Uncomfortable on spikes!

[ROPECLIMBER]

Fireaxman, nice picture, I did a finger scale as my pinky was same size as you and counted 15 fingers so that crooked pine is about90+ feet, what do you use to set the rope, the big shot?, do you have a wraptor? here in SA I can usually set my rope in a live oak with a step ladder and 4 jameson sticks,but up in Colorado I had to learn to throw the cradel toss,was looking at the home built air cannon on this sight, but have never used the big shot, sorry for off topic.
Back to topic,spikes on the bean poles, I usually rapp the lanyard a full loop then I use a friction saver as a false crotch once I am blocking down the spar, this way I can burn down in a pinch, and like Fireax said the standing end stays in the rope bag,usually,
I cant believe how long I climbed with the old style where my tail is my rope and had to pull my whole rope back through the tree every time, the split tail sure makes it easier, my next rope is going to be 150 ft with a tight splice at both ends, much easier to retrieve the false crotch, from either end.
A few 100 ft cotton woods I was to the end of my rope and still 3 ft of the ground when I got back down and that was after re directing half way down, would have been SOL if got in a pickle up there,
Paul

PS on the hight adustable false crotch do you use a carabiner and a pully on a spliced eye as the false crotch like the micro bull line illistration in the palm in the Sherril Catilouge

 

[Fireaxman]

Ropeclimber, I think you got it real close on the bean pole. My Ivy was originally 200 feet but I had slipped about 15 feet off for glaze and picked strands. Had few feet still on the ground so I think my TIP was at about 80 feet. Canopy topped out about 10 feet above my TIP. Came off my Ivy on a piece of Blue Streak I use for a "Spider" line to get one dead branch from above my first TIP.

Looked for a picture of the 125 footer but have not found it. It actually is a little more open grown, better diameter, probably why it survived Katrina.

Addicted to the Big Shot. Have to use a 16 oz shot bag to pull the throwline back down across the rough bark and tight crotches of the Loblollies, but still manage to get shots to 80 or 90 feet.

I use the carabiner and pulley for the false crotch but still have not given myself the luxury of the spliced eyes. I use a Bowline with Yosimite, especially because I have to slip a little off the ends of my ropes occasionally and I dont splice and because I frequently raise my TIP on the false crotch. Because I often climb alone and do not have a Groundie I trust with my life support knots I tie my false crotch bowline with about 20 feet of extra tail. Then, to raise the false crotch 10 or 15 feet, I only have to secure myself on the spider line, come off the false crotch, raise it a few branches, and re-tie it.

Now that you have seen a pict of our "Bean Poles" you may have a better understanding of why ClimbMIT is "Uncomfortable on Spikes". Buddy, those things are moving pretty good on a breezy day, and taking off a top gives you a thrilling ride. I've been thrown off my spikes several times, but the double wrap with the flip line and the SRT "Emergency Bailout" line have saved me from injury.

I have a video of some work at 75 or 80 feet on a windy day if I can figure out how to upload it, but I'll get flamed on Safety. No hard hat. Yeah, I know better. But it sure feels great with the wind in your hair. PM me with your e-mail and I'll give you access to it on Dropbox. Shows the movement in about a 25 mph gust. Gotta Love It!! Its why we do this!

 

[ROPECLIMBER]

Fireax, Thanks for the info, I have spike climbed a few bean pole pines "leaners" back in 05 in Sisbee and Lumberton,TX for removals, it was a ride when we would hang the top or jump cut the top, took a little getting used to but I gew up as a kid in east Texas, so have always loved the piney woods, here is a scan of a photo of a 80 -90 foot that I jumped the top out over the sweet gum so we could fall the spar, had a preety good lean glad it held after the jump,
View attachment 225795View attachment 225796,
Sorry no PPE back then, up in Aspen had to remove a lot of bean pole aspens with sooty bark thoughs are so soft and I have a bad habit of standing off set left leg higher and bracing my self with my left shin, on a cut,and on the aspens my left gaff would pluck out or slide ripout, PIA,going back in april so I need to get a big shot or get better at setting a rope cradle throw, most of the big cotton woods have a good second or third first TIP at about 50-60 feet and I got to where I could hit them in about 3-5 tries, they have one or 2 big shots but was never on the crew i was with so have never tryed one, me and the lead climber Brandon kept talking about a co2 gun with a regulator for hight, like a pistol paint ball style, Yea the Cotton woods up there are rough on lines and ropes a lot of plucking or bow stumbing to get it down the right way,then to get the rope back up you usually have to remove bag and use several clove hitches and half hithes staight to the tail, I havent ordered my new line yet either want to get one with a spliced eye this time, was looking at yale,I saw on recent post on here,
Paul

 

[tree md]

We ARE in a lot of 100 foot trees. Typical climbs for dead wooding mature Loblollie and Slash Pine are at least 80 feet, and 110 feet is not unusual. One tree I maintain is 125 feet. I never buy anything less than 200 feet. I also climb a lot DdRT on the height adjustable false crotch tied at the base of the tree and leave 100 feet of rope at the base so that a non-climber can lower me all the way to the ground if necessary without having to pass a knot, which means I often have 400 feet of rope dedicated to the job.

