Throwline question

[Greener]

What is a good technique to place a throwline/rope with an old growth cedar that has mostly downward sloping branches on the lower third (or higher) of the tree? My concern is that the line with slip down and out on most of the branches that I can reach with a throwline. I definitely don't want my climb line sliding outward on these branches. Any tips? Thanks.

 

[St. John]

My $0.02

Shoot the throw line over your first target limb, then go to the ground where it lands, shoot it back over another limb, near where you first went over, but on the opposite side. If you are over 2 branches, plus half the trunk, it should be fine. You of course need a rope long enough to have 2 ends hanging down.

One other thought, and the purists will crucify me for this, but when you have bark that thick, good ole' spikes aren't going to pierce the cambium layer.

 

[Carburetorless]

You could throw the line through the branches on one side of the stem, then throw it back through on the other side of the stem, tie your climb line onto the end and pull it around and back down to you, then tie a running bowline, tie your throw line to the loop for retrieval, then cinch the bowline up around the stem.

Or you could just cinch a running bowline around a good sized/solid branch. I like having it around the trunk better, because it's more secure, but you can't always do that in a thick tree like a cedar.

 

[Greener]

My $0.02

Shoot the throw line over your first target limb, then go to the ground where it lands, shoot it back over another limb, near where you first went over, but on the opposite side. If you are over 2 branches, plus half the trunk, it should be fine. You of course need a rope long enough to have 2 ends hanging down.

One other thought, and the purists will crucify me for this, but when you have bark that thick, good ole' spikes aren't going to pierce the cambium layer.

Don't worry about the spikes, St. John, as it needs to be topped before removal anyway. Thanks for the tip. Because of all the low hanging branches a climbing line will be hard to install. Washington State is where it's at!

 

[climb4fun]

if your removing the tree why bother with trying to climb a rope? hell, id just spike my way up. cedars are a pain though, often times the branches are all tangled up together and they have a lot of crap in them that gets in your face. wear safety glasses the entire climb, you'll thank yourself for the foresight. something else ive notice while climbing them is that the bark rips pretty easily, so i always try to drive my spikes in a lil deeper.

 

[stltreedr]

I'm still pretty novice with the throwline and kind of old-school in climbing technique, but in my experience the throwline is not always the best method for setting a rope, especially in trees like cedar. depending on the height of the first branch, there is something to be said about the efficiency of a ladder, then setting a line with a long pruner and using DRT to ascend.

 

[St. John]

if your removing the tree why bother with trying to climb a rope? hell, id just spike my way up. cedars are a pain though, often times the branches are all tangled up together and they have a lot of crap in them that gets in your face. wear safety glasses the entire climb, you'll thank yourself for the foresight. something else ive notice while climbing them is that the bark rips pretty easily, so i always try to drive my spikes in a lil deeper.

I thought this was for pruning. Didn't know it was a removal. Climb it and cut the limbs as you go...

And yes, Washington is where it's at....

I am in a secret location where the trees are a little smaller and the prices are juicy....