when to climber says let it run...................

[Czlowiek Drzewo]

The LET IT RUN!!! Taking down 80ft sitka spruce the other day..rigging it all down. First cut taking out large head...groudsman held it tight.

 

I smacked my face of the stem as i got a mouth full of sitka .. got thrown all around..face hurting today.

 

So when the climber tells you what to do..pay attention and do what he asks please.

[Mark Bolam]

Very important, but sometimes awkward for groundie holding a biggish lump.

 

The worry is once you let it run you won't get it back under control. We've all approached the tree at frightening velocity once or twice!

[Peter]

Perhaps you should have cut it a bit smaller. Contract climbing has taught me to never be overly reliant on the abilities of an unknown groundie. Besides, running rigging ropes well is not that easy.

[Mozza]

I had more or less the same thing in work the other day, I was on the ground and my TEAM LEADER was on the lowering rope, Ive been grounding 10 years and new what was gonna happen, so i said to my TEAM LEADER, Let this run for a good 2 metres maybe abit more, He thought he knew best and kept it tight, The poor lad, 80ft up a pop got thrown about like a rag doll, Luckily not really hurt, a few bruises the day after and abit stiff!!!

 

After a bit of a heated discussion, I assured my team leader that just because hes a team leader it doesnt mean he knows it all!!

[Steve Bullman]

agree with pete. a piece big enough to do what you describes must have been a pretty sizeable chunk....id need to know as near as 100% how capable my groundy was before taking a piece of such size

[MasterBlaster]

Perhaps you should have cut it a bit smaller. Contract climbing has taught me to never be overly reliant on the abilities of an unknown groundie

 

You dang skippy. Most of the time they barely know what they're doing. It'll take longer, but you won't have to kiss the tree.

[Czlowiek Drzewo]

agree with pete. a piece big enough to do what you describes must have been a pretty sizeable chunk....id need to know as near as 100% how capable my groundy was before taking a piece of such size

 

I wasn't taking out a Massive head. Just enough weight on it so it would run with 1 wrap.

[josharb87]

"when a climber says let it run . . . . . . . . "

 

it dont mean let go and run away either!

[scotspine1]

Martyn,

 

got some video footage somewhere of a trainee groundie's first attempt at rigging a small top and some sections out, also got footage of the first day you worked for me as a groundie letting the pieces run, will dig it out and post soon.

[Andy Collins]

A groundies perspective!

 

I've worked with one or two climbers of varying skill levels in my time, some of whom are easy to work with, and the whole job flows well, Others are soo full of their own importance that they dont need to listen to advice from below. Many factors can make lowering uncomfortable for the climber. Mis-reading the weight of the load, and over-compensating with an extra wrap is the easiest mistake. I trusted a climbers judgement once, and couldnt brake the load on a Hobbs block with 5 wraps, the piece just whizzed down out of control, taking my gloves off in the process, it was too heavy!! More patience and communication is often required between climber and groundie. Give the groundies time to clear the "hole" at the base of the tree, they often have more work to do than the climber!! As a climber, make sure the groundie can see you clearly, and hear you, most mistakes are down to poor communication. Oh, and dont forget to clear stubs that will snag the rigging on descent, saves a lot of grief later on.

So the secret is surely to communicate, practise and plan ahead, not just charge in blindly assuming all will be fine.