Arbtalk.co.uk | Discussion Forum for Arborists

climbing for gareth smith today at a old hall has some massive trees there this is 1 of a pair of copper beech that are both massive, they have some even bigger cedars lovely place, we were working on this monster beech tryed are best not to remove any more bark than already had been removed by the shed limb the ammount of wood off that branch alone filled gareths truck with just timber big job to remove it if ever the time came! wonderful tree! i climbed right to the tips cause i just had to its a good 75foot tall but probs 90 ft accross the crown.

That gano is well into this tree, youll be back for more clearing up before long.

I would have been a little more cautious regarding rigging point here, or removed myself from the vicinity on the loadings. There is a colomn of decay that is causing limb drops and the one remaining above the two that failed was not an obvious choice, be carefull lads, wanna see you come home!

I agree with Tony, that is a very poor choice of rigging anchor point (3rd pic).

Testcricket, look at your 2nd and 3rd pics. What does history tell us about that tree? history tells us that two large limbs the same size as the one your rigging off have broken out of the crown at different times.

This is fundamental stuff here, you've a lot to learn.

i choose to use that anchor ideally i could have gone right out that would have helped get it off the main stem and ripping the bark. i was happy with that anchor because it was close to the main stem with the fact it wasnt holding alot of weight off the anchor majority was on the ground, what would have been more acceptable was have a high rigging point on the main stem and then re directed off where i did it but i was more than happy with it as it was if im honest.

i hope not tony.... the drag is about 2 football pitches across a spotless lawn then through 2 tight gateways to get to the nearest access which is just big enough for a transit to get to i think a removal would cost many thousands we were chatting today me and gareth thinking what a job that would be fun to dismantle not to clear up lucky id be the climber

From the pics it's hard to tell, it could probably out live us all still, hopefully it's location means it can be left to do its thing.

Given you was not shock loading the anchor was probably all right like you said, but for an extra 10 minutes set up I would of probably anchored to the main stem higher and re directed of that point , why take chances if you do not have to.

Ageed

unfortunatly the side these limbs have been sheding is right next to the wall for the garden and that runs along a main road so if it goes it will completely block that road and hit a couple of houses and make a right mess of the tarmac but i reackon it will out live us all its a very cool tree

In the 3rd pic a simple back up would have been a redirect onto the main stem at just above the rigging point, hence lessening the bend ratio on that yellow pulley, and as a back up. I wouldn't like to be cutting under that big limb for sure!