which type of rope to invest in for a tree climber

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andrew_ysk

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hii,

I am new here and in tree climbing. but i am not new to rock and wall and sport climbing.

i am wondering which type of rope you guys use for tree climbing.. regardless tree climbing as hobby or arborist.
i think should be of <10mm static rope, right ? because we are not doing a fall on purpose on tree climbing.. and rubbing against tree bark is very bad for dynamic rope.

pls advice. i am urgently need to purchase a suitable rope for tree climbing as hobby and also arbor job.. on my own yard.. the tree need a trim. and yes, i will do it myself.. i am dare to try and i will not as other ppl or company to do it for me.. got several big huge tree. just trim them down to correct height and size. and i am safety conscious enough, not to kill myself :). i have being in rock climbing for 7 years enough to know those rope and safety.

pls advice me on the type of rope for my purpose.. many thanks. i am not a rich guy as well.. if possible, pls tell me where to purchase and which company and price range.. i am in United Kingdom and Germany.

thanks.
[email protected]
 
I'm not going to badger you with the common answer to threads like this,"hire a pro", but a big warning sign of your inexperience that has me worried is you talking about trimming them down to their correct height and size. What might that be? In my minds eye I picture these big nice trees that are going to get hacked, and ripped down to what you believe is their correct height and size. I believe every man has a right to do what they want even if it kills them, but trimming a tree is more then just being able to climb it with a saw. It's an acquired art form that takes a while to master. I know guys who been doing trees for many years and are f_c_ing trees up everyday. It's easy to improperly do your trees and do more damage then what ever is wrong with the trees now. It takes one bad trim job to ruin a tree for ever and cause problems that'll haunt you for years to come. Home owners and gardeners are the biggest enemy of trees on the face of earth.
As far as what ropes to use I wouldn't go static line. Arborist rope is some where between the dynamic ropes rock climber use and static line. You still want that bounce if you fall, but not as much. Lots of the sponsors at the top of the page sell arborist ropes. I hope you also at lest give some research into proper tree trimming Technics also and not just start taking her down to it correct height and size. A tree done right should hardly look like it was done. Is that the same mental picture you have for your trees?
 
Hey Andrew, Welcome.

As I have read many times here before, I don't want to urge you to blindly just "go do it". Instead I would encourage you to invest time and effort into learning how to be safe in a tree, before you leave the ground. I also like beastmaster's idea about learning how to trim that tree so you have a plan before you leave the ground. One that does not kill your tree before you get back to the ground.

May I recommend a couple books to you. "To Fell a Tree" & "The Tree Climbers Companion". Maybe the most important piece's of safety equipment you get for your tree work, short of professional instruction, which would be best. It will teach you enough to be physically safe in a solid tree. Whether your safe in that same tree with a chainsaw in your hands is up to you and how much time you invest into learning. I hope in your early rock climbing that you were obsessed with safety and put in a strong effort to learn how to be safe. You'll be best served by that desire to learn again with tree work. In fact a desire to learn may be the only thing that see's you safely back to the ground. You may wanna invest in some tree work classes if your able.

Your greatest assets in undertaking this task is your desire to learn, one step at a time (as long as it takes). Leave your EGO & pride at home. Humility is your best friend here.

Check out the ISA website. http://www.isa-arbor.com/education/onlineLearning

One of the best thing to happen to me in my quest to do & learn tree work is that I recently lost my desire to know it all "right now". I'm OK with the learning process taking years and years. I'm also cultivating my ability to admit when something is beyond my capabilities.

Happy Trail'z
 
Dear Beastmaster and Janthorcro, thank you. your advice is very comforting and very true.. i appreciate it a lot. i will learn to be safe, i have watched a lot of ISA arbor from you tube before.. :) but i will humbly continue to learn.. i am a person who never ending learning.. forgetfulness is my worst enemy.

