Backup (non TIP) anchors for newbie Spur climbing

[Ryan Shaw]

Using the spurs happened to be just the beginning of the learning curve. After conquering fear of height I removed all the branches up to the topping part. However when I am now just bellow the top, any movement causes the trunk to wobble, and I am afraid of a dangerous jolt when the top will start falling. The trunk is about 6" in diameter at the lanyard. The false crotch for the climbing line is wrapped around a 4" trunk right above the 6" trunk/knot. What are the conciderations in this probably typical scenario? Would you leave the lower branches to absorb a shock(too late now) or it is not commonly practiced? What if you have to rig the top? Does this top appear too heavy in order to do it safely? Any thoughts are appreciated.

Just noticed this question when I re-read the post: "Would you leave the lower branches to absorb a shock(too late now) or it is not commonly practiced?" I'm used to arborists doing exactly what you did in these pics, acting like Drake (started from the bottom now we here.) But I recently worked with a guy who only cut all the branches off of one side of the tree, worked his way up to the top, topped it, then worked his way down chopping off the rest of the branches. I thought it was a little peculiar, but figured he was doing that just to give him footing. But after, he asked me if I knew why he did that. I guessed for footing, but then he told me that, no, it was to absorb the shock.. so, yes, that is a practice done on ex-current trees. It takes longer to climb (if you're doing it properly/safely) because you're constantly attaching your secondary then detaching your primary and vice versa, but it definitely does work as a nice shock absorber

 

[Dieselgenset]

W

Just noticed this question when I re-read the post: "Would you leave the lower branches to absorb a shock(too late now) or it is not commonly practiced?" I'm used to arborists doing exactly what you did in these pics, acting like Drake (started from the bottom now we here.) But I recently worked with a guy who only cut all the branches off of one side of the tree, worked his way up to the top, topped it, then worked his way down chopping off the rest of the branches. I thought it was a little peculiar, but figured he was doing that just to give him footing. But after, he asked me if I knew why he did that. I guessed for footing, but then he told me that, no, it was to absorb the shock.. so, yes, that is a practice done on ex-current trees. It takes longer to climb (if you're doing it properly/safely) because you're constantly attaching your secondary then detaching your primary and vice versa, but it definitely does work as a nice shock absorber

what do you mean it acts like a shock absorber? I was thinking he was using it to catch him on his lanyard if he gaffed out or something

 

[Dieselgenset]

so i know this thread is old but here is another gaff out vid

 

[treesmith]

Thank you all, for your comments. It is (was) my first tree ever. I wanted to practice as much as I could on it, hence I wanted to rig the top. I gave up the idea because of fear of breaking the 5" trunk which supported me.
I like to take time while learning and climbed this tree about a dozen times before taking it down. The sap was all over the trunk, and eventually the lanyard. I cut the top with a hand saw. It took awhile to put this tree down, but today I can cut a tree like this in two hours probably, without shaking in my pants on the top.

P.S. My way of learning would not make an instructor from this video happy.

That video is awful, bad technique and bad instruction, lean back ffs!

 

[treesmith]

I use a lanyard backed up with an ART ropeguide, choke it on the stem for retrievable anchor point, cut a log, slide it down and carry on

 

[Ryan Shaw]

W

what do you mean it acts like a shock absorber? I was thinking he was using it to catch him on his lanyard if he gaffed out or something

It's called dynamic dampening. You leave limbs to aid in energy absorption. When make your back cut to top the tree, there are a number of forces that act on the stem. Initially, the top is pushing back as it falls and puts pressure on the hinge. Then when notch closes, it puts forward pulling pressure on the stem with varying force (factors like the type of notch (small notch vs open face,) thickness of hinge, and size of top.) Then the hinge brakes suddenly releasing the pressure. Not to mentioned the added force catching the top of you're rigging it. All of this forward/backward sudden pressure produces wobbling and shock load to the stem and since you're tied in to that stem, it can have serious ramifications. Leaving limbs spreads out that shock and the drag produced by the added surface area of the remaining limbs absorbs much of the shock load resulting in much more stability. Follow?

 

[Dave6390]

Wholly Crappola! What a ride, and it was "Free"!

 

[Dieselgenset]

That's cool, thanks for the explanation.

I just thought they would get in the way of your top and the rigging. I also thought cutting all the limbs off was a way of dropping weight the tree would normally have to support which would make it safer when climbing to the top of pine trees where the diameter gets pretty skinny. I'm thinking the weight of a climber up there and the shock loads of chunking it down are working against the stem less if it's not having to support all the other branches too. Am I crazy for picturing it this way?
What are your thoughts on this?

 

[Ryan Shaw]

That's cool, thanks for the explanation.

I just thought they would get in the way of your top and the rigging. I also thought cutting all the limbs off was a way of dropping weight the tree would normally have to support which would make it safer when climbing to the top of pine trees where the diameter gets pretty skinny. I'm thinking the weight of a climber up there and the shock loads of chunking it down are working against the stem less if it's not having to support all the other branches too. Am I crazy for picturing it this way?
What are your thoughts on this?

For sure, all are considerations you have to make.. earlier this week, I was removing an ash with a massive through-crack that had been struck by lightning too.. my groundsman said he didn't think I should be climbing any higher because of the crack.. but I had already removed a lot of the weight when I removed a large limb. Exactly like you said, if it could hold the couple hundred pounds of that limb straight out from the trunk, then it can handle my lower weight closer to the trunk.

 

[BC WetCoast]

If you're on a single stem removal (conifer) and you've stripped the stem, when you get near the top and smack the side of the trunk, you want watch the vibration wave travel down the trunk. Leaving branches will dampen that vibration. Most times, branches including stubs are removed to keep branches from higher up the tree from hanging up.

I will leave a couple of lower branches to protect something like a fence.

 

[Dieselgenset]

That's a good idea, the lower branches can catch other limbs or least break their fall