SRT/SRS vs DRT/MRS

Question: I've seen you use SRT / SRS and MRT / MRS. I can't find anything as to why a climber should choose one technique over the other.

Basically, it’s a matter of which technique you prefer…

The biggest difference between SRT and DRT (or SRS and MRS) is not in the techniques being used, but in the approach of the climbing route. Basically, in SRT you approach your working area from above, while in DRT you approach it more from the centre. So in SRT you make more redirects, and in DRT you do more limb walks. This is a bit oversimplified though.

You can imagine an SRT approach as a pie where you work in pieces of the pie. You make an awesome far out redirect, and go down to work on all the areas that are best accessed from that redirect. You go up and repeat. Off course you choose your redirects based on where you have to be in the tree. But this is where the big difference is, The less lazy you are in creating redirects (and SRT you can go really small and far out with your redirects!), the easier you get to where you want to be. If you climb SRT the same way you would DRT, it will not be efficient or ergonomic.

So there are a few tree related reasons to choose one over the other. For example a very wide tree with big gaps between branches might be easier SRT. And This is where some DRT climbers switch to SRT at some point in their route. (DRT climbers can switch to SRT mid route, but not the other way around..)

But mostly, you choose one over the other just because of a preferred climbing style. One is not better than the other. I know amazing DRT climbers and amazing SRT climbers, one not better than the other. It’s just different, and one way of climbing might suite you better than the other…

Each style has their advantages. Pull backs in DRT are a great trick to eliminate a lot of ascending in your route. And fixed redirects in SRT can generate just the right force vectors on small branches. ascending is easier in SRT, while pulling yourself in from a limb walk is easier in DRT.

Me, I mostly climb SRT, except when I am dismantling a tree on spurs, and only for the limbs. I find climbing around on spurs much easier DRT, and when I get to the main trunk I switch back to SRT to rig down the trunk.

My advise would be to try both. And I don’t mean to switch both the whole time, but dedicate to one technique. Small tree doesn't matter to much, you can switch around and play around. But for bigger or more complicated climbs, dedicate for a year DRT only, or SRT only. So you can really get into it. Search solutions for the problems you run into, try different tips and tricks, and really get familiar with the technique. Then switch and do the same.

Otherwise you will be too focused on the different techniques and tricks, in stead of focusing on your route planning. Because good route planning is the most important thing to learn, and as I said in the beginning, it is the biggest difference between SRT and DRT climbing.