Todays stupid move

[John Paul Sanborn]

One of my buddies that I do regular work for called me up and said that he had a small DED removal to do at a large property we've worked at before. He and I should be able to knock it out in a few hours.

I get there and its 25in DBH and 45-50 ft tall, 1/3 over a "wild" treeline (ash, buckthorn, hawthorn mix with a smattering of box elder).

So I went up and started crashing things out, working from side to side so he could clear one while I worked the other.

I was getting far enogh a head of hime that I figured I'd stub my way down (meaty 5-10 ft stubs) and help him clear the ground so we could do the fancy rigging over the "wild" area.

On my last cut, I was jusmping them and had done the under and was starting the top cut, somehting made me look up and I'd just about cut my TIP out 30 ft up.

:angel: I don't know why I looked up, maybe someone tapped me on the shoulder. :angel:

 

[MasterBlaster]

What about your 2nd tie-in? You had that to back you up, right?

 

[Ekka]

This is not uncommon and where good groundy's keep an eye out. And why you shouldn't work alone.

Mistakes can be very costly and a checking regime by co-workers is important. Right now when I'm climbing I have BS ground support, the guy down there incapable of rescue, doesn't look up, doesn't know what your doing or going thru just focuses on cleaning up.

When I'm groundying for other climbers I'm always checking the tie in point, crossing ropes, rigging point and 2 attachment point ... and always making sure that the tops not tied in when smacking heads out etc.

Take care JPS, it's tough enough looking out for yourself, even tougher looking out for two, try and get those groundy's looking out for you reducing your mistake potential.

 

[Dadatwins]

Probably most climbers have done similiar at least once, although not many will admit it. I know I have. Rushing to get done, thinking ahead to the next challenge, almost on cruise control and that's when most accidents happen. Glad you had your instinct to take that final glance up before finishing the cut and avoid a mess. Be careful. :angel:

 

[MasterBlaster]

This is not uncommon and where good groundy's keep an eye out.

I wish I had groundies I could trust like that.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Take care JPS, it's tough enough looking out for yourself, even tougher looking out for two, try and get those groundy's looking out for you reducing your mistake potential.

My groundie was my friend who's been in the buisness some 25 years. He was standing watching and at first thought I was having a heartattack (Not too far from the truth )

I did something similar around 10 years ago on a week long storm cleanup, chunking down a spar, I did not move my TIP before starting a backcut.

Butch, i honestly cannot say if I had my lanyard on, thoug I dont know if it would have saved me with as big a piece as i was cutting. I ended up felling it out and then we used The Winch to pull the rest of the tree over, no fany rigging needed.

 

[tophopper]

Glad to hear you caught that JP
Would you classify your mistake as "last cut syndrome", being Friday and all, maybe not entirely focused on the task at hand?

 

[pbtree]

JP, good catch. And I concur, evenwith a lanyard on, you probably would have been hrt pretty bad when the piece with your TIP fell...

 

[P_woozel]

Sounds like you got lucky, get a system and breathe thru your nose, you're not done till you're back on the ground. not what I would expect from an "above average climber"

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

not what I would expect from an "above average climber"

What's that, admiting I F'ed up?

John, no it was a job that was bigger then my client expected and we had no ground help. I was near the point where I was going to come down and help clear and I just rushed too much.

It was near the last cut for that part of the operation though