Spiking up a pole with mainline choked off

[stihlmadasever]

You can always spike back down, or improvise & place a munters on a krab below the prussic. Sometimes an over reliance on gadgets can slow the job down & fatigue you. A cambium saver whilst working I understand, but whilst ascending?

 

Obviously its not for experienced climbers who are confident spiking up with a flipline or lanyard but for a relativley new climber it might help.

[Pete Mctree]

I will agree to disagree as I don't get your logic

[Old Mill Tree Care]

The running bowline will function the best. I think it is irrelevant that you cannot release the prussic, as it is not a working system in that configuration. It is just there as a backup if you slip.

 

 

Yes it is a working system if you have to get out the tree in a hurry. That's the whole point of it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

[Marc]

Obviously its not for experienced climbers who are confident spiking up with a flipline or lanyard but for a relativley new climber it might help.

 

I hated spiking when I started out but there is merit in persevering and learning to spike confidently without having to advance cambium savers, as Pete says sometimes over complicating things can actually lead to more fatigue and time spent on spikes.

 

The simplest methods are usually best and a choked mainline with running bowline is simple and works you may not be able to bail in a hurry but usually you will not need to, and if you do there are quick ways around it - you have spikes on these can take the weight off the hitch to release it and descend bit by bit

 

I have gaffed out a few times up thick and thin poles, the reality is after you rarely fall far.

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

We were discussing this at work the other day, spike up a conifer with flipline and main climbing line, clean off brash on the way up. If climbing up a bare pole then I just use my flipline on its own until I reach the branches and the I will tie in my climbing rope either to a branch above my head if a suitable branch exists or looped around the stem below my wire core flip line (wcfl).

 

I was taught to just have the mainline around the tree. If gaffs kick out, I'm sliding down the tree. I am assuming you are using a wcfl as well? If you do slip your flip line will stop you quickly if being used correctly.

 

Boss was saying he leaves stubs for this reason. I don't like this solution as you then have to cut again on the way down, or worse, groundie has to clean off the chogs. I never leave stubs as they can be a real pain when dropping or lowering branches and can snag climbing lines and lanyards. I believe that people who leave stubs lack confidence in their equipment/technique.

 

The other climber was saying how he'd been taught to tie off his main climbline with a running bowline. Seems neat, but now you've got your full weight on prussik / zigzag / hh w/vt designed for a 2 to 1 mechanical advantage, so likely won't work brilliantly either. I dont think this is necessary if using the technique I describe above.

 

Did a search on the forum and saw some suggestions for adding in a figure of eight to descend, but can't really picture how that would work.

Just as you would normally use a figure eight I presume? But why bother it's more unnecessary clobber.

 

 

I trust this is of some help.

 

Climb safe.

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

Sorry my response to your post is interwoven with your quoted original post. But I am sure you worked that out!

[IVECOKID]

Bowline and figure 8 , prussik clipped to leg on harness has a backup ...... fly up and fly down

 

 

Ste

[White Noise]

Lol yeah was just an example of a top anchor point on a pole to allow for quick descent in a 'i need a cuppa' scenario.

 

Always better to be safe than sorry

[Blah]

Sorry my response to your post is interwoven with your quoted original post. But I am sure you worked that out!

 

I did thanks

[Blah]

Bowline and figure 8 , prussik clipped to leg on harness has a backup ...... fly up and fly down

 

 

Ste

 

So this is what I'd love see a picture of, if anyone has one handy. Does the prussik just go below the fig 8?

 

Why does the prussik go to the harness leg?