anyone else climb on short ropes?

[imagineero]

I started out in rock climbing, caving and abseiling where standard rope lengths made sense - belay stations were generally set out on cliff faces so that you could get double rope to the end of the next pitch with a 165' rope. 80' was about all you could climb in a single go if it was an intense climb anyway.

When I started climbing trees I was still using my kernmantle climbing ropes but quickly found the length to be a real pain - pulling it through, and having it buried and twisted in limbs, rope tangles, so I tried to get away with the shortest rope I can use. When I buy new ropes I either buy them off the reel at lengths I'm chasing, or if I get a good deal on a 200 footer I cut them to a 120' and an 80'. They get about equal use, though probably a bit more on the 80 than the 120 to be honest. All my work is city trees, and we just don't see many trees over 60'. I've got a couple 150' ropes and a 200' but rarely ever have needed them. They come in handy for rigging 5:1's and speedlines, but thats about it. Only once in the last year have I climbed a tree that was over 75'.

Been working with a few different climbers lately and noticed that they all have 150' ropes. Looks like such a pain when they get up in the tree, especially if they're near the top of the canopy and have to haul the whole 150' over a limb. They look at me weird with my shorter ropes, when I'd always thought that was what people did. Are all you guys climbing on short ropes too?

Shaun

 

[lone wolf]

I started out in rock climbing, caving and abseiling where standard rope lengths made sense - belay stations were generally set out on cliff faces so that you could get double rope to the end of the next pitch with a 165' rope. 80' was about all you could climb in a single go if it was an intense climb anyway.

When I started climbing trees I was still using my kernmantle climbing ropes but quickly found the length to be a real pain - pulling it through, and having it buried and twisted in limbs, rope tangles, so I tried to get away with the shortest rope I can use. When I buy new ropes I either buy them off the reel at lengths I'm chasing, or if I get a good deal on a 200 footer I cut them to a 120' and an 80'. They get about equal use, though probably a bit more on the 80 than the 120 to be honest. All my work is city trees, and we just don't see many trees over 60'. I've got a couple 150' ropes and a 200' but rarely ever have needed them. They come in handy for rigging 5:1's and speedlines, but thats about it. Only once in the last year have I climbed a tree that was over 75'.

Been working with a few different climbers lately and noticed that they all have 150' ropes. Looks like such a pain when they get up in the tree, especially if they're near the top of the canopy and have to haul the whole 150' over a limb. They look at me weird with my shorter ropes, when I'd always thought that was what people did. Are all you guys climbing on short ropes too?

Shaun

Yup 80 foot seems to be nice for small trees .Less chance of it getting tangled in the chipper at that size too!

 

[imagineero]

plenty of trees are under 40' tall, and really you are usually hitting a crotch a good 6~8' under the top of the crown anyway which means an 80' rope is probably good for trees up to 50'. It really is nice working with the shorter ropes, even on a smaller tree by the time you're halfway up that's a lot of tail on the ground. If I was regularly working trees in the 80'+ range I think I'd be inclined to carry a shorter rope up with me to work the canopy.

Shaun

 

[lone wolf]

plenty of trees are under 40' tall, and really you are usually hitting a crotch a good 6~8' under the top of the crown anyway which means an 80' rope is probably good for trees up to 50'. It really is nice working with the shorter ropes, even on a smaller tree by the time you're halfway up that's a lot of tail on the ground. If I was regularly working trees in the 80'+ range I think I'd be inclined to carry a shorter rope up with me to work the canopy.

Shaun

If you are used to a longer rope and switch I like to put a stop knot in the end of the short rope on the way down!

 

[ForTheArborist]

I'm going to have to try that. Simpler is better up there. Keeps the mind running fine. Also pays to make everything a sinch for the guys being sent up too.

 

[ATH]

Yeah...I always have 2 ropes - one long and one short. I use the short one far more often.

 

[BlackOakTreeServ]

I thought it was just me, I like my 80ft. sampson blue streak...dont need another 70ft. tangled at the bottom of tree.

I even have short bull rigging ropes as well... 80ft. 5/8's stable braid, works great on shorter stuff, and I use it most of the time, goes in small bag quick.

 

[the Aerialist]

There's a long and a short to it ...

