Trust

onepaw

TreeHouser
Joined
Feb 12, 2016
Messages
70
Location
missouri
I've been climbing all winter. Getting better I think and more confident. I'm using the hitchclimber pulley system and really enjoying it. I've been trimming trees, just friends and family sort of things. Light rigging and set up a half ass speed line just to see if it would work. Since losing my teacher things have really slowed down on the learning part, figuring stuff out on my own. Everything is very slow and methodical but still going well. Today though something happened that I feel is a huge breakthrough. I was tied into a tall sycamore and able to move pretty freely and able to transverse to other trees. At one point I lost my grip and was in a pretty good swing,well only about 10 feet but it felt huge. My stomach did a somersault and my asshole kinda clenched, but then I was into the other tree holding onto the branches. After I caught my breath I began to think my saddle held, my carabiners held, my hitch was good my rope held. It was a huge light bulb moment and a confidence builder that my equipment was truly safe and to be trusted. I really can't explain the feeling but thought that here maybe some of you might relate. Friends and family sure don't, they say just don't get hurt! It just feels good having something out of the ordinary happen and knowing that the gear and what I did is dependable. Hopefully some of you will share the same kind of moment. Thanks!
 
Trusting your equipment is huge. We wouldn't be able to do any of this without that trust.

It's crazy to see some of the things these badasses are pulling off on a daily basis. . . There's no other rope access work that does anything close. Massive dynamic forces, hundreds of feet of running rope, chainsaws. . . It's always amazing 8)

I don't have any close call stories that really illustrated I could trust my gear. It just came about over time I guess. . .

Cheers
 
For me, it was the opposite : trusting my gear helped me big time to begin to trust in me.
Except for the spikes, I can't overcome my mistrust.

My (self) learning class was for the most part in a valley's bottom, with plenty of water and the big trees which come with, poplars and ash trees, from 80 to 120'. Being up there with all of this air around me (many of them were forest trees), holding on a tinny rope, I saw very clearly how I could easily freeze by fear. And I surely was close enough a couple times.
I calmed down my mind telling myself that my gear was well designed with plenty of strength and all I have to do is to use it wisely.
It worked.

Time to time, when an apprehension comes, I use this again to focus on the critical point at the moment, like a sketchy tying point, a risky move or a difficult cut (hopefully, not all that together !).
 
A really good teacher does help, we were taught to not have more than 250mm of slack in our lines, good TIPS, visually check your ropes and biners.
The times I have had my foot slip or a small branch break and I have fallen into my system, at first you get that stomach in your mouth feeling and have an oh shit moment, it hardly registers now if it happens, the fall is not far, and I know that my gear is good...regain footing or position and carry on.
The couple of big swings I have taken, the same, my system was set up properly so the outcome was fine, just a dent to my pride.
 
Good show. I'm more in the camp of educating ypurself on what and what is not life support. Learn your gear and trust your knowledge in it. May be splitting hairs.
 
It's all hardware, connectors, and rigging, and any one part can fail at any time. It's a big deal, and it's just one of so many other important things we must keep aware of in this work, and in life as well.

Great story, btw, thank you!
 
In rock climbing a long time ago, a solid climber told me his mantra is "Climbing is fun. My gear is good. Falling is Safe." If anything doesn't match up to those three things, change something.

Developing a similar mantra might build your confidence.

And setting up a big swing and going to town.

Congrats on the break through.
 
It's safe because you have the proper gear, knowledge, and techniques about getting aerial.

If you DO fall, it's no problemo. :drink:

Your gear will take care of you.
 
I made a power move up a euc trunk about ten feet, to get a piece of deadwood I missed about five feet out a lateral. Didn't take out the slack, ddrt in my left hand, running 200T in my right, took a step or two out on the lateral, and the whole lateral let go beneath me, I dropped ten feet face first with a friggin saw in my hand. When my line caught it whipped around skyward so fast, it dang near broke my back, but I held onto that stupid saw!

Went down n took an early lunch. Finished it after lunch. I was prolly 75 feet up. Stretch in your rope's a good thing. Lotsa slack in your rope, not good at all, especially when yu know better.

I think I've used pertneer all my Irish luck over the years.

