Spiking....

[CurSedVoyce]

Great post Chip

 

[treesandsurf]

We just did a 50ft royal palm today at Pearl Harbor. Had a dead frond hanging by several fibers at the base. No bucket access so threw a line right over the crown and SRT'd up. I did tie a running bowline at the base but backed that up with another tie off below that so it couldn't slide up the trunk. Those things are slippery!



jp

 

[Koa Man]

jp,
Would a spider lift have been able to get to that palm?

 

[treesandsurf]

For sure.

jp

 

[Koa Man]

I think your boss might be buying one soon.

 

[SkwerI]

If you're worried about a running bowline slipping, then just run the rope around the work twice before tying the running bowline. The extra wrap will greatly reduce any tendancy to slip.

 

[Burnham]

First, nothing I do should be expected to make sense, that's my privilege and I'm gonna stick with it.

But I wouldn't feel right if I didn't give you my best answer so, two things...

One, I learned to climb on rock. Hands and feet only, rope for a hold is off limits. I adapted to tree climbing from that. I naturally use my hands and feet a lot to climb.

Two, I climb mostly residential hardwoods, big spreading oaks, tulips and sweetgums with the occasional batch of pines (tiny by your standards). I spend a LOT more time going laterally than vertically.

I learned to spike alt lanyard style without a lifeline on pines. But in wide canopies with off center tie-ins, it can be awkward or even impossible for me to go out a limb with a lanyard. But a lot of the time I can use my hands instead and it's easier... like staying on top of a lean or pulling my way out to tips.

I didn't start setting lifelines for spiking until I read about it on here. I thought everybody just flipped up until they reached a TIP. After I started setting lifelines I realized it was quicker if I just spiked up, sliding my ascenders as I went. I didn't avoid using a lanyard but the less I used it on the initial ascent, the faster i went... and I'm really slow so that was a good thing.

Just to drag this out further, lately I've taken to footlocking into the tree when the TIP allows and putting on the spikes after I'm up. Today, I did two... OK, one and a half takedowns without spikes at all. The first one, I wish I'd used spikes, it was all vertical... made me tired. The second one though, was a 45"+ red oak with two thirds of the canopy over targets. I had to walk every long horizontal lead on that tree, it would have sucked with spikes on... plus, I got to wear shorts.

To me, climbing without a lanyard is another tool in the box, plus it's got the rock climbing feel that I like.

Yet again it's a case of... you're right, I'm just weird.
Like I said, abnormality is a privilege of my advanced age.

You make a perfectly legitimate case, Chip.

I'd prolly crash and burn in your trees, and you possibly might in mine. But we'd get it figured out shortly.

 

[Blinky]

I might get to the top of one those big old conifers you climb Burham, but by the time I did, you'd be finished and heading down for lunch.