Dadatwins
Addicted to ArboristSite
Just finished a 2 day class with UAA /MAC ISA on safety and awareness. Nice to see Don Blair give a few talks on safety and rigging. Mr. Blair did make a hard point that I think should be recognized concerning rope strength vs. tree strength. Talked about how years ago when we used 1/2" manilla rope with 4k lb break strength, most climbers picked better anchor points and were very carefull about how big of a piece to cut. Now we have double braided 3/4" bull ropes with 20k lb breaking strength and he is seeing more crotch failures due to new climbers putting too much confidence in the rope and not thinking about the tree strength factor. As he said "The ropes are getting stronger but the trees remain the same" Most old climbers are still cutting the same size logs that they cut when tied with manilla, with today's double braided and tenex. This increases the safety factor of the rope used. Newer climbers who have never dealt with older type ropes tend to push the limit of the rope and forget to factor in the anchor strength. I think its great that newer ropes have made this biz so much easier and given climbers the ability to make larger cuts and get the job done faster and safer, but we must always consider, just because the rope srength moves up, the tree strength usually does not. Think about it and be careful. 