Robe Ladder, home made cheap

[+OZ2CPU]

I created a little page, with my own homemade rope ladder,

maybe some of you could use this info:

 

http://webx.dk/geo/stige.htm

 

sorry for the spelling

Edited January 31, 2013 by OZ2CPU

[+cerberus1]

Very cool. Nice job.

We made a short rope ladder once (30'), but storage did it in.

I like the rope ladders, since you can make it as wide as you wish.

Eventually, pressure from the rungs (steps) while rolled up in storage wore into the rope enough to damage it to where it was no longer safe.

We found out the hard way once, rope ladders are awkward as heck on vertical climbs. Gotta have something against it.

- For the rare time we're not using static line and ascenders/descenders, CJ has an aluminum cabled caving ladder to play with. Very narrow though.

[Suscrofa]

Instead of a robe, I would use a drape or a sheet, better yet a rope, unless you are a princess locked up in a dungeon

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

We found out the hard way once, rope ladders are awkward as heck on vertical climbs. Gotta have something against it.

 

I was told the way to climb such a ladder was to climb up the edge of it. Less motion that way.

[+eusty]

What I use as one of those escape ladders which you are supposed to keep in your bedroom in case of fire. They have aluminum steps and 'stand offs' so it doesn't rest directly against the surface you are climbing.

 

Can be had quite cheaply on ebay

 

[nonaeroterraqueous]

Those can be used for some crazy geocache placements (keeping it on-topic). If you had a really long ladder (and a strong enough branch), you could use a crossbow to shoot a thin fishing line over a high branch, then use the line to raise the ladder.

 

No, I would never do it.

[+bflentje]

I built a rope ladder a few years back but I used climbing grade rope and red oak for the rungs. It works great but turned out to be a pretty expensive TOTT.

 

The problem with rope ladders is that you still have to get a line up to where you need to be. Not as easy as it sounds.

 

[+OZ2CPU]

wow bflentje really nice project there, it is alot more fun to make stuff your self,

sometimes you over do it, use too good and too expensive materials, but hey your ladder will last a VERY long time.

 

YES, exactly the first line is always a pain to get up the right place !

we did think off all sorts of throw devices, most of the usefull ones are rated as weapons here

so they are NOT legal to bring in the car or even own with out a permit,

so we figured out to use our extractors with a thinn line, and the lead ball bag, this way we can carefully direct

the bag into the perfect branch up in a tree or such, let the bag drop, and the rest is easy stuff,

the old methode to throw or swing the bag up, is a terrible hard thing, you need to either be an expert in this

or make 100 throws before you by luck hit the right place, now you are too tired to climb safely

and got a hige pain in arm and back, I tried that too...

[+NYPaddleCacher]

I created a little page, with my own homemade rope ladder,

maybe some of you could use this info:

 

http://webx.dk/geo/stige.htm

 

sorry for the spelling

[/quote

 

thanks for this. It might be just what I need to go after a couple tree caches place nearby. The cache owner claimed that he was able to place them without any assistance from others or using any special equipment. He's also a young buck. When I checked out one them I tried getting to the lowest branches and was just not physically able to do it. A short rope ladder might be all I'd need to get up to the lowest branches and climb the rest of the way.

 

The other tree cache was originally a traditional that had reports of a wet logs within a week. It was archived and replaced as a multi with the first stage some sort of object up in the tree with the coordinates for the final written on it. The first person to find it used a camera with a zoom lens and was able to read the coordinates from the ground.

[+bflentje]

wow bflentje really nice project there, it is alot more fun to make stuff your self,

sometimes you over do it, use too good and too expensive materials, but hey your ladder will last a VERY long time.

 

YES, exactly the first line is always a pain to get up the right place !

we did think off all sorts of throw devices, most of the usefull ones are rated as weapons here

so they are NOT legal to bring in the car or even own with out a permit,

so we figured out to use our extractors with a thinn line, and the lead ball bag, this way we can carefully direct

the bag into the perfect branch up in a tree or such, let the bag drop, and the rest is easy stuff,

the old methode to throw or swing the bag up, is a terrible hard thing, you need to either be an expert in this

or make 100 throws before you by luck hit the right place, now you are too tired to climb safely

and got a hige pain in arm and back, I tried that too...

 

I agree, in spite of the cost, I enjoyed the engineering work and never regretted putting it together. I've used it a half dozen times over the years.

 

My most recent TOTT project was the trolley I built for the 1" steel cable line up in Cloquet, MN. Here's a link about the experience (the trolley is upper-right picture).

 

http://www.flentje.com/blog/post/2012/11/17/2012-A-Highline-Adventure-Cloquet-MN.aspx

[7rxc]

We found out the hard way once, rope ladders are awkward as heck on vertical climbs. Gotta have something against it.

 

I was told the way to climb such a ladder was to climb up the edge of it. Less motion that way.

Both rope ladders and cable ladders have the same problems in free hang situations.

 

Best method is for your arms, reach around the ropes/cables and hold from the far side, the arms then hold you into the ladder not hanging back at arms length. The feet and legs also help, one foot from the front side and the next from the rear (reaching around one side and inserting the heel onto the rung).

