope of your choosing, attaching a loop of accessory cord with a small anchor ring on it by creating a six wrap French prusik, then tie a larger anchor ring to on of the ends of the rope, place a stopper knot at the opposite end or a small loop knot and there you go! You've made one! I'm going to make a video showing exactly how to do this soon, so look out for it!