In a big tree I'll use one of my longer ropes to establish a high tie in point, then switch to a short rope for canopy work. It saves on pulling 100' of rope over limbs while maneuvering in the tree. Often in a smaller tree I'll just use a shorter rope. The stopper knot is a good idea on all ropes but really essential if you are on a short rope.

I learned that when I fell on my @ss from the last 5' in coming out of a very small tree on a 60' rope. Very embarrassing as the customer was watching.

 

[mattfr12]

none of you guys ever hang a small rope bag off the back of your saddle? i love doing that i hate nothing more than when my rope gets stuck on the ground and i gotta wait to get untangled.

 

[treemandan]

I'm going to have to try that. Simpler is better up there. Keeps the mind running fine. Also pays to make everything a sinch for the guys being sent up too.

Oh it just makes perfect sense

 

[the Aerialist]

The old rope in a bag trick ...

none of you guys ever hang a small rope bag off the back of your saddle? i love doing that i hate nothing more than when my rope gets stuck on the ground and i gotta wait to get untangled.

I have a 10mm kermantle rope (rock climbing line) that I can get in a small bag. I often carry it up in the bag so, after the rope is tied on I can throw the bag to clear limbs to give it a straight shot, mostly used as a tag line.

 

[imagineero]

I know some guys do carry their line in a bag, but I've already got too much weight on my harness as it is. I imagine that feeding it back into the bag while on the go would be a hassle too. Pulling your rope through is not that big of a deal if its a nice short rope, and if your rope is getting tangled on the ground you just need to whip your groundie(s) harder.

Shaun

 

[Nailsbeats]

I use my 90' tachyon more then the 60-80-120-150 in my tool box. I never us a stopper knot and retie as I come down if I run out of length. The stopper knot really doesn't jive with me because it gets caught up, it's one of those things that looks good on paper. The tail of my climbing line needs to pull through when I need it to so I can move on to the next set.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I have run my hitch out off rope, so it is a good idea to use a stopper. It only takes once to get the idea.

If there is a large nick in a rope, I will cut it. If it is long enough to still climb on, I'll keep it for smaller trees, or messy big ones that I have to climb up.

The less obvious problem of a short rope in a large tree is getting tools up too you if the tailing end does not reach the ground.

 

[Dave]

Shaun, am I understanding your OP correctly in as much as you use the longer ropes for climbing and rigging interchangeably?

 

[imagineero]

Shaun, am I understanding your OP correctly in as much as you use the longer ropes for climbing and rigging interchangeably?

Yeah, was wondering if someone would comment on that ;-) Most guys use separate ropes for rigging and climbing, and a lot of guys retire their climbing ropes to be rigging lines (that one always seemed a bit weird to me) but I use my longer ropes for rigging on the odd occasion that they're needed. My rigging is all light duty (not much heavier than hand holdable drops) and either lifted or lowered, but never shock loaded. I have a heavy duty bull rope I use for heavy duty rigging, which does get shock loaded.

Most of my work is residential, it's not big trees as stated in the OP, but it's often over houses, sheds, gardens etc so you can't drop limbs. I see no problem using my ropes interchangeably as long as the load applied isn't going to be any more than I would load it with by climbing on it.

Shaun

 

[Vendetti]

I use a 100' line for anything 50' or shorter. It make it easier when using a spiderjack. And I don't use bags for my ropes. I use Containers with lids. It's easier too store, deploy and break down at the end of a job.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

a lot of guys retire their climbing ropes to be rigging lines (that one always seemed a bit weird to me)

Don't know why it would seem weird, if all I'm putting on it is a few hundred pounds of low impact, it is perfectly safe.

The thing people do not think of with climbing is the force of a fall of more then a few feet. Our lines being rather static compared to rock ropes.

My felling is that the safety considerations are very different for light rigging then daily climbing.

 

[prentice110]

I was trained to have a short(80 footer) and long (120-150 footer) climbing line, for short and tall trees. Wish I wasnt cheap and still did it. Coiling a 150ft rope gets a lil redundant when your trimming 20 30-40ft trees on 1 property. Why do you guys 'flake' your ropes into a bin or bag? I never got that. Coiling just seems to be the logical thing to do, however on the other hand, most people coil like jack legs, and then there rope tangles anyway

 

[flushcut]

I think coiling is kind of a lost art.