advice

[MotherGoose]

hello all this is my first post... posting becuase i was looking for some advice... i am currently working for a tree service and have been for 3+ years, and the last year i have been climbing. we do mostly right of way clearing in the north west...oregon. my question is, i have never climbed spurless! i would like to do this as a career and love trimming trees. but i have no idea how to climb without spurs. and none of the crew or tree services around here for that matter do. and if i ever move to another location im screwed! haha...anyway what i was getting at is here in oregon we mostly trim conifers or it seems. so how would a guy go about trimming such a straight tree with out spurs? i understand the concept just not the technique. so which method would you guys recommend? i guess teaching myself is my only option for now... thanks for any advice!

 

[beastmaster]

Just revert back to childhood, and climb those suckers. I get a lot of work in the local mountain citys because more and more people are requesting spikeless climbing of their trees, and no one up there climbs spikeless.
Really "spikeless climbing", is a lot more freedom then being on spikes. Mastering the throwline and being able to fire the "Big Shot", is a big help allowing you access to conifers with high branches. Most conifers, once your in the tree it's easy to move up using your climbing line and lanyard, always staying tied in.
Learning a SRT technic will make it even easier to access any tree(I use the RAD's my self). There is a learning curve to all this, just give it a little time.
I used spikes for the first 4 or 5 years I was climbing, I am very comfortable working off them, but after so many years now of spikeless climbing(except on removals, one cat rescue) I find them kind of restricting, and often do removals spikeless if I can get a way with it.
So get a throw line, then alternately use your climbing line and lanyard as you free climb. Start getting familiar with SRT and find a system that your comfortable with. If you want to be the best you can be you have to be able to climb with out those irons on your legs.
I know a few younger climber can't climb with spikes. Either way if you can't do both well your limiting your self.

 

[Carburetorless]

Conifers are fairly easy to climb. The biggest problem I've had in them is the fact that they have so many branches, it's more difficult to set a line high in the tree.

I use my climb line and adjustable lanyard, set one or the other as high as possible, usually about 15' is about as high as you can set it quickly, because of so many branches. Climb up to you TIP, tie of with the lanyard, the reset the climb line another 15' or so up tree and repeat.

You climb using the branches more than the line, the line is more a safety measure in this case. You could probably fall out of a conifer, but it'd be more like falling down a set of stairs because of all the branches.

 

[rtsims]

Pm me. What part of Oregon are you in? I'll teach you what I know. It might not be a great amount but I can guarantee you it's right.

 

[Lil Red]

I am in the Portland area and would love some pointers, I can supply the beers afterward

 

[Guran]

Climb up to you TIP, tie of with the lanyard, the reset the climb line another 15' or so up tree and repeat.

Hey Carbie.
What's the best way to advance the climbing line in your opinoin? Do you use a pole pruner or just the throwline? Or other?
Thanks in advance...

 

[rtsims]

I am in the Portland area and would love some pointers, I can supply the beers afterward

Pm sent.

 

[Carburetorless]

Hey Carbie.
What's the best way to advance the climbing line in your opinoin? Do you use a pole pruner or just the throwline? Or other?
Thanks in advance...

Just found this.

I use the throw bag, with a short piece of line on it, and the other end is tied to my climb line. Only enough line to get up over a branch and back down to me, anything longer gets in the way.