Beginners climbing guide, hints, tips and general climbing techniques

[Adam Bourne]

Choice is yours really mate! I like petzl no matter one anyone says

[tree-fancier123]

good thread, hoping to do 38 soon, plenty of good advice here.

One thing I'm not up on, after rec climbing in local woods for a year or so, still unsure of best way to progress up a large branch/limb that grows some distance away from the main crown and has very few intermediate branches until near the top. I guess trying to install a separate line from the ground with a throwline into the top of the limb that branches far away from the crown would help walking up it. I understand that ascending this line from the ground would be dodgy because of the leverage. Even foothold webbing slings around the bare limb and choking the lanyard/line would allow progress in slow steps.

How is it done when it's going to pay the bills?

[Jake Andrews]

Basically swing as far as you can, grab the stem as high as you can, then shimy up until you can grab and stand on a branch. Doesn't look pretty but it works. The key is swinging as high as you can so you shimy less, can get very tiring. Tbh I might have to shimy maybe 4-5 a year so key is placement before leaping.

There are also other ways to do this but I find this to be fastest when your under the pump of a job. Of course all trees are different, but keep trying and it'll soon fall into place.

[tree-fancier123]

thanks, will try swinging for it, it's the shimmying bit that sounds difficult.

[Jake Andrews]

As said above, I very rarely have to do it. Yes shimmying is hard but unless you are climbing a stupidly hard tree shouldn't really come into it. Think if you have a suitable anchor point to get to said limb, making sure you have a strait line and free from limbs up top that get in your way. Another good way to learn is to see it be done and watch how people get around these problems. Most of us would have started as a groundsman or second climber and the guys we watched had a direct influence on how we climbed, just from watching thier style.

Maybe a rec climb or even watch an arb firm at work.

[Djvicke1]

I passed my CS38 about a month ago and have been practicing flat out as Ive got my CS39 coming up soon. There are 2 things i always struggle with... 1 is that when branchwalking or getting into a tricky work position where I'm turning away from the direction of my anchor point I worry about my carabiners slipping around and pulling on the connecting links of my bridge, I know its daft and probably just a mental thing but I just find it hard to turn away from my ropes and use both hands for holding/cutting, (especially when spread out over the end of a branch) Is it ok for your carabiners/harness?

 

The other thing I struggle with is on large trees with only a few branches where you have to pull yourself up through a V-crotch from hanging below it, any tips or should I just try and muscle up into it.

 

I might be starting on utility cutting soon so I guess a lot of these are things I will just learn by watching others as said above.

[Jake Andrews]

Either climb with 2 systems ( both ends of your rope) to throw upto the next branch or instal your rope higher from the ground so that your not put into that situation in the tree.

Either a throwline or a higher throw so you can stand on a brach below your anchor rather than hanging from a branch. For me the throwline is my best friend and never puts me I to your situation. Just takes lots of practice. Unfortunately that will be difficult for you if you go on utilities work.

[Djvicke1]

Either climb with 2 systems ( both ends of your rope) to throw upto the next branch or instal your rope higher from the ground so that your not put into that situation in the tree.

Either a throwline or a higher throw so you can stand on a brach below your anchor rather than hanging from a branch. For me the throwline is my best friend and never puts me I to your situation. Just takes lots of practice. Unfortunately that will be difficult for you if you go on utilities work.

 

Cheers for the advice Jake, Yeh I've started just getting better at throwing and realised it saves a lot of awkward strain on the elbows its just about finding the 'knack' of it I guess, practice makes perfect.

[foureyes]

Hi all,

 

Im wanting to do my cs38, i have no previous climbing experience. Is it stupid for me to just jump straight into it and pass based on the 5 days training?

[Dan Curtis]

Hi all,

 

Im wanting to do my cs38, i have no previous climbing experience. Is it stupid for me to just jump straight into it and pass based on the 5 days training?

 

No, as long as you're physically up to climbing and have a good trainer, you'll be fine