Dear Beastmaster, may i know how to prune a tree that is of 3 stores tall, so that the end result is hardly look like it was done ? i was intended to bring it down to 1 storey height.. because it is getting dangerous..

i saw some part of the tree trunk is empty.. rotten up.. but the tree still stands tall in heavy wind.. just don't know for how long. i am not try to save money.. but learning and experiencing is something i love.. my passion.. i don't do it hastily..thats why i have being digging up and down for information..

i did some tree pruning, hard pruning - behind my yard.. using nothing but just chainsaw and climbing (ya, in one part i do get scared.. because of fatigue and no place to run (while on a tree) when tree falls on , even without rope.. that was my first time.. under leading of my uncle... all trimmed up to a man's height.. it crashed one of my apple tree , and 1 tree died.. the rest all survived , they have lots of new shoots.. that what we want.. lot of new shots and leaves. those tree went thru really hard trimming.. more than 50 %.. but still living..

your input and info will i treasure a lot. God blesses.
 
Dear Beastmaster, may i know how to prune a tree that is of 3 stores tall, so that the end result is hardly look like it was done ? i was intended to bring it down to 1 storey height.. because it is getting dangerous..

Beastmaster means in general that the best pruning jobs are the ones that look like the tree has not been pruned at all. The tree looks natural.

Obviously in your situation that is impossible. In the first post you did not mention the tree had high rot. We can only provide answers based on information given.
Without being there to see the tree in question in person it may possibly be better to remove the entire tree depending on the extent of the rot. It may be a very good idea to get an arborist to consult on the trees condition and safety before you go ahead with doing this work yourself. I would strongly reconsider climbing this tree due to your lesser experience. You say you are a keen learner but experience is something gained over time. Recognising that this tree is very dangerous and safely removing it is above your present ability and experience is not a sign of failure, it is a sign of wisdom.

i have watched a lot of ISA arbor from you tube before..

I came from a rock climbing and abseiling background before i started tree climbing. Believe me there is a lot more to it than just watching You tube and then going outside and climbing and cutting a tree.
There are many similariies with rock climbing, but also are there many many differences. Especially when the trees get big. You are dealing with a lot of weight and balance. Nothing wrong with a positive attitude and a willing body, but showing respect for such a large tree and potentially dangerous situation is always better.

i saw some part of the tree trunk is empty.. rotten up.. but the tree still stands tall in heavy wind.. just don't know for how long.

Also not so sure about your ability to cut the tree down safely, and even more concerned now that you mentioned that it is partly hollow and rotten. Do you mean rotten up high? This is one i would advise you to stay away from. Even putting your rope into the tree is very dangerous if it has the rot up high. You cannot tell from the ground if your chosen crotch is rot free or full of rot and then you fall when the limb breaks under your weight.

Also trees with rot and especially high rot are VERY dangerous to fell. Simply the vibrations from a saw or hammering in a felling wedge can cause the tree to vibrate and move and potentially the trunk can break or branches can break.

Example: I was felling a 35m eucalyptus from the ground. Tree was approx 3m diameter at base. Healthy looking tree. I had been working in the same area around this tree felling smaller eucs and freeing hangers for over a week to clear room to fell the bigger one safely. None of the trees i cut were sick and none had any rot or termites. It was an easy fell. Tree was slightly on a lean towards the fell area and had extra weight on this same side. I notched it and then backcut it and it started to fall exactly on target. As i backed away i heard a strange noise and as i looked up the top of the tree from around 3/4 up had snapped and folded back on itself and was falling right on top of me!! Usain bolt had nothing on me!! I raced behind another big euc and hunkered down. I was ok. The top fell exactly backwards and opposite to the direction of the main trunk of the tree. On closer inspection the entire body of the tree at the point it had snapped was infested with termites and was hollow. There was only around 10-15 mm of wood around the entire edge of the bark. You could crush the wood in your hand like plaster.

