Rule Number One (Climber Down)

Husabud

Husabud

TreeHouser
Joined
Feb 10, 2011
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Location
Cape Cod
In my opinion rule number one as a climber is always two points of tie in. Ddrt or SRT it doesn't matter, you need to be tied in twice to save your ass in the event of an accident.
This past wed, one of newest members, Jimmy Stoddard (who has yet to post), cut his down line on a basal anchor system climbing SRT. He was Not tied in twice. He fell 35' only to land on the only exposed root around shattering his L-2. 9hrs of surgery wed and another 7 hrs last night. He is stable but still with a breathing tube. Apparently he can feel his fingers and toes.
We have climbed together a few times and he is a good conscientious climber. He helped me set the TreeoCache bucket here in Ma. I am not sure what he was thinking.
We will be having a raffle for him and there is a go fund me acct set up as well, as he has no insurance.
http://www.gofundme.com/SupportJimmyMCA

Climb safely and always tie in twice!
 
Sorry to hear but thanks for posting to help save someone else in the future.
 
Ouch ...hope he makes full recovery. Occasionally I cut smalls from climb line only...generally I take the extra moment to sling a safety.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5
After I watched someone stick a saw in their calf two weeks ago, I have made sure to hit the brake after every cut. Generally I am tied in twice. Now it will be for every cut no matter what.
 
I'm no way a production climber, my personal SOP is any sort of work I'll at least throw the lanyard around something suitable. Work be it tying a knot, taking a sip of water, setting a block, etc etc. I've noticed I'll set a rig, run a line, tie a knot, have a sip and go, hey, I'll just slice that little dead branch since I'm here.... I imagine that's all it takes.
 
...as I switched to doing 99% of my work aloft SRT I have always thought the risk of cutting the anchor leg worriesome.... If I had a dime for every time I pulled it back then fixed it with sling and steel to my saddle Dee or branch....or staub or my leg....anywhere but in the way
 
I'm less and less comfortable with the idea of a base-tie while working the tree. For ascent sure, it's unbeatably simple since you don't have to isolate. But once the saws come out I feel a lot better with a double rope, or a cinched tie, something where everyting is right in front of/above me. Bothers me when I can't see my down line and the sliky is out of it's sheath. . .

Hope your friend makes a full recovery.
 
Tough break. Thirty-five feet is a long way to fall, it could have been a LOT worse. I try to be really aware with a base tie, but just a touch with a sharp chain on a tight rope....
TITS. I like it, thanks Peter.
 
That sucks.





It's not that hard to find your "second " strand, if you choose. Two strands to track, as with ddrt. Lanyards are good with a saw, hand or power saw.
 
That's 2 guys last week that fell due to basal tie, other dude dropped a piece of wood on his and cut the rope. I have never used them other than for ascent
 
...not always possible but I am fond of running the anchor to another Tree. If there is one handy and the anchor leg is not in the way of work.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #15
I agree Paul. Access only with a basal tie. Change it up to a canopy anchor when you get there. Either way, never skip the second tie in. Jimmy is recovering from his surgeries. He lost about half his blood due to internal bleeding at the site. The second surgery was to repair the burst fracture of his L-2 and fuse his lower back.
 
Been saying that about basal ties for years. People laugh at me around here. My crew on uses them for acsenet. Then a retrievable double bowline in canopy.

Dude is very lucky .....falls greater then 39' are usually fatal. His climbing days are probably over. Sucks.

Hope he was covered by workers comp .....
 
I just stay tied in twice at a times regardless of a saw. Makes it a lot simpler that way, I don't have to force myself to remember to tie in twice, I just am. Way more solid work positioning too. I also love my base ties, could never take that away from me. Canopy ties only occasionally.
 
...the bottom line is no matter what happens to the climb line... Good , Bad , or Ugly it is the simple safety that will save the day. Ger said in his book you have'm USE them.
 
I tie my basal anchor 6' high on the trunk if dropping wood. Another tree is even better.

If you're spurring up, is easy to move to 8-10' by climbing the trunk a few feet, leaving your emergency lowering system in easy reach of a garbage can.
 
Just an FYI guys, Bud and I, along with a few other guys, are putting a raffle together. I'll post more later when we have it all worked out, but as of right now, there will be a few prize pools of various spliced items(Spliced by me, or two good friends of mine who are excellent splicers), a Matt Cornell Rope Saddle donated by Bud, and a $150 TreeStuff Gift Certificate. Later today I'll post up a thread with prices, prize pools, how to buy tickets, etc, later today.
 
Husabud said:
In my opinion rule number one as a climber is always two points of tie in. Ddrt or SRT it doesn't matter, you need to be tied in twice to save your ass in the event of an accident.
This past wed, one of newest members, Jimmy Stoddard (who has yet to post), cut his down line on a basal anchor system climbing SRT. He was Not tied in twice. He fell 35' only to land on the only exposed root around shattering his L-2. 9hrs of surgery wed and another 7 hrs last night. He is stable but still with a breathing tube. Apparently he can feel his fingers and toes.
We have climbed together a few times and he is a good conscientious climber. He helped me set the TreeoCache bucket here in Ma. I am not sure what he was thinking.
We will be having a raffle for him and there is a go fund me acct set up as well, as he has no insurance.
http://www.gofundme.com/SupportJimmyMCA

Climb safely and always tie in twice!
Click to expand...

I didn't see this link, initially.

I gotta get payment on some jobs, first.
 
Hold up on donating guys till I get the raffle all set up later tonight, that way I can keep track of it all


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