Couple more reasons why I buy the long ropes - I use the tail with a Blakes to advance my tie in point. The Blakes glazes the tail, so occasionaly I have to "Slip" a few feet off the end to remove the glazed end. My rope also occasionally brushes the chain on the 200T where it hangs on my saw lanyard, picking a few starnds and making it necessary for me to slip even more rope off my 200 foot hank. I fully agree "... the shortest one that will get the job done will make for the fastest climb" but I BUY 200 foot and end up with plenty of shorter lengths to choose from as needed for lower work and "Spider" lines.

I dont often pull the extra standing part over branches. I secure with my lanyard, Spider, or Tail and pass my split tail and tie-in point around branches as necessary.

View attachment 225656

Right on.

Climbers use different climbing styles and techniques in different geographical regions. If it were not for the fact that I get a lot of calls for larger trees here in OK I could get by with a 120' rope. I buy 150' because I will sometimes have to climb over 75' here.

I started doing tree work and learning in the Southeast where there are a lot of Pines over 100' tall. Hell, there are a lot of trees period over 100' tall. I worked on a Tulip Poplar onetime that was close to 150'. You will never see a professional outfit using a ladder to enter a tree in that part of the country because a lot of trees are 70'- 80' to the first branch. It is a waste of space on the truck and a waste of time to carry a ladder. Here just about every tree truck I see carries a ladder because the trees are so much shorter. It is just so much quicker to use a ladder here sometimes. Hell, a lot of the "services" here carry nothing but a ladder and a power pruner with them. I have seen a lot of guys in this part of the country enter a tree on a ladder and work off a short rope to advance themselves in a tree. It is a pretty common technique here. Totally different in the South. Nobody climbs like that because again, you often have 70'- 80' until you reach your first available TIP. I use 150' of PI Hi-vy here and used it in the South over the Summer doing storm work. If I worked regularly in the South on the many 100+ foot pines I would not be without a 200' climb line or a 200' bull line.

 

[ROPECLIMBER]

I was looking at some videos and ran across this,
CElanyard - YouTube
how hard would it be to make this, guess it would have double fishermans instead of spliced eyes unless I had it spliced, it is $189 at treestuff, looks pretty uasable and this thread and the CElanyard made me think of making a an adustable buck strap with snap and pully on left, then the double line around the tree with a prusik and termination karabiner, back at hip on the right, this way you have that old school adjustable buck strap feel (two ropes against the spar) but still have adustment at right hip, I like the way the old adustable buck straps grab the tree just limited on size and many times the friction knot is behind the tree as tree tapers, any thoughts,
Paul

 

[Fireaxman]

Thanks for finding and sharing this, Ropeclimber. I'm ordering one today. This will make a Great "Spider" line, will save me some wear on the tail of my Ivy, as well as an excellent positioning lanyard, rescue strap, and double-crotch for Traverse.

Yes, could pretty easily make one up from the individual parts and pieces, but I think I'll buy the first one. Need to reward the people who thought this up, I think, with a purchase. Also, their splices will make a lot cleaner system than my Scaffold Knots.

Edited: Tried to order one from Sherilltree but they only had a 16 foot listed on their web site. I want at least a 33 foot. I see that Treestuff has a 33 foot, but Sherrilltree delivery times have been so quick for me I'ld like to see if they can provide it before I try Treestuff.

 

[arborjockey]

Here's a few photos of an adjustable friction saver set up on the ground before spiking up a tree. It's my maple in the front yard so I was just using it for the photos no spiking. As long as this set up has weight in it, it won't fall down the trunk or even a pole. So if you are on a straight trunk you can decend then sit in your lanyard give this system some slack and it will come down to you. Reset it make your cut, repeat. Also if you had an accident you are ready to get out of the tree. To ascend the tree loosen your friction hitch on the climbing line and hold both your lanyard and this system and climb. If you slip out this will catch you unlike your lanyard. The trick is to keep the eyes the proper distance apart so as the trunk taper gets smaller you have to adjust it. Something I would suggest is to try it in controlled situations and see how it reacts to falls. Hopefully I explained it clearly.

You don't run the rings that far apart do you? And why would you put a rope up in a tree your going to spike up? Seems like a waste of time.

For the guys on here messing around making homemade friction saver with micropullys and under rated ropes:msp_sneaky: be careful. Calculate your weight and pay attention.

 

[Fireaxman]

... why would you put a rope up in a tree your going to spike up? Seems like a waste of time.

1. For a backup safety line if you are "Uncomfortable on spikes" and
2. For a bailout line in case you run into a wasp nest or have an emergency (chain saw cut, heat stroke, heart attack, etc.). Much faster to rappel down a rope than spike down without a rope.