This was a tree that looked 100% healthy and showed no signs of the problem it had. You are talking about a tree that you know has rot high up and you want to climb it? Sorry but that is crazy talk.
Any tree like that i use a cherry picker or boom truck and work very slowly and carefully to remove the limbs to a point that felling the main truck is possible. Climbing no way!!

i think should be of <10mm static rope, right ?

I would not go for a cheap rope. Mainly as you get what you pay for. A better quality rope will perform better (be better to climb on) plus if you are planning on doing this again in the future you will appreciate having bought something better quality first time around.

As far as ropes go most tree climbing lines are 11mm or 12mm or full 1/2 inch (12.7mm). I would recommend a 16 strand climbing rope for starting out. For example Samson Arbormaster. I use this brand and model of rope and have been very happy with it. It feels good in the hand, holds knots really well but is easy to untie and is very abrasion resistant. Plus it does not milk with prusiks or mech ascenders unlike some other climb ropes.

In the UK Honeybros is a good place to start to look. I have bought from them in the past. From memory a 30m rope with one spliced eye would be around $140 USD.
To name some well regarded brands: Yale, Samson, New England and Teufelberger. There are many others but giving you 10 names will only help to confuse you.

As with all of your endeavors, Viel Glück und gesund bleiben mein freund.
 
Andrew, why don't you post some pictures of the trees your talking about. There are so many variables to consider it's hard to give a generic answer. Pictures would help. But in almost all cases if the tree is hazardous and requires 3/4 of it to be removed to mediated potential failure, your better off removing it. Taking that much off the tree will cause a list of problems, and it'll more then likely grow back with in a year or two, only weaker and more dangerous. There is a big difference in how one does fruit trees for fruit production, and landscape trees. Night and day difference.
 
Hii Matt,

Ya, i did mention a rot.. but the rot is at the base of the tree.. i would say a big rot.. but the tree so far still old.. i didn't exactly go to measure how much the rot is.. I saw an arborist doing a measurement by drilling in to check the part that is still solid and measure the circumference of the trunk to decide how much of the solid part in the trunk.. ( i am still not clear about the way to calculate , if anyone can teach me.. i will be glad).
ya Beastmaster, i will post a few photo tomorrow , along with height and the hollow base.

anyway, the trees are still holding well admit of strong wind in this area.

anyway, i have bought my rope.. too late to change. samson arbormaster is way to expensive.. i would if i have that much budget.. i just spend 500 GBP for a few pieces of basic things.. and carabiners.. sigh..! Broke for this month.

do you think if the trees still stand and none falling branch even after a strong wind.. it should be safe.. :) tough wood.

the trees are not straight up high.. they are all side way up.. thats' make me wondering how to use spike shoe on it.. ha..
how do you use chainsaw on such a side way up branches ? and how to use position lanyard on such a branches ? it looks hard.. on top of there is no leader trunk on top of those side way trunks.. so.. my lifeline... hm.. have to be diagonal.. can't be directly on top of me.. that's not a very nice life line position.. anyway, i will take some photos.. hopefully you guys can give me positive guidance..

i respect nature that God had created. i know nature is the most beautiful, and we really don't want to cut the whole tree off.. becuase they are the "fence tree".. but i have decided to do the job, i have paid the money to buy stuff... i still say 500gbp is a big sum of money.. to me.. :) but i have determined to do it safe way.

tell you something. i got relative they are at Taiwan.. last year they went around their land and did quite a lot of pruning of tall trees.. for safety and to remove them from blocking the visual scenaries... they did it with very very few safety gears.. none of them spend 500GBP (speaking of rope, before you replied me about rope, i almost got a climbing rope for 100GBP.. which is dynamic rope.. because someone told me better to use dynamic rope for fall protection, but luckily i saw some other ppl said arborist are not meant to fall.. that's why don't use rock climbing rope.. they wear out fast, instead i bought metal core lanyard.. i think that is a good choice) ... only me.. they don't even have a climbing rope.. just use normal poly rope.. and they get the job done safe and sound.. they are not experience ppl as well.. only one of them is experience.. God protected them, because they are all devoted christian..
 
