Double wrap climbline or lanyard on spars?

[SouthSoundTree]

How many of you use a 540 degree wrap when working down spars (if you aren't using an adjustable false crotch) in order to have fall arrest if you spur-out, and extra work positioning power?

I ask because I can't recall seeing anybody's pictures with this. I don't interact with many climbers aside from forums, so I don't know from personal observation.

Personally, I almost always have a choked SRT set-up for spars. This gives emergency lower-out potential, and fall arrest.

The Rope Wrench or F8 revolver style SRT allows you to change back and forth between DdRT and SRT, providing the benefits of both while working the tree, with fall arrest on spars/ crotchless sections. I likey that.

 

[SkwerI]

I hate to say it and can't recommend it to others, but when chunking down a spar I was never in one spot long enough to get real fancy. Usually just my lanyard, sometimes my lifeline also draped around the spar below my lanyard. Cut, step down, cut, step down until it was short enough to flop. Safety was always important, but efficiency was my personal highest priority.

The furthest I ever slid down a tree was about 10' and that was my first year climbing. My lanyard caught on a stub I had left (the first and last time I ever had a positive result from leaving a stub) and stopped me about 5' short of the concrete sidewalk. After that my method of improving safety was to get better on spurs and not kick out. I became obsessive over making sure my spurs were sharp before every climb. I carried a flat file in my truck and never again had any significant slippage or kickout.

Of course that was all long before internet forums were popular and my only teachers were other spur climbers whom I would watch intently. I did tree work for 10 years before ever meeting anybody who didn't spur climb trims.

 

[gf beranek]

If or when I felt it necessary I would use my lanyard as tie-in. Minimal set up time and redundant to boot.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I've never doubled wrapped my lanyard. If it's sketchy, I'll just cinch up on everything.

I've never even seen someone do that. It sure would slow stuff down!

 

[flushcut]

I rarely ever do a full wrap unless it is skinny. Most of the time I set my lanyard normal and the climb line the same or with a adjustable FS if I can tip the spar tall.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

All of the above.... Depends on the spar.
How much length am I able to chunk down??
Do I have to swing out for anything like the spar next to it?
How tall is the spar?
One day job or two?
This spar was coming down in 8-10 foot lengths, I had used it like a gin pole prior after limbing and topping it. Then I swung back to it at half point to finish it out. Then descended off the AFC to flop the 20 foot or so spar.

 

[Bodean]

I do the wrap sometime, on eucs and bays you can't always sit pretty.

 

[sotc]

I will do it on slick surfaces like madrone but usually just a flip line and when convenient, my climbing line below it

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I'll double wrap a leaner ....
"bout the only time... One day I will get a Euc and probably will take Deva's lead in that ... Slippery suckas.

 

[gf beranek]

Good tricks all of them. The situation tells us what we should do. For us savvy climbers anyway. The young'ns can pick up on these tips.

 

[woodworkingboy]

I often use two lanyards when doing crane picks, sometimes the lower one double wrapped. I think of it as a bit overboard, but working quickly isn't much a priority when doing that. Plenty of time to mess about while the pick gets lowered before the taxi comes back.

 

[rangerdanger]

I do it on slipper stuff, or stuff that is skinny to get a better grip.

I've been rocking an AFS usually, or I just have my climbline below my lanyard as a secondary. But I'm switching that set up over to a running bowline choked around the stem below my lanyard, with a rope wrench set up on my climbline. Quick, simple, and easy.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

I find double wrapping useful on slick/ leaning spars, otherwise I don't do it. I like the fall arrest aspect. I imagine that it would be far worse to slide down a spar and stop abruptly, pretty much instant deceleration, than a lot of other tree related injuries. A rough barked tree would not be as fast of a fall, but I imagine something like a bigleaf maple would be a fast slick ride.

When I have longer sections to ascend on spikes, I'll grab the lanyard and loosened climbline as one, or put some slack in the double wrapped lanyard so I can pinch the two wraps together it doesn't stay cinched on the trunk. If I were to start to slide, I'd be able to grip the tree with the lanyard or just let go for it to grab before I pick up speed. For working my way down, having a bit of slack allows it to keep dropping while I work my way down on my lanyard.

Generally, I'm waiting on the ground crew rather than the other way around, so I don't mind the extra effort to feel/ be safer. I think I can move quicker by feeling more confident. I don't kick in my spikes, just walk up dragging my spike tip up between stepping down to be sure I'm not going to spike the rope.

Maybe you guys move faster than me, but I don't think I'm slow. Not having others to watch working makes it hard to say one way or the other.

 

[bill22]

Nope,never double wrap,I don't even set a lanyard going up if i can get my arms around it.

 

[MasterBlaster]

That's just STUPID. Use your LANYARD.

 

[bill22]

Just how I learned how to do it.

 

[thattreeguy]

I do the wrap sometime, on eucs and bays you can't always sit pretty.

same, also i did it on skinny palms with weird leans
and on the occasional limb walk, where i don t want to swing, if i slip
i like false crotches more now

 

[MasterBlaster]

Just how I learned how to do it.

Then, your instructor needs to go back to school.

 

[Blinky]

Slippery trees sometimes but not often, normally I use an AFS for escape and occasionally a monkey tail for positioning on leaners.

 

[Bermy]

Double wrap the coconuts...or sometimes just a crossover works to get that extra purchase on a skinny but not slippery tree. Clip flipline on right D, go around left side of tree, round, then back to left hip, line is crossed in front of you but not wrapped all the way.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I've never seen that, interesting.

 

[Bounce]

I double wrap on leaning trunks or small diameter slippery barked tops. I just recently gaffed out for the first time in years while making the topping cut on a tall skinny alder, and this was the only reason I didn't go cheesegrating. But normally I hate doing this as it makes it harder to advance the flipline. I'm gonna have to try your method Bermy. It sounds intriguing.

 

[Bermy]

It gives you a bit more friction and stability when its needed, but you are not on a super skinny or slippery stem.

 

[sotc]

I like that idea Fiona, I run a short flip line and have occasionally have not been able to do a round turn on a leaning stem and still keep my balance, this would solve that issue

 

[Jed]

I never do it. My foreman does it once in a blue moon if we're in Madrone or Black Cottonweed and it's coming down sideways. (the rain)