Extracting timber / logs from steep wood

[Stereo]

I've got a steep wood with lots of nice fallen timber at the top. Sweet chestnut and oak plus plenty of syc which needs thinning / coppicing. Access is impossible from either side and it's 1 in 3 at least. A hard trek on foot with gear to get to the top. I could, in the future put in a zig zag track for a quad or ATV but don't have the money at the moment and also don't have such a vehicle. I have a Hilux but that can't get anywhere near the firewood.

 

So, cheap or free ideas please? Zip wire? Log slide or something or is just a case of rucksacks full of logs?

 

Further question. I know oak logs will last the few years I need to get access sorted but if I have some big windblown sweet chestnuts (2 foot dia), am I better to log them and stack the logs or leave them lying until I can get a vehicle up there? I have little experience with it as a firewood so not sure how long logs will stand up. I assume a long time as it's used for posts etc.

[agrimog]

skyline and manpower, lot of work but gravity is on your side

[countrryboy]

Aye some sort of triple/double drum winch high lead system may work all u'd need is a tractor and winch and relatively easy to set up.

Skyline might work too but more complicated to set up and need some decent anchor points to attach ur skyline too and possibly stumps to attach guys from ur anchor point, it more complicated plus need a hgv to transport it in and out and probably not that cheap to hire

 

At a very basic level. If u can drag downhill and no damge/safety issues u could just about tie a rope on stems and drag them with ur pick up from the bottom. But can imagine that having safety and snagging issue's, will depend on the site

Personally i would be leaving in longer sections if manhandleable, i think a long section rather than the eqivalent ammount of logs, esp if ur going to be dragging with machinery

[doobin]

Chestnut lasts for ages.

 

There's no money in what you're trying to do however. Been there, got the T-shirt. Gardening pays much better.

[Charlieh]

Whats the other side of the top? I only ask as the amount of people that try and extract timber out the most difficult route rather than just asking their neighbours if they can cross their land? what sort of volumes are you looking at, as sometimes if its just for personal use it may be just cheaper to buy something in than spending on the kit/infrastructure for a small volume of firewood.

[Ty Unnos]

Portable winch?

 

Portable Forestry Winch - PCW5000 - Treadlight Forestry

[se7enthdevil]

if it's all for firewood cut them in to rings and roll them down the hill...

[IanW]

if it's all for firewood cut them in to rings and roll them down the hill...

 

 

I was thinking the same, cut them as long as what they are round and just bowl them down the hill

 

 

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[doobin]

I was thinking the same, cut them as long as what they are round and just bowl them down the hill

 

 

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Doesn't work in chestnut coppice.

 

About the only thing that's cheap and does work is making a slide out of dozens of half plastic barrels (with the tops and bottoms cut out). Tie them together with string so you end up with what looks like a cross section of a builder's skip chute.

 

Even then there's still no money in it. Buy a mower instead.

[Stubby]

Phone up the log merchant and get him to deliver whatever quantities you need split and seasoned . Will be cheaper and you can do something else to earn some wonga .....