Rappelling topped trees, how do you anchor the rope?

[FiremanDJ]

Been watching heli-loggers on TV.
They cut all the branches off, cut the top off and then double line rappel down. But how do they anchor the rope?

I have experience rock climbing (and who didn't climb trees as a kid), but I'm somewhat stomped as to how they secure the rope safely.

My thought is that they cut a notch in the top and use that, but I won't be able to sleep until I know.

 

[ripplerider]

rappelling

I girth hitch a sling with 2 carabiners around the trunk, run my rope thru the 'biners and come on down. Only drawback is you have to fall the tree with the sling in it so I always use steel biners. Nearly got my killing rappelling off a notch in the tree yrs. ago. Rope slipped out and I fell 4 ft. till my rope caught on the monkey's paw of the pull rope I had tied below me. Had a 44 on my side and would have fallen about 35 ft. onto a pile of logs had the rope not hung up.

 

[tree md]

Yea, they cut a notch and rappel off of that. I used to do it but it is very hard on a rope. I will usually leave a stub to rappel off of or just spike down. I have a friction saver with a prussic that is made to rappel off a spar with but I never take the time to set it up. Most of the time it is just quicker to spike down. And I don't like to drop poles with my climbing line or on the friction saver.

If you do try to cut a notch and rappel off of it you need to stay close to the spare when coming down and come down easy.

 

[beastmaster]

I have both cut a notch where the hinge was from the last cut in top, or cut a slot on the side. You can use even the smallest stub if you put the rope on the opposite side of the trunk. I mostly repel done the tipping line with a figure 8 . But after doing that for over 20 years I am only now seeing the danger in it. The tipping line takes a lot of abuse on a day in day out basis. You might not want to bet your life on it. Beastmaster

 

[climberjones]

If your climbing line is twice the height of which you are going to rapel from you could tie off your climbing line with a running bowline and take the other end of the climbing line and tie it into the bowline of the running bowline. You could do the same thing using the standing end of the tip line. Just make sure you rap off of the correct side. After you are on the ground pull it down. I usually just rap down the tip line.

What is wrong with simply tying a running bow line around the top and rappeling down the tree?? Is that dangerous or something?

 

[jefflovstrom]

Do you then drop the spar with your climbing rope still attached? I don't do that to my climbing ropes.

You can retrieve a running bowline from the ground before the drop.
Jeff :msp_tongue:

 

[Bearcreek]

If I'm pulling the tree over I just rappel down the bull rope. I know, not approved but if I don't trust the bull line to hold my measly 185 lbs. I'm not gonna trust it to pull the tree with. If no bull rope I try to leave a stub and if that's not an option I cut a notch. When I do that I usually double line rappel so the rope is not rubbing through the notch. I do occasionally hand pull a tree with my climbing line and when I do that I just tie a running bowline around the top and zip on down with the 8. If the set up is right and I feel like having some fun I'll have one of the groundies tension my climb line, then clip on with a biner and zip line down.

 

[jefflovstrom]

If I'm pulling the tree over I just rappel down the bull rope. I know, not approved but if I don't trust the bull line to hold my measly 185 lbs. I'm not gonna trust it to pull the tree with. If no bull rope I try to leave a stub and if that's not an option I cut a notch. When I do that I usually double line rappel so the rope is not rubbing through the notch. I do occasionally hand pull a tree with my climbing line and when I do that I just tie a running bowline around the top and zip on down with the 8. If the set up is right and I feel like having some fun I'll have one of the groundies tension my climb line, then clip on with a biner and zip line down.

Good post. I just rep'd ya.
Jeff :msp_wink:

 

[Bearcreek]

You can retrieve a running bowline from the ground before the drop.
Jeff :msp_tongue:

You know, i've never done that. I've heard about it, seen it in books etc. I'll have to try it sometime. Be better and safer than messin around with a cutting a notch. Do you tie a throw line or something onto it? I guess if the rope's long enough you could use a alpine butterfly and carabiner in the middle of the rope.

 

[jefflovstrom]

You know, i've never done that. I've heard about it, seen it in books etc. I'll have to try it sometime. Be better and safer than messin around with a cutting a notch. Do you tie a throw line or something onto it? I guess if the rope's long enough you could use a alpine butterfly and carabiner in the middle of the rope.

You can also wrap a FS .
Jeff

 

[TreEmergencyB]

Running bowline with a hank of throw line attached to the loop, use the 8 to come down pull on throw line when on the ground to retrieve your rope.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Tie a midline hitch, snap a carabiner in it, and clip that around the other end of the rope. Use that end to rap off of. This will choke the line onto the tree, then you can retrieve the line by pulling on the other end.

Of course one can do the forbidden rapp off the pull rope...Of course I never do that, and a munter hitch is Wayyy to harsh on a rope for me to rap off of....

 

[tree MDS]

I just take a minute and cut a nice smooth 2" or so deep groove in the top of the butt. I fail to see how this isn't safe?

 

[802climber]

Instead of a notch, you could bore a hole through the trunk and rappel off of that. But that takes longer than installing AFS-Adjustable Friction Saver. It's slow at first but so much more comfortable. Till it gets stuck up there.

 

[treemandan]

I go down the pull line or I have a shorter section of climbing line I abuse. I go down with a RB anchor unless I am around a suitable horn. I don't need much, sure ain't gonna wittle a notch and I feel fine booking down on just an 8. That technique is reserved for poles though. I have been rappeling since a kid. I can do it safely with just a rope and nothing else. You should wear the right clothes and gloves and you don't wanna go to fast or you might make a mark that won't come out. I can do a reverse foot lock thing on the eight if I don't have glupies on though I like to hit the ground hard and fast with as much gusto as I can muster. It feels good to fly down and stomp onto the ground, freaks people out, they think you are falling, sometimes I close my eyes... well after I make dam sure my tail end of the rope is freed up. It is very hard to keep them closed when doing that, I usually open them back up after a few seconds. I only do that when I feel real lucky. Hell, its the best part of tree work, working up to that.

 

[jefflovstrom]

opcorn:
BTW, this just means I am watching this thread.
Jeff :msp_tongue: