Chestnut collapse whilst climbing.

[Graham]

I posted a thread recently re. Pleurotus on an Aesculus we were to fell and just wanted to check they were Pleurotus:001_tt2:

 

The tree is an old pollard situated in the corner of a cemetery. The crown was thinning with Psuedomonas present but looked stable. My intention was to set up a zip line to whizz small sections over the gravestones and reduce the drag to the chipper by 50m.

 

Climbing the tree to fix my anchor I noticed tiny brackets forming in pollard unions which I thought were Ganoderma spp. The tree felt ok on the climb so was not unduly worried.

 

I moved to the opposite side of the tree to fix the zip line high and it didn't feel right. I looked down to see movement in the pollard union and....craaaack I was swung into the centre of the crown. Pulled shoulder and grazed and bruised leg. In 30 yrs climbing it's the only tree I've made a grave misjudgement on its stability.

 

 

 

[MattJordan]

Jeez mate, Hope you mend soon. Could of been much worse. Glad it wasn't. Did the limb damage any stones?

[Graham]

Jeez mate, Hope you mend soon. Could of been much worse. Glad it wasn't. Did the limb damage any stones?

 

Thanks. Missed the lot:thumbup1:

[Big 'Ammer]

Glad you are ok and nothing broken.

 

It must have shaken you right up.

[Graham]

Yeah I'm fine but did have the shakes kick in later:001_smile:

[Dean Lofthouse]

Glad your ok Graham, next time dont bother with the zip line just park in the traffic light area and throw straight to the chipper

[Graham]

Glad your ok Graham, next time dont bother with the zip line just park in the traffic light area and throw straight to the chipper

 

Always use the easy way out but there just wasn't the room:thumbup:

[geoff]

Scarey stuff,glad your ok after that. Hope you had a spare set of yfronts in the motor!

[Stephen Blair]

dead chestnut is very brittol, unlike dead elm which is quite chewy and even hard as hell. If the chestnut has had leaf minor then it will be scary climbing, kick hard with your feet and cut off anything that you think is dodgy.

 

hope you are ok graham, just goes to show no matter how long you have done this job you can NEVER be 100% sure.

[Mark Bolam]

Crikey!

 

Glad you walked away from that one mate.

 

Lucky you swung back into the crown. Swinging away from it could have had grave consequences....