CS38 pole climbing best practise advice please

[Paul73]

Long ago when I was a gardener my employer sent me on a climbing course so I could do their trees. Spikes were not part of CS 38 in those days and I had never been on the internet at the time so when I needed spikes I just bought a pair, had a go and figured out how to use them.

 

Fast forward a long way and I have a successful tree surgery business and I need to prepare some guys for the CS38 quiz. While I must be getting close to having spent 10,000 hours on spikes without even a minor scare, I also could, for all I know, have some bad habits that might not go down well on an NPTC quiz.

 

So guys I would be really glad to know what is current best practise for a candidate for this test. Ideally if you are an NPTC assessor it would be great to hear from you but anyone who has taken the test recently or who teaches it would be good to talk to too.

 

In particular I am interested to know what is best practise for building top anchors in the rescues and what is best practise in for a candidate to protect himself on the way up (how best to back up the flip line so it is not your only security). A link to diagrams would be great but also just an explanation of what methods of anchoring and protecting oneself are permissible would be very welcome. I don't want to be inadvertently teaching anyone to cut corners.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Paul

[TheHungrySquirrel]

When I did my 38 we had a flip line and also a Prussik with a choked line around the stem as a back up.

 

Top anchors for rescue was a sling with a pinto.

[Riggerbear]

Hi Paul,

On a pole, your anchor should be a sling choked on itself with 2 karabiners positioned 'back to back' with gates opposite each other to minimise the chance of accidental opening or 2 rings like the ones on a harness bridge choked on the sling and then the sling choked on the stem.

As regards adding to the flip line, you can use your climbing line around the stem, crossing it if you wish or tie a running bowline around the stem, with a prussik onto you bridge and advance the system as you move up the stem.

Hope this makes sense

[WesD]

https://www.frjonesandson.co.uk/products-page/climbing-equipment/climbing-aids/cambium-savers/teufelberger-12mm-sirius-multisaver/

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

[WesD]

This is a great bit of kit for a pole rescue post 3 is on the money for climbing and ascending using flip line and lifeline.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

[Paul73]

Thanks guys. This is just what I was looking for.

 

So just to make sure I understand please, Riggerbear, when you say the top anchor is "a sling choked on itself" does that mean put the sling round the stem at least a couple of times and then put one end through the other in a sort of "giant Klemheist knot" before back to backing two carabiners on the loop that is left free?

 

I am presuming that both the rescued and the rescuer set up similar top anchors and both stay on all throughout the rescue and that no one is worried about anchors having to be retrievable from the ground.

 

As to the climbing up the pole are you saying that they could climb with a flip line and their normal climbing system clipped round the trunk as a back up -the running bowline choker and prussic to the bridge or the crossing of the climbing line may be a good idea on a scary stem but they are not obligatory?

 

Cheers,

 

Paul

[Riggerbear]

Just once around the stem with the sling is enough, choke it and then like you say clip into the bit that's hanging down.

As regards backing up the flip line, you need a second point of attachment using either method.

With the running bowline method, it allows descent without the need of installing a false anchor.

Pm if you wish if you have any other questions.

[Joe Newton]

Just once around the stem with the sling is enough, choke it and then like you say clip into the bit that's hanging down.

As regards backing up the flip line, you need a second point of attachment using either method.

With the running bowline method, it allows descent without the need of installing a false anchor.

Pm if you wish if you have any other questions.

 

 

Do you need a secondary attachment if you're not cutting?

 

A pulley saver/ropeguide works really well.

[Riggerbear]

2 is always better than one, especially when you may need to pass a obstruction such as a limb and have to do a change over of systems. When I'm training new candidates I always make them have 2 points of attachments, simply to keep them safe.

[Joe Newton]

2 is always better than one, especially when you may need to pass a obstruction such as a limb and have to do a change over of systems. When I'm training new candidates I always make them have 2 points of attachments, simply to keep them safe.

 

 

Obviously you'd have a lanyard and main line.

 

Thought you were saying that when spiking up to the casualty you had to have your lanyard backed up with your mainline.

 

Back when I did mine, it was spike up beneath the casualty, (didn't need your mainline tied to the stem), set up false anchor above casualty, proceed as usual.