Footlocking

[countryboypa31]

Ok...that's the technique the young-buck at work showed me. He tied off one end of his crotched line then used an ascender and footlocked up the other side.

 

Thanx for the clarification.

 

I'd like to try it, but I would rather not have to tie off my line.

 

You can always just put a running bowline on your line and run that up to the TIP, this way you can untie it yourself with out having to rely on a groundy to untie it for you. Or just take another line up with you and leave the access line in.

 

I personally footlock about 99% of the trees i prune. Love it, i use the kong double ascender. Works like magic.

[skyhuck]

I never said i was kidding and i never said i wasn't. I also never mentioned what kind of work i do.

 

Funny how the accusations start flying

 

about 99% of the trees is bless with my presence are left as a stump. The company i work for are known for removals and normally horrible ones at that.

 

Jamie

 

accusations???????????????????????????

[Jamie]

ok, accusations was the wrong word.

 

funny how people can read between the lines.

 

I've got this thing for stirring the **** sometimes

 

Jamie

[Mike Hill]

Thats quite alright,I never "spike" any trees I'm pruning.Instead I wear "pruning aides" strapped to my feet and calves,upon decending the Tree I apply "pruing balm" aka Brown Boot pollish to the the "pruning aid" marks.This is after I have painted all my cuts ofcourse.

[skyhuck]

Thats quite alright,I never "spike" any trees I'm pruning.Instead I wear "pruning aides" strapped to my feet and calves,upon decending the Tree I apply "pruing balm" aka Brown Boot pollish to the the "pruning aid" marks.This is after I have painted all my cuts ofcourse.

 

I hope those cuts you paint are flush.

[Jamie]

all my cuts are as flush as, it saves doing them when the stick is down.

 

jamie

[Sciadopitys]

I am fairly new to footlocking. An instructor used to tell me to practice, practice, practice and i would reap the rewards eventually! I practiced and simply couldn't do it for months. I now climb in USA in PA were chainsaw protection isn't a requirement for arborists footware so i can wear any boots i like in the tree. I am wearing some fairly cheap boots, good grip and flat sole. I have absolutely no problem getting a good lock on a double rope or single rope! (My main problem is holding my weight if i miss a lock! I feel like my forearms are gonna explode by the time i reach 50ft!! I reach the canopy a lot quicker then body thrusting but i need to rest for 5 minutes before beginning work!)

 

Has anyone else experienced this problem footlocking with chainsaw boots? Are there any good boots with chainsaw protection that suit footlocking? Cos i wish i could bring these boots back to UK and climb in em!! but i suppose chainsaw protection is there for a reason! Has anyone ever heard of accidents to feet whilst working in a tree canopy??

 

When footlocking a double line i used a long loop with a klemheist knot (and remember to take up my figure 8 with me for descents!) I have also been using a couple of petzl acsenders clipped together with a carabiner and secured to my harness with a rated webbing sling and footlocking the single line in SRT. I find this very useful in dense canopies when isolating a crotch proves difficult - just fire up a line, and tie one end around the base of the trunch with a running bowline with Yosemite tie-off, and climb up the other end with the ascenders by footlocking the single rope! Once up there lanyard in and set up your traditional system! You can leave the single line in as a rescue line in case of emergencies! It is worth mentioning i think that when using this method be careful when you almost reach the crotch your rope is overt, cos if you climb over that crotch, you'll fall out the tree!! and also when using this method care is needed when selecting a crotch, because you are subjecting it to twice the load of your weight as one end of the rope is secured to the tree!!

 

Sorry this is long - got carried away!! Look forward to reading some feedback and seeing if anyone esle in UK uses SRT. I never did til i came to USA.

 

Ed

[Joe Newton]

Sorry to revive an old thread here for one little question, but I suppose its better than starting a new one.

 

I've recently been thinking about footlocking since I spent about an hour trying to isolate a limb in a pretty tall lime with my throwline.

 

I eventually got up there, and as I got my anchor point set up the job was called off because the wind was becoming ridiculous.

 

Once down I decided to leave a throwline in the tree rather than risk leaving my rope in for when we returned to the job. Not sure how but my throwline seperated from my climbing line and now I'm left starting from scratch with no anchor point.

 

I don't want to faff around for another hour trying to isolate the limb (again) with the throwline, so my plan is this:

 

Fire the throwline over the highest limb, dont bother with isolating it, and just tie it off at the bottom, and footlock up a single line. Once up there strop in, and ask my groundy very nicely to untie my main line from the bottom.

 

To cut a long story short (even though I'm way past that point) can anyone see any problem with this? Footlocking with a klemheist up a single line?

 

I'm pretty sure it sounds fine in my head, but I don't want to be 80' up when I realise a problem.

 

If anyone has the patience to read through this on a monday afternoon than I thank you. Any input would be welcome!

[Rupe]

Not a great plan! Klemhiest on a single line is not good.

 

Footlocking on a single line is not good either unless you are very strong in the hands and can grip a single rope.

 

The tying off at the base of the tree is fine though, thats how SRT works, so there are lots of SRT methods you could use up that single line, but if your hooked on footlocking (and only have gear for that) then simply pull a doubled line up with the first non isolated line that you are tying off at the base. That way you have a double line hanging in isolation in the tree without having to isolate the throwline which can be tricky in Limes as you know very well! Needs 2 ropes though.

 

Also, if your footlock line is long enough, just pull one end about 10-12 feet through the top anchor point (enough rope to tie off at the base) then get the other end of youy line and tie to the bottom end of the bit thats hanging in the tree, then continue to pull the line through down to the base and tie it off. You now have double rope hanging in the tree with a single section of same rope coming down to the base and tied off.

[colemanjessenz]

its good practise to isolate limbs mate:thumbup1: it would be pretty rough footlocking over ten metres on a single line id say .

 

how ever much more spent isolating is and investment into your skills.

 

if you can do it on a single line and it works for you mate , go ahead , just be mindful of base tying esp if its your working line with a bit more strech all the bouncing with twice the weight is something to be mindful of:biggrin: