to ascend in spurs or not?

Spellfeller

Spellfeller

Clueless but careful
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
637
Location
Arden, NC
Hi, guys:

I've got a big triple-stemmed maple that's dead and needs to come down. Been chipping away for a few days and have the smallest stem down and almost all branches removed from the #2 stem.

I'm setting my TIP in a healthy oak next door. First curveball is that the highest TIP I can access from the ground is not high enough for the tops of stems #2 and #3. No big deal; I'll reset the TIP from within the oak.

Second challenge is that I can't come back down because I'm DdRT on my measly 120' of Arbormaster, so I need to be ready to move to the maple and get wreckin'. My question is when/how to get in the hooks?

This thread leads me to believe that the safest course of action would be to climb the oak, reset the TIP, and then have a groundie send up the spurs? Alternative would be just to mount the foot ascender under the spurs and climb with the gaff guards on. Which approach gets your vote?
 
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  • #3
The pictures I have are fairly crappy, Peter. I'll post what I've got.

No 2nd climb line. :(
 
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  • #4
Here are the pics. Not sure they're terribly helpful!

#2 stem in center, TIP tree to right in background (trunk emerges from lower right corner), main leader in top right corner

i-cf83FjZ-XL.jpg



main trunk (aka "Crispy McDeaderson") in center, TIP tree to left in background, #2 stem immediately adjacent at left

i-NmZv3cS-XL.jpg
 
Alright a new spellfell threead!
If you are leaving gaff gaurds on and they aren't gonna fly off i see no problem with it.
I would climb the initial tip setting mission first with no spikes myself ,have em tyed on end of climb line.
That being said,I wear my foot ascender under my gaffs regularly with no gaurds while ascending ,but if you are working and not spiking the tree it will be much easier w/out them on for obvious reasons. Imo I mind you.
 
I agree with Peter. Either will work.

If it's like every other oak, there's probably a nice perch up there somewhere where a guy could sit and try to get his spikes on without dropping them :lol:

That's a crispy looking critter there. What's the target situation, out of curiosity?

Cheers
 
So are you saying the TIP you need to reach is higher than 60'?
Do you have a bigshot?
 
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  • #12
Bermy said:
So are you saying the TIP you need to reach is higher than 60'?
Do you have a bigshot?
Click to expand...

I think so, Fiona. And no BigShot.
SRT would make my life a lot easier, in that I wouldn't have to isolate the crotch, but no HH2 either! ::sadface::
 
Ok...I see.
Gaffs on would be ok, you know what precautions you'd have to take to protect your TIP tree. I've done both, but I prefer to have my spikes sent up once I get settled. I don't like wobbling around on the stirrup or tip-toeing while trying to reset a line up there.
Mate, get a BigShot first...then a HH2!
 
Not ideal to not be able to reach the ground, especially on a nasty one like that. But surely you know that, order another, longer line for next time.
I would think climbing the green Tree, moving up tie in, tie on hooks, descend to a point where you're going to swing into dead Tree, then pull hooks up the rest of the way and put them on would be efficient.
 
Frame and poles on my slingshot are home made but after trying several other options, I found the Big Shot bands and pouch hard to beat. A little mechanical advantage on the draw and an archery trigger release were worthwhile additions.
 
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  • #19
Nice engineering, Peter!

On the subject of always having enough rope to reach the ground, I guess when Treeman Jenkins writes:

Eventually the climber reaches the branch the rope is looped over. Now there is a choice: he can either secure himself to the branch and prepare to go higher, or descend. Climbing higher into the treetops requires placing new rope settings (called "pitches") over branches above. Several methods for doing this are available, depending upon the climber’s experience and the tree itself. That this can be a complicated process, but also it is where most of the challenge of tree climbing comes from. http://treeclimbing.com/index.php/climbing/technique?showall=&start=1

...he's not talking about wrecking a crispy maple while you're at it!

Willie, Butch & Fi: I think I'll climb the oak, reset the TIP, and see if I have enough rope to reach the ground, i.e., confirm the TIP is less than 60' up. If that's the case, I'll have the spurs sent up and rock on. If not, I'll come back to earth.

Then the question will be whether to order a longer rope and stay DRT, or order the BigShot and HH2 and climb SRT on the 120 ft. I've got... :?
 
I believe mr Jenkins is just talking about advancing the rope/TIP, not implying that you wouldn't ever not have enough rope to reach the ground at any given time.

To confirm you can reach the ground you just pull up your tail and see if the belly that forms reaches the ground, before you run out of rope.

Good luck with it!
 
I cut an oak two weeks ago at about 40 feet...had already bombed the higher 40 foot of limbs and pieces out. Plan was to take one more 15 foot piece...thousands of big black ants ran me out of the tree. The 14" diameter top of the spar was pure black, undulating badness. Feeling them crawling inside my pants on the right calf convinced me I could forget that last piece of the spar. Bail out time!!!

When you need a rope long enough to reach the ground you need it THEN...no time to untie and reposition anything. Like the Boss says:

Always have enough rope to reach the ground.
Click to expand...
 
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squisher said:
I believe mr Jenkins is just talking about advancing the rope/TIP, not implying that you wouldn't ever not have enough rope to reach the ground at any given time.
Click to expand...

Fair enough, brother! I thought that he essentially meant, "Use this technique to climb a 300 ft. tree with a 150 ft. rope."

Rock climbers climb multi-pitch climbs that are MUCH higher than their rope is long. How do scientists and rec. climbers get into the canopies of the truly monster trees? Just askin' not trying to be stubborn. You know I am more than happy to follow TH advice AT ALL TIMES!
 
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  • #23
pantheraba said:
...thousands of big black ants ran me out of the tree. The 14" diameter top of the spar was pure black, undulating badness. Feeling them crawling inside my pants on the right calf convinced me I could forget that last piece of the spar. Bail out time!!!
Click to expand...

That is a creepy story, Gary...literally.

I hear you on the rope advice and will follow it, just curious about what I asked Squish...do folks lug a single monster rope for humongous trees??
 
I rock climbed when I was a wee lad so I can see how the 'pitchs' thing would make you think that. Not many people climbing 300's and I'm certainly not one of them so I won't speak to that.

But certainly I have not always been within reach of the ground with 150' rope descending double roped. My back up was having a rappel strategy in case of emergency. As in fix the rope and rappel out. Not a great plan really.

You could 'stick trick' the crotch you're aiming for to measure the height atleast approximately if it's quite hilly and that will let you know where you're going to be at height wise/rope wise.
 
My boss bought me a 300' climbing line when I did a 140' red oak removal. That was before my srt days. I've done two where I couldn't reach the ground and enjoyed niether. If something goes real bad, I want to be able to hit the ground.
 
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