Old dog new tricks?

[heromaker]

Alright, here go's. Im a 20 plus year climber. Im 40 Im 6'5 and weigh in at 254 mostly muscle. I am an Arborist and most of my work has been coming from a hot county close by where I can't gaff my way to the top of these biggo oaks. I am feeling my age and want your opinion on the easiest climbing system you think is out there. It wasnt that long ago I would simply throw a rope in a tree and pull myself up useing only my arms. I have been trying a DRT with a foot acender and it still is kickin my tail. Im havent put up the climbing ring friction saver yet. I have one but I always seem to be in to big of a hurry to put it up there. I have been looking DLRW video by Gerald Barnek. his channel is atreestory on utube:mad2. I have to put it together. Hes an oldy but he makes it look effortless Ofcourse it is BARNEK. I guess its just imbarrassing to learn all over again. When I get to the work site I feel like I got to get to work right away and it takes me a long time to set all this crap up. :mad2:I know I will get faster over time. Anyway, I would appriciate any advice you might have- yound or old.

 

[oldirty]

i got an inch on you and you got 20lbs! hahaha! i win. lol.

anyway all jokes aside.

what is your climbing system, open or closed? what is your saddle?

for rope climbing (other than getting a wraptor) look into handle ascenders and a pantin. figure out something that is going to allow you full stretch for the rope climb that can also be brought to back to your saddle at work time in the tree.

dont know much about the SRT technique but it seems to be a solid way to work with a bunch of different ways to do it.

good luck man, the new tricks you can learn are worth it.

 

[tree md]

I spike my way up most removals except for the odd one where it would be easier to use ascenders. I always set a line and get my climb line set first. On large prunes I use a CMI foot ascender and a Black Diamond hand ascender. I used them in conjunction with my friction hitch on a doubled line and they work just fine for me. I am just under 200 now but was as heavy as 240 last year. Definitely easier to get up there now that I am 40-50 pounds lighter.

If you really wanted to Cadillac up the tree you could buy one of the wraptors. Everybody seems to rave about them.

 

[heromaker]

Yes you are bigger than me, strap me to a bull and call me horney. Ill be hornswoggle

i got an inch on you and you got 20lbs! hahaha! i win. lol.

anyway all jokes aside.

what is your climbing system, open or closed? what is your saddle?

for rope climbing (other than getting a wraptor) look into handle ascenders and a pantin. figure out something that is going to allow you full stretch for the rope climb that can also be brought to back to your saddle at work time in the tree.

dont know much about the SRT technique but it seems to be a solid way to work with a bunch of different ways to do it.

good luck man, the new tricks you can learn are worth it.

Yes sir your a biggin. Dont find many of us heavy weights swingin around up in the best place to be. I always used the tautline hitch but now I have been useing a closed system, splitail with a schwabish prusik. I tried a new saddle but I cant stand it. I like my western saddle rig you know with the butt strap thick back and long D's. Im glad you mentioned the acender I was thinking of useing a double handle CMI acender. Appreciate the advice.:msp_wink:

 

[flushcut]

I don't have one but have seen them on a job site being used The Wraptor and your problem is solved.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Yes sir your a biggin. Dont find many of us heavy weights swingin around up in the best place to be. I always used the tautline hitch but now I have been useing a closed system, splitail with a schwabish prusik. I tried a new saddle but I cant stand it. I like my western saddle rig you know with the butt strap thick back and long D's. Im glad you mentioned the acender I was thinking of useing a double handle CMI acender. Appreciate the advice.:msp_wink:

I didn't think much of the dual handled ascender till I got one. Much easier on the arms than a single jobby, you can get up there a lot faster with less effort. I use that in combo with my friction hitch and a pantin to ascend SRT, then switch to conventional doubled rope technique for working. I played with working the whole tree srt for a bit and there's some nice advantages but I don't do many prunes so I haven't put it to work yet.

On removals 9 times out of 10 I spike up sailing what I can as I go, grab my TIP and rigging point and get to work.

 

[oscar4883]

On smaller stuff I use a CMI foot ascender with my regular climbing system. I use a right foot ascender and place my left foot on top in order to use both legs to climb. For prunes that are higher I use a RADS system with a Gri-Gri and an old Jumar. Plenty of info on RADS here. The RADS may not be the best system, but if prunes with longer climbs are not a big part of your work I like the double duty the Gri-Gri can pull. I.E. anchoring a a rope at the base of the tree for a floating false crotch when it is tough to isolate a limb, or for choking a climb line when doing a lot of blocking down.

 

[Tree Pig]

another option very efficient and relatively inexpensive.
[video=youtube;5-_GUggGMmM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-_GUggGMmM[/video]

 

[beowulf343]

I have been trying a DRT with a foot acender and it still is kickin my tail. Im havent put up the climbing ring friction saver yet. I have one but I always seem to be in to big of a hurry to put it up there.

Actually, take a minute and put that friction saver in. As a big guy, if i'm going up drt, it's easy to tell the difference when a friction saver is in place and when it isn't. More effort than srt, but still easier than drt without a fs. I tend to be a footlock guy if i can't do something with spikes.

 

[flushcut]

Thanks SOM I have been looking for that video.

 

[Tree Pig]

Thanks SOM I have been looking for that video.

your welcome...

 

[Reg]

Alright, here go's. Im a 20 plus year climber. Im 40 Im 6'5 and weigh in at 254 mostly muscle.

Have you always weighed that much for treework? Do you train outside of work....for strength or stamina?

I am an Arborist and most of my work has been coming from a hot county close by where I can't gaff my way to the top of these biggo oaks. I am feeling my age and want your opinion on the easiest climbing system you think is out there.

