tree climbing fail

[rumination]

Kevin, that tree had a major curve below the climber putting the base of the tree at a fair lateral distance from the top. It's hard to say from the video, but it is possible that the lowering rope was anchored at the base of the tree.

 

[cory]

Then maybe a little fishing pole technique would have been good.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Yes.. and then some...

 

[MasterBlaster]

I wish I woulda been TD'ing it. That climber probably wishes that, too.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

... Only way I would have considered it was under the game plan of letting that thing howl and putting the brakes on as the tips hit the ground. Almost like you aren't really lowering it but simply keeping it in place when it touched down...

That's what I call crash landing rigging. Uses the smashing of the piece to absorb energy, along with proper timing on the rope. Keeps the butt from going wrong, which is frequently all that is needed or wanted. Tips don't do much to grass or hardened surfaces. Keeps the rigging minimal in a lot of cases. Keeps people from being too concerned about holding the rope tight enough, which then locks up a lot of pieces.



Leaving a bunch of branches on the stem would have gone a long way.

I wondered what he was tied-in to. As said, tied into a fixed point with a spring loaded tree like that...another way to get hurt.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I call that vertical speedlining.

 

[Tucker943]

There's a difference. Vertical speedlining is a complete crash. Letting it rip and putting the brakes on as it makes contact lets you keep it from smashing the ground below it. Lets the ground absorb a bit of energy and the rigging takes the rest.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Pretty much the same ballpark.

 

[Pelorus]

Difference is how deep the piece embeds itself into the ground?
The last instant braking method has gotta be hard on a lowering line. Glazing or worse.

 

[Mick!]

Anyway, I think the key was the angle of the tree, instead of downward force the tree got a kind of sideways force hence the crazy horse wobble.
If that got said before then so be it, I haven't got my glasses.

 

[Tucker943]

Nope, its easier on the line. The ground is taking SOME hit, the rope is take SOME. One you can do on a driveway, one you cant. Big difference. Two different methods. Vertical speedline lets material hit the ground with full force. Other method lets you split the impact and based on how you tied off the said material, determines if fine tips hit first, absorb energy, and do no damage.

 

[Pelorus]

Nope, its easier on the line. The ground is taking SOME hit, the rope is take SOME. One you can do on a driveway, one you cant. Big difference. Two different methods. Vertical speedline lets material hit the ground with full force. Other method lets you split the impact and based on how you tied off the said material, determines if fine tips hit first, absorb energy, and do no damage.

What you are saying makes sense.
I've never tried vertical speedline yet. Not quite sold on the concept.
Have seen the other method used unintentionally, where another wrap on porty would have been more gooder!

 

[Mick!]

Did it today in fact, doing my own lowering, not certain it warrants a name as a technique. It's just a quick lower and stand it on its head, ready for processing.

 

[squisher]

I've glazed some rope and seen the smoke as many here have. It's a fineline the technique Chris is describing. Mostly higher and smaller would be the case if climbing or go big and get out of the way from the bucket if there's room. Lol.

 

[Tucker943]

Don't anyone listen to me if they don't like glazed ropes. Lol. I make soft ropes hard with some of my antics.

 

[Husabud]

You could about dig a hole with one of my ropes after a top gone wild last summer. I told him to put another wrap on it. He held tight though and only hot ragged thirty feet. Dumbass.

 

[squisher]

Heh if he didn't let go, good on him.

 

[Husabud]

Saved my ass from a whooping.

 

[cory]

I once took an oak top from the bucket dry crotching a 3/4" double braid which created enough heavy thick smoke to completely obscure the cut. Ive never seen smoke that bad, nor done something like that since.

 

[Husabud]

Wow!

 

[woodworkingboy]

I saw so much smoke once that i thought there were Rastafarians around.

 

[murphy4trees]

A lot of issues already mentioned..

I don't like the way he reached around in front as the piece starts going..I've heard of a climber getting his hand pinched in the notch.. also though its been a while, I used to like to brace with two hands, either directly behind or to the side. He was more of on a 45ºangle to the fall.

 

[stig]

You could about dig a hole with one of my ropes after a top gone wild last summer. I told him to put another wrap on it. He held tight though and only hot ragged thirty feet. Dumbass.

I once melted a rope to the point where it couldn't be rolled up, so we had to cut it into 9 foot lengths in order to take it to the dump.
Not from lowering, though.
Had a major mishap pulling a tree.

 

[Grendel]

A lot of issues already mentioned..

I don't like the way he reached around in front as the piece starts going..I've heard of a climber getting his hand pinched in the notch.. also though its been a while, I used to like to brace with two hands, either directly behind or to the side. He was more of on a 45ºangle to the fall.

Also like other have mentioned, he seems to be sitting in his saddle as opposed to bracing off his spurs. . . not that it would have made much difference, but it doesn't seem like it would take much of a punch to shake him loose seated like that. Several mistakes culminated.

 

[Husabud]

That and the fact he dropped the top right on his lowering line. Instant gravity IMO.