put your hands over your eyes and trust your gear, you will stop asap. Just hope your not on a old used line pole in a thin t-shirt when it happens.:jawdrop:
What happend during a fall while spiking?
- Thread starter Plasmech
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TreeTopKid
ArboristSite Guru
Yeah the leaning things a pain in the butt. There are lot of twisty pines down here, but it does make it more exciting. Once you get to the branches it's not as much fun. Spiking an awkward tree is a great buzz. It still gives me a great rush.
Funny thing happened on the way up a tree yesterday ...
As I ascended the tree, a 14"dbh pitch pine, I gaffed out while by hands were still on the flipline. Instictively, as I gaffed out, my hands tightened the flip from both sides around the tree and sucked in my elbows. Re-gaffed and I was on my way up again. I also realized one thing to keep in mind is to put the majority of you weight into your flipline, leaning out from the tree against the flipline thus thrusting your spikes into the bark. Maybe the problem you're having is the same I did when I first bought my harness and flipline and that is trusting it to work. Over time, I have trusted it more and more but still not 100%, maybe 95%.
As I ascended the tree, a 14"dbh pitch pine, I gaffed out while by hands were still on the flipline. Instictively, as I gaffed out, my hands tightened the flip from both sides around the tree and sucked in my elbows. Re-gaffed and I was on my way up again. I also realized one thing to keep in mind is to put the majority of you weight into your flipline, leaning out from the tree against the flipline thus thrusting your spikes into the bark. Maybe the problem you're having is the same I did when I first bought my harness and flipline and that is trusting it to work. Over time, I have trusted it more and more but still not 100%, maybe 95%.
Plasmech
Addicted to ArboristSite
Excellent advice!
and a good question, too.
you gonna try it?
And who bought all that pretty red rep?
When my spikes come, I am going to practice climbing a walking dead pine (a pine slated to come down, but not dead). I'll try to gaff out very close to the ground and see what it feels like.
By the way Slayer, I got instructed today by a guy who just placed 3rd in the western rope ascending finals. Can't remember the exact name of the contest, and it was brief, but VERY cool. Learned SOOO much. It was a real eye opener.
One thing I may owe him my life for is telling me that if you don't dress a Blakes' properly, rotate the rope and all with the twist, that she won't bit and you go dead.
Plasmech
Addicted to ArboristSite
Excellent advice!
and a good question, too.
you gonna try it?
And who bought all that pretty red rep?
Oh, the red rep was taken care of. Long story, sort of. All cool now.
By the way, if it seems like I'm not replying to your great replies, it's, not because I'm intentionally doing hit-and-run posting, it's because I've been very busy with my "day job" as of late, so sorry! I'll always try to get back to you and others.
joesawer
Addicted to ArboristSite
You sould dress every knot properly, no knot is tied until it is properly dressed and set.
As for cuting out. A vast majority of trees I climb are dead with the bark falling off and the outer wood is soft and full of vertical cracks, so cutting out is something that happens very often. I just turn my gaffs in and lean back a little. I most often catch within a few inches. I don't even think about it, it is funny when the spectators gasp as I drop a little and I have to think about why.
Sometimes the gaffs will bark up, get bark stuck and wedged in them and make it harder to get them reset. But if you don't panick and keep them turned into the tree, it will clear itself and reset quick enough.