Hii Matt,

Ya, i did mention a rot.. but the rot is at the base of the tree.. i would say a big rot.. but the tree so far still old.. i didn't exactly go to measure how much the rot is.. I saw an arborist doing a measurement by drilling in to check the part that is still solid and measure the circumference of the trunk to decide how much of the solid part in the trunk.. ( i am still not clear about the way to calculate , if anyone can teach me.. i will be glad).
ya Beastmaster, i will post a few photo tomorrow , along with height and the hollow base.

anyway, the trees are still holding well admit of strong wind in this area.

anyway, i have bought my rope.. too late to change. samson arbormaster is way to expensive.. i would if i have that much budget.. i just spend 500 GBP for a few pieces of basic things.. and carabiners.. sigh..! Broke for this month.

do you think if the trees still stand and none falling branch even after a strong wind.. it should be safe.. :) tough wood.

the trees are not straight up high.. they are all side way up.. thats' make me wondering how to use spike shoe on it.. ha..
how do you use chainsaw on such a side way up branches ? and how to use position lanyard on such a branches ? it looks hard.. on top of there is no leader trunk on top of those side way trunks.. so.. my lifeline... hm.. have to be diagonal.. can't be directly on top of me.. that's not a very nice life line position.. anyway, i will take some photos.. hopefully you guys can give me positive guidance..

i respect nature that God had created. i know nature is the most beautiful, and we really don't want to cut the whole tree off.. becuase they are the "fence tree".. but i have decided to do the job, i have paid the money to buy stuff... i still say 500gbp is a big sum of money.. to me.. :) but i have determined to do it safe way.

tell you something. i got relative they are at Taiwan.. last year they went around their land and did quite a lot of pruning of tall trees.. for safety and to remove them from blocking the visual scenaries... they did it with very very few safety gears.. none of them spend 500GBP (speaking of rope, before you replied me about rope, i almost got a climbing rope for 100GBP.. which is dynamic rope.. because someone told me better to use dynamic rope for fall protection, but luckily i saw some other ppl said arborist are not meant to fall.. that's why don't use rock climbing rope.. they wear out fast, instead i bought metal core lanyard.. i think that is a good choice) ... only me.. they don't even have a climbing rope.. just use normal poly rope.. and they get the job done safe and sound.. they are not experience ppl as well.. only one of them is experience.. God protected them, because they are all devoted christian..

So what brand, size and type of rope did you end up getting? What length?

You can use a dynamic rope for tree climbing. It just isn't ideal. In a tree you are keeping the rope with a constant tension as you climb. No slack. If you slip you shouldn't fall as the rope is always tight.
Yes arborist's are not meant to fall. Rock climbers are not meant to fall either. Accidents due to inexperience or unsafe trees will occur regardless of what is meant to happen!

I have used a German Edelrid Dynamite dynamic dry 12mm rope before simply because i had a few 50m lengths from my rock climbing days. I was using it through a cambium saver however. The best i can explain it is that it was ok but it was like trying to climb an elastic band. It was noticeably very springy and bouncy when ascending. Having not used one ever before for tree work it was actually a little disconcerting for a while until i stopped climbing and concentrated on my position and started working in the tree.

Just because the tree is standing and has not shed any branches after high winds does not automatically mean it is safe to climb. Without any pictures of the tree/s in question and pictures of the rot we really cannot add anything to our strong reservations for you to go ahead with this. If there is a large amount of rot at the base i cannot stress enough that this could potentially be a very dangerous tree to climb for someone experienced let alone very inexperienced. I am not going to tell you how to check the tree by core drilling. Adding your own body weight seeing as the tree has survived strong winds will probably be perfectly fine. However if you need to rig any cut sections onto the tree itself......that could very will be a death sentence in a rot affected tree. I again cannot stress how much i think it would be a good idea to get a professional opinion on the tree before you buy any more equipment or make any more plans.

