Spiking

[jaime bray]

I used to use some blue komet spikes but they were horrendous so avoided spiking as much as poss.

 

I recently bought some spikes, cant remeber the name and it isnt written on them, they are carbon fibre and in black with velcro strapping.Approx 220 quid to buy.

 

I had used them on conifers and other trees of an upright nature but never on a broader tree to be took down before.

 

They do not fit as snuggly under the boot as others appear too and i found that i couldnt climb as poorly (hehe) as i can without them on. they protrude about inch or so from my boot sole and cause slippage.

 

Am i wearing them wrong or is this common with this type of design?

 

Also, is there a thread on spiking and are there any tips available.. or should we set up a new thread. i found myself climbing completly differently in them and made me question was i going about it incorrectly.

 

My anchor point was high in the crown and i was sectioning down a stem that lent out with delicate ornaments underneath in need of avoidance so couldnt just cut and drop too easily, this made my supplementary anchor on the stem awkward too.

 

When you spike is your side strop/supplementary line 90degrees to the stem or do you have it as horizontal and level as you can. When it was 90 degrees with the stem it seemed to drop away from me and the spikes felt more inclined to cause me to slip as i leant in to move strop up or down, but when it was horizontal my line was nearer to my cuts. Due to the bulkyness of the spikes I couldnt get my foot into many of the branch forks either.

 

Is there a minimum distance you cut too your lines when sectioning down?

 

If this is basic and novice stuff then apologies but I feel im doing something wrong when spiking in broad canopy takedowns.

 

Thanks

Edited December 14, 2012 by jaime bray

[colemanjessenz]

keep at it , the more you wear them the less all these problems will worry you , after you get comfortable in spikes you will see the benifits and i dont think theres a minimum distance when your flipped in , just dont cut through your line

[will.morris]

Try to keep fairly upright leaning against your strop, lots of people stick their arse out too much when on spikes and that affects how the spikes sit in the wood.

 

You should have you strop/flipline at about waist height when cutting and cutting well above it (not so high your cutting inline with your head though obviously ). People may say differently but I always cut at about chest height when chogging, I used to cut down lower but an old boss said not to because I'd be at more risk of falling onto the saw if I gaffed out.

 

People have different opinions when it comes to spiking, I personally only wear them when I have to as to me they get in the way a lot .... other people love being out to spike on the limbs, each to their own

[graw]

Yea agree with all that,used to hate spikes, now use them almost every day,just a case of getting used to using them i think,but will admit still rather climb without them.No chance of that for a while tho,spiking icy poles in sweden

[slack ma girdle]

Try them with pole gaffs, rather than tree gaffs. Pole gaffs are shorter so your boot is in contact with the stem. This gives you more support and less wobble. The only downside is they are no good for trees with Ivy.

[Marc Lewis]

As will m said, lean back on your lanyard.do not try and get to close (hug) the pole as this increases the likelihood of gaffing out.

[morten]

I guess you have a pair of Gecko Distel spikes like these: Distel Gecko carbon fibre climbing spikes, Velcro straps | F R Jones and Son

 

Du they have velcro or leather straps around the ankles?

 

If velcro: Tighten it up as tight as you can around the boots, or change it to leather straps.

 

If Leather: Try wrapping the leather strap one turn around the carbon fibre shaft. That will stabilise the spikes much better to the boots. Depending on the length of the leather strap and the size of your boots, you may need a longer leather strap.