Up & Over

[Kevin]

You`re half way up a tree and discover your rope and hitch are tight to a limb.
What method do you use for getting by this limb?
I usually just push myself away from the limb and fight my way past it.
I can`t see an easier way to get by it but I thought I would ask.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Flip upside down, get my feet on the branch and work my way up.

Usualy when footlocking I can sand on the lock and get the ascenders past the branch.

 

[Nickrosis]

I struggle.

 

[tshanefreeman]

Depending on the situation, I will typically:

1. Keeping on ascending (struggling) past the obstacle

2. Do a JPS stated and inverse (flip) so that my feet are above my head and thrust up and over the obstacle

3. If the limb is dead.................remove it!

 

[Greg]

Push back and watch my fingers.
or
If really a tough one I'll throw a loop of webbing around it to stand on.
or Footlock.

I've never tried the upside down thing, I"ll give that a try. Good idea.

Greg

 

[tshanefreeman]

Hey Greg,

One thing that I'll warn you about............... watch your helmet.

Needless, to say I learned that unless secure they can desend faster than an arborist being attacked by wasps!

 

[Kevin]

... and your wallet.
You want to see your ground help move fast just drop your wallet!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

A helmet without a chinstrap is only half a helmet.

Tom is that a Dave Spencer quote?

 

[treeclimber165]

I had a groundman once, BIG guy named Reggie. He told me that if I ever fell, I had to be on my feet before he got to me. If not, he was going for my pockets first! Dead men don't need a wallet!


(my wallet stays in the truck when I'm climbing- he wouldn't have gotten anything anyways. )

 

[tshanefreeman]

Ya, chin straps are great, but ear muffs work pretty well too. I typically snap one down over my ear when moving around in the tree................this way the helmet stays on and I can still hear people on the ground.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

big swing into the trunk, the helmet flies off. Second bounce you get a concussion.

 

[tshanefreeman]

I agree with you JPS.

But the thing that you have to keep in mind is that I'm from Manitoba. Therefore, the average sized tree is about 35-40' tall. You don't really get a chance to pick up too much speed before reaching the trunk. I only get about 1/2 a Winsconsin bounce!

 

[Nickrosis]

Don't let anyone fool you, Milwaukee is not famous for massive trees. A 70' tree is big for us, too.

Nickrosis, about to get a PMI helmet cuz it's COOL and functional

 

[tshanefreeman]

Last March I took a road trip down through Milwaukee, said hi to JPS, continued onto Chicago and did some volunteer work for a company operating out of the suberbs, then returned home.

And what did I get from this trip. Three fun filled days of playing around in trees like a park filled with 75-80' Burr Oaks. Now that brought a smile to this Canadian's face.

Be warned...................I'm returning to the area in the early part of November...................bet there's no arborist out there that can figure out why? Kidding!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Nick, Don Blair has the Kiwi helmets in the dielectric model with with muff clips for $75

Sierra Moreno Mercantile Co.
P.O.Box 292, Big Pool,
Maryland 21711, U.S.A

1-800-262-0800

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Dave gives the chin strap 60% of the helmet value. Great quote.

At our TCC one of the judges had on his Petzl helmet with the chin strap tucked up inside. Didn't make sense to me...

Tom