its time for me to upgrade my style.

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I thoroughly enjoy teaching willing ears. My greatest regret in tree work is having not listened more closely to my mentors. I know for a fact I let too many wise words and ideas go in one ear and out the other.
 
I had a kid I wished had stayed with me that would have trained real well in tree work. He was in his first year with me and then him and his girl were expecting a baby together. They decided to relocate too far to commute to here. Looks like I could have really used him this year. I am going to be cutting Rob loose into more of our summer work while I handle trees and fire clearances. I am either going to have to hire someone (because I doubt I will have Katy) or free lance. :dontknow: See what happens.
 
I think folks get all bunched sometimes in what system is better than the other. Just pick one,get proficient at it, then move on to the next. Don't be a jack of all trades and master of none, that will just make you a mediocre climber. Longevity in a climber comes from being well rounded and good at many techniques. This takes time and I hate to say it, but practice.
 
I wasn't implying that you weren't... :D.. just making a general statement to the thread since folks have their opinions on whats better... srt vrs drt.
 
I think longevity is how the climber treats himself on the ground. (heavy lifting, etc.) Getting up the tree is the hardest part though, and standing in spurs all day bothers ya.
 
i still havent tried SRT, ill get to it eventually. ive been reading this thread with some interest as i pulled or strained some of the tendons in my left hand last month. nothing permanent or totally debilitating, but it really focused my attention on how much i have relied on hand/upper body strength to get around in the trees. using the o-rig setuo i posted helps some cause i can use a hand ascender to grip the rope and i dont have to hold on while tending slack. i just ordered and recieved a pantine. im hoping to use it in a setup not unlike gerry shows here:
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i want to be climbing for many years to come. work smarter not harder right?
 
I have yet to set myself up like Gerry, I have almost everything. I want it to be more SRT that can be switched to Ddrt. One more ascender and some bungee and I should be good to go. I was going to use a chest roller, but for long ascents I have the Wraptor now.
 
out of curiosity, do you use the wraptor just for tall stuff? or do you set it up for shorter ascents as well (say 30' or less)? definitely a tool on my wish list.

just re-read your post, i think you answered my question:|:.
 
brendonv said:
I think longevity is how the climber treats himself on the ground. (heavy lifting, etc.) Getting up the tree is the hardest part though, and standing in spurs all day bothers ya.
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Oh ! I dont do ground work.... ;) however, there is plenty to do wrong from just climbing that will shorten your longevity...
 
Porkbrick said:
out of curiosity, do you use the wraptor just for tall stuff? or do you set it up for shorter ascents as well (say 30' or less)? definitely a tool on my wish list.

just re-read your post, i think you answered my question:|:.
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I'll have Rob set as many lines as I have climb rope. If I have multiple climbs that are like as you said, 30 foot plus, oh yeah... It rocks. I think I did like 11 trees one day like that. Some were 30' TIP others 50-60. Took out the mistletoe (trees I had done before so not much in them), next tree. As soon as I set my TIP off Wraptor, Rob lowered the Wraptor out of the tree and set it on the next line. He would have up to 3 lines set ahead of me. I would double check my Wraptor line, hook up my climb line and go....
Today I only used it for two ascents. One was almost 70' in a 80 foot tall valley oak. Then went up 40 on the opposite leader. It was hella easier than trying to pull myself 25 plus feet over to the other part of the canopy for one little sprig of mistletoe. I had the whole tree done in 4 or 5 cuts.
 
I just use it mainly for tall trees.. 30, 40, 50' is just easier for me to footlock up and it depends on my mood..... The wraptor has definitely revolutionized the amount of tall trees that can be accomplished in one day or even shorter trees for that matter..... Thanks Paul !!!!
 
Feels nice to think nothing of coming down, helping do some clean up... ride back up and get back to work. Or heck, just taking lunch in the shade instead of up in a tree.
 
CurSedVoyce said:
Feels nice to think nothing of coming down, helping do some clean up... ride back up and get back to work. Or heck, just taking lunch in the shade instead of up in a tree.
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You know, that's one of the great things about the Wraptor. I can now come down for lunch and not have to worry about huffing back up the tree...
 
Skwerl said:
Chris, many of us originally learned tree climbing that way. I'm another one who learned updated methods only through the internet and these forums. I was never trained by anyone but learned by watching other climbers and then later attempting to replicate the moves on my own. I applied that same training method to the methods and ideas I read about online and eventually got pretty good at it. I pissed off a lot of bosses 'wasting time' with different stuff but I figured if they could do it any better then they wouldn't be standing on the ground while I'm in their customer's tree.

Buying the Big Shot opened up a lot of options for me since I suck at throwing a throwbag, and buying a Pantin and a handled ascender helped me even more since I can't footlock. But with those three items I could access the tops of a lot of trees faster and easier than most, and I wasn't spiking everything like everyone else in town.

Get some ideas on what you want to try and then we can get a lot more specific on suggestions and techniques. Think about your specific weaknesses and how you want to improve them. You have a phenomenal amount of talent here waiting to offer ideas.
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Right on target as usual, Brian. I really should keep more current in the threads.
 
Tucker943 said:
No, in many cases you aren't in a position to descend on a spar. Years ago I got tired of working off my lanyard while working spars down. As a result, I always game plan my spars early on in the removal and leave a nub or a very small stub in select locations on the spar. Not big dangerous stubs that hinder lowering or get my ropes bound up. Just enough carefully selected protrusions that I use to hang my climbing line on when I make my way back down the tree so I can put my weight on my line and not on my lanyard. Carefully selected though. Like a game of chess.
Click to expand...

Tucker you old school climber you. Now heres a trick to consider (I never leave stubs, ever. The guy who taught me always said nothing good ever comes of a stub!!) Now I shoulder even admit I do this with all the far superior technical climbers here but here goes. When you tie your pull line at the top of the spar with a running bowline, below that tie a loop with an overhand knot and then just tie into that. Obviously if I was Carl I wouldn't fly down the spar 60' because of wear to the rope but I have done this for years , always descended slowly and have never seen even any glazing to the rope. I commonly tie in like this, come down to where my next cut is and make my face cut whilst I am still tied in as it takes the weight off of your hooks. Probably not what the safety instructors would teach but it works for me.....
 
interesting trick, but what if you are knocking off chunks without using a pull line?

Friction savers are one obvious answer. I use them sometimes but more often I'll use a stub, fwiw.
 
If you aren't using a pull line cut a notch in the opposite side with a downward grade, couple kerfs thick at the bottom. This Im told is a no-no too, don't know why.... Also obviously with above rope trick, don't go pulling with a loader afterwards.......
 
cory said:
interesting trick, but what if you are knocking off chunks without using a pull line?

Friction savers are one obvious answer. I use them sometimes but more often I'll use a stub, fwiw.
Click to expand...

how 'bout choking your climbline like dave showed. i use the idea to help position myself to cut my face cut on spars, but unless your set up for srt descent it dont help for rappelling.
 
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