Advice on a Leaner

[tsouz007]

I am planning on taking out this leaner tomorrow for a friend. I am a hobby climber (I climb for family friends). I have learned from an experienced climber a little an on my own. I am using this as a learning experience.

There is nothing to damage in the drop zone (potentially the neighbor's yard but nothing to damage). He wants it taken down in a controlled manner because if it falls on its's own it could slide to the right of the tree it is leaning on and potentially hit a fence.

It is a old pine tree that is dead but seems solid (not uprooted at all or serious decay/holes at the base) and seems safe to climb.

My plan is to tie off to the large oak to to the right of the the leaner (the one it is hung up on) and possibly have a second TIP to a large oak tree 10ft behind the leaner (not pictured). Also planning on tying off the leaner (1/2 to 2/3 of the way up) to the second oak tree as well to ensure that it doesn't go anywhere. Then I'll spike up the leaner and chunk it down. Ensuring no ropes are hanging below me so if it decides to go it can and I am just left hanging from my rope(s) (second tie in point would be to keep me from swinging) and I would descend down no harm done, many lessons learned.

Please confirm my girlfriend's opinion that I am crazy and feel free to offer any advice.

 

[ddhlakebound]

Sounds like alot of trouble for the situation.

Shoot a throwline over the dead pine top, put a rope on it, redirect it for a downward pull from a safe distance, and yank the dead top out.

From there it looks like you can drop the rest between the house and fence.

Climbing dead barkless leaning pines isnt my idea of a good time at all.

 

[lone wolf]

Sounds like alot of trouble for the situation.

Shoot a throwline over the dead pine top, put a rope on it, redirect it for a downward pull from a safe distance, and yank the dead top out.

From there it looks like you can drop the rest between the house and fence.

Climbing dead barkless leaning pines isnt my idea of a good time at all.

And don't let the homeowner tell you how to do it do it the safe way!

 

[Tree Pig]

Looking at the pics only I would do like ddh said and try and snap out the top, then put a rope in can bore cut the for the stalk. May want to tap (drill or bore) the trunk to see how punky the wood is.

 

[lone wolf]

Pull it over or refuse!

 

[oscar4883]

The whole "un-clip and bail-out" theory sounds real good on paper. In reality crap happens so fast you don't know what happened until its over.

 

[NCTREE]

I'd tie into the oak behind it (away from the lean) Set a line in the leaner just below the that bigger branch in the the top then take that same line and set it up high in a crotch of the oak its leaning towards as a rigging point that way you can take some weight off the top as your cutting. Id do all the line setting from the ground with a throw line. Then climb up half way and cut it. If you have a good groundie then it should swing away from you when you cut and can be lowered safely to the ground. Or you could have jared from Jareds Lawn to come down with his GRCS and then you could cut it from the ground as hes lifting the sob in to that oak treee.

 

[Fireaxman]

... I am a hobby climber (I climb for family friends). I have learned from an experienced climber a little an on my own. I am using this as a learning experience.

It is a old pine tree that is dead but seems solid (not uprooted at all or serious decay/holes at the base) and seems safe to climb.

My plan is ...... I'll spike up the leaner and chunk it down.

Please confirm my girlfriend's opinion that I am crazy and feel free to offer any advice.

I would not try to spike up that tree. Have you ever spiked a leaner before? (1) If you try to stay on the high side (usual proceedure) as you proceed up the angled part of the trunk your spikes will not be parallel to the grain of the wood, they will be increasingly cross-grained. There will be a very good chance of cut-out, especially on that dead wood, a ball buster at best and possibly enough dynamic load with your body weight to cause a break in the trunk. (2) It is difficult for even an experienced climber to stay on top of a leaner with spurs at any very considerable angle. If you purposely or accidentally fall down to the low side you will be under the tree if it breaks. (3) I dont know where you are, but since there is no snow and the grass is green I assume you are pretty far south. Around here, sub-terranean termites are very active even in winter. They start underground and work their way up. Very hard to tell how unsound the root structure and base of the trunk are. I saw one pine with a seemingly hard trunk that had been eaten out almost entirely from the inside, Termites. They consumed the springwood and just left little rings of winter wood. I rarely spur anything after the bark starts slipping off, certainly not a heavy leaner.

I'm with ddh and lone wolf and, if you decide to do it anyway, I will have to confirm your girl freind's opinion.

IF you absolutely feel like you Must climb and top it, rope climb in a sort of "Traverse" or "Double Crotch" between two solid trees on the high side of the leaner.

But, Again, as ddh suggested, Best Plan put a good rope in the top with throw lines and pull it down from a safe distance.

 

[tsouz007]

Thanks for the input guys ... very helpful. Looks like I'll change my plans some and will probably pull it down. Thanks again! But to answer your question. I've never spiked a leaner before and wasn't super excited about learning on a bark-less one. Thanks again for the input!

 

[Fireaxman]

The girl might have a good man. Courageous but not fool hardy. Does his homework before he starts a big project. Me, I usually learn the hard way.

Been watchin' a thread from a guy that just wants to hash and re-hash. Think maybe I smell a little fresh air.

 

[tree md]

That's a bad tree. Surely not one to tie into. ddh told you the best way to get it down. If you get lucky the whole thing might come over in the direction you pull it. Especially if you can put a MA on it.