A metal core lanyard is a good choice when inexperienced, and even when experienced. You have to be much more vigilant with a plain rope lanyard to constantly check it's position before making cuts.
With a chafe sleeve they don't wear out particularly fast either. I have several that are still 100% safe to use, but i have retired them because their age is over 3 years of regular use.
It's a good idea to have someone hopefully experienced with chainsaws and ropes to watch you from the ground and the opposite side of the tree to be an extra pair of eyes watching your saws position and lanyard when cutting.

You mention that the trees are not straight but at an angle and that you are wondering how to go about climbing them. That right there is a big alarm bell in my mind that you are in over your head.
Any tree i climb i have a plan of attack in my mind before i have even put my throw bag into the tree. I know in what order i am going to do certain cuts and where i need to be in the tree to be safe and maintain a steady working pace. Things will change because you can see things better once you start climbing up, but you need a rough strategy of how to proceed and what you are going to do and in what order. If not i can only see bad things happening.

Add in the fact that you are not an experienced tree climber and have just bought brand new gear that you are totally unfamiliar with just for this job......... sorry i still think it is a bad idea.

Andrew, why don't you post some pictures of the trees your talking about. There are so many variables to consider it's hard to give a generic answer. Pictures would help. But in almost all cases if the tree is hazardous and requires 3/4 of it to be removed to mediated potential failure, your better off removing it. Taking that much off the tree will cause a list of problems, and it'll more then likely grow back with in a year or two, only weaker and more dangerous. There is a big difference in how one does fruit trees for fruit production, and landscape trees. Night and day difference.

As Beastmaster said, and i said in my previous post it may well be better to have the tree removed depending on the extent of the rot. Any epicormic regrowth would be very weak on an already weakened tree. A tree like this has so many variables and unknowns. Making a rot damaged tree safe for the long term is one of the hardest and most challenging jobs for an experienced arborist.

Andrew i am a christian myself. I am glad your relatives in Taiwan were able to work safely to do the trees you mention.
A poly rope however is extremely dangerous for tree climbing as a life line. For starters any non climbing approved rope is not strength tested the same way as a real climbing rope. Plus they are awful to use with prusiks and mech ascenders. The poly rope will melt and glaze VERY easily as it is not designed for the heat with friction hitches. I could write for hours on many other things but i will not.

I have seen God perform many miracles and keep those who are his children safe from danger many times. I have learnt one VERY important thing over the years however. He does not usually protect those who are willingly ignorant and deliberately place themselves in danger.
 
hii Matt and Beast master,

i understand your concern. i will be careful. i will work safe and think safe up there. i won't tempt my Lord God. as for the money to hire expert, i have no longer much budget left.. used up on equipment.

this early morning i went out to take photo of the tree.. and i did a close upward look and as you had said.. indeed, i saw some quite a vertical trunk that can be use to setup life line.. not straight up, but good enough, as it will not swing me far away.. with 2nd positioning lanyard, i think it is safe to say, a big shacking of tree won't swing me away.. well, it is a slow work for me.. since i am not experience.. but i will also judge .. just hopefully i got enough rope to make a multiple anchor on different trunk.. i did bought a tree climb rope.. and i also bought cambium saver.. which is same as friction saver.. so.. because i don't want to wear out the new rope..
my plan is use spike shoe to climb up , anchor life rope.. then come down tothe branch that needed to be remove.. as for how to rig, i am still considering.. because there is no other tree trunk nearby (where i want the cut trunks to land) for ground anchor , that i can setup speed line on.. i don't like the idea of rigging.. because i don't have rigging block. any suggestion ?

i don't know how to calculate dynamic movement of the trunk that gonna rig.. but hopefully able to rig upward.. do u think a 36kn Stein/ISC swing cheek pulley able to handle upward rigging ? hopefully less dynamic movement force. i won't cut super huge trunk to trouble myself.

