Glad I found you all, and hello!

[JackieRedShoes]

Hi there,

I'm not necessarily new to climbing, but through reading other posts on here I've been able to determine that I'm definitely "old school" and use a closed DdRT system with hooks. Before finding this site I had no idea what the technical terminology for how I learned to climb was.

When I first was taught to climb anything "professionally," it was spiking up utility poles and not using a buck strap/lanyard/work positioning device until I had free climbed over the cross arm. How things have changed...

Fast forward about 13 years and I have found myself working for a utility line clearance company, and climbing trees now instead of poles. Still with spikes (I know, how crude) and initially with a 2 in 1 flipline and a 16 strand 1/2" 150' climbing rope, using a taut line hitch on the tail of the climbing line. I have since discovered the split tail/blakes hitch, and am currently transitioning into an eye to eye and rope slider and have an ART positioner on its way to me, at which point I will hopefully be able to make my own flipline (if my employer allows that sort of thing), but will still be using spikes. Please don't judge me based on my outdated climbing technique. Actually you can if you really want, I won't lose sleep over it...

I do like to be as employable as I possibly can be, AND learn the fundamentals of other ways to do what I do as a matter of always having a plan B, or C, or Q, so I anticipate I will eventually purchase more gear over time so I can eventually transition into SRT without spikes, but for now I will just keep working and learning and trying new things gradually.

Anyway, I'm happy to have found this resource and others like it, and I wanted to share a picture of my next climb with you all, because why not. Additionally, based on my very limited knowledge of the SRT technique, coupled with the limitations of where the brush and tops have to be sent, and not being able to just cut the whole tree down at once, inquire as to how this tree would be removed using SRT.

I'd love to hear how others would address this removal. It's the codominant pine that you can see all of.

Thank you all for being here!

P. S. Yes, it is wrapped in poision ivy vines.

 

[AGoodSteward]

I'd love to hear how others would address this removal. It's the codominant pine that you can see all of.

Thank you all for being here!

P. S. Yes, it is wrapped in poision ivy vines.


View attachment 574084

Burn it with FIRE!

 

[JackieRedShoes]

If only!!!

I should have mentioned that in addition to not dropping it onto the power lines, I can't send too much of it into the tree line either, because there's what looks to be a metal well about 10 feet from the base, and there's subdivision new construction buildings going up on what would be the right side when looking at the picture, and anything that we drop beyond about a 10 foot radius of the trunk will have to be moved by hand.

I really am curious about how this removal would be done without the use of hooks, and especially using SRT. The tops of this pine are quite small in diameter, I would estimate about 6" with probably 15-20 feet or more of top above, and no good crotches.

 

[AGoodSteward]

If only!!!

I should have mentioned that in addition to not dropping it onto the power lines, I can't send too much of it into the tree line either, because there's what looks to be a metal well about 10 feet from the base, and there's subdivision new construction buildings going up on what would be the right side when looking at the picture, and anything that we drop beyond about a 10 foot radius of the trunk will have to be moved by hand.

I really am curious about how this removal would be done without the use of hooks, and especially using SRT. The tops of this pine are quite small in diameter, I would estimate about 6" with probably 15-20 feet or more of top above, and no good crotches.

I'd probably do the same as you. Monkey up there dropping limbs as I go. Tie a pull rope into the tops and have my helper tug them out.

 

[Jakers]

the main reason for SRT is trimming so you dont spike a tree thats staying standing. if youre removing the whole tree, spikes are usually better. id spike it up limbing on the way, top and chunk the rest using tag lines where neaded

 

[Phileroo]

You could easily do SRT for that removal. I haven't done a double rope removal since i got out of school. Now i never have had to deal with poison ivy vines, but i would tie a running bowline canopy anchor with a yosemite tie-off and leave like a 6 foot tail. Then, like Jakers, limb it up and chunk down the wood. The 6 ft. tail is so you can pull it down to you when chucking down wood. You may want to throw-line above the codominates so you don't have to dink around with retying the anchor in the tree. Definitely spike it if the whole tree is coming down.

 

[JackieRedShoes]

You could easily do SRT for that removal. I haven't done a double rope removal since i got out of school. Now i never have had to deal with poison ivy vines, but i would tie a running bowline canopy anchor with a yosemite tie-off and leave like a 6 foot tail. Then, like Jakers, limb it up and chunk down the wood. The 6 ft. tail is so you can pull it down to you when chucking down wood. You may want to throw-line above the codominates so you don't have to dink around with retying the anchor in the tree. Definitely spike it if the whole tree is coming down.

Makes perfect sense to me.

However this brings to the forefront one issue that at the moment greatly limits what my options are. The company I work for is definitely not very current, or logical for that matter, about what they will provide for the employees to do their job, especially when it comes to climbing. They have a very narrow list of items we can purchase and pay for using payroll deductions, which is 3 options for saddles, 2 or 3 options for hooks, a Blaze 10' 2 in 1 flipline, 1 type of carabiner, 1 type of chainsaw attachment, a 1/2" 16 strand split tail, a 16 oz throw ball and some crappy throw line with a strong memory. That is pretty much everything, although they do provide 120'-150' of 1/2" 16 strand climbing line and rigging line (different colors) that we don't have to pay for.

