DdRT up; SRT down?

[Bath_tree_man]

Hi - client has asked me to leave the big twin standing stems on a mature ash reduction (looks like it has been heavily topped in the past and he wants all the newer growth clearing). Stems covered in ivy.

 

I climb DdRT. Won't have a problem getting up as I'm pretty sure there's a decent anchor point in the newer growth I'm removing (limbs certainly look thick enough but I'm conscious they may be weakly attached if it's been topped before).

 

Once I'm done (having cut off my anchor point) I need to get down (without ladders or spiking) and retrieve climbing line.

 

I only have fairly basic hitch climber set up (no SRT kit) and no ladders. Tree is alive and in a CA so I don't want to spike it (even though with ivy you'd never tell). Ring and ring cambium saver - don't think I can wrap it round stem to descend DdRT on hitch climber as presumably it wouldn't retrieve.

 

In my head, I'm thinking of tying into one of the stems with a choked alpine on main climbing line, descending the single working (choked) end of the line on a figure 8 with prussik, then pulling on the 'static' (is that the right word) end (i.e. the other side of the alpine) once on the ground to loosen up and retrieve it. Only problem might be getting it past all the ivy.

 

Should I also put a marlin spike and biner on the static end before the alpine in case it slips?

 

(I'll be lanyarded in round stem too - and probably left dangling by my Ds from a snag of tough old ivy if my main line fails.)

 

Hope that makes sense. Does it sound like that would work/best idea with limited kit? (I'm a new climber)

 

Thanks

 

Dan

[stihlmadasever]

You can move your anchor down as you decend.Choke off on the stem with a bowline and biner leaving a long tail,decend down to half way,lanyard in and push your kees against the stem,flick both ends of your rope bringing your anchor system down to you and repeat till your on the deck

[stihlmadasever]

Or hire a mewp and avoid all the hassle...

[TIMON]

You can move your anchor down as you decend.Choke off on the stem with a bowline and biner leaving a long tail,decend down to half way,lanyard in and push your kees against the stem,flick both ends of your rope bringing your anchor system down to you and repeat till your on the deck

 

 

Good luck doing that with ivy! 🙂

[Bath_tree_man]

Thanks stihlmadasever; didn't think of that. (Job wouldn't bear cost of mewp and no rear access to garden anyway.)

[stihlmadasever]

Good luck doing that with ivy! 🙂

 

I know timon..

Trim away the ivy at the anchor point obviously haha

[tree-fancier123]

Good luck doing that with ivy! 🙂

 

exactly - if it was a clear spar much easier, personally I would get my triple ladder and perch precariously, or if needs be climb above it.

£200 ladder and you're 25 ft up the tree, they don't often slip at the base on turf, the top is another matter, if you make it to the top you can tie it off while you work, maybe hire or borrow a ladder, depends how high your final cut to how useful a ladder is

[danthemanwhocan]

Hi. Im also a Dan from Bath.

 

Your making this way to complicated. I see 3 options if you cant leave your self some kind of anchor here and keep it simple:

 

1.cut ivy back. IT grows back

2. spike down only damaging the ivy

3. use s cambium saver or make one with a sling/strop and crab

 

 

Worse that can ever happen is you leave something behind, lowering of it.

In rock climbing it is done often. Use a rope doubled so you can pull it down. Its possable to absail without a special device to-Look up munter hitch.

 

Its worth thinking about these things as an escape plan if you are ever in the ****.

[Bath_tree_man]

Cheers. I'm aware of munter hitch and will learn it but oddly enough it's not taught on climbing course.

[danthemanwhocan]

well done. Not many have. I dont think youll need it in tree work but I think its better than the blake hitch with the climbing rope IMO. That was the hardest part of the course for me learning that bloody knot which I would never use.

 

Good luck with the job. Im sure youll find a simple solution,