my rope is Yale Kernmaster orange & blue 11mm climbing rope (for SRT) (50m)


ok. below are my photos..
how the sideward branches..
IMG_0780.JPG IMG_0793.JPG

hollowed base tree photos and heigh
hollowed tree.jpg hollowed tree base.jpg hollowed tree height.jpg
general height:
IMG_0774.JPG IMG_0775.JPG

these 2 photos display the side upward branches. IMG_0795.JPG

IMG_0783.JPG
hollowed base tree and size with me (below):
hollowed tree base.jpg hollowed tree.jpg

your helpful reply will be most appreciated..

thanks
truly
andrew
 
Hard to really get perspective of the amount of rot from that one photo, but I would say it looks like a substantial portion of that tree. Since they are all in close proximity I would keep my life line in another tree and out of that one. I would probably just dump that leaner from the ground as I don't see any targets for it in the photo. Why not just dump the one with rot and leave the rest. This is all just what I would do, and not what I recommend you to do. Not to be rude, but I would say you are in a ways over your head. I know you have money into it and that can be a hard lump to swallow, but your family burying you would be far worse. Lots of guys who thought they were "thinking safe and working safe up there" have bitten the bullet. This sort of question comes up a lot around here with the typical answers. A lot of guys get away with sketchy back yard tree trimming, but some don't and mistakes are usually far more taxing than hiring a tree pro. If you do decide to go ahead and do it your self please figure out way not to cut from the underside of the leaning limbs, thats a big no no.
 
the trees are not straight up high.. they are all side way up.. thats' make me wondering how to use spike shoe on it.. ha..
how do you use chainsaw on such a side way up branches ? and how to use position lanyard on such a branches ? it looks hard.. on top of there is no leader trunk on top of those side way trunks.. so.. my lifeline... hm.. have to be diagonal.. can't be directly on top of me.. that's not a very nice life line position..

This is exactly why the job should be done by a professional, your questions that I have quoted above cannot be answered over the internet. You should consider enrolling in some professional training (which hopefully is easy to access and not too expensive). Once you have completed the training you will be better equipped with the knowledge and skills required to tackle this task.

good luck
Chris
 
Andrew, you take your gear and find some easy safe trees somewhere and go slow and have fun and be safe. I wouldn't worry about your trees at all. It looks like their mostly out in the open and if one was to fall nothing of value would be harmed any way. Some are very unique looking, I wish I could trim them, I would just clean them up some, and do a little crown thinning. A general rule on hollows is 1 inch of good wood for each 6 in. of diameter, but the main factor that makes a tree dangerous is target. A tree leaning a little over a preschool full of babys can be a hazard. A tree full of rot, ready to go, but in the middle of a field with hardly any access, isn't much of a hazard.
Even with all that rot, that tree isn't a hazard tell you get under it or in it. If you can't have someone with hazard tree experience do it, just leave it be or put some caution tape around it if your really worried.
Climbing trees is fun and is a worthwhile pursuit, putting your life in danger for a tree that won't hurt nothing but a little fence if it did fall doesn't make any sence,
 
Never mind climbing them. The fence doesn't look to be in great condition so take it apart and drop the trees to the ground from the ground given their lean. Not sure about the drop? Tie a rope up high and pull as you cut.

Learn to climb on a truly vertical tree. Those look a bit tricky for a beginner.
 
I was visiting family yesterday so did not get a chance to reply properly until now. Beastmaster and Capetrees are telling you exactly what i was going to say. Firstly why have you made up your mind to climb these trees? From your photos it look reasonably straight forward for most trees to be felled into the open field. From looking at the photos is it possible to remove a section of the fence and just fell the leaning trees into the open field? When the tree is felled and cut up you can easily put the fence back together. I cannot see clearly exactly how the fence is constructed and whether the trees are exactly in the center of each fence panel but any time a job can be done safer from the ground rather than climbing is a good thing.