My current job is running a climbing crew that has lately been tasked with removing hazard trees, which are all white pine, and most are codomanant giants that absolutely dwarf the picture above. Screw you pine pitch!!!!!!!!!

I've purchased some gear on my own, specifically an ART positioner for my flipline (awesome!!!), an ISC RAD for my climbing line (RAD arriving today) and some other small ticket items to make my life easier.

With a toddler and a 7 month old, I simply cannot afford to buy a ton of my own personal climbing gear at once to switch over to SRT, and even though the company claims that they will replace any of our own personal climbing gear if we use it for work and it breaks, one guy I worked with told me he had a nice waterproof and sturdy buckingham bag that he stored his climbing gear in, and when they "replaced" it, they gave him a big net bag.

Given the items we have to choose from, is it any mystery why I've been reflecting on my previous life choices lately?

Just venting I guess...

 

[Phileroo]

Yeah, the lack of gear options kinda suck. For SRT you basically just need a foot ascender, a ascending/decending device and a neck tether or chest strap for ascending your friction device.

I have never ran a RAD before, actually had to look it up to see what it was. But i know a lot of people like the rope wrench for starting out on srt. I have made my own rope wrench and tether for about 30 bucks from a sheet of aluminum and stuff i picked up from the hardware store. I have seen other people make others from actual climbing equipment for cheap too. I don't use my wrench ever because i have a rope runner so i don't really know how well it works besides that it does work.

I can see how you would get a bit frustrated with your company. I hope that those removals you have go good.

 

[JackieRedShoes]

I'd first need to either practice a ton with a throw ball, or buy or fabricate a device to set ropes high enough. Most of the pines I've been climbing lately are between 24-36+ dbh and don't have a good crotch below 60'.

The rope wrench essentially redistributes some of your weight to make ascending easier, right?

My biggest hurdle at the moment is figuring out which hitch and cord won't take so much effort to advance and rappell with when covered in pine pitch.

 

[BC WetCoast]

If all you are doing is removing white pine, why waste your time thinking about SRT. Gaff everything.

 

[Big Natey]

I've never done line clearance work, but the amount of damage I see them do to trees not being removed, srt and proper pruning techniques would be the furthest thing from my mind.

Especially when you see that thing, I believe it's called a "jaraff" driving around molesting trees.

I'm not knocking the industry though I understand they need to get a lot of work done in a short amount of time. If they took the time to properly prune every tree my power bill would skyrocket.

 

[JackieRedShoes]

If all you are doing is removing white pine, why waste your time thinking about SRT. Gaff everything.

I like to learn, and be as employable as possible. If all I know how to do is gaff everything, then my potential options for finding a better job are limited.

And I get that line clearance tree work is far from delicate, but right now it's how I keep my lights on.

 

[Phileroo]

I'd first need to either practice a ton with a throw ball, or buy or fabricate a device to set ropes high enough. Most of the pines I've been climbing lately are between 24-36+ dbh and don't have a good crotch below 60'.

The rope wrench essentially redistributes some of your weight to make ascending easier, right?

My biggest hurdle at the moment is figuring out which hitch and cord won't take so much effort to advance and rappell with when covered in pine pitch.

Right idea, wrong direction. The rope wrench bends the rope on descents and adds friction. This helps keep your hitch from binding up. Same concept as a figure-8 when doing secured foot-locking.

Good luck learning the throw line, it can be your worst enemy or your best friend. An APTA may be a good purchase or build for you if your often taking high shots.

As for the hitch cord i cant help you there, I maybe climb a spruce or pine tree 10 times a year. I have one 3 strand sap lanyard that i use and by the time i have to use it again its collected so much dirt at the bottom of my bag its not sticky anymore.

 

[no tree to big]

I hope the tree is down by now and you r still alive, I assume so because u just posted a new thread but anyway.. we would try to set a climb line high as possible all our climbers are ddrt, spike up to the top cutting what you need on the way haul up a hand full of pull lines tie off all the lines at once so you don't need to go up and down multiple times. Then come down to a safe level and start floppin. If you need, re tie your pull lines then drop to your next cut. If you can cut and let sorter logs fly any direction that may be faster and easier then tieing and pulling longer logs.

How long have you been climbing and cutting trees? Did they teach you or say here's a saw start cuttin?

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[JackieRedShoes]

It is down and I'm still alive. Lol

Started climbing poles years ago, swapped some gear and been spiking trees since about June 2015.

The company I was working for was supposed to do a comprehensive review of my climbing abilities before I was "signed off" and allowed to climb on my own. However somehow I fell through the cracks and someone signed me off remotely without ever being asked to go through the individual techniques that I should have. A supervisor came out one day, saw that I had climbed and removed some trees and asked for a favor to get me signed off.

I feel like I got short changed because I always want to learn, but I guess one thing I have going for me is if I'm not confident enough to attempt something, I won't.