Page Contents:
Overview
One stick climbing is a popular climbing method with saddle hunters, whereby the climber uses only one climbing stick to act as both a climbing device and a platform.
Safety Concerns
Unfortunately, most one stick climbers using this method are taking a chance with their safety in these ways:
- In order to prevent a fall in all foreseeable circumstances, we need to be tied into the tree the entire time, specifically via a choked anchor above our center of gravity which is connected to the bridge of the saddle. Many one stick climbers are not tying in until they get on top of their first stick. A traditional lineman’s belt is not an anchor and is not an adequate tie in.
- Our tie-in to the tree must have a MINIMUM amount of slack during the entire climb. JRB recommends less than a foot of slack at all times. Many climbers are allowing several feet of slack, creating the potential for a significant fall.
- One Stick Climbers will frequently advance a tether up the tree, and while it is being advanced, it is not cinched and is not a reliable anchor. If the climber experienced a loss of footing or equipment failure while advancing their tie in, the climber could be seriously hurt.
- Its difficult to manage slack while climbing an aider. We need two hands on the tree and don’t have a 3rd hand to manage slack. Most one stick climbers don’t even try, and allow several feet of slack in their systems in the process.
- For those using a tether rather than a lifeline, a climber could become stuck in a tree, hanging from a rope after a loss of footing or failure of the climbing stick.
Alternating Anchor Method
JRB’s approach to One Stick Climbing is that we must adhere to the rules of always being tied in and on a well managed slack profile. This requires an alternating anchor system, rather than one whereby we attempt to advance our anchor as we climb. See safety page for background:
Maverick Hitch, Alternating Anchor System
In this video, released in July 2024, JRB demonstrates how he approaches one stick climbing, while addressing the issues above, and executing a one stick climb with ZERO SLACK, using the Maverick Hitch as the anchor on the tree. The details for the system and the Maverick Pole are here:
JRB Cinch Alternating Anchor System
This video demonstrates a climb which is very similar to the one above, simply utilizing the JRB Cinch instead of a Maverick Hitch as the anchor. The details for the system and the Maverick Pole are here:
Hitch Climbing Without the Stick
As demonstrated above, we don’t actually NEED the stick to climb. If we remove the stick from the climb, the climbing method is simply referred to as “hitch climbing”:
Executing a Transfer
Relevant to both climbing demonstrations above, this video shows how JRB executes the TRANSFER operation, which is used in both stick climbing and: JRB Hitch Climbing.