Front points and mixed climbing
A few winters ago I was on my way home from a day of thrashing ice at the Brickyards in St. Paul. My drive home took me past a large, dead, debarked elm. Hmmm, I have my gear and tools, I wonder how they work in trees? I stopped and put my boots and Fangs on, grabbed my tools and started up the tree. It had a little lean so that made it easier. Actually it was a lot like climbing soft, thin ice. It took a little while to get the feel for how hard to set my tools.
The next summer I decided to try out the same technique on a cottonwood removal. It was fun for playing around but not practical as a tree climbing procedure. I could see using front points to ascend a removal with some one belaying. I found it much easier than using gaffs. Once I was in the tree, the bottom points got in the way. I think that for lateral movement in trees, a combination of the standard spike with front points for vertical movement has merit.
We had a bad ice storm a while ago and I used my crampons for doing removal work. This was the best way! It was almost like having suction cups on my feet. I remember a large elm limb that had split and was laying on the house. After tieing into the main lead up high, I could practice an arborist version of French Technique.
