ART ropeguide safe?

[Ewan Murray]

I know a guy who had his anchor point fail and fell i think it was 40ft and was hospitalised for 2 weeks, he has lost most movement in his left arm and was told he was lucky to live. He struggled to understand why it happend when he done everything right really knocked him.

[Heads up]

All this talk of anchor points etc has got me thinking.

 

Has anyone had, or known of an anchor point to fail?

 

Seen it happen, squirrel damage under ivy. Had a few crack but not give way myself. The weakest part of a climbing system is the tree and their pretty damn strong most of the time.

[scottythepinetree]

Seen it happen, squirrel damage under ivy. Had a few crack but not give way myself. The weakest part of a climbing system is the tree and their pretty damn strong most of the time.

 

Had exactly the same thing happen to me. Luckily I only fell a few feet into a large crotch below. Couple of bruised ribs and a swollen wrist but nothing serious. Was 40' up at the time. Am more careful on ivy covered trees now because of it. Rope in to the biggest thing I can find on the way up, and clear all ivy off my high anchor before starting work.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Ive had one anchor fail, it could have been very very serious. I was pushing working for a firm who shall remain nameless (god help those there) it was a very tall line of overgrown Leyland headging the tall skinny poles of regrowth (40ft long) above a 20-30ft old reduction point. Using one pole as an anchor and running along the length of the hedge at the desired cut point the old headge line at the far end of the reach with my anchor rope at approximatley a 45 degree angle the anchor stem failed at the union.

 

I was free falling down the gaps in the trees till the pole of growth i was anchored in settled on top (inline with) the hedge and i came to a stop 10ft or so from the deck.

 

At this point I decided to pack up and go home (7pm roughly) and phoned my boss at the time to say so, he was foaming at the mouth (usual thing for this breed) and most disgruntled by my having not completed the job.

 

suffice to say that was one of my closet near misses and a lesson learnt indeed.

[White Noise]

Anyone climb off a pulley say something like a stainless steel ISC . I,ve used one on a few trees and have also climbed off the petzl rescue pulley which has been anchored to the tree via a rated endless sling . Bit more chunky but makes me more confident

[StevenIbelings]

I was told in one of Noddy's splicing courses that dyneema has a melting point of 70c that really made me lose confidence in the smaller slings. I know guys that use them as friction prussics on redirects and loopees. too much friction could get to 70c?

just make sure you check your gear daily and loler it weekly then get someone to do it 6 monthly to stop the paranoia kicking in.

 

thats when the strength lost occurs...

[onelab]

This is all a good eye opener.

 

TBH I'd become a bit complacent with ivy (swear at it a bit from time to time ) but don't really strip back the ivy on anchor points, or check for squirrel damage