Climbing Technique

[TreeMonkey]

For the hardcore climbers out there...intrested in your opinions regarding climbing. I am somewhat new to the "climbing" aspect of tree care. Many years ago I worked in this business but never did much climbing. I am a firefighter full time and decided to get back into this on my MANY days off. I felt confident with this because of the training I had in the FD. I am on the TEchnical Rescue Team which is mainly rope rescue, high angle stuff. Very intensive schools on ropes,knots, rapelling, ascension, mechanical advantage systems. Having had all this, I thought that climbing trees is not that far a stretch. What made me feel more confident is that the schools I went to meet the NFPA standard which sometimes ridiculously exceeds the ANSI standard.

In reading the many different threads, I have come across many different terms for knots used in the tree care business that I have never heard of. However, in looking at the diagrams of these knots, they seem very similar to those used in rope rescue. Maybe 2 different knots for the same result? Also, rope rescue is strictly static kernmantle and prusik cord. Besides the cost, am I correct in assuming it can also be used for rigging, etc.?

All opinions welcome...nice and not so nice...

Thanks....TM

 

[NeTree]

The kind of climbing you've done, and the kind of climbing an arborist does have few parallels. Learning how to operate a chainsaw safely aloft, etc etc etc.

You have a good start, but you're a long way from the finish line.

Oh, truly "static" ropes have little use in tree work.


Welcome to the site, sit back, kick of yer boots, and don't be afraid to participate. The only stupid question is the one you don't ask.

 

[NickfromWI]

You won't want to climb with a static line (those that many use for caving and rappelling). These lines tend to have a thin cover/mantle. Our friction hitches (much like a prusik) slide on the rope while our weight is in it! You don't find this in many other rope worlds.

As eric said, this is a great place to learn. Click on the link overhead, go to sherrill and buy an arbo-climbing line. Then get ready. Ask as many questions. We'll get you on the right track.

love
nick

ps- people here tend to get frustrated answering the same questions over and over. We'd like you first to research the archives using the "Search" option, then come back and ask when things aren't making sense. Careful...some of the squirrells up in these trees bite!!!

 

[luke montelius]

pic up a sherrile cataloge and get the tree climbers companio
oh an hang out here the catalog gives cartoon pics of how to impliment the most common gear and is a good resorce.
dont sweat the butchery of knot nomenclature.

 

[luke montelius]

oh, and if you check with the isa localy you sould attend a climing competition them boys flat through down style up in the tree.

 

[treegeek]

hey luke, is that photo from the spokane comp? that tree looks familiar & so does the shirt. just curious..
k.

 

[arboromega]

yup so you know how to climb things. now you need to learn why you are going into the tree.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

TM,

After spending time reading some of the NFPA standards and following along on a few S&R/rope rescue forums I have come to the conclusion that arbos would benefit a lot if they could open their minds to other possibilities for working on rope. There is a bit of narrow-minded pride in arborculture that claims that the way arbos work is so unique there is only one way to work on ropes. I don't agree.

The SRT system that I use has a lot of merit. This has been sliced and diced pretty good in a couple of other SRT threads. With my system a climber has a much better chance of being rescued quicker than with a traditional DdRT system. The only shortcoming, and it is so short that it can almost be ignored, is that the SRT system puts a doubled load on the TIP. But!!! if a TIP is so weak that it doesn't have a higher than 1:1 safety factor in it, the climber is at great risk of the TIP failing no matter what rope sysem is chosen.

Lately I've been using the Nomex cord that was made available at the ISA trade show for my split tail. I'm working through the various VT/ MT configurations to find the one that works best for me.

There are some interesting tools coming on the market in the next few months that might make SRT even easier. Petzl has one coming out and another company, I can't recall the name, has a tool that will act like the Gri-Gri but is much more compact. It looks like a round Rocker in the pictures.

It's great to have someone from outside the arbo field involved here.

Tom

 

[OutOnaLimb]

If your serious about learnin to climb trees, check out one of the arbor master courses. They are a little pricey, but well worth the money. Also, that Sherrill cataloge is worth its weight in gold. I learned the basics of climbing and every thing else i picked up from that catalog or the tree climbers companion. I was a military mountaineering instructer when I was in the army, and the difference between that and tree climbing is night and day, such as it is with SAR climbing, However there are some little tricks that can be carried over in to the tree climbing world. IE. Using a Munter hitch to rap down a spar of a tree that you just topped out. The biggest thing is just get up in that canopy and get the feel of things and never quit pushing the envelope. Dont be afraid to ask questions and dont be afraid of Rocky, he dont have rabies.

Kenn