Gaffing out?

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  • #26
Your awesome tucker... Thanks a million for that examination... im starting to get it now. So is it safe to say flip line/spike climbing till u get to a place for climb line tie in is safe? How many climbers just flip line up till they can tie inwith climb line?
 
I'll flip and gaff with a wirecore AND my climb line or rope lanyard.
Climb line or lanyard is on centre bridge, flipline on side D's.
But then I'm only climbing skinny stuff, harder to do that if its a big fat tall tree. Much better to set a high line and tail as you go.

I have a friend who fell 18m and landed in the feed tray of a chipper, flipline only. Bypassed the first branch at 18m with his lanyard, re-attached flipline, leant back and BOOM...he hadn't clipped in to the proper attachment. He lived to tell the tale but has never climbed again. Put in a high line if you can.
 
I gaffed out of a creosote treated utility pole once. It was the only time I ever climbed a pole and damn did it mess me up. Old pole. All splintery and rough. I bear hugged it just about to the ground and then felt pain that I wish on no one. Big splinters, a few 5 inches long and maybe a half inch wide broke off in my stomach skin and the inside of my biceps. The creosote burned like flames under my skin. My groundman used a pair of linemans pliers to actually grab the broken wood where it hung out of my skin in a few places and yank it out. It was horrible.
 
Look at the bright side, Chris.
You'll never rot with all that creosote in you.
 
The more I think about it, the more comes back to me. That tree that I swatted the wire down with was a favor. I was both in pain, and working for free. I can't remember offhand who milked me for that favor.
 
Thinking about those splinters gives me the willies. I'll probably be climbing a pole today to set a line for a pine, too small to climb, big enough to cause damage, between a power line, garage, rhodies, and a tree that could bounce it into the garage if I drop it wrong. I'll be extra careful after hearing your story.
 
It would seem that there would be little difference in climbing poles or climbing trees Chris, but that's not the case. If you gaff out and are not safeftied above a phone or cable attachment, odds are good you're going to the ground, especially wearing tree gaffs. If it's a green pressure treated pole, it's another ball game completely. They are so hard, you'll stomp your gaffs and they'll go in about a quarter of an inch or less . When we first started using the green poles, we were issued special serrated gaffs because so many people were gaffing out. We were taught to push away from the pole if you gaff out to prevent being splintered up. Good luck with that! Human instinct is to grab and hold on. Be careful on the poles.
 
I gaffed out on a palm once at about 40'. My legs started to tremble after gaffing out...funny how fear takes over the body sometimes.
 
540 wrap around a stem, pole gives fall-arrest. I'm amazed more people don't use it. Having confidence that I'm save make my more confident, climb faster, and get more done. A choked climb-line goes a long way. Why would a new climber not take that protection? When slipping down a pole you still have huge step gaffs ready to sink into a leg, even if you're not getting beat up by the trunk.

Find a removal tree, set a climb line up high, have someone "tail" (tend your slack), and climb up AND down the tree for practice.

If I have a small sub on the back of the trunk or 540-wrap providing fall-arrest, I'll climb to a negative lanyard angle, and advance my rope higher than I would otherwise. As with rock climbing, sometimes the best position is found by climbing a few inches higher than you wanted to stop. Knock the little sub off from above, after resetting your rope.
 
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  • #40
I tried to climb a power pole on my property in Birmingham. That was stupid of me, when I just got my gaffs . I gaffed and landyard in went up two steps gaffed out , helmet hit pole then my crotch. Never tried it again. Lol
 
SouthSoundTree- said:
540 wrap around a stem, pole gives fall-arrest. I'm amazed more people don't use it. Having confidence that I'm save make my more confident, climb faster, and get more done. A choked climb-line goes a long way. Why would a new climber not take that protection? When slipping down a pole you still have huge step gaffs ready to sink into a leg, even if you're not getting beat up by the trunk.

Find a removal tree, set a climb line up high, have someone "tail" (tend your slack), and climb up AND down the tree for practice.

If I have a small sub on the back of the trunk or 540-wrap providing fall-arrest, I'll climb to a negative lanyard angle, and advance my rope higher than I would otherwise. As with rock climbing, sometimes the best position is found by climbing a few inches higher than you wanted to stop. Knock the little sub off from above, after resetting your rope.
Click to expand...
I think a new climber doesn't use those safety opportunities because they are just that, new. It takes some time to digest the teachings and habitually put them into practice in the tree. Sort of like new drivers. They're a trainwreck. With time they become fluent in automatically incorporating tips and tricks into their style.
 
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  • #42
Well put tucker. I get all weirded out if I try a new hitch or different slack tenting pulley. I do chock my climb line and climb to it, it just seam's more clumbsy to me and more movement , but I still do it , it should come easier once I get a rhythm with it. What about the climb line around the tree and both attachement points on my bridge and lanyard on my d's like bermy was saying. Do u choke completely snug or leave some slack in it to advance it with u.
 
I leave my climb line loose as backup, and/or advance at the same as my flipline be grabbing both. If I know I can hold a gaffout with my flipline, I do, but otherwise I can let go and brace.

Agreed , Chris. A no pressure, all the time in the world practice session will help a lot. Learning/ practicing/ progressing under the ticking clock is hard.
 
Sean, I was glad to see you bring up what would work (as opposed to war story after war story). I have limited abilities of focus and a limited intellect so I hold myself to focusing on what will work in a climbing situation and what I know I can count on.

Gaffing out happens just like stumbling or tripping at times when I walk. So how can I turn gaffing out into a non event?

One way is to use a wrap on my flipline at any questionable time. (Is that 540?) The furthest I can go down depending on slack etc. is a foot or two. Also training my mind to angle my gaffs in in the event of a rip out - they will automatically catch again.
 
I rarely climb poles, but when I do it is with that 540 degree wrap (Merle: 360 degrees around and another 180 back to your side D). and I use a 540 on thin straight trees, too. It works great for positioning.
 
I understand you don't want to tear up a live tree with your climbing practice and distribution power poles are fairly small diameter as a whole, but if you have a transmission line nearby with cedar or non-pressure treated poles, that's where I'd go. As Chris said, stay away from creosote, even if you don't get splinters like he did, the creosote will burn you up, especially in hot weather. And don't get too high, just practice flipping up, down, walking around the pole and moving your climb line. You can practice rappelling too by choking a running bowline around the pole with your climbing rope. To make it retrievable, tie a throw line or other cord into it and pull it down. But if you throw your rope over the transmission line..... you will become human charcoal
 
An 18 year old kid just found that out in Copenhagen yesterday.
Climbed up on a train and touched the hot wire......Puff!
No alcohol involved, just youthful stupidity according to the police.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't remember being that stupid, even at 18.
 
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  • #49
Merle Nelson said:
Sean, I was glad to see you bring up what would work (as opposed to war story after war story). I have limited abilities of focus and a limited intellect so I hold myself to focusing on what will work in a climbing situation and what I know I can count on.

Gaffing out happens just like stumbling or tripping at times when I walk. So how can I turn gaffing out into a non event?

One way is to use a wrap on my flipline at any questionable time. (Is that 540?) The furthest I can go down depending on slack etc. is a foot or two. Also training my mind to angle my gaffs in in the event of a rip out - they will automatically catch again.
Click to expand...

Well put Merle. That's, me in a nut shell. thanks man.
 
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  • #50
Im practicing on a pine tree that had gotten hit by lighting half way up it still is safe to climb and practice on. I wouldn't feel right hiking up a nice tree I want to keep. I love tree's.....
 
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