European pick

[Burnham]

I recently received this photo from my contact in USDA-APHIS, the supervisory tree climber managing the ALB eradication efforts out of Worchester, MA. He says he doesn't really know the providence of the concept, but his guys are calling it the "European pick".

It shows a simple method for rigging a climbers DRT system to allow for easy hoisting of an incapacitated climber out of a crotch or to unweight his lanyard, to facilitate an aerial rescue.

Simple and straightforward, little extra gear needed. Worth a look, and I'm for sure storing it away in the mental toolbox.

 

[PCTREE]

Quick and easy, gives you close to a 4-1. Probably quicker to just drop the tree.....

 

[Porkbrick]

if you use the dmm revolver in place of the carabiner/pulley you could eliminate one more piece of gear to streamline even further.

 

[pete mctree]

That is discussed during AR training. Usually using a cruder sling & krab but maintaining the principal. I know one climber in his late 40's now who configures his climbing system this way. Long ropes required but the MA makes it easy for him

 

[rangerdanger]

Cool trick to put in the mental tool box, I've done something similar once during an AR event at a comp.

 

[Old Monkey]

My mental toolbox is rusted through and overly full. Cool idea. I have thought about similar rigging but to help my kid rope climb with less upper body strength.

 

[woodworkingboy]

I went to junior and senior high school with a little guy named Eddy. He didn't get much use out of his legs, always had to hobble around on metal crutches with the bands that went around his arms. You could hear him clunking down the hall. Perpetual chip on his shoulder too, he took a swing at me once out on the athletic field. It didn't seem right to hit a guy on crutches, so I just ducked and left it at that. He liked to hang out with the hard guys, apparently found some solace there. What I remember best about Eddy, was his ability as a gymnast, particularly in the rings and rope climb, very impressive upper body strength from having to haul himself around all the time. All city gymnast. Haley could start working out.

 

[tophopper]

He doesnt look European.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Darin, isn't that called a Pantin?

 

[treesandsurf]

Couldn't you put the prusik with the pulley on the other side of the rope (standing) so you wouldn't have to keep advancing it?
Looks like a lot of rope to pull.

jp

 

[Porkbrick]

Couldn't you put the prusik with the pulley on the other side of the rope (standing) so you wouldn't have to keep advancing it?
Looks like a lot of rope to pull.

jp

you would loose the mechanical advantage of the system if you rigged it that way.

 

[flushcut]

It looks nice and simple, but I think it could have had a better background for displaying a rescue rig. I mean really a cemetery.

 

[Burnham]

Good one, Rajan.

 

[Burnham]

Couldn't you put the prusik with the pulley on the other side of the rope (standing) so you wouldn't have to keep advancing it?
Looks like a lot of rope to pull.
jp

you would loose the mechanical advantage of the system if you rigged it that way.

Not all of it...but it's designed as an aerial rescue lift rig, just to shift an incapacitated climber out of a stuck position, so you're not going on up the rope with it...should be no need to advance.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Seems like it would work on SRT with a 2:1 advantage. Enough force if you get your full body weight applied.

 

[Burnham]

Yes, it would. Depending on the type of SRT, you could well need to add a pulley on the harness and fit it below the chest ascender.

On a Rope Wrench system it would be simple.

 

[Burnham]

Further info on credits...my APHIS guy says one of his climbers ran across this technique in a video posted on the Buzz site...apparently it came from a Treemagineers video, so the APHIS climbers dubbed it the "European pick".

 

[OTGBOSTON]

On a Rope Wrench system it would be simple.

It would be a RADS set up.

 

[Burnham]

Pretty much, yup.

You probably know these APHIS guys, Greg?

 

[OTGBOSTON]

Some of 'em. A few of my friends got hired on as inspectors/climbers. Lots of smokejumpers have been cycling in and out to help as well. And they were even using private contractors for a while.

In the early stages I made the trip to Worcester to see the operation, just in case we had a similar situation. Then we got an infestation and I lived all the beauracratic bs for a while. Luckily our infestation was contained to the original 6 trees and hasn't amounted to anything.

Everytime I run into the climber types I mention the wraptor....still haven't seen one in the field yet

 

[Burnham]

Hmmm...maybe I should make a suggestion, too .

 

[Tucker943]

My mental toolbox has an inch of bar oil in the bottom.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I never had a mental tool box, they often make me more mental though.

 

[gf beranek]

Robert Phillips demonstrated that system at a TCI trade show a couple of times. He was using it to advance up the rope, pushing the top prusik and pulley ahead using a section of pole pruner. Though he used a mechanical grab in lieu of the prusik.

Descending could take a lot of rope to get down.

 

[treesandsurf]

I knew that system looked familiar I remember him showing that system a few years back. Now he's all about the wraptor

jp