Getting some practice in with your brand new gear is essential before doing any job, let alone a more difficult one such as this. I myself would not use any piece of new equipment in a tree (unless it was identical to the piece it replaced) until i have gotten used to how it works and i am 100% comfortable with it on the ground. Find some trees that are more straight and less crowded with small scratchy branches and practice practice practice. Remember do not spike trees with your climbing spikes unless the tree is to be removed. Wounds from spikes are very detrimental to a trees health. These look from your photos to be difficult trees for a lean and green beginner. The advice from tidy given about getting some training is also very advisable. When you are complete you will be better able to make your own safe and sound decisions regarding how to proceed with the work plus you will already have some good equipment of your own.

putting your life in danger for a tree that won't hurt nothing but a little fence if it did fall doesn't make any sense

I cannot put it any better than Beastmaster. I do not understand why this tree is a hazard. There is an open field all around it. No buildings or anything except a rundown fence. You have spent a lot of money on climb gear when there is no need to have done so. For the trees that are more straight, as has been said i would simply rope them and pull them over with a 4x4 vehicle or tractor. Scarf them and fell them from the ground rather than climbing. You may need to climb them to put the rope in a high enough position for pulling leverage if you have no bigshot and cannot tie a running bowline and set the knot from the ground. Heavily leaning trees can be difficult to fell due to the compression forces involved, but i would rather see you doing this than recommending you climb on such heavily leaning trees plus at least one containing rot, with such little tree climbing experience. Worst case scenario is the fence is kaput if you misjudge the tree balance and weight. There does not appear to be anything other than the fence to stop you from whole felling from the ground. This is better than you misjudging something and you being kaput while climbing the tree.

Andrew, you mention questions about rigging. Do you have a dedicated rigging rope? If so what is it? Rigging tree branches and trunk sections even with static rigging is something that must be done with experience. Add in dynamic rigging and the forces involved with shock loading ropes and pulleys and it could very easily be a disaster. Limbs add stability and balance to a tree to enable it to better cope with strong winds. The more limbs you remove from a tree the more unbalanced it will get. When you are left with only a trunk it can get very wobbly up there and be very uncomfortable for even an experienced climber when cut sections go taut and literally try to shake you out of your tree!!

Basic example:
A 100 Kg weight. ( Branch, trunk section or a person ) Weight falls 1 meter before being caught by a rope tied onto it and running through a pulley. This will still exert a shock load of around 10 times the original 100 kg weight. ie: your 100kg weight just put a shock load of over 1000 kg on your rope, pulley and anchor point. Your 36kn Stein/ISC pulley is not an impact block and should not be used for dynamic rigging. For PPE ropes and equipment a safety factor of 10 should be observed. For rigging a factor of 5. Therefore your 36 Kn pulley should never be exposed to any force greater than 7.2 Kn. Therefore your 100 kg weight falling only 1 meter onto the pulley has with the shock load already exceeded the rigging safety margins. In an entire rigging system (rope, slings, pulleys, shackles, steel carabiners...) no matter what you use, the thing with the lowest rating is what you use as the maximum and calculate your 5:1 safety factor from that.

just hopefully i got enough rope to make a multiple anchor on different trunk.. i did bought a tree climb rope.. and i also bought cambium saver.. which is same as friction saver.. so.. because i don't want to wear out the new rope..
my plan is use spike shoe to climb up , anchor life rope.. then come down tothe branch that needed to be remove.. as for how to rig, i am still considering.. because there is no other tree trunk nearby (where i want the cut trunks to land) for ground anchor , that i can setup speed line on.. i don't like the idea of rigging.. because i don't have rigging block. any suggestion ?

Are you climbing with a DdRT system through the friction saver? The kernmantle rope you have bought is not really a true tree climbing rope. As it says when you bought it this is a SRT line. As i mentioned a 16 strand tree climbing rope would have been my choice for you. A kernmantle rope is ok but not ideal as the core and sheath can work against each other and milk quite badly with repeated use of prusiks or mech devices pulling in the same direction along the rope.

