Skinny trees.

[ch74]

Its very tempting to cut a stub here or there on ascent. With only a rope lanyard, and rushing where you might skip a second TIP, you could be playing with fire.


If I'm going to work my way up, and its not feasible, or worthwhile to set a HiTIP, I choke my climbing rope below my flipline, sometimes, advancing them simultaneously. If I slip, and let go, the choked line will stop me.


Lots of ways to skin the cat.

Thanks, Sean, yes i also when the saw is running i always tie in twice, usually by my crotch area is were i choke my climb line when cutting. So, if anything happens i have my climb line to catch me then i can loosen one of my spur straps and shake my leg and let the turd roll out.lol.

 

[Burnham]

Advice from a vet is nothing compared to the experience of vet. I don't know how long you've climbed Charles, but you don't have B's experience.

Everything is risk-acceptance. I'd rather have a high TIP than chaps in most situations, Burnham is the other way around.

He's an expert at both. Everyone has a different perspective.

I pay pretty little attention to where my spurs set, or how hard they set (and have to pull back out) with a HiTIP. With pole spurs, I sometimes don't even penetrate the wood, and very, very rarely gaff out. I don't want to stab myself in the leg with a spur while sliding a few feet.


Overhead support leads to comfort and less wear and tear on the body, even if you don't 'need' it.


Burnham, does this go for a slick leaning madrone, as well as rough bark, vertical conifer?

Pretty much it does for me Sean, I have a well developed sense of invulnerability when on spurs and lanyard.

But I have before and will again set an overhead tie in when the tree demands it. And a wet skinny leaning madrone is a good candidate for it.

 

[pantheraba]

I used an overhead TIP for this today...about a 4 inch upright. I am doing some treework for our accountant. Last picture is a dead pine that I quoted her neighbor about $500 to take down about 18 months ago. During recent rains it uprooted and crashed through the roof of her office...rafters are protruding through the ceiling inside. She had one of the "big" local companies remove the tree and tarp the roof.

I am taking out some smaller dying trees for her. That dead pine fell right in line with her office window...could have been very bad. No one hurt...she was in the hallway when the tree hit...scared her pretty good:

 

[ch74]

WOW. that's a close call. What friction cord is that ? tied in a michoacan? That's been my go to hitch latley with my new climb line. I'm using tenex at the moment. Awesome work Panth.

 

[pantheraba]

Tenex, eye-eye. With a Knut hitch. I have been using the Knut for several years now. And the tenex I have really liked...also like the blue Ice Tail.

 

[ch74]

Nice my friend. I have grown to really like ice on my blaze and tenex on my xtc fire. In a michoacan. I have also heard good things about 3/8 stable brade for hitch cord. Cheap to. The melting point of tenex doesn't concern me, seeing how oceans 8mm is right around the same. I believe around 480ish.

 

[ch74]

Blue ice tail? Not familiar with it.

 

[pantheraba]

Maybe more of a greenish color...blue green? This looks green...mine is more blue. TreeStuff has it.

 

[ch74]

Ok yea I use it on my blaze. I like it. Thanks for the pic.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Charles, PS, Burnham has lots of skinny, forest tree climbing for cone-picking skills. A solid source.

 

[ch74]

Hahaha. Really?. lol

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Picking cones, evidently, means climbing into the tipppppy top of slow tapering forest trees.

 

[Altissimus]

At some point all Trees get skinny. Lots of techniques and tricks to the trade. No substitute for experience though (self - taught disclaimer) ... Stick with it awhile and though limber top access is always a bit scary you actually get used to it. Gaffing out and a quick recover w only a short fall into the safety becomes no biggie (customers seem scared though I am not). Keep Climbing / Getting Spike Time.

 

[ch74]

Thanks, Altissimus. If the tree is skinny enough to just grab with your hand, do you just grab it with both hands and hike up a little bit , then advance your lanyard. Or always keep you hands on your lanyard? Just wondering if grabbing the tree for balance is frowned upon.....

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

I grab as I want. You can keep a tight, albeit downward-angled, lanyard to help with stability, as well as your hands.

I'll overlap my tree spurs if I need to in order to keep my inside of feet against the bole...more stability. I saw a pic here somewhere of spurs set apart and feet with no contact.

 

[ch74]

Yea, i kinda figured it's grab and do what ever needs to happen to get up there and get the job done, and stay balanced. Most of the time if the tree is big enough and i have all my stability i don't have to grab the tree just my lanyard. But, i get what your saying about the downward angle, i did that in the top right before i tossed it, had my climb line choked down by my feet, it was a skinny booger, i took off 5 blocks at about 3-4 feet a peice to get it into falling height. It wasn't bad though, i used the 540 wrap with extra slack in it, hiked up, hips tward tree reached down with one hand and advanced it then leaned into it a little bit to (re-choke) it then hiked up more and repeated that process. Didn't take long to get to the top that way really . Maybe 5ish min. if i had to guess.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Personally, I choke my climb line only a bit below my lanyard. If I gaff out when the top goes, I don't want to drop 4 feet and stop.

 

[ch74]

I usally do to. But, it was skinny up there. lol...I'm not going to lie it was sketchy. I almost cried for my mom.

 

[ch74]

Did my method sound reasonable though sean? with the hiking up and holding on thing?

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

yes.


And with most things, listen to others, but know your style is your style.

 

[ch74]

I'm going to embrace my style. I normally do whatever is easier and safer. I listen to a hand full on this site and you and merle are one of them. Thanks, bud.

 

[treebilly]

If you have your climbing line choked off by your feet you can choke a loop runner at your waist and clip your line into it to avoid the 4' fall that Sean talked about. I think Burnam wrote about this while cone harvesting. I think it was every 4' or 6' after you reached a 6" diameter on those pine tops. If the top were to break out you had multiple points to catch you. I could be wrong though and just making things up in my head. I've done way to much reading of recently bumped threads to remember correctly.

 

[ch74]

I think i'm tracking what your saying, kinda like rock climbing, just make a trail of attachment points. Ill use that loop runner thing, good idea.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Generally it is more recommended (last I read somewhere) that 3' was the spacing for limiting the shock factor in a fall. A practice I use especially with the convenience of SRT. With the dead trees we are doing, often my life/climb line will be choked off 10 feet plus down below me with lead climbing redirects (loop runner & biner) every 3 feet in case of a break out. Still gonna hurt, no joke, should it happen. But better than hitting the ground. We often have to tie in on the stem at 8"+ dia and proceed from there to down size the top. Brittle stuff.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Used a friction saver in Jamies redwood this last year for a lead TIP to try and touch the tippy top
I was about 3-4 feet short... That stuff is VERY brittle. And the little limbs don't put up with much as you stand on them. Beats the bark up pretty bad. That one in his yard has a real slender top.