Does it matter which way your ascend?

[warren]

Inexperienced (but not a virgin) with srt here so maybe a dumb question.

 

Every video I've seen regarding base ties shows tying the anchor line down the back of the stem (not worried about cutting base anchors here) and then ascending the free end that is potentially dangling in the middle of the canopy.

 

The other day someone threw his line in, then tied the tail of his rope as the base anchor and then ascended up the trunk ( the base anchor effectively went up the outside of the tree and the climbing end back down the trunk). We double man bounce tested the system before he climbed so it was ok.

 

It's the first time I've seen it done that way... Is that normal? Or horses for courses? 

 

[jfc]

Hi,

 

Wouldn't you be bashing into the trunk all the time doing that. One of the good things about SRT is being able to ascend unobstructed and quickly. Apart from that i can't think of any reason it is a bad idea. I am not an srt expert though.

 

All the best,

 

jan.

 

 

[arborlicious]

Depends on the job and the tree.

 

Head up the trunk if you need to prune branches as you go–and can do so without installing additional rigging at the top.

 

From a physics point of view the force on either end of the rope is the same.

[Jake Andrews]

Doesn’t matter which side you ascend. Just go up th route where your final anchor or task is.

Also, don’t bounce test anchors. This can weaken branch and potentially break when your ascending. Simply apply two persons weight on the anchors in a static pull. Don’t jump up and down on the rope. Make sense?

[adamkaye123]

If his rope went out and through a lot of branches before he tied it off this way actually works to take some of the stress out of your top anchor point as the pressure is distributed across the other limbs and crotches his base anchor side of his rope went through on the way down. Hope that helps