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My old climbing mentor told me to always tie a double overhand backup on my Blake's hitch.
After 8 years of ignoring him, I had a slip on a 60-foot red oak in Maryland last Tuesday that yanked me down 15 feet before my backup caught, and now I feel like an idiot for not listening sooner, anyone else have a simple safety tip they brushed off for way too long?
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angela_harris1mo ago
Didn't you read that article about Blake's hitch backups in Arborist News last spring?
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rowan_thomas841mo ago
Eh, fifteen feet isn't that bad. Could've been worse, and now you got a story out of it. I still think half the climbing safety stuff is just for show anyway.
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michaeltorres1mo ago
Wait wait wait hold on. Are you serious? You think half the safety gear is just for show? Dude I literally watched a guy pop a fifteen foot fall and it put him in a back brace for three months. That's not a story, that's a hospital bill. I get that some gear might be overkill sometimes but that "for show" attitude is how people end up with permanent damage. Have you actually seen what a ground anchor failure looks like in person?
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