# First attempt at some serious limb walking



## Plasmech (May 9, 2011)

I have a huge beech tree that I need to remove some limbs from at my parent's house. One of the limbs is enormous. It basically sticks out of the trunk at a 90 degree angle ans goes out maybe 45 feet. I cannot simply bomb the entire limb in this case for various reasons, but I can dismantle it and bomb small pieces of it. This will be the first time that I will be walking a limb that big, that far away from the tree and I need to plan in my mind ahead-of-time how I'm going to go about it. I'll be roped-in from high above obviously, but my big concern (no surprise here) is that if I simply start walking out on the limb and fall off, I will pendulum into the trunk with tremendous force....ouch time. I know this is probably the world's most basic limb walking question, but what is the general jist of fall protection while limb walking? I have done plenty of smaller walks closer to the trunk where I simple use my lanyard to protect against coming off the limb and smashing into the tree. Is that exactly what I need to do here just on a larger scale? Should I bring my relatively long lanyard and walk upright on the limb, with my top-rope tight and my lanyard (that will be pulling me mostly down into the limb) the whole way? I guess there really is no there way to do it and I'm not missing anything? Thanks guys!


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## tree MDS (May 9, 2011)

Tie in out at the end with a yo-yo rads, or some equally complicated bit of gayness! 

Just kidding plas. Good to hear from ya again.


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## RacerX (May 9, 2011)

There are a few ways you can approach this. You could use two TIPS or a redirect above and out towards the end of the limb. If there's a decent limb above you can use your flip line around it to keep you from crashing into the trunk if you do slip. If you're using a mechanical adjuster on the flip line just be careful that you don't slip. I slipped once when I got lazy and had too much slack in the climbing line. Fortunately the flip line kept me from becoming a human pendulum and smashing into the trunk. Only problem was that I ended up hanging from the flip line with a mechanical ascender that cannot be released under heavy load.


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## flushcut (May 9, 2011)

Use a second climb line set at the tip over a smallish crotch and use that to control the swing distance. Once there set your safety and snippy snippy. How about picking the whole thing or in two picks balanced tied with a tag?


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## husabud (May 9, 2011)

When I was climbing in Boulder in the early 90's I tested the human pendulum theory. My TIP was at about 100' in this enormous Elm. I was at about 70-75' and out at least 15' from the trunk as I started to tie in out there the branch broke under me and I went swingin.:msp_scared:
I ended up with two broken ribs and bruised like a roadkill deer under both arms from swingin at something to catch.

Try to find a second TIP and redirect it over a crotch as you go. Keep the slack out of your system as much as possible and don't rush it. The "swing" isn't fun.


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## flushcut (May 9, 2011)

That sounds like a hard swing for sure.


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## Plasmech (May 10, 2011)

TreeCo said:


> Why would such a large limb need to be removed? Are you aware of how much injury to the tree it causes?


 
The limb is maybe...5% the total mass of the tree, I estimate. When I say it's "huge", it seems huge to me, but you guys have taken off MUCH larger limbs I'm sure.


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## Plasmech (May 10, 2011)

tree MDS said:


> Tie in out at the end with a yo-yo rads, or some equally complicated bit of gayness!
> 
> Just kidding plas. Good to hear from ya again.


 
Ha funny you mention that. Several weeks ago I was working DRT with my Petzl ID. About halfway into the job I was like f___ this, next time I am shedding all this gadgetry and going up light and SIMPLE with just a split-tail Prusik setup. I should have listened to you guys about all those mechanical devices. Just too big and bulky and get in the way, get caught on stuff, and simply aren't needed. 

Anybody want to buy an ID? lol


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## PinnaclePete (May 10, 2011)

All of the above - high TIP, tight line, double crotch, use a re-direct and don't for get this lesson with your lanyard and big wood...

http://www.arboristsite.com/arboricultural-injuries-fatalities/166489.htm


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## Plasmech (May 10, 2011)

PinnaclePete said:


> All of the above - high TIP, tight line, double crotch, use a re-direct and don't for get this lesson with your lanyard and big wood...
> 
> http://www.arboristsite.com/arboricultural-injuries-fatalities/166489.htm


 
Wow, what a story about your flip-line. I was warned about flip-line crush hazard a couple years ago at my local arborist store. The owner of the store had seen a climber killed in a similar way. The climber was on spurs, bombing down 8 foot lengths of a stick. On his final cut, the tree split and the man was crushed to death by an incredible force.

