GRCS/Rigging workshop w/ Greg Good

Burnham

Woods walker
Joined
Mar 7, 2005
Messages
22,932
Location
Western Oregon
I had the good fortune to be invited to attend a workshop this week presented by Greg Good, sponsored by the Portland, OR Dept. of Urban Forestry.

Greg is a heck of a nice guy, and really knows his stuff when it comes to safe rigging practices. He can, of course, get the most out of a GRCS as any man out there...but if you gave him just the basic tools he'd be able to maximize the opportunities available as well.

It was a pleasure to spend the day with Greg, and really get an appreciation of just what the GRCS can do. An amazing tool.

Here's a few pics. This first set shows use of multiple blocks to share loading for dropping this butt hitched limb. The elm is pretty seriously compromised, with several areas of rot in the leads and main trunk.
 

Attachments

  • Greg Good GRCS 009.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 009.jpg
    765 KB · Views: 41
  • Greg Good GRCS 014.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 014.jpg
    965.7 KB · Views: 37
  • Greg Good GRCS 019.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 019.jpg
    654.2 KB · Views: 36
  • Greg Good GRCS 020.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 020.jpg
    692.1 KB · Views: 35
  • Greg Good GRCS 021.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 021.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 38
  • Greg Good GRCS 022.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 022.jpg
    645 KB · Views: 38
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #2
Here's several shots of lifting a lead and lowering it...absolutely zero dynamic loading.
 

Attachments

  • Greg Good GRCS 023.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 023.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 40
  • Greg Good GRCS 024.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 024.jpg
    1.1 MB · Views: 38
  • Greg Good GRCS 025.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 025.jpg
    1.1 MB · Views: 37
  • Greg Good GRCS 026.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 026.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 37
  • Greg Good GRCS 027.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 027.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 41
  • Greg Good GRCS 028.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 028.jpg
    801.5 KB · Views: 35
  • Greg Good GRCS 029.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 029.jpg
    1.3 MB · Views: 35
  • Greg Good GRCS 030.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 030.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 34
  • Greg Good GRCS 031.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 031.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 34
  • Greg Good GRCS 032.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 032.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 36
  • Greg Good GRCS 033.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 033.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 38
  • Greg Good GRCS 036.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 036.jpg
    833 KB · Views: 33
  • Greg Good GRCS 038.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 038.jpg
    1.3 MB · Views: 35
  • Greg Good GRCS 040.jpg
    Greg Good GRCS 040.jpg
    855.3 KB · Views: 35
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4
Yeah, me too, Carl.

Greg seems to have a very high level of skill at judging the load and wraps required, and he doesn't run the rope through his hands much, just holds the rope firm and walks in towards the GRCS.
 
I lost a lot of grip couple years back whilst grabbing a rope as I fell 37'. Gloves sure would have been nice that day:roll: 3rd degree burns.......
 
Hey Burnham, I understand that this was a demo and looks very cool how he is using the block on the lead to be lowered but every time I see this kind of rigging I always wonder why they just dont cut a smaller piece??? Seems to me the bigger you go the bigger the consiquences (sp?) and I really dont think it saves any time. Groundies always like smaller pieces too.

I tend to like simple and efficient, probably because Im simple;)
 
Glad you had a 'good' time Burnham.
Hope Greg was able to sell some units...
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10
Paul, that was totally for demo purposes...the piece was nowhere near big enough to require the m.a. offered by that technique.

Big is good sometimes in that it can lessen the time you spend on the job. It can also mean you reduce the number of times you put a climber in a risky location.

I hope he did too, Frans. Your name came up in conversation. See how blue the sky is?
:D

Oh, Paul...Greg has apparently heard more than a little something about your ascender. I didn't bring it up, but when I was recounting being down to CA for a redwood climb with Frans and others, he right away asked about the Wraptor, by that name. I acknowleged it's existence, but gave no details.
 
The GRCS is no doubt the most powerful and portable manual winch available. The possible uses of the device go far beyond arborist work.

The minds of most can not fathom the possible uses for the device.

And if ever I had the choice of the matter for a groundman, Greg Good would be the first.
 
Looks like a great day of learning from the demo Burnam...
Amazing he has heard of the Raptor like he has :)
Man I just want to keep ordering more and more rigging stuff...:|:
 
Paul, that was totally for demo purposes...the piece was nowhere near big enough to require the m.a. offered by that technique.

Big is good sometimes in that it can lessen the time you spend on the job. It can also mean you reduce the number of times you put a climber in a risky location.

I hope he did too, Frans. Your name came up in conversation. See how blue the sky is?
:D

Oh, Paul...Greg has apparently heard more than a little something about your ascender. I didn't bring it up, but when I was recounting being down to CA for a redwood climb with Frans and others, he right away asked about the Wraptor, by that name. I acknowleged it's existence, but gave no details.

As I said Burnham I understand that this was a demo so may not be as effective as in other scenarios. I am in no way arguing the value of the tool, I have one and on occasion it is invaluable. My contention is that I think it is an extremely rare occurance when "going big" saves time or is in any way safer for the climber. That said my experiance is as a climber not a bucket operator so maybe that is the problem. Once a couple of years ago I was removing a lead off of a hackberry that went over the house. The lead was chocked with vines so I thinks to my self "self this will be perfect for the GRCS". I went up and set a pulley high in the tree and tip tied the lead, cranked the lead up and cut it. Man the top of that tree bent over like a fishing pole and the lead was resting on the house service line. I still cannt believe the top didnt break out. I had to swing out and dice it up to get some weight off and get it off the lines. Yes I underestimated the weight of all that vine mass but my case in point is by going big the consiquences get bigger. If that top had busted out I would have droped the lead on the house AND I would have come out with it! With the vines in it is one of the few times I could see it saving time as it is such a PITA to get that stuff appart.

As you can tell Im jaded about going big.

On another note GRCS's work great for righting rolled mini's8)
 
There have been a number of occasions where going "big" with the GRCS saved me a lot of time and energy. Being able to suck large leaders back into the center of the tree so that they can be lowered away from a target is one example, as opposed to cutting lots of little pieces and drift lining/speedlining them away from the target.

I do agree that with larger rigging the risks increase, so proper judgment and sound planning are necessary.
 
I'm a huge fan of the GRCS. Made several what would have been very hairy, tricky situations very manageable. It's like having a portable crane!

At the arboretum we would take some really BIG pieces. Often I would set two or even three blocks for the rigging point and try to keep those on different leads where possible. This can obviously be overdone, but I've felt comfortable going big when it's managed and you are lifting (very little dynamic loading) rather than trying to catch pieces.

jp:D
 
Back
Top