DdRT Injuries

RegC

TreeHouser
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Messages
2,261
Location
Victoria, BC
My story. Feel free to add your own. Thanks

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Thanks for taking the time Reg. One 30' ascent on SRT was all I needed for convincing, but I'm lazy and don't like working harder than needed. Hope you help save a few shoulders with this video.
 
Informative vid. It makes sense to me about your upper back. Doing a lot of pulling with your arms when your back is bent, definitely puts strain on your upper back, I know that for a fact. Keeping your back straight and pulling seems to much distribute the stress over wider and cumulatively stronger musculature.

In defense of chiropractors, sure that people go to them for injuries and maybe it helps or it doesn't, but some will tell you that they are there for general physical maintenance that requires regular visits for alignment and stuff, to compensate for the physical stress of working or bad habits posture, whatever. Not all of them are trying to sell a practice that isn't really needed. I went to a chiropractor for some months for an injury, and after I felt cured, whether through his efforts or it took care of itself, I kept going for awhile. Every time I left his office my feet felt like they were less touching the ground, physical movement was freer. For a lot of people, I think regular visits would be cool of they had the budget and wanted to generally feel physically more comfortable. The effects may not be lasting, but quite possibly more the patient's fault than what the chiropractor does.

I like the picture too.
 
Makes sense to me but I'm a lazy fook as well. I had tendinitis flare up in my hands real bad a few years ago. Also this was right around my transition to srt. I had also recently moved to a smaller diameter line. It was the smaller line that caused it. Grabbing it ddrt was a lot of effort.
 
Well go figure, Reg made another fantastic vid! Thanks man, that was cool.

And Bingham's a monsta! :thumb: 8)
 
Nice one, thanks.

I still have the forearm and elbow pain, I suppose it's because I pull myself around a fair bit when moving horizontal if you know what I mean. Sometimes I think I would not want to be a tree climber if I could not climb SRT, I started within my first year of climbing I think. Would have tried working at Davey but SRT is not allowed there. Can you believe that? The biggest tree outfit in the world forcing their climbers to use dated and dangerous techniques.
 
Good vid Reg, very honest words.

I can reiterate exactly what you have stated in the vid. My story is about 90% the same but with about 8 years less on the tools. I changed my antiquated systems pretty much inline with Overuse injuries. Blakes to a VT after tearing my right rotator cuff. VT to SRT when I tore the Rotator cuff in my left shoulder.

Been using the RW since mk1. Mainly for access and then maybe work it depending on the task. Transitioning period took a while but during that time the usual aches and pain seemed to disperse. Then I went mechanical with the BDB and RR.

I think I have used a doubled rope about 10-15 times in the last 2 years.

I have mates in the industry who a to stubborn to change yet moan about aches and niggles all the time. I try and give them my thoughts but at the end of the day it is their choice.

Maybe your video will get through a few heads.
 
Good vid Reg. I too was sceptical, but as soon as my stubborn mind read up on SRT, I had to try it. It took a good while to get into it, as there was no one else around to learn with or practice techniques. That was 2011, now i'm flying. As you say it makes jobs just so much quicker and sooo much easier. Deadwooding a large tree is a breeze, the ground guys cant believe how fast I get it done lol. And yes our bodies will get 10+ more years climb time.

God save the SRT.
 
Another good vid, Reg! I get really tired hearing climbers say they have been climbing DdRT too long to make the change and try an SRT working system. "No! Try not. Do or do not. There is no try."

Many climbers in the past that saw the inefficiency of DdRT struggled along with complex and gear intensive SRT systems. That is no longer needed. The new SRWP tools functionality are outstanding and easy to use.

Speed is probably the weakest argument for going to SRT. It is faster in most cases but ease and proper use of muscle groups for the "movement" in trees is all that needs to be said. Speed will vary from climber to climber but the ergonomics remain the same.

After 40 years of climbing on a DdRT system I am a poster child on what that will do to your body. Sure there will be individuals that are more prone to these overuse injures than others but there is no need to take that risk with the new systems that are out and the shared information on how to best use them.
 
I started using SRT for rec-climbs in the early 80s. Despite the fact, in my everyday work back then, I stuck with using DRT. Ah,,, the agony of body-thrusting, and fighting to cinch a seized taughtline hitch up a sticky pitched-up rope. Jolting pains through my neck and upper torso. Yeah, I remember thinking to myself back then, I'm a real treeman now! The creed of the old climber in those days was unspoken, but as a young'un learning the ropes I heard it said more than once, "Just bear the pain, and get'er done."