Everyone needs methods that work for their madness, consistently.

Cuttin corners'll kill yu eventually, sure as the sun shines.

Jomo
 
Yeah I get that part.

One editor who worked on the "Fundamentals", way back in the early 90s, told me I should title the book "Climbing and Falling". I told him, "I don't like the sound of that". That was John Fremont. Smart and literal, but he lacked common understanding of trade terminology. He also told me that I was making up words, because he could find them in any dictionary. The internet and search engines were just in their beginnings then. I told John that it was all trade terminology. He still thought I was making up the words. I had no alternative but to find a new editor. Then John got pissed that I fired him.

Life's rich.
 
Haha.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IY9uqI_ihDA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
That was a rock climbing mantra, Jerry. 15-20' falls are not uncommon in rock climbing (highly dynamic rope). 100' falls in extreme climbing can happen without issue, if "clean" (step to overhanging). Longest rope jump is around 1200'.

The take-away is that when situational awareness, proper technique, and proper gear are used together, you're protected, not bulletproof, but things should work out okay.
 
Stay away from milk, don't drink more than half a gallon of sleep, and get 8 hours of drugs. After that remember that the people that made your climb line and all your other gear are good enough at what they do and don't want your widow to sue them. If you want to be scared be afraid of the tree itself breaking out from under you. Your gear is plenty strong.
 
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Hey gerry it's the saying proper terminology promotes clear communication, but they have to be willing to learn the terminology first. Probably worked out for the best, I think your book is perfect. My mantra is : ten feet higher, wow I made it, ten feet higher wow my hearts still working etc. until I get to where I want to be. I like the rock climbing one better. I think it is the heights , limb walks, swings basically everything about climbing that makes me addicted to climbing and getting that sudden rush when something unexpected happens but having dependable gear and trusting it is a huge bonus. Like Cory said my biggest worry is the tie in point and the tree itself in most cases, but I guess that's all part of it.
 
Trust's a two edged sword IME.

Trust in a rookie CO can kill, trust in a rookie ropeman can maim, trust in a long dead tree's structural integrity smush the life right outta yu, live in slomo.

Methods that work, being stingily conservative, firing azzholes with no business on a jobsite, knowing the characteristics of the tree species both alive n dead.

The idea that anyone can climb n do well in an arboreal climbing career's nuts. Some got it, some don't. Some can learn it, other's never will.

Perhaps that's a good thing?

You're fired!

Don't make me kill yu!

Jomo
 
and getting that sudden rush when something unexpected happens
I really hate that. That's why I can't trust my spikes and I don't like the changes in my supports, like lanyard to nothing and nothing to lanyard (to pull it up/down on the spikes).
 
It took me a while during the transition to SRT to trust everything again.
A new set of 'applied physics' in my head about forces on TIPS and redirects, the new shared friction device (HH) and how it worked, and reminding myself that with only one leg of rope to hang off, I was still only probably putting about2% of its SWL on it!!
No problem now.
 
reminding myself that with only one leg of rope to hang off,

That is what niggles thru my mind about SRT...a bit disconcerting to me seeing just one line supporting my weight.

I did a rock climbing wall at the Huntsville Space and Rocket Center on Monday. Once I got to the top I started climbing down on the holds...the kid running the show said, "nope, you gotta let go and let the auto-belay device do its thing". I made myself lean back and trust the thing to engage and do the lowering...but I didn't like it even a little bit. Of course I acted all nonchalant and bounded down...but I was cussing inside.:evil:
 
A doubled line is just one leg doubled over... granted, each leg takes a lighter load of you. But if a leg is cut or you TIP breaks, down you go.
It was hard for me as well. The doubled line just feels more stable especially on limb walks. And the 2-1 is nice.
I guess, using the hybrid devises helps a lot in helping some over come this, as you can switch back and forth through out the climb. I feel this eases the nerves for some over time.
Trusting the gear is key. Especially the Itty bitty hitch cord for most. And knots. JME.
 
When you are on Doubled line, it puts less pressure on your harness, I find I feel my weight more on SRT...(cue the jokes...)
 
An srt line weaved through a bunch of redirects sure gives you a solid anchor. IMO best rope to try srt is vortex, low stretch and feels solid.
 
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