Please advise and old timer

[urbandekay]

Ok so which of the many systems do you find easiest for ascending into a tree, presumably one where you can use your legs to push you up?

[Marc]

Ok so which of the many systems do you find easiest for ascending into a tree, presumably one where you can use your legs to push you up?

 

I use a rope walker system, that involved me throwing a line high into the tree a and through a suitable fork or point I judge suitable enough to hold my weight, then pull a 10-11mm kernmantle line into the tree and tie it off at the base.

You will have to google rope walker system, although there are many variations of it and no 2 are the same apart from the basic concept.

 

I then use my legs with a pantin/foot ascendor on one leg foot loop on the other with 2 other ascendors attached to my harness to capture my progress, so most of the ascent into the tree is made with my legs much like climbing a ladder.

 

I'll have on my harness my main climbing line using a hitch climber, I've used all the systems out there and find a hitch climber system suits me fine (YouTube hitch climbers guide to the canopy) once I am up the top I'll tie in and unclip myself from the access system and ascend the short distance to my top anchor, for me getting to the top is the hard part once in the canopy the rest is straight forward.

 

And when you come back down its easy to go back up on the access line.

[urbandekay]

I use a rope walker system, that involved me throwing a line high into the tree a and through a suitable fork or point I judge suitable enough to hold my weight, then pull a 10-11mm kernmantle line into the tree and tie it off at the base.

You will have to google rope walker system, although there are many variations of it and no 2 are the same apart from the basic concept.

 

I then use my legs with a pantin/foot ascendor on one leg foot loop on the other with 2 other ascendors attached to my harness to capture my progress, so most of the ascent into the tree is made with my legs much like climbing a ladder.

 

I'll have on my harness my main climbing line using a hitch climber, I've used all the systems out there and find a hitch climber system suits me fine (YouTube hitch climbers guide to the canopy) once I am up the top I'll tie in and unclip myself from the access system and ascend the short distance to my top anchor, for me getting to the top is the hard part once in the canopy the rest is straight forward.

 

And when you come back down its easy to go back up on the access line.

 

Sounds a lot easier than foot locking, will have to look into this stuff, perhaps an old dog can learn new tricks

[James Atkinson]

spiderjack might be up your street, check these videos out

and thiis video shows how it all works

the second one is worth a full watch mate, hope it helps

[urbandekay]

Certainly looks impressive, more stuff to look into, thanks

[devon TWiG]

A lot of these things are great on large open crown trees but for most stuff in gardens , leylandii , western red cedar , lawsons , birch, oak etc or line clearance work a prussik/ blake hitch is fine . However if working on a big dismantle with lots of lowering etc they can be great , especially getting back up after dinner or on the next day ( if a big job ! I often used an ascender , clipped in to a Krab at arms length above me , with the rope over a high anchor point coming back down through the ascender , so all that is required is to pull on the rope beneath the ascender ( a good ... heavy groundsman ) can be very helpful , and a relatively effortless return to your top anchor point !!! I used something similar to what is now called a cambium saver ( home made ) many years ago but for the purpose of keeping my rope free of resin ( monterey pine , douglas fir etc ) also helped reduce friction on some awkward anchor points as well , always good to try different things but do not fall in to the gadget man , gear freak trap , unless you are happy to do so ... some are ...

Edited January 31, 2014 by devon TWiG

[Marc]

Certainly looks impressive, more stuff to look into, thanks

 

It is simple in the way you just put it on your line, a bit of a learning curve though. One of the guys I work for who is 56 and been climbing 37 years climbs on a spider jack, although to ascend he would use ladders then a prussik and once he has put in his pulley saver switches over to the Spiderjack.

He has just bought himself an access line and rope walker kit after watching all of us use it.

[mixedangased]

i just use a younger climber

dont work harder work smarter ,simples:thumbup:

[Andymacp]

Wow that spiderjack looks amazing, I do all my work on a prussik and do mostly big rigging dismantles. Just never seen anything else so never thought about changing. That could totally change my job!

[Marc]

Wow that spiderjack looks amazing, I do all my work on a prussik and do mostly big rigging dismantles. Just never seen anything else so never thought about changing. That could totally change my job!

 

Think you do big rigging dismantles? Look at Grahame from Sherbrooke tree services taking down 200ft+ Eucs on a prussik!

 

I think Spiderjacks, hitch climbers and rope wrenches come into there own on crown care jobs. If you have spikes on why use upper body strength?

 

To me the key to changing your style is to utilise different muscle groups, climbing on prussiks thrusting your way up is very upper body intensive, shoulders, elbows and wrists can suffer over time and take a long time to heal or get damaged permanently requiring surgery or retirement.