RC0

We rigged out a big fir with a fractured top last week. Heavy limbs 1ft x 30 ft many of them. I had a double ring high up around the main stem, and then ran the line to another single ring level with the first sling by about 3 foot out on a limb to direct the loads away from the stem and hang on the road side. With a block it would be 2 wraps or minimum one and a half on the 3001 bollard....but as it turned out the ground worker did everything with one wrap....which surprised me actually. But by spreading the friction in such a way was reassuring as i couldn't tell the extent of the fracture, and we were hanging some big limbs up there. In theory it might sound like a lot if fuss about nothing....but when you use them the benefits become much more apparent, as does the ease of which the ground worker can smoothly control the decending limbs and logs. With lighter stuff where with a block you might still need a half turn on a bollard, a set of hands with usually suffice.

Thanks. Adam, yes I did get a go pro in December. I'm not wearing or using it in the pics though, so how did know ? Darrin, it was a little over a hundred years old. can you rephrase your other question, I'm not sure what you mean ?

Some pics of a big log coming down this afternoon. Measured at 75ft laying down.... I actually thought itd be about 10 ft shorter. Huge limbs on this tree before hand, for a single stem....up to 30 ft long. We used the mini loader to ferry and create the chip pile there to cushion the blow to the lawn.

Feast your eyes. Pm me to pre-order

Derail all you want mate. How slow is it ? You getting a couple days a week in at least ?

You're slow, or work is slow ? Do people surf on the east coast Ben ?

I quoted/addressed Tims post earlier. Didn't solve anything, but I addressed it. Use my first name by all means. The forum name has no relevance really. I just used it when the forum started, and left it alone thereafter. I'd say, relevant enough:001_smile: hoes that ? Some situations/trees more than others. I've had my share of heart stoppers over the years. So, if it gives me an extra margin, it's better than no margin. When you're up there alone making that back cut is usually the time when you're glad you did. And I should say, none of this is news, or new ground....but the x rings/slings lend them selves very well to the predicament, while before the options weren't so good.

Well hopefully that'll change soon enough.

The principle is the same, sure. But here you have much greater strength, and durability....modern material like you say. Smarter. I've seen enough polypropylene ropes and slings snap, buckled thimbles to recognize it as progress. Plus the availability of various configurations to suit your needs. Not that you couldn't have your own thimbles and polyprop custom spliced....but why would anyone ? I'm not trying to sell the rings. The thread title is 'thoughts'....and my thoughts are that they can potentially offer a significant margin of climber safety over blocks. I'm speaking purely from my own experience and observations of course.

Tim you'd have to factor that in, in such a scenario if there were no other option. There is no assumption by rope manufacturers that climbers are using the shock absorbing qualities of a line to its full potential when they stamp a WLL on a line. It's up the workers to do their own calculations to stay within those limits. On the video clip the tree was the weakest link, as is often the case with dead or compromised trees. My main point is that the rings put less stress on that and other tree rigging situations than what would pulleys....while arguably being more user friendly. In such situations (being the climber) it's always reassuring that you are doing everything possible to put things in your favor. Pete they have double and triple triple ring configurations for big falling logs I believe. I don't have one yet. Most likely the knot would still be the failure point or that of the greatest strength loss, rather than the bend at the ring, depending. The comment about reinventing the wheel. Wheels have come a long way since they were first invented or used. Same as motor vehicles, chainsaws, ropes and saddles. Whats important us that it's progressive. I've used 3 strand hemp rope with steel thimbles back in the day, and feel no desire to go back to that over the options that are now readily available.

As the title says. Unrehearsed, so not as articulate as it could have been. Some pointers to consider at least.

Well done Ti. Cant think why anyone would choose to plant a monkey puzzle over other options.

Some nice accurate cutting there mate. Well done:thumbup1:

I was tied into a small fir stump. It would've stopped me hitting the ground perhaps....but wasn't doing much help to be honest. Once I got into the arbutus I was more secure then. When I first started climbing Ti, we used to do lots of free climbing....in fact you rarely tied in until you reached your high tie in point, or anchor point as it was called then. In hindsight it wasn't the smartest way to teach someone to climb....but I did develop solid climbing skills as a result, and they stay with you:thumbup1:

I take 10 or 11 up the tree at a time, when theyre used up the ground worker ties them back on my climbline. I was using some extra long slings within the bundle for this tree, and they kept wafting about and getting snagged while hanging off my belt. So I asked for the shopping bag to stop that from happening. I still get my share of broadleaves, but not so much rigging. I dont really feel like Im missing much to be honest....and afterall I moved out to BC because it was time for a change. Being a contract climber means I get enough variety to keep me honest. I was view pruning and removing trees today for a new development at Cowichan bay. Last thing this afternoon I had to spur up and old growth hanging over the ocean. Not too much taller than the tree in the vid, and similar form....but a big fatty. Its a different type of skill required to scale tree in such a way, but a good workout nonetheless. Tomorrow I have to reduce some poplars I believe. And i think thurs I'll be doing the same to quite a congested but long limbed Douglas fir over a house and wires. That one stands at about 110 or more. So you see I get plenty to go at. I should make some climbing vids really...not just killing. Thanks again.

Thanks. Correct Ian, with mods. Nothing to stand on the fall side Pete, so yes it was awkward to use the saw with all those roped in the way. Ivys great Steve. Every tree should have some.

This 250 year old fir was unfortunately in the way of a soon-to-be house. There was also another biggish, be that, easy one on the site to be removed, along with a bunch of medium sized trees. The owners of the land were only prepared to pay for 2 x days work for 3 men. So the order was ‘get done what you can in that time and we’ll deal with the rest’. The Tree Company had to guarantee that all the trees would be down though....and the majority of brush chipped in that time. I was brought in on the second day to deal with the leaning fir. Vid is 13 mins but worth a watch. Use HD setting

Nice work Rich, and video. What a difference dry weather makes to a climb like that. Makes me want to do a pruning vid of a big fir.

One mans mountain is another mans molehill. A resourceful guy like you paul, shouldnt be a problem. Nobody likes paying for stuff, but once its done its done. I think its a great thing to do....you'll have a ball. Taking nothing away from Barbados and Canada....but theres gonna be a lot of cool stuff, places, history and experience to explore right there.....be it a car, ferry or short plane ride away. And not to mention, you have the whole of Europe right there on your doorstep...be that for work or pleasure. I sure Rich and some of the other travelling arborists could line you up some work abroad if that was something youd be interested in also. You just have to go out and make the most of it....the new chapter in your lives. And you know youre wife is gonna be made up getting back to her homeland. Such a big move is never plain sailing, obviously....but theres a lot worse places to live and experience, be that for a couple years or indefinitely

I think as a viewer, you just get what you get Adam. Its free, so nobody really ought to complain. People are always going to like different things. I actually dont spend a lot of time editing videos, probably loading the files is the bulk of it. The treework is either good, or it isnt....fancy editing doesnt change that, although it can be used to mislead. Certain jobs are more complex or risky, so you might feel the need to make longer clips etc, or explain a situation....others not so much. I think mixing it up is the best a person can offer. Personally I prefer photos, but its often hard to get good ones. If people dont comment, it doesnt really matter. Doesnt mean they all dont appreciate your efforts.

Yeah no worries mate. I was more specifically saying when people actually ask for help, then you help them, then they assume the credit for a situation. I don't like that. But, it doesn't matter. Yeah I'm sure there will be plenty more tall tree videos to come as I make more inroads here. I did get some video of a leaning 250ft fir, but I used a chest mounting for the camera which ruined the whole perspective. Anyway, thanks again. And, sorry I can't contribute much at all to other people's threads....I'm just forever short of time it seems.

Very good of you to say that, thanks. Ive intentionally tried to help people in the past, treework related.... and many of which could never find it in themselves to say thankyou or offer any kind of accurate acknowledgement. So to get some recognition for unintentionally helping someone goes along way, and says much about your own character for speaking up. So thanks again, and for the posts that followed. Just remember that the videos are by no means 'how-to' tuturials or anything like. They merely reflect how Ive evolved, and the methods that Im comfortable with on a given day and set of circumstances. There are generally lots of other options to consider, and a climber should never attempt something that they not 100% certain of the outcome.

Arran, just 2 guys pulling around a friction device. You don't need to go super tight with such high rigging points. JRH, the carabiniers are just fine, steel twistlocks. Much heavier loads and tighter lines might show some wear....as well as making for a more dangerous operation. thanks again.

Thanks all:thumbup1: You should always take every tree and situation at its own merrit, but experience is a big factor. I was always tied in to the same tree I was rigging off throughout that job. Side loading can be hard on the lines....so the line angle, tension and load size must always be considered and adjusted accordingly. Thered lots of little thing you can do to make your situation safer, like re-directs for example....same as conventional rigging. As for snapping the stem, well, on those particular trees I'd have to go some way to match let alone surpass the windloading those trees have had to withstand over the years. Side loading is never going to be the most comforting feeling when you're the guy in the tree, but you have to put it in perspective. Thanks again.

Some footage from a job a couple months back. 6 cottonwoods to remove, 3 were around 115 ft or just over, and then 3 smaller. We took down 5 in the first day with one remaining and final cleanup the morning after. The limbs had to be rigged because of fruit trees scattered all around underneath – although hard to spot on the video. The zipline further helped our cause in getting the foliage closer to the chipper in quick succession. I only got video from 2 of the trees, but you get the idea. I was sick throughout the day as I recall, so it took quite the effort to get up the last tree at 3pm. I was ok once I got up and tied in though. Trees in general grow much faster out here on Vancouver Island than what they do in the UK....which can make poplars quite a precarious bunch to work on. Slow taper, seemingly over extended limbs and very brittle. Consider these trees were well over 100ft yet only 30 years old or thereabouts. In the vid it looks like they sturdy, but I can tell you they were really bending over via side-loading with the zipline. Its an altogether different feeling than conventional rigging, as the tree gets pulled very hard in one direction until the limb eventually touches down, and then the tree sways back to its original position. Watch in HD setting. Thanks