 

That avoids the hanging back/pushing the feet away problem or at least keeps it minimal. When you are against a wall, you can simply hold the ladder back with your toes, same arm technique.

 

When downclimbing, insert the next foot (from either side) under the one you are standing on and lower to the next lower rung, using the sides as a guide rather than tryiing to see it.

 

edited to add downclimb info.

Doug 7rxc

Edited January 31, 2013 by 7rxc

[+wmpastor]

That's excellent advice on climbing a rope ladder! You have saved countless cachers time and energy. Everyone would naturally start to climb a rope ladder just like a solid ladder. However, the arms circling the rope, and the "one foot on each side" technique, essentially climbing up the "side" of the ladder, is a brilliant variation!

[7rxc]

That's excellent advice on climbing a rope ladder! You have saved countless cachers time and energy. Everyone would naturally start to climb a rope ladder just like a solid ladder. However, the arms circling the rope, and the "one foot on each side" technique, essentially climbing up the "side" of the ladder, is a brilliant variation!

Thanks, but not just my idea, that has been standard practice for circus people, cavers, and such for cable ladders for many years. I learned caving in the late 60's and used it often, although most prefer using ascenders on ropes for going up and rappelling for descending. I thought it was behind me many years, but I got a cache last week using single rope technique since I didn't have a portable ladder, I'm thinking of finding a cable ladder for my gear bin.

 

Have fun, but remember that rope ladders and cable ladders are quite different in many ways. Rope techniques are also VERY different again. Ladders should always be belayed especially when free hanging.

 

Doug 7rxc

[+NYPaddleCacher]

That's excellent advice on climbing a rope ladder! You have saved countless cachers time and energy. Everyone would naturally start to climb a rope ladder just like a solid ladder. However, the arms circling the rope, and the "one foot on each side" technique, essentially climbing up the "side" of the ladder, is a brilliant variation!

Thanks, but not just my idea, that has been standard practice for circus people, cavers, and such for cable ladders for many years. I learned caving in the late 60's and used it often, although most prefer using ascenders on ropes for going up and rappelling for descending. I thought it was behind me many years, but I got a cache last week using single rope technique since I didn't have a portable ladder, I'm thinking of finding a cable ladder for my gear bin.

 

Have fun, but remember that rope ladders and cable ladders are quite different in many ways. Rope techniques are also VERY different again. Ladders should always be belayed especially when free hanging.

 

Doug 7rxc

 

For those of use that are not climbers could you explain what some of those terms mean? For example, "ladders should always be belayed especially when free hanging."

[AZcachemeister]

That's excellent advice on climbing a rope ladder! You have saved countless cachers time and energy. Everyone would naturally start to climb a rope ladder just like a solid ladder. However, the arms circling the rope, and the "one foot on each side" technique, essentially climbing up the "side" of the ladder, is a brilliant variation!

Thanks, but not just my idea, that has been standard practice for circus people, cavers, and such for cable ladders for many years. I learned caving in the late 60's and used it often, although most prefer using ascenders on ropes for going up and rappelling for descending. I thought it was behind me many years, but I got a cache last week using single rope technique since I didn't have a portable ladder, I'm thinking of finding a cable ladder for my gear bin.

 

Have fun, but remember that rope ladders and cable ladders are quite different in many ways. Rope techniques are also VERY different again. Ladders should always be belayed especially when free hanging.

 

Doug 7rxc

 

For those of use that are not climbers could you explain what some of those terms mean? For example, "ladders should always be belayed especially when free hanging."

 

What he meant was that the CLIMBER should be separately belayed, using a separate rope handled by the climbing partner.

[7rxc]

That's excellent advice on climbing a rope ladder! You have saved countless cachers time and energy. Everyone would naturally start to climb a rope ladder just like a solid ladder. However, the arms circling the rope, and the "one foot on each side" technique, essentially climbing up the "side" of the ladder, is a brilliant variation!

Thanks, but not just my idea, that has been standard practice for circus people, cavers, and such for cable ladders for many years. I learned caving in the late 60's and used it often, although most prefer using ascenders on ropes for going up and rappelling for descending. I thought it was behind me many years, but I got a cache last week using single rope technique since I didn't have a portable ladder, I'm thinking of finding a cable ladder for my gear bin.

 

Have fun, but remember that rope ladders and cable ladders are quite different in many ways. Rope techniques are also VERY different again. Ladders should always be belayed especially when free hanging.

 

Doug 7rxc

 

For those of use that are not climbers could you explain what some of those terms mean? For example, "ladders should always be belayed especially when free hanging."

 

What he meant was that the CLIMBER should be separately belayed, using a separate rope handled by the climbing partner.

 

Exactly... I guess I'm was tired. Thanks for the comment.

 

Ladders tend to be misused, abused and hung in tenuous locations especially in caves. Given the chance of failures ranging from annoying to catastrophic that safety rope is needed for anything more than a few feet high. Many feel that way about using SRT as well, but often it is impractical, so rope is protected and self belay provisions are made. Vertical work is always accepted as a bit hazardous by most who do it, but some miss the message, and do it without thought. Safety first, and as much as needed, maybe more.

 

Doug 7rxc