I already assume you eat and drink the right stuff sufficiently.

Are you talking about pruning work or just that you get just too tired gaffing up? If its the latter it sounds like you need to get yourself checked out by a doctor....40's no age really!

It wasnt that long ago I would simply throw a rope in a tree and pull myself up useing only my arms. I have been trying a DRT with a foot acender and it still is kickin my tail. Im havent put up the climbing ring friction saver yet.

For getting to the top of big trees SRT is very efficient and cheap....short steps and finding a set-up you're comfortable with is the key. You can easily switch to a seperate double-rope when you get up there for working the tree. Big-shot is a wise investment if you haven't already. DRT for entire tree ascent's is mostly a massive waste of time and effort, shiny new gear or not.

 

[heromaker]

my weight and stamina

Have you always weighed that much for treework? Do you train outside of work....for strength or stamina?



I already assume you eat and drink the right stuff sufficiently.

Are you talking about pruning work or just that you get just too tired gaffing up? If its the latter it sounds like you need to get yourself checked out by a doctor....40's no age really!

For getting to the top of big trees SRT is very efficient and cheap....short steps and finding a set-up you're comfortable with is the key. You can easily switch to a seperate double-rope when you get up there for working the tree. Big-shot is a wise investment if you haven't already. DRT for entire tree ascent's is mostly a massive waste of time and effort, shiny new gear or not.

Well Im coming off an injury but its been a good 8 month to a year, I have been right at 250lbs for atleast 15 to 20 years. I won a fitness contest about 2 years ago, I was a compeditive boxer and arm wrestler until the injury.

Gaffing a tree is childs play. If I gaff a removal its like walking down the street, except easier "Thank God" Its the rope climbing that I am finding challenging. To be honest I never had to do a lot of rope ascents in my career. I would use a big ladder and pull myself up the rest of the way by sheer strength. Also, I have almost worked exclusively in cool to moderate weather. Because of the economy I have been heading up the hill where the temp is between 95 to 115, I bought a camel pach recently because my arms would lock up on me after about five hours. I found the hydration pack to be sooo important. If I drink water all day I dont lock up and feel preety good. I often dont eat at all or take a break up the hill cause Im hot and Im just not hungry.

Anyway, I appreciate your imput. I guess I need to take some time to practice, just havent taken the time.:smile2:

 

[tree md]

Well Im coming off an injury but its been a good 8 month to a year, I have been right at 250lbs for atleast 15 to 20 years. I won a fitness contest about 2 years ago, I was a compeditive boxer and arm wrestler until the injury.

Gaffing a tree is childs play. If I gaff a removal its like walking down the street, except easier "Thank God" Its the rope climbing that I am finding challenging. To be honest I never had to do a lot of rope ascents in my career. I would use a big ladder and pull myself up the rest of the way by sheer strength. Also, I have almost worked exclusively in cool to moderate weather. Because of the economy I have been heading up the hill where the temp is between 95 to 115, I bought a camel pach recently because my arms would lock up on me after about five hours. I found the hydration pack to be sooo important. If I drink water all day I dont lock up and feel preety good. I often dont eat at all or take a break up the hill cause Im hot and Im just not hungry.

Anyway, I appreciate your imput. I guess I need to take some time to practice, just havent taken the time.:smile2:

You gave an honest response so I'll give one back. I find rope climbing challenging as well and it's not easy.When you have to figure your way up some ancient Oaks on a historical property or something like that it's very challenging to figure out how to set your right tie ins to get to your proper cut points. Sometimes you might have to hit 6 different tie ins and multiple redirects to prune a large, sprawling, champion tree and you better not F-up because you are dealing with educated costumers (so you better be charging accordingly). That's where you are either going to have to get good with a big shot and figure a fast way up to your TIP's, have a bucket that can reach or invest in a wraptor.

BTW, 42 here and still climbing every day.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

I use a sit stand system. I have two handled ascenders and a foot ascender. Take small steps and it is very easy even when you weigh 310lbs. I have one hand ascend with a strap that goes to my saddle ring, and the other one hooks to my foot with a longer strap and also to my harness with a short piece of 8mm rope so if something happened to the top ascender, I won't heal hang. Finally a foot ascender on the other foot. Works great for both DRT and SRT. You can make all the all the straps for the ascenders with about 30' or 8mm cord.

 

[tree MDS]

Damn dude... 310 pounds, that's a big climber. maybe they'll come out with a diesel wraptor someday! :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Tree Pig]

I use a sit stand system. I have two handled ascenders and a foot ascender. Take small steps and it is very easy even when you weigh 310lbs. I have one hand ascend with a strap that goes to my saddle ring, and the other one hooks to my foot with a longer strap and also to my harness with a short piece of 8mm rope so if something happened to the top ascender, I won't heal hang. Finally a foot ascender on the other foot. Works great for both DRT and SRT. You can make all the all the straps for the ascenders with about 30' or 8mm cord.

wow you are a biggen

Damn dude... 310 pounds, that's a big climber. maybe they'll come out with a diesel wraptor someday! :hmm3grin2orange:

every now and then you actually are funny.

 

[flushcut]

Damn dude... 310 pounds, that's a big climber. maybe they'll come out with a diesel wraptor someday! :hmm3grin2orange:

I think you can get them built with a different gear ratio for a heavier climber.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

Yeah, I love doing it, but it sure takes alot outta you to be pulling all that weight. I don't like getting on really small leaders either. I have a bucket truck and I like using it the most, but you cant cut every tree down from the bucket.

 

[Toddppm]

That pantin setup with a bungee looks like it'd work ok, interesting. Doesn't anybody use a mar bar in here? Pretty dam easy to use and efficient.