help with spurs in ash?

[normandylumberjack]

I have just got a pair of distel gecko spurs and to be fair no expert with spurring, but have had a bad day with the gaffs slipping out, and also tearing the bark off the tree. The result was face in tree trunk, and some very bruised ribs.

 

Can anyone advise me, as its really knocked my confidence. The stem was about 15", Ash, lanyard not flip line as i dont have a flip line.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Le Sanglier]

Lean back, oh and buy a wire core flipline. It's really not difficult. keep at it.

[MATTMOSS]

relax, lean back, be confident, Practice.

[colemanjessenz]

what gaffs do you have on the geckos ?.

lean back on your lanyard , dont be to close to the pole and before you cut make sure you kick in nice and hard and also dont take big steps up the trunk , just small ones.

just keep at it and everything will get better as you get more comfortable with spiking

[simong]

When i first started using spikes, i think i used to be too close to the stem, spikes used to slip out, but lean back a bit more now - no probs, ensure spikes are sharp too,

[Pete Mctree]

As been said lean back & relax. You should try & keep approx an arms length distance from the stem. Will seem weird at first.

With the geckos try not to stamp you foot in, they have a narrow tip & usually seat in with little more than body weight. Hope this helps

[Jdtrees]

Had a similar moment a few weeks ago on an ash, was tired at the end of a long day and didn't kick in hard enough- when I stepped up the gaff just peeled a strip of bark and I shot down about 12 feet before I managed to stop myself (cracking bruises on the right forearm, bicep and chest). Like you say, gives the old confidence a bit of a knock!

 

To try and feel a bit more comfortable I passed my lanyard from the right leg D (climb in a treemotion) round the left side of the stem then round to the left D in a figure 8 pattern. Figured if I lost my gaffs again I wouldn't go far as the lanyard chokes onto the stem. Haven't fallen on to this, just hung gently, but it could be a bit hard on the knackers!

 

No doubt there's some reason why this is a terrible idea but it worked for me until the elvis leg went away. Its like the falling off the horse thing- just have to get back on.

[burrell_]

bloke that told me how to spike he said the first thing u must do is not to hug the tree

he said u should leave just enough room between u and the stem to s**g ur miss

not only that he told me if i did get up the tree he would kick my back side from the ground to the top of the tree

and wire core can make things easier

found this hope it helps u out

Edited February 5, 2013 by burrell_

[Pete Mctree]

I was lucky to have a lesson form a guy called Eric Schatz - here he is teaching Dave

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJJUTu-plYQ]Eric Schatz Flipline Demo - YouTube[/ame]

[RopeKnight]

For me I imagine the spur is the chisel point and hip-knee to ankle as the handle and when all things are lined up the chisel/spur point drives into the tree.

Its all about angles and seems to me hip lanyard and tree and body needs to be at plus or minus 45 degrees.

once the angles get further away or to close to close, the chisel looses effect.

Cheers