Beasthorn redirect vs…

Question: You use both your classic signature move with a simple carabiner, and also the beasthorn. Is there a reason to use one over the other? The beasthorn is a way to create a "checkpoint" when you don't want to come back, and the fixed redirect is somewhere you always intent to come back to?

Mostly yes, but there are nuances. What they have in common is that they are both fixed redirects. And one difference is that you can retrieve the beasthorn redirect from the ground or within the tree.

But another big difference is that you can’t tension the line between your anchor and the beasthorn. The anchor side of the line is used to pull the redirect apart, so you can’t put too much tension on it. You even need to keep some slack there, so the tree can move without tensioning this part of the line.

As long as your weight is in the climbing line, the beasthorn will stay firm. a lot of force would be needed to undo the beasthorn. But in a moment when you take the weight of the climbing line (various situations can lead to this), the beasthorn is loose and could be easily pulled apart.

So only use the beasthorn redirect on limbs that can 100% hold your weight! and this is the biggest difference with other fixed redirects. With other fixed redirects you can even pull some extra tension between your anchor and the redirect, which makes your redirect ‘hang’ into the anchor. If the resulting force vector is in line with the branch (so the force compresses the branch, which is how wood is the strongest), you can use really small branches for your redirect.

If the force vector is right you can also use a loose redirect (like natural crotch or sling with carabiner), but with a loose redirect you still push the brach upwards or downwards if the resulting force is not in line with the branch.

And this last point, is exactly where the beasthorn comes in. If I want to create a redirect that I want to retrieve from the ground, why not just create a natural crotch redirect? That’s much easier and safer. But with a natural crotch redirect, your redirect branch is pushed to a side when loaded and the force vector is not in line with the branch. Imagine 2 tops in a tree, both equally high. you make your anchor in 1 top and work that side of the tree, you work your way up to the second top (which is a few meters away from the first) and work that side of the tree and come down. If you just throw your line over a natural crotch at the same height as your anchor. The tops are pulled towards each other when you load the line.

Now there’s 2 things to say about this. First the load on the branches which could fail. A very good reason not to do this. But second, this is really really annoying when you're climbing. When you load the line, the tops are pulled towards each other which also make you drop lower. The moment you unload the line (for whatever reason), the tops come upright again which will pull a lot of line from you. the moment you load the line again, again you drop way lower and have to take up a lot of extra line.

This is why climbing SRT is always more comfortable with fixed redirects vs loose redirects, and with canopy anchor vs base anchor. The more line between you and the fixed point (anchor or redirect), the more movement and stretch there is in the line, and the more you are working the line…

So back to the simple carabiner redirect vs beasthorn redirect. How I use them.. I will only use the beasthorn redirect when I don’t want to come up anymore and retrieve it from the ground. So basically the last redirect I make. The position of the redirect will decide if it is a beasthorn or natural crotch redirect (as the beasthorn needs a branch that can 100% hold my weight).
I don’t use the beasthorn as a retrievable redirect in the tree. First of all because it’s not in my system to think that way, I don’t think of this option when I’m planning out my climbing routes. And second because you need the end of your climbing line to retrieve the redirect. And If for whatever reason you need to get out of the tree fast (for yourself or something else on the ground), you can’t… You first need to retrieve the beasthorn (which you can only do from a place that again can hold your weight 100%), and then you can get out of the tree. It is something to hold in mind when doing this.

That being said, it is perfectly possible to use multiple beasthorns in a row. In the same tree, or in different trees… I have used up to 3 in a row. You need a bit more force to pull the climbing line out, but it works beautifully :)