Straight from sherrilltree website: "However, this line DOES NOT make for a good doubled rope technique (DdRT) product because of the stiffening effect that results when repeatedly milking the cover end-to-end with a climbing hitch. That type of action can alter the relationship between the core and the cover, which can, over time, result in a very wiry line. For doubled rope technique climbing (DdRT) or utilizing a Singing Tree Rope Wrench, we strongly recommend arborist grade climbing lines like Poison Ivy or a similar line."

You mention speed lines. Yes the you tube vids make it look really cool and effortless, but speed lines are an advanced technique mainly used in areas of tight access or to simply speed up and ease production for chipping. There are no reasons for you to use a speed line in a clear open field!! For you i would be concentrating on just the very basics if i were you.

Please Andrew do not take what we are ALL telling you with a grain of salt. We are telling you the correct and safe way to proceed based on what you are telling us of your own experience and the best assessment from the limited photos. I do not mean i want you to take a dozen more photos. I mean that making assessments on work that is highly likely to be hazardous to someone's health is extremely challenging when not looking at the trees in person or being able to ***** that persons competence. Photos are notorious for providing a distorted sense of scale and depth.

If you wish us all to simply tell you what you want to hear, I'm sorry you have come to the wrong place. I am telling you what is the safest and the most prudent way to approach your situation based on your minimal experience. If your mind is completely made up to go ahead and climb regardless of our best and more experienced judgement and advice, so be it.
 
Hii,

I am back in germany.

i spent 2.5 days.. only manage to work to 4 trees... i am so slow.

this is before:

mg tree (Medium).jpg

and this is after.. sorry, taken at late night where there is no moon light. rushing time. departing next day morning.
mg tree night (Medium).jpg all

thanks for the 14mm friction rope that i bought.. manage to rig every branches into my yard to be saw down.. didn't disrupt any traffic at the other side of the fence and didn't have to tear down the fence to retrieve the saw branches.
but it is really so slow compare to let it directly fall down where ever it wants.
my chainsaw is really heavy.. 5.4kg stihl... my arms now are sore... ha. anyway. Thanks for my Lord God, he protected me at all side.. there are incidents where i almost cut my own life line, where my life line was tangled by the swinging rigged branches.. , and a big tall branch potentially fall on my working direction which i was actually aiming it to fall on the other side where the rigging block was installed.
Lord God of New Testament church is truly faithful almighty God.

Praise the Lord.

Truly
Andrew
 
oh ya.. the new movie - the Son of God ... the devil satan character inside it is really look like Obama.. ha.. like duplicate.

i wonder what does that means ? :)
 
oh ya.. want to say this climbing rope - Yale Kernmaster twisted like a snake.. well not very very serious.. but it does twists everytime i abseiling down using figure of eight.
i also one time tried to use my friction rope - marlow 14mm to abseil down, but it is way too much friction on my figure of eight.. totally not able to abseil down.. at the end, i coiled it on my arm and waist to slowly abseil down. crazy..ha.. learnt that in you tube.. but they use it to abseil down a rocky terrain.. i use it to abseil down a tree "after pruned" that is... so not that high.

and ya.. the trees. we pruned it to the visual height.. we gonna treat it as hedges... let it bush up..., not upward. :) so won't post any danger in regarding to after pruned branches are more dangerous.
truly
andrew
 
If you had done a little research on proper trimming Technics You'ed know how screwed up those trees are. I'm not a Christian but if its true god gave us the animals and plants to use and watch over as their caretakers, Oh never mind. I know your proud of your work.
Why do people feel they have to radicalize a trees natural form. Could god had messed up on the original design,and depends on his people to fix them, or is it we like to play god our selfs and inflict our will on some of gods greatest works altering it so its no longer has any bareing of his design left in it. Oh what ego's we have, that we question our gods works. I seem to be missing something some where it seems. I just don't see it.
 
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