Beginner Tree Climbing Tips

[Bermy]

While working the spar and using your flip line run your hand around each side of the flip just before making the cut. If it is too big take a couple of steps around to make sure your flip line is not hung on a stub. Checking to see exactly where your line is and know exactly where you are making your cut.Always have a climb line set lower in case somehow you do cut through the flip line. This only takes seconds once you become fluent with it and it can save your life.

Now that's a good one! Something I was taught to do and it's second nature now.

 

[NHlocal]

 

[ClimbMIT]

Not falling or destroying stuff?

Also being efficient and planning each cut. It is like a game of chess. A good Climber talks to his ground man about what he wants to accomplish and what he needs to achieve his goal. In turn a good ground guy will know the climber's next move and be prepared.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

May have been stated already... 540 degree lanyard wrap, aka extra wrap on the lanyard for leaning stems or if you want fall arrest while repositioning your climbline. Intentionally leaving a stub, temporarily, to hook lanyard over for fall-arrest while advancing climbline above can be a simple safety measure.

 

[Jack]

The "Circle Of Death" is a good thing to know about. When working a risky spar move BOTH the lanyard connections from the side D's to the center D (or bridge). Some species are prone to splits or bark tears (e.g. Acer Macrophyllum). That way, if there is a major split, you won't get squeezed to death against the stem!
- always good to avoid that, when possible.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Damn!

 

[stig]

That happened to a climber here about 10 years ago.
They removed several meters of his intestines afterwards, since they were crushed beyond repair!!!!!

GREAT picture!

 

[NHlocal]

Yikes! That's gotta be scary when that happens, haven't had that happen to me(yet).

Great tip, and a good reminder.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Yeah, Yikes. Gord is no newb. Lucky.

A guy can carry two scraps of rigging rope when chunking down, leap-frogging them down as a BC/ split mitigation. Probably would tie with a running bowline to form the loop, and a snug couple half-hitches right up to the RB to tie-off.

 

[rskybiz]

Good advice and photo evidence Jack.

 

[ClimbMIT]

The "Circle Of Death" is a good thing to know about. When working a risky spar move BOTH the lanyard connections from the side D's to the center D (or bridge). Some species are prone to splits or bark tears (e.g. Acer Macrophyllum). That way, if there is a major split, you won't get squeezed to death against the stem!
- always good to avoid that, when possible.

Acer is in the Maple family right?

 

[pantheraba]

Google is your friend:


Acer macrophyllum
Plant
Acer macrophyllum is a large deciduous tree in the genus Acer. It can grow up to 48 metres tall, but more commonly reaches 15–20 metres tall.

Wikipedia
Scientific name: Acer macrophyllum
Higher classification: Maple tree


I recently learned that I can block and highlight a term, right click on it and (since I use Google) a window pops up that asks "Search Google for ******"

Google then opens a separate window with the relevant search...saves a lot of time that way.

In this case, I highlit Acer Macrophyllum right clicked and it took me to a results page.

 

[bstewert]

Wow! I'd like to know the full story on that pic. The split was there, he climbed up, tied in and took a pic . . . right??

 

[NHlocal]

Google is your friend:


Acer macrophyllum
Plant
Acer macrophyllum is a large deciduous tree in the genus Acer. It can grow up to 48 metres tall, but more commonly reaches 15–20 metres tall.

Wikipedia
Scientific name: Acer macrophyllum
Higher classification: Maple tree


I recently learned that I can block and highlight a term, right click on it and (since I use Google) a window pops up that asks "Search Google for ******"

Google then opens a separate window with the relevant search...saves a lot of time that way.

In this case, I highlit Acer Macrophyllum right clicked and it took me to a results page.

Gary,
maybe this should be "sub titled" beginner computer user thread , I just tried that, that's a really neat feature.
I love it, I learn sumthin' new every day!
Thanks Gary.

Apologies for the minor derail, I'd be interested to know the "rest of the story" on that pic also.....

 

[Jack]

Wow! I'd like to know the full story on that pic. The split was there, he climbed up, tied in and took a pic . . . right??

... I'd be interested to know the "rest of the story" on that pic also.....

That was NOT a staged photo. As Sean pointed out, that's Gord in the pic. He KNOWS his stuff and was "lucky".
Here's the original thread that goes with that pic:
Split Spar (suprise!) - 01/08/11

However, below are three other threads that were NOT so lucky.

WARNING; some of what follows is hard to read!
ripped off - 01/05/09
tree splits below climber while climber tops tree - 11/10/11
Circle of Death - 06/20/12

be sure to read the fireman's posts

 

[pantheraba]

Randy, Glad you took it in the spirit it was offered...I get a lot of mileage out of that feature, too.

 

[NHlocal]

Very sobering stuff, never really thought about it too much.
Not that I'm ever gonna get paranoid or anything but, when I'm topping or "chunkin' down a spar
I'll have my flipline wrapped around once and I'll choke my climb line just below my flipline.
Is that enough?

 

[NHlocal]

Randy, Glad you took it in the spirit it was offered...I get a lot of mileage out of that feature, too.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'll choke my climb line just below my flipline.

You'll still get pulled in because of the lanyard.

 

[Tucker943]

Learn to read the saw. Splitting trunks can sometimes be felt while cutting. If you feel something suddenly fighting your saw while in the cut, its a good head up that the wood is misbehaving.

 

[NHlocal]

The reason I'm asking is should I change my technique for all topping and chunking down and clip my flipline to my bridge?

 

[MasterBlaster]

No, just have a sharp saw and don't back off once you start cutting.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

The reason I'm asking is should I change my technique for all topping and chunking down and clip my flipline to my bridge?

I'm going to disagree with Butch. I'd say to do it at least on high risk trees. IMO, sharpness and cutting speed has mainly to do with fast cutting to avoid a barberchair (upward split) where the advice is dead on, whereas the stem splitting is due more to the changing tension/ compression and vibration from dismantling.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TtOS5rV1aPM

Ben posted this awesome heli-crane video.
Two points, changing compression and tension. When craning trees, or gusts of wind are present, things can split more easily... and a tech cord prussic for tying in SRT without crossloading the 'biner--you don't have to choke the stem tight if you slide out the prussic and clip into it.

At the end very end of the video I noticed a tech cord loop on his lanyard. This allows you to choke the stem of the tree without crossloading your biner. This works best with an srt device as a lanyard adjuster (cinch, hh, grigri), as it is a full-on srt climbline, effectively. If you have a steel core flipline with a snap, like me, and a lot of PNW climbers for removals, you can still tie-in the stem on SRT, and be held tight, pull in closer on the lanyard, but not lower-out/ lower away from the choke while under load. This avoids the circle of death.

 

[MasterBlaster]

whereas the stem splitting is due more to the changing tension/ compression and vibration from dismantling.

Interesting.