Greenhorn alert, spiked my foot

[NeoTree]

This happened to me last weekend. I was working on my climbing skills in my woods and just put my spikes on. I threw my climbing line up real nice about 30 feet up over a branch and lost my balance over a hidden branch under the leaves. I end up stepping back with my left foot which thre me off. somehow i end up stepping forward with the right and spiked my left right on the tendon behind the ankle, about a 1/2 inch or so. i was surprised how quick it went through denim and boot.

I fell over scared to take off my boot off. It maybe could of used a couple stitches but was pretty much just a puncture wound. That night i couldnt put any preassure on the foot, and only got a few hours sleep because it was pounding. woke up the next day with a little limp. now i can barely feel it.

not so bad of an injury i guess, i consider myself lucky still, i dont know how it missed my tendon. I'm trying to get experience climbing. obviously i need alot more.

 

[grizzly2]

Yet another reason to not use spikes on trees. Climb on rope, it's safer!!

:sword:

 

[ECRUPPRECHT]

good thing you didnt sever your archiles tendon you woldnt be walkin for a long while

 

[ddhlakebound]

Yet another reason to not use spikes on trees. Climb on rope, it's safer!!

:sword:

Ever try blocking down a stem with no spikes? Trying to do that only on rope would definitely NOT be safer.

Neo, sorry to hear of your injury, but glad it was minor. Grizzly2 does have a point, unless the tree being spiked is a removal, it should only be climbed without spikes. Perhaps you can find a freshly dead tree to spike the heck out of for a month or two learning.

My spikes are the last thing I put on before beginning a removal, and the first thing I take off when I hit the ground. I only want to take a couple steps to the tree, and climb. Ropes already set, everything thats going up with you already in reach, then put the spikes on.

I've only scratched myself so far, but worry sometimes when crossing over legs sometimes moving around obstacles. I've read of some pretty serious injuries from a mis-spike.

Also, wearing your spikes while still on the ground leaves them susceptible to being dulled, which presents it's own set of dangers.

Good luck, and climb safe.

 

[grizzly2]

Ever try blocking down a stem with no spikes? Trying to do that only on rope would definitely NOT be safer.

Agreed, I was making more of a joke/observation. I personally would rather do all my removals without spikes if I could. Since I can't, I use them regularly. If I know that I can cut everything down to a manageable spar, then I'll go without them. Sorry about the thread hijack, but I just wanted to clarify my earlier comment.

Also, I feel that it is much better to learn how to climb WITHOUT spikes first. Get the knots and techniques down, then introduce another piece of hardware.

 

[canopyboy]

I was doing a job with a guy here on AS who managed to slip (in the tree) and spike himself good through his boot near the anklebone as he was blocking down the spar if memory serves. Had blood squirting out through the boot. He had to bail on his climb line to bandage himself up, and the rest of the day was all mine.

 

[canopyboy]

Oh, and I agree - the spikes are the last thing to go on at the base of the tree and the first thing to come off when I'm done.

Double Oh, and the first tree I blocked down was without spikes. They do make life easier.

 

[Tree Pig]

I guess you have to practice somewhere but were you spike a healthy tree just for the fun of it?


SOM stirs the pot...

 

[briggstwiggs]

Yet another reason to not use spikes on trees. Climb on rope, it's safer!!

:sword:

tell me this were does the oil go from your chain while trimming a tree. I think spikes are less harmfull then the oil that goes in the fresh cut. sorry I had that on my mind for a few years. I climb with and without spikes I got to tell ya for the time sake I would much rather climb with spikes. instead of getting all that crap out and packing it back up. takes time to get all riged up. I dont use spikes on thin barked trees but got to tell you your not going to hert a live oak with spikes you dont even get a 1/4in through the bark they have some thik bark. Just my beliefs dont kill me for it.

 

[briggstwiggs]

tell me this were does the oil go from your chain while trimming a tree. I think spikes are less harmfull then the oil that goes in the fresh cut. sorry I had that on my mind for a few years. I climb with and without spikes I got to tell ya for the time sake I would much rather climb with spikes. instead of getting all that crap out and packing it back up. takes time to get all riged up. I dont use spikes on thin barked trees but got to tell you your not going to hert a live oak with spikes you dont even get a 1/4in through the bark they have some thik bark. Just my beliefs dont kill me for it.

Grizzley didnt mean to make comment at you clicked wrong place

 

[treemandan]

Wow, dude jabbed himself in the foot with his spikes and he wasn't even in the tree?

 

[NeoTree]

ya i dont know how i missed my achilles but it did. I feel pretty dumb, i thought gaffs were a climbers best friend. My teacher is a 78 year old tree veteran, he use to outwork all of us young guns, but he came down with intestinal cancer, and our training sessions were cut short. He's still fighting it though, one hell of a guy, vietnam vet too.

 

[outofmytree]

I have never spiked myself but then I am a cowardly climber too. I do weak things like check my set before moving up, stamping hard to ensure a good bite and even, (shudder) looking where I am going!

All joking aside, sorry to hear you stuck yourself dude. Accidents like this will make you a better climber so long as you listen to the lesson.

 

[ROOTSXROCKS]

tell me this were does the oil go from your chain while trimming a tree. I think spikes are less harmfull then the oil that goes in the fresh cut. sorry I had that on my mind for a few years. