Limb Walking - that old chestnut. (Oak in this case!)

[sime42]

Hello all

 

This question may already have been covered, but I can't find the exact answer that I'm looking for so I'm starting another thread. Apologies if I'm boring anyone!

 

I was recently doing a job that involved quite a lot of limb walking. It was a few Oaks that were seriously overhanging the house, the reason being that they were on the edge of a wood and south facing so most of the growth was in that direction. The customer wanted to removed some overhanging limbs to balance the trees up a bit as a large one along the same row had recently come down, (though luckily missing the house).

 

Without wishing to large it; I'm fairly competent at limb walking, i.e. don't have too much problem with balance and getting out on a limb by walking backwards, bracing against the lifeline and using branches as foot holds, especially since I was on a strong as Oak in this case. I also get the TIP as high and strong as possible.

 

My issue is what would happen if the limb I'm walking on was to break??? I worry about:-

a) swinging into the trunk and causing myself injury as the swing in would be significant

b) the broken limb dropping and causing damage (in this case to the house below)

 

In this kind of situation I normally look for a parallel limb above me to re-direct on and/or strop on to. If there is no such option then I strop on to the same limb on which I'm standing, to stop swing-in in case I lose my footing. In this case I worry that if the limb was to break I could potentially end up in a situation where both (A) and (B) were true, with me stuck in the middle with the weight of the broken limb trying to tear me apart!!

 

What does anyone else do on this kind of job?

 

The only half decent solution I can come up with is to have an extra long strop or the other end of the life line to a fixed point on the ground or a solid groundie. A good distance away from me out from the trunk, to control swing-in.

 

I'd like to know peoples thoughts on this please

 

It might look a less that impressive photo but it felt quite dodgy to me!

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[Fredward]

Looks tricky because there is not much of a foot hold, I'd walk out as far as I was comfortable, keep weight on main line and lie down instead of being on feet, lanyard around the branch you are on and use your arms to pull yourself out on the branch, and obviously pushing with legs if there is a foot hold. Its called the rat scratch! As long as you keep as much weight on the main line as possible and you lanyard into the limb to hold your position, theres no way it should break.

[Fredward]

I stole this picture from another thread on the 'rope runner' and he is using SRT, but this is the stance you should be looking for if you want to get further out on a limb like the one pictured above. He is lanyard into another branch, but you could be tied into the branch you are on so long as you keep weight on the main line.

 

[Old Mill Tree Care]

Looking at the picture, you should not have a problem with branch snapping when you are out in a pruning position.

As you gain more experience you'll improve your technique but also learn how much a branch can bear.

Also, don't branch walk backwards. By going forwards on the way out you can hold onto branches for stability.

[Arran Turner]

Good anchor and good rope angle. A long lanyard always helps, keep your weight in you line also.

 

If it does snap on the rare occasion. Enjoy the swing as after that it will be a bit crap

[skc101fc]

Believe me if and when it does fail the rat scratch with the saw working out in front is a really cack position to be in . Pendulum swing into trunk, disorientated and unable to fend off with the legs leads to big impact. I've kept reviewing what I did and could I have done different, but still haven't found an alternative. Tieing in to the limb I was on was the only other possible and thankfully I didn't. Smashed ribs and knackered thigh ligament was bad enough without being garrotted in half by the falling limb.

[Andrew Gale]

It's been mentioned but a high, sound anchor point and a good long lanyard will help tremendously; look at re-directing your climbing line to reduce the swing if and when it fails.

 

Also take a couple of slings with you for increasing the foot holds, larks hitch it around the branch and hey presto a foot hold where none existed.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Mmmmmmm, Oak, at least there is confidence (notwithstanding defects) in a good strong timber, might be a bit more dicey with Ash for example....

 

Just a thought, haven't found a circumstance where I've considered using it but interested in what others might think, what about a system of support to the branch you are walking on rigged to a stronger branch above? Granted, it wouldn't prevent the branch tip beyond the support system from breaking, but it could perhaps ameliorate the potential of the branch failing at the stem union.

[Andrew Gale]

I also forgot to say have you considered the use of a tracked MEWP where you think the tree is defective enough to fail when branch walking?

 

The photo looks like it's in the back garden but a 14m tracked Hinowa mewp can fit through a pedestrian gate and as such the branch can be removed safely and efficiently.

[Arran Turner]

Another option, climb it SRT and use redirects to reduce pendulum swing