Newbies (me) don't trap the running end of you climbing line with dropped limbs...

[Stayalert]

AKA working alone is great but sometimes its the little things that slow things down....

Was minding my own business today and was removing a few branches of a 4 spoke (I'm sure there a more proper term) ash tree for a view enhancement.....I dropped a branch and it bounced in a perfect manner to trap the running end of my climbing line.....As I started to descend (the running end now going up) I noticed this and was able to pull it free but was thinking of alternatives if I hadn't been able to free it....I figured I could install a figure 8 (device, not knot) on both legs (of the rope) and descend with that.....View attachment 294485

 

[climb4fun]

another common one to do is when limbing up a tall evergreen like a douglas fir the branches can start stacking up on your lifeline. best to just pay attention to where your limb is going to fall and whip your lifeline out of the way before hand. otherwise your like a dog on a leash. stuck.

 

[chief116]

Get a rope bag. Then there's no rope on the ground to get tangled.

 

[Overwatch]

I like to pull up the tail and coil it on a girth hitched webbing loop.

 

[Tree Pig]

you know whats even more fun... bombing out of a tree and finding out somehow your line has found a way to magically place a half hitch about half way down. After the initial shock is over you then get to figure out a way to get a knot out that would take 100 boy scouts... always clear your lines while you work and before you descend.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

REASON NUMBER 997 WHY SRT IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIGHT!!!!

oh, who am I kidding, yeah, I've done it plenty of times, and it sucks. But it still is another advantage of Srt. And another reason I always have an eight on my saddle, and an extra ******, and still practice tying a bowline one-handed, and always have several scenarios for quickest way back to terra firma in the back of my mind.

 

[climb4fun]

REASON NUMBER 997 WHY SRT IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIGHT!!!!

oh, who am I kidding, yeah, I've done it plenty of times, and it sucks. But it still is another advantage of Srt. And another reason I always have an eight on my saddle, and an extra ******, and still practice tying a bowline one-handed, and always have several scenarios for quickest way back to terra firma in the back of my mind.

true story. if you go up, better have 50+1 ways of gettin your butt back down. not too bad if you can at least get low enough to cut bait and dive, praying for no injuries. i have yet to be anything close to stuck, although there have been a few very annoying situations that made me think my way out of em. if you cant solve problems when your tired, stay out of the trees

 

[beastmaster]

I'v been climbing since the first tree was created, and it still happens to me sometimes. Your dependent on your groundmen to keep your ropes clear. Not clearing my ropes is one of my pet peeves with groundmen. Theirs been a few times I'v just had to unhook and climb down. Back when I use to have a temper(I'm better now)after pulling up a hundred pound limb tangled up in my ropes 80 feet up a pine,(OK maybe a 50lb limb, pulled 40 ft) I climbed down and took a groundsmen behind the shed and read him from the book.
Working without no one on the ground you have to be crafty. Keeping your rope bag farther from the base of the tree sometimes can help. On crane jobs I carry my rope in a canvas tool bag clipped to my belt, that might be an option.
And yeah, how does that knot find its way to the middle of our climbing lines, anyway?
Nothings worse then dropping a big limb or chunk and have it tangle in your line on the way down. Always be aware of what your lines are up to and whats happening with them can avoid a lot of those problems, as can always using a rope bag. I'v had piles of brush on top of my rope bag and still have it feed out rope.

 

[miko0618]

if you are drt and stuck, here's a way to get down. tie a prusik with your friction hitch or a butterfly knot. clip the other end of your rope to the hitch/knot. install your figure 8 on your tail end. rappel. my rope being stuck is really the only time I swear at my ground guys. and yes, if given enough time, I will descend the tree just to do so.

when your cutting limbs you can really get them to swing if you let them peel. I wouldn't do it with an 8" limb or nothing. but up to 3 or 4" your magical. if its a prune, make a small cut where you want to stop the peel, just in case, and cut out farther. like a foot or two. keeps your limbs out of your rope occupied LZ.

I swear my next investment is a 10' piece of 2" pvc pipe. I am gonna lay it down at the base of the tree and fish my climbing line through it.

 

[climb4fun]

would work great on soft ground but i think it would shatter if it was on hard ground. idk, try it out. sound legit

 

[T-rain]

I swear my next investment is a 10' piece of 2" pvc pipe. I am gonna lay it down at the base of the tree and fish my climbing line through it.[/QUOTE]



I bet you could use one of the Dan House rope sleeves from tree stuff. If it was secured to your rope bag at the ground it could have brush piled on and still run the rope through. Also would be easier than a large solid pipe to transport. The longest one is 60'' though.

 

[tramp bushler]

I prefer the ( pack the rope up with me method. ) less stuff to worry about.

 

[old_soul]

Glad you got down. I did that once when I first started climbing. Thinning a big pin oak from top to bottom, by myself. 3 or 4 hours later theres a tangle of brush 6 feet high on the ground.

Just as i finished the lowest limbs the lady and her daughter comes out to lay by the pool and says how nice the tree looks. So now i try to look cool by rappelling down fast. Get about 12 feet off the ground and that sudden stop.......because the tail of my rope was wrapped up in all that brush.

So now I'm stuck and embarrased and trying to figure out what to do. Ended up asking her to go out to the chip truck and get a pole pruner for me. After about 3 trips she finally brought the right one.

I had to pick apart the pile from above with the pruner pole so that I could free the rope and get down. Sure left with my hat in my hand that day:redface::redface::redface:



Moral of the story, keep an eye on your lines. And don't climb alone. I still do crabapples, pears by myself but anything substantial, always have a groundman. Never know when something bad could happen.

And its sooo nice, to have someone chipping as you cut!!!!!

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Glad you got down. I did that once when I first started climbing. Thinning a big pin oak from top to bottom, by myself. 3 or 4 hours later theres a tangle of brush 6 feet high on the ground.

Just as i finished the lowest limbs the lady and her daughter comes out to lay by the pool and says how nice the tree looks. So now i try to look cool by rappelling down fast. Get about 12 feet off the ground and that sudden stop.......because the tail of my rope was wrapped up in all that brush.

So now I'm stuck and embarrased and trying to figure out what to do. Ended up asking her to go out to the chip truck and get a pole pruner for me. After about 3 trips she finally brought the right one.

I had to pick apart the pile from above with the pruner pole so that I could free the rope and get down. Sure left with my hat in my hand that day:redface::redface::redface:



Moral of the story, keep an eye on your lines. And don't climb alone. I still do crabapples, pears by myself but anything substantial, always have a groundman. Never know when something bad could happen.

And its sooo nice, to have someone chipping as you cut!!!!!

You know the forum rules, especially when there are women and pools involved... Without pics it didn't happen! Jeff

 

[old_soul]

You know the forum rules, especially when there are women and pools involved... Without pics it didn't happen! Jeff

I wish...... that was 10 years ago before camera phones lol

Besides i just wanted to chip the pile and get the *^%@ out of there at that point