63 Years old, overweight, just returned from 5 day climbing class

  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #51
***
THANKS A LOT to all you seasoned pros for taking time and effort to comment, rebuke, warn, remark, share your experiences, help, etc. to an old questionable at best newbee/wannabbe like myself!

Have been looking at the New Climber thread and am about 6 pages into it (approx. #127)

@Sean -- Thanks for the ideas, Sean!
@Ray -- Thanks a lot, Ray!
@woodworkingboy -- Didn't see/remember that part -- sounds good!
@Sean -- 540 degree wrap sounds good :)
@Rich -- Thanks Rich!
@Gary -- Sounds good, Gary. Thanks!
@Sean -- Sounds really good, Sean. Thanks.
@bstewert -- Excellent point!! Thank!
@Bermy -- Yes, we saw/used the Big Shot in the class. If I continue it definitely seems worth the investment! -- yes. High Tie In Point .... that seems to be a recurring theme. Thanks!
@Marc-Antoine -- Thanks for sharing that Marc-Antoine. I've seen those telescopic poles which are advertised as rope/throwline retrievers.... never thought of using it to advance a line. Thanks.
@Willie -- Thanks Willie!
@woodworkingboy -- haha, thanks for asking, woodworkingboy.
@Ray -- Thanks, Ray!

One thing that caused much physical and mental fatigue in class was getting my throwline tangled up when I was in the tree..... no matter how carefully I rolled/folded it up, it got tangled when I pulled it out.

-- to this problem, G.F. Beranek had what appeared to be a great idea in his DVDs...... keep the in-the-tree throwline on a fly reel (specifically: "Pflueger Medalist Fly Reel"), and just reel it in to retrieve it --- if I do continue I think I will look into this.
 
NO ROLLING or FOLDING.

You have to stuff it in, little at a time, and take it out or throw with the line free to come out of the pouch.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #54
@Sean -- Thanks Sean!
@bstewert -- I'm thinking 5' or 10' ... no more than 20' at the most. At my class when I had all the problems it was about 10', I think.

.... and bstewert, that does suggest a point... at the class, I must have had 50' or more of throwline in the bag, because that's sort of what was available....
But if I only had 20' with me, it might work 90% of the time, and be a lot less to tangle.

I think I'm liking the idea of a Big Shot and high Tie in Point .... but then I want to go "low and slow".
 
A high tie in point is the tree climbers... dream (insert appropriate descriptive epithet)
Once you have a nice secure TIP, then practice low and slow below it!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #57
bstewert said:
What kind of tree are you talking about?
Click to expand...

The trees from class that sticks in my memory was a big, old Oak (not sure of the type), 2 of them; and also a pretty big, old, Southern Sugar Maple.
Huge branches that started about 10-15' up the trunk, then more branches randomly above that. Seems really ideal for learning and practicing.... but I just got stuck under that big branch and couldn't get around it. If I had to do it again, I would have insisted on a higher branch, with a branch below it to rest and brace from.

But here, at home, the trees that keeps showing up in my imagination/anticipation are a couple of Pine trees 40 or 60' high and approx 16-20" DBH to spur up and block down.
 
Thanks for the heads up about the Fundamentals on Amazon, I just bagged the hardcover one!!
 
You won't regret that one, Fi... best literature on tree-work ever written, bar NONE. Any treeworker who hasn't poured over that one many, many times is doing himself or herself a serious injustice. It's more than a stupid, "how-to," though... pretty sure Beranek's soul seeps through that work, and many times, bleeds all over the pages. Not kiddn ya. Good stinkin book. Really good book. I like all of his Face Cut pages... all done with a nasty old 056... worst saw ever invented. Don't get Gerry started. Actually, I once used an 056 super that was really, really nice.
 
Robert, a long lanyard (or your climbing line) with a throw bag clipped to it is much faster, simpler and a lot more tangle-free than throw line when only advancing a few feet at a time.
 
I use a big Dan caribiner on my climb line to advance like that if I can't get a good tie in with a throw line. It's heavy enough for the job. Just watch out you don't nail yourself with it.
 
Jed said:
You won't regret that one, Fi... best literature on tree-work ever written, bar NONE. Any treeworker who hasn't poured over that one many, many times is doing himself or herself a serious injustice. It's more than a stupid, "how-to," though... pretty sure Beranek's soul seeps through that work, and many times, bleeds all over the pages. Not kiddn ya. Good stinkin book. Really good book. I like all of his Face Cut pages... all done with a nasty old 056... worst saw ever invented. Don't get Gerry started. Actually, I once used an 056 super that was really, really nice.
Click to expand...

