Reduced a large casuarina today and it busted my backside.
It got damaged in hurricane Fabian 9 yrs ago and had like 20' of regrowth from storm repaired cuts. Did the bottom half from the bucket but then had to climb into the 5 remaining leaders to finish, cutting back to the old reduction cuts. No high tie in, bad rope angles, pure hauling myself around the leaders, used spikes in the top section...it really, really doesn't matter on large casuarinas...
They'll get 5 yrs before it needs a less drastic maintenance thinning
I was a bit lightheaded and wobbly when I got down, took 20 mins to catch myself...sitting at the computer now with an icepack on my sore elbow...the tennis elbow brace I got from the hospital really works very well, just a bit sore in the tendons when I finish, ice settles it down, grip still ok.
BUSTED...