windy jon...

[chunkymonkeyjon]

right now there is a storm cyclone over my county, the gusts are pretty strong which for me usually isn't a big problem when it comes to climbing as i've climbed ashes and elms and oaks in all sorts of storms no worries at all. its a little more turbulent shall we say but nothing too bad, even in a force 9 (70 mph gusts)

tomorrow morning (7 hours time) i am to climb and reduce 2 limbs from a cedar, to which i have only ever climbed once, when it was in the summer, but only to remove dead wood

the winds are up to 50 mph tomorrow, the rain doesn't bother me but what are the properties of cedar like? i mean i know its a soft wood which usually means go for a more chunky anchor point than usual, but is the timber more brittle than fibrous or is it like elm... safe as houses?

care to shed some light on the scenario for your tree climbing brothers on the otherside of the atlantic?!

regards j

 

[KenJax Tree]

Climbing in a 50mph wind??opcorn:.....and only have one climb under your belt......you're crazy:crazy1:

 

[chunkymonkeyjon]

weather man said 30 mph gusts up to fifty.

i know i'm already going to play it safe. its a cedar of lebanon, quite a big one too and very broad, so enough anchor points. just want to know if the branches will take my weight on top of a sussex breeze!? im not familiar with cedar i dont know much about it tbh not even what the wood is used for. if its like our scots pine i'll be sweet but if its anything like aspen or poplar... i'll be a fool to climb it.

any thoughts greatly appreciated chin chin!

 

[no tree to big]

Climbing in a 50mph wind??opcorn:.....and only have one climb under your belt......you're crazy:crazy1:

I think he means he's only ever climbed one cedar not one tree total... 30-50 mph and we for sure arn't climbing we might try some bucket work but its just not worth trying to climb something that is whipping around

 

[pdqdl]

I can't comment about the strength of that tree; we don't have them here.

I suspect you like the excitement of a windy climb. Many climbers are adrenaline junkies; I was once. I think it will be a bad idea.

Lots of wind really complicates any sort of trimming. The branches don't go where you aim them, the rope snags up on waving branches, and it becomes pure hell throwing a rope around or over a difficult branch.

Unless you simply have no targets anywhere close to your tree, I wouldn't do it. It's too much hassle, in addition to adding considerably to the risk of the job.

 

[chunkymonkeyjon]

great comments guys!

there is a fence near the tree so that would be tricky but within my capabilities. its always windy here on the coast so we're all kinda use to it really. with regards to my ropes i shall just have to throw them out of the way of the drop zone and tape sling in small sections for extra control and finish the cuts off with a silky saw for even more control as necessary.

i could always install the use of another rope as a tug line i guess for the banksmen to heave the section s in the right direction but i dont have any sort of idea on what cedar is like to climb.

relatively speaking, does it grow faster or slower than spruce or pine? I.E is it harder or softer than something like a sitka or maybe a nootka cypress?

j

 

[treemandan]

You will be fine. You'll get up there, tie in snug and find it quite cozy, in fact, after awhile you won't want to come down, you will just want to blow around and be blown around some more. And when you do come down you will feel like you are still blowin and being blow-ed.

 

[imagineero]

They're a pretty common tree in aus. They're a reasonably strong tree, and likely to hold your weight right out to the tips of branches so long as they have no defects. The holding wood is pretty awful though, they don't fold so hinges have little effect. If you're over a target dont rely on being able to swing or fold the branches, even a little. You'll need to rope everything.

Shaun

 

[BlackOakTreeServ]

right now there is a storm cyclone over my county, the gusts are pretty strong which for me usually isn't a big problem when it comes to climbing as i've climbed ashes and elms and oaks in all sorts of storms no worries at all. its a little more turbulent shall we say but nothing too bad, even in a force 9 (70 mph gusts)

tomorrow morning (7 hours time) i am to climb and reduce 2 limbs from a cedar, to which i have only ever climbed once, when it was in the summer, but only to remove dead wood

the winds are up to 50 mph tomorrow, the rain doesn't bother me but what are the properties of cedar like? i mean i know its a soft wood which usually means go for a more chunky anchor point than usual, but is the timber more brittle than fibrous or is it like elm... safe as houses?

care to shed some light on the scenario for your tree climbing brothers on the otherside of the atlantic?!

regards j

Lebanon cedars are not as britle as fragrance cedars, but still use cation when footlocking up one...use a good size branch for your TIP, then use 2nd TIP when in canopy.

Bring up rigging rope and put over branch above the one your cutting and lower it down, dont cut and throw, just tie off and lower...no worries

 

[chunkymonkeyjon]

Lebanon cedars are not as britle as fragrance cedars, but still use cation when footlocking up one...use a good size branch for your TIP, then use 2nd TIP when in canopy.

Bring up rigging rope and put over branch above the one your cutting and lower it down, dont cut and throw, just tie off and lower...no worries

today wet famously - the large sections were lowered down off the block and 8, the smaller stuff i step cut with a sling over, well out the way with one hand on the saw, one on the strop so was safe but too still time effective. thanks for everyone's feedback on this - it has improved my overall knowledge on the timber tendancies of trees so all good stuff

the job was to remove two limbs over a fence line, and with the weather for the day i thought it would be a long drag, but in the end, we were in and out within 4 hours so very good indeed spent the rest of the day tree boosting

jon