Anchor point in willow

[Mark Bolam]

You can vertical load on pretty skinny stuff, but lateral loading on crack willows requires a chunkier TIP.

 

I use my waist size as a rule of thumb these days....

[bumble B]

This is where I find a large set of steps and a pole saw come in dead handy.

[Tom D]

I actually think crack willow is not that brittle compared with other willows, it is very chewy and peices hang on well.

 

Having said that I'd not tip to anything less than 4".

 

Here's a couple I dismantled, there is an aspen in the first part of the second vid.

 

YouTube - Tdtrees's Channel

 

YouTube - Tdtrees's Channel

[Neil Frost]

I did have my big tripod ladder with me, but only used it to get up to the main fork. I don't do enough climbing and after spending £120 on my first LOLER inspection I want to use my kit! Plus, it was a nice sunny day for a climb.

[Neil Frost]

Cool vids Tom.

[Paul Jenks]

£120 for a loler inspection is quite high.

Anyway, back to the topic. One of the tricks to branch walking on long sinous limbs is to focus as much of your weight down the line of the branch. (Easy when you have spikes on) This means you reduce the loading on the anchor point and have less chance of breaking the limb you're on. It takes quite a bit of balance and a lot of core stomach strength, but the resulting six-pack is worth the burn.

[Neil Frost]

Thanks for the tips Paul, my balance is pretty good being a bit of a shorta**e, low centre of gravity and all that. Hopefully the more climbing I do, the more the six-pack will emerge from winter hibernation beneath it's layer of fat!

 

When the guy said £120 my jaw nearly dropped, but to be fair he labelled up everything for me and recorded it and fixed a couple of items, so no dramas. Should be cheaper next time.

[arbogrunt]

In crack willows, I use two anchor points (two ropes if its a big one), that with your secondary should cover you for all but the most cataclasmic structural failure