I started out with a steel-core lanyard thinking it was safer than a standard lanyard buy after hearing these crush stories I switched to a non-cored lanyard.


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## TreEmergencyB (May 10, 2011)

i know you only removing the limb but you can get up there on the limb you gonna remove and then put on your spikes if you dont have alot of limb walking experience. That way you can get some more grip, if not just keep your rope tight walking either backwards on top of the limb or if your TIP is off to one side or the other you can get on the opposite side so your rope is pulling you into your target limb and walk the side. If you have 2 might as well bring both lanyards with you. if possible set you climbing line in a crotch as far from the center over where you need to be, that way you can ascend the rope and already be half way out your limb. Or you can just grab your knot and run out that mofo like a mad man like you should. Dont think about falling off it helps too.


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## Saw Dust Smoken (May 10, 2011)

*limb walk*

For a long limb walk use two climb lines. Your limb rope set once or twice will get ya to the end or to work area. Using a Rads or Yo Yo system will use less effort acheive work position. Pulling against top rope will get harder the more out ya go. Having a side limb to your left or right could be used? If there are higher than limb to be removed? Are ya bombing the small stuff? Or roping all materials out?


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## beastmaster (May 11, 2011)

Some times you don't want to be tied into the limb your on at all. I worked on a twisted cracked up Stone pine today. I had no high tie in or branch to tie into.View attachment 183584

This limb went way out there and curved down. I had to keep my lines clear just in case it decided to twist or fall. I went out to the end and remove maybe a 1000 lbs(It had several forks in it.) My biggest concern was if it went, I would be free of it as it went and hopefully stay in one spot and swing into the trunk. If you were tied into that limb and it fell your lanyard work smash you or and you'd go down with the limb.
Beastmaster


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## chad556 (May 11, 2011)

Just a tip from experience: If you are taking out a large heavy piece (Which it sounds like this is a pretty big heavy limb you are talking about) always use you flipline in a way where it will not include your body in its loop. This can get kind of tricky on limb walks because you do want to be secure in you working position when that far out. Several months ago I made the mistake of wrapping my lanyard around a large horizontal oak branch that I was cutting. Due to an inadequate undercut the branch split and peeled down taking my flipline with it. I got squished between the harness and the splitting branch pretty good before I had the good sense to cut my flipline and free myself. 

Moral of the story, sometimes when you are way out on a limb you will need to tie in directly to the piece you are about to cut, but mostly you have other options. Use them. Or when no other options exist use your lanyard in a way where it will not have the opportunity to harm you. You have probably already thought of this scenario, as I had before my accident, but trust me, it can happen if you let it, and it does hurt, could even be fatal. Hope this helps.

I argee with the second climb line for your second point of attachment. I have used the tail end of my climbing line to tie in with a second climbing system loop. In the right situation it allows you to 'hover' above your work rather than being tied right onto it.


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## chad556 (May 11, 2011)

PinnaclePete said:


> All of the above - high TIP, tight line, double crotch, use a re-direct and don't for get this lesson with your lanyard and big wood...
> 
> http://www.arboristsite.com/arboricultural-injuries-fatalities/166489.htm


 

Ooops, didn't see that when I was reading through the first time. So you know the story already then. Good, learn from my stupidity 'cause were not always that lucky :jester:


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## Plasmech (May 11, 2011)

Getting crushed by a flip-line after a split must be every climber's worst nightmare. Actually my worst nightmare is the tree I am working in falling over while I am in it...considering that many of the trees we take down are not exactly 100% healthy in the first place...


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## keh10 (May 23, 2011)

Plasmech said:


> Getting crushed by a flip-line after a split must be every climber's worst nightmare. Actually my worst nightmare is the tree I am working in falling over while I am in it...considering that many of the trees we take down are not exactly 100% healthy in the first place...


 
That has always been my biggest fear. Especially when rigging the top out of a tall skinny tree.


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