By the latter 1990s I was well into using the new friction hitches, and their minding pulleys for self-tending the line, which was a huge improvement over my old school DRT! In 2002 I jury-rigged a rope-walker into this much improved double line system. If you recall the Double-Line Rope-Walker. It incorporated the climbers legs into the vertical effort, and by it much improving climbing posture, and relieving a lot of the pain. Still, as DRT goes, it was only half as efficient as SRT. Had I continued climbing through today no doubt I would've made the full transition into SRT for work climbs. But my accident in 07 changed all that.

Since the internet the innovations in climbing gear and technique keeps coming faster, and what I've seen to date trumps all the combined improvements achieved in this industry through the 50 years before it. I can't help but wonder though, how many more significant improvements can really be made before it just comes to re-inventing the wheel? A quantum leap, perhaps, maybe the answer!
 
Reg, I wish I could have watched your last two videos 5 years ago. I was taught on a closed system taut line hitch. It wasn't until I wanted to buy my own climbing gear that I started to learn there were other methods. Unfortunately, I was one of the dunces who bought into every new thing that came out. During all those years, I told myself there has to be something better. Each time I bought a new system (Blakes w/ split tail, petzl I'D, VT, Spiderjack) I was certain my troubles were over; but after a few weeks, I was back to thinking there has to be something better.

Now that I'm finally satisfied with my roperunner, I have a an apprentice climber working under me. At least he'll get to learn from some of my mistakes. He has no shortage of old climbing systems to try out to find what he likes :D. Right now he's climbing on my hitch hiker, but he just bought his first rope and saddle. I convinced him to buy the hitch climber setup to upgrade to a rope wrench at a future time.
 
Interesting Reg. I climb Srt for pruning, but for dismantling, I still break out the lockjack for the crown, sometimes switching back to Srt for the stem work.
Have you considered a wraptor? It would seem a logical progression in such tall trees as ascent would be relatively effortless.
 
1) Shitty production and swearing applied to priceless insight into techniques and practices of an experienced climber.

2) Dumbest motherfuckers on planet argue with one of worlds greatest subject matter experts; see comments.

3) Long haired hippy tree Jesus speaks gospel to ungrateful jerks.

Don't worry guys, I'll figure out the best way to describe a RegC video.

At any rate I see a chiropractor in the off season due to a pre-tree work spinal injury. If I sit around for a few days my lower back gets to the point that all I can do is curl up in a ball and vomit on myself. Its great, gets me out of all kinds of shit with the inlaws. That being said I started SRT a bit of awhile ago since I am prone to hemorrhage money into whatever new tree gear comes out, contrary to advice of the last video...
 
I like his vocabulary when he isn't so tired, like in that previous vid where he seemed to be. The spaces between words are shorter too.
 
The Wraptor really is amazing. If I had a long way to go up multiple times everyday I would definitely own one. Paul was awesome enough to loan me one while I recovered from knee surgery this spring. I was definitely starting to get addicted to some wraptor.
 
Thanks Reg for taking the time posting another honest and helpful video! I have used SRT with RW off and on for several years but never really felt as confident with SRT than Drt. In the last year or so I have been climbing 4-5 days a week using SRT maybe 20% of the time as most of my work is removals. I was jumping back and forth for awhile from Drt to SRT and climbing more often but not taking the time to learn SRT. Limb walking really was the most awkward thing for me and I let it push me back to using Drt especially since I have not invested in a handheld ascend to advance on long limb walks. Tree stuff will appreciate your video because I am ordering a ascender now because I have problems with my arms and back as well. Thanks again for the post!
 
I like his vocabulary when he isn't so tired, like in that previous vid where he seemed to be. The spaces between words are shorter too.

Not tired. That'll be the drink, Jay. See gents!... I caught him!...:lol: Caught you too CoryYLTG... Don't think you're gettin one over on old Jed... takes one to know one, eh gents? ;)

No, seriously Reg. I deeply appreciated that. Forwarded it to my good friend and fellow removal foreman (at Davey :() Chris Maragulia. The guy's five years younger than I, built like an absolute ox, and in a ton of pain all the time. The difference between Chris and myself?... I just break the precious rules all the time, and climb about twice as fast as them boys. That and, Chris don't drink. :(

Scott: Your "joints started hurting,"??? What are you talking about, bro? Only time my joints don't hurt. :lol:

Reg: I also deeply appreciated your always honest anti-hype vid. (Forgot to tell ya.) You hit the mark, sir and I really appreciated it.
 
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