For MB and the old school gang, fun week

[Matt Follett]

For various reasons this week, I found my self not climbing on a distel (Yeah I know not the newest, but I prefer of the VT, Knut etc...) First thing... Wed. climbing massive Quercus marcrocarpa (Bur Oak) I uh, well, sorta, um lets see, left my distel cord, 'biner and slack tender clipped to my rope bag... having foot locked to 65' before realizing it, I was in no mood to go down (no not climbing alone, but Lorraine, co -worker was beside me in another tree, and I didn't think it appropriate to ask her to hit the ground, just cause I'm the boss!) so, rally on.... no split tail on the belt either! it was quite fun, being that basic, used both ends o my rope a bit to move around (when I would have normally un-cliped and recrotched..)

Next on was a medium, but tall Prunus serotina (Black Cherry), and well I had re tied my distel end, didn't like them, I don't got thinking about the length of the tails etc... said, well, old school it is!

Today, just for fun rather then foot locking into a big and tall Quercus rubra (Red Oak), I thought I 'd foot lock the tail of a Blake.... got to 10-15 feet and said, "outa here", hit the ground, and did it the right way 30-40 feet passed in the time it took me to get to the fifteen on the tail (Of course you say.. you doing twice the work the other way idiot!),... but I kept the blake, and added a slack tender.... it was fun being able to "hip thrust" again, haven't really done that in a while... but it did get a bit frustrating having etxra slack when using the slack tender....

While am I babbling about all this... well I think it was good , particularily climbing without the split tail at all... I have mentiond this here before, but I think it can improve you chess game when you take away some of the "toys" (yeah, yeah I know their not toys, their tools...but ah well you know!) a little bit Zen as MB would say... I don't think I was really that much slower in the tree, maybe a little more apprehensive moving back towards center on big limb walks, but sone got over the extra bit of rope and got comfy again...

Anyway, I'll make up a new cord this weekend, but the fun of this week should last a life time (yeah right!)

My last point is... as we (Ontario arbs) might be facing some changing laws, I have been playing more and more with two ropes, or two points of attachment... in really big trees, I am quite sure it has improved my productivity... setting two TIPS and then using both to move about the tree, beyond the extra tail to deal with it hasn't been TOO much of a pain... question for the crowd... how often do you double crotch? and does it slow you down?

 

[MasterBlaster]

I double crotch for two reasons.

The first reason is for establishing a new tie-in point, without losing my original TIP. I will use my tail, unless I see it's
more appropriate to use another climbing line, as in trimming big oaks. I will use 2 to 4 different ropes in a really big oak. It makes the trim so much more easier to divide the tree into quadrants, and have yur rope set for each one. And you set those extra ropes when you get in the top. Duh.

The second is for merely securing my perch when a lanyard won't work, like when I need to move around a bit.

I don't think it slows me down, considering what I can do with it when I feel it is needed. But, I don't use it as a crutch. It is always easier to work with only one rope, and that's usually the way I do it.

 

[Matt Follett]

I understand the no slack tender... but hip thrusting and pushing your knot in the process can be quite rewarding... I would like to compare speeds of me hip thrusting vs pull pull pull, stop, tend the knot, pull pull pull stop tend the knot and so forth...

I really think we are splitting hair to a certain degree, when talking about general tree work, competition things are different, once in a while I have set up and climbed on the "weapon" (free floating TIP on a SRT line, you can foot lock SRT, then work off of DRT when ever, where ever, but when it comes down to it... well 'nough said. I know some of the top comp climbers and guys like Chrisholme might say otherwise, but until I'm at that level...

I guess I might be getting old before my age with regards to climbing technique, I love new stuff, but basics always intrigue, and impress me.

Butch, good to hear you like to set extra ropes in a big tree... makes me feel better! Do you set them from the top dilberately, or is more of an "Oh I'll need to go over there... if I set a rope here now...."? Some times I have set two ropes from the ground in pre planning to use one to move to the other side... etc.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

I usually take a shorter lighter rope in the tree with me, if it's large at all. Many more options for moving around when you have another rope and not just a lanyard.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by Matt Follett
Do you set them from the top dilberately, or is more of an "Oh I'll need to go over there... if I set a rope here now...."? Some times I have set two ropes from the ground in pre planning to use one to move to the other side... etc.

The first goal is always get to the tippy top. As you well know, the higher your TIP is, the better off you are. Usually.

The next goal is to figure out how your gonna move about... in the canopy, and all the way down. THAT is when you set yur extra ropes. And yes, it is quite deliberate.

Plan yur work, then work yur plan. And change yur plan on the fly, when ya hafta. Moving/working smoothly in a tree requires you to look several steps ahead.

It ain't checkers, it's advanced chess. Unless ya wanna work yurself to death!