I dont set the rope before I climb, although it would provide a "warm fuzzy" for someone new on spikes. I carry it up with me and set it when I start working.

 

[Kottonwood]

You don't run the rings that far apart do you? And why would you put a rope up in a tree your going to spike up? Seems like a waste of time.

For the guys on here messing around making homemade friction saver with micropullys and under rated ropes:msp_sneaky: be careful. Calculate your weight and pay attention.

I always spike up to set my line, it is faster and easier for me. One of my guys is a hole in one every time with the throw line though and he sets both his rigging and climbing line from the ground. It ends up being about the same speed as me but he is way less fatigued. One of the things with removals is that you have to go all the way to the top to set your lines but you start your work on the bottom, the first time he reaches the top of the tree he is cutting it out... not a bad way to go.

Also, I have used homemade friction savers out of tubular webbing since I started using friction savers. I inspect them everytime before use and it has worked out well for me.

 

[arborjockey]

1. For a backup safety line if you are "Uncomfortable on spikes" and
2. For a bailout line in case you run into a wasp nest or have an emergency (chain saw cut, heat stroke, heart attack, etc.). Much faster to rappel down a rope than spike down without a rope.

I dont set the rope before I climb, although it would provide a "warm fuzzy" for someone new on spikes. I carry it up with me and set it when I start working.

Opps miss read. I always have an exit rope to bail on as well. I thought you set the rope 1st thing then used it with spikes on for your initial climb. Which isn't a bad thing on a 100'+ trees. Then the boys can heave you up. I can usually wreck some branches on the way up(getting the GM working right off the bat). Then set lines. I dig the throw line but when you have the "throw ball blues" it sucks and is time consuming. Im old school and spur straight up. This gives me the airial view of the angles and dangles that are below......most times:msp_biggrin:



heres my darn bee pic. zipped out of the tree, yelled at my girlfriend, and ran 100' to my truck where the little punk stung me.:mad2:

View attachment 227547

 

[Fireaxman]

Yeah. My girlfreind stings me, too, when I yell at her. She just uses her fist though, dont hurt much. Looks like yours used a baseball bat. Glad she didn't take out any teeth. Gotta run faster.

 

[ClimbMIT]

Getting better each time I spike now. Tomorrow I am spiking about a 60' gum in a tight spot. The trunk is about 30" and Maybe 8' from carport and 5' from fence. Good thing there is another pine tree about 20' away in the neighbors yard to lower most of it down. I may make a video for critique. Thanks AS! rock

 

[ROPECLIMBER]

Sweet Gums and bee's

I have found so many honey bees in Sweetgums,that I will hit them with a hammer and listen for the nest buzz, had one in Livingston Tx after hurricane Rita, holding up 3 other trees in a big storm blown mess and didnt find the bees till I had widdled all the damage trees down and was down to just the sparrs and didnt hear them for the saw and got stung as I burned down and ran to the truck,they chased my groundman down the street was funny till his face swelled up,he had about 20 or so stings all over, we came back the next day and droped the spar and ran a rope around a tree in a vacant lot and I bucked with two ciggeretts lit and puffing, then tyed the nest log to the truck and around a tree in the lot to move the nest, it was hollow to the base glad I was tyed in to a big undamaged water oak when I found the bees would have really got me if I had to spike down,
Paul

 

[arborjockey]

Bleach and amonia make a sinister gas. Killed me up some bees one time wit it. Set the funnel in the entrance early in the morning. Pour in 1 then the other, then cover the hole with putty. Or a shop vac and some duct tape. I filled a 2 gallon shop vac with honey bees back in ohio.
Didn't know we were running out of the little guys:msp_scared:

 

[parbreezy]

i just bought a pair of gecko cfs and since then ive been much more comfortable

 

[ClimbMIT]

I have found so many honey bees in Sweetgums,that I will hit them with a hammer and listen for the nest buzz, had one in Livingston Tx after hurricane Rita, holding up 3 other trees in a big storm blown mess and didnt find the bees till I had widdled all the damage trees down and was down to just the sparrs and didnt hear them for the saw and got stung as I burned down and ran to the truck,they chased my groundman down the street was funny till his face swelled up,he had about 20 or so stings all over, we came back the next day and droped the spar and ran a rope around a tree in a vacant lot and I bucked with two ciggeretts lit and puffing, then tyed the nest log to the truck and around a tree in the lot to move the nest, it was hollow to the base glad I was tyed in to a big undamaged water oak when I found the bees would have really got me if I had to spike down,
Paul

I will definetely watch out for them from now on. I am dropping another tomorrow if weather permits. Last December I was trimming a sweet gum that had allot of deadwood. While cutting out a hollow branch 2 baby flying squirrels and the mom came running out. Got a few nice pics with my cell. I was within five feet face to face. I will try to post.

 

[ClimbMIT]

Here we go:

 

[ClimbMIT]

Thanks to everyone here on Arborsite for helping me this year!
Happy New Year everybody!