rigging/lowering for a beginner

[Alasdair]

hey all,

 

im looking for a bit of info on rigging and lowering,

 

i have never done either and have never seen either well that not true have seen something on the railways, basically the top was taken out a tree and the lowering rope was around another branch and the top was lowered to the ground via me and another guy is this good practise?

 

can someone explain the diff between lowering and rigging or is it just the same thing but called different names?

 

for someone who has never done it before which rope would you recommend? which thinkness, what knots are best? what lenght of rope? im talking about basics nothing fancy just plain old using the tree to get stuff on the deck.

 

i tried searching this info with the site search thing but got confused

 

is there any books or websites that could help me and is there anyway to practise with out cutting a tree to bits although i could use a couple of trees at my mums house to practise on.

 

would this stuff be good to start with? i used this as an example

 

http://www.honeybros.com/gbu0-prodshow/HB95-R.html

 

cheers folks

Edited March 6, 2009 by Alasdair
adding bits

[David Humphries]

All you need to know..........

 

http://www.treesource.co.uk/acatalog/info_258.html

 

 

http://www.treesource.co.uk/acatalog/Tree_Planting__Maintenance___Management.html

 

.

Edited March 6, 2009 by Monkey-D

[Jason James Gairn]

Hi Al, Rigging work is the pinicle of any climbers skill set. You need to have an experienced rigger show you the ropes (first time that's ever come up, although, once we got the tractor stuck in the woods, finally after 5 hours we got it going on harder ground, but there was 100m to go, I said "yes we're up and running, but we're not out of the woods yet" how we laughed. I am prone to the occasional Ronnie Corbet tangental digression. Sorry)

It doesn't get more technical than this Al, great that you want to take it to the next level, but ignore all arbtalk teachings on rigging and get your self an acourse or better still 1 to 1 experience with a top rigger.

The most interesting and exciting work often involves complex rigging solutions.

[Mesterh]

Just wrote a bleeding big reply and closed the bloody tab b4 posting:mad1:

 

Anyhow maybe be a bit shorter now!

 

Personally I think that rigging and or lowering whatever you want to call it can be one of the most dangerous operations we can do. Not only because of the danger to yourself but the groundstaff too if something goes wrong (and it can go wrong very very quickly!)

 

Do get it wrong and you can find a nice sized lump of timber or brash heading straight your way, or heading straight down with a broken top in toe!

 

I am deffo no expert at rigging so its well worth watching the vids by RCO to see how it can be done. Alot of his stuff is very technical and requires (I would imagine) years of knowledge and experience, so I wouldnt aspire to carrying out the same on your first attempt

 

It has to be worth having a look at some of the books listed to get some background knowledge but like everything there is no substitute for hands on experience, watching how a pro does it and getting the right training.

 

As for the rope you listed I would bother with it tbh have a look at something like this

 

http://www.abbeypro.co.uk/subprod/yale-lowering-ropes-0002420.aspx

 

 

The yale xtx-12 bull rope.

 

50M would be ample and with it not being a double braid it will be fine for natural crotch rigging so you wont have to buy a pulley etc.

 

I think thats about as much as I can remember writing in the first place.

[johnty]

Get yourself booked on a CS40 Section felling and lowering course. Its a bloody good course, even if you have done some lowering before it's always good to see diffrent things.

[Sciadopitys]

Get yourself booked on a CS40 Section felling and lowering course. Its a bloody good course, even if you have done some lowering before it's always good to see diffrent things.

 

CS40 is pruning operations, CS41 is sectional felling and dismantling operations!

[Jason James Gairn]

Get yourself booked on a CS40 Section felling and lowering course. Its a bloody good course, even if you have done some lowering before it's always good to see diffrent things.

 

Yea 41, Its very basic, I think there are training providers out there who can give a more contemporary and comprehensive course in modern rigging techniques. Maybe without NPTC accreditation. No slight towards assessors and trainers at NPTC. its the syllabus thats a little weak. IMO

[Tom D]

TBH I'd steer clear of cs41 until you've had some decent experience and are confident with a saw and a range of cuts. When I did mine some guys had just finished cs39 and were having to learn to do tricky branch walks and make accurate felling cuts as well as remembering all the rigging stuff. I didn't find out who passed and failed but as people have said its easy and very informative if you are aleready a competent climber but it can be tough for those who are less confident.

 

I don't mean to be disparaging about your climbing especially as I have never seen you climb, but I'd hate to see you splash out £800 on a course and fail it.

[Sciadopitys]

I did mine in the New Forest at Arborventure, it wasn't as much £800 if i recall correctly!

 

http://www.arborventure.co.uk

CS41 - 16th - 22nd June,

£700 inclusive of VAT and assessment.

 

Thats on the south coast, so should be cheaper in Scotland i would imagine! If you can get the basics in your head and you are a decent climber, you won't need a full weeks training anyway - think i did 2 days training, and did the assessment on the third day!

[Sciadopitys]

PS: What monkeyd said about that book - the art and science of practical rigging -he's spot on! Every Arborist should own a copy!