Good post, Jed. If I had studied all my books when in school like I have "The Fundamentals", I'd probably be a brain surgeon or something. Perhaps I'd have walked on the moon! 8)
 
treebilly said:
I use a big Dan caribiner on my climb line to advance like that if I can't get a good tie in with a throw line. It's heavy enough for the job. Just watch out you don't nail yourself with it.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I was thinking. I don't carry throw line in the tree. I got this (probably croquet ball) for 25 cents about 30 years ago. It's only smacked my helmet a few times.:D

Here is an awful quality video of using the throwball to set a pull line for a top. I can advance my climbing line approx 15-20 feet by using the ball on the end of the climbing line..don't have to mess with any throwline in the tree.
.
.
.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lMEGkBWEyNw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 

Attachments

  • throwball resized.JPG
    throwball resized.JPG
    51.5 KB · Views: 58
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #66
@Ray
@Rich
@Gary

Thanks for the ideas.
In the tree I got stuck under the branch on I had actually tried using my lanyard with a throwbag on it, Ray, Rich, but my hanging position under the big branch and weird angle to try to get over the above branch .... the heavy lanyard just wouldn't make it up where I was going for. --- but it was a visceral type learning experience I think that sunk in pretty deep.

haha, Gary, I don't think I would trust myself with that croquet ball flying around my face .... but that was really cool (maybe "simple" -- but really cool) how you got the ball and line back to you. --- I guess from an "armchair" point of view at this point, that is an example of one of the things that is so appealing about working with trees.... the innovation, usually with very simple "pieces" or ideas, yet many of them are ingenious in their simplicity and then putting them all together to solve problems with... many little "problems" to solve to complete the overall task/problem at hand.

@Jed
@woodworkingboy

Indeed. Mr. Beranek has much knowledge and experience and an exceptional gift of being able to organize it all and present and communicate and teach it very effectively (e.g. in "The Fundamentals")
 
A steel biner and throw weight helps move your lanyard. You can clip, then tape the weight to the biner/ snap. This prevents it from coming off when clipping and unclipping (not something good to do with ground workers beneath. Not something I use frequently, but in the bag of tricks.

If you've used a throw weight for a little extra weight on your rope when starting rope-walking, you already got it on you.
 
I just purchased on of those little Stein telescopic hook things...its about 8" and telescopes out to about 3'. Used it the last couple days deadwooding big elms, I really like it! Its great for grabbing the clip on my lanyard when I've thrown it out over a branch and its either out of reach because the branch it out to the side, or the clip is hung up above me...way better than using a Silky to hook it.
Just gives that extra reach where you need it, also great for reaching branches that are just out of arms reach, you know you should get them but the effort to reposition or go higher way up at the tippy top is not looking like a viable option. ...
 
I've also been using the Stein hook, for over two years now. Seems the trees I climb in have lots of tight crotches, and the hook is almost perfect for un-snagging the lanyard clip. It weighs almost nothing and sure is handy to have. I say "almost perfect" because I wish it had a push/pull design on the tip, instead of just pull. Also always carry a baby Rocket with me.


IMG_7695.jpg
 
rfwoody said:
the heavy lanyard just wouldn't make it up where I was going for.
Click to expand...
Something you might want to try Robert is using a second lanyard out of 11mm climbing line. It's limp, light and easy to throw with a snap and throw bag. When your bag goes over the target limb but won't come down, just throw a roll in the lanyard. Some folks go even smaller than 11mm but that's about as small as I can grip comfortably.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #71
Limbrat said:
Something you might want to try Robert is using a second lanyard out of 11mm climbing line. It's limp, light and easy to throw with a snap and throw bag. When your bag goes over the target limb but won't come down, just throw a roll in the lanyard. Some folks go even smaller than 11mm but that's about as small as I can grip comfortably.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Ray.
When you say "...throw a roll in the lanyard" ... does that mean make a throw-knot or "monkey fist" in the end of the lanyard and throw it over?
 
Robert, he means give it a whip to give it a running roll, like freeing up a hose that is stuck behind a rock or something. It can shake your bag lower.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Roundhouse
Rope access guy seeking experience in the trees
2 3
Replies
54
Views
4K
Roundhouse
Roundhouse
P
Long question from a newbee
Replies
14
Views
1K
Tree09
Tree09
cerberus
How do you get "up&onto" a trunk-fork when the trunk's large and your ascent leaves you short? (difficulty- no spurring)
Replies
24
Views
2K
Marc-Antoine
Marc-Antoine
P
Starting a new tree service FAST !
2 3
Replies
61
Views
5K
flushcut
flushcut
PCTREE
My fall
3 4 5
Replies
100
Views
7K
SeanKroll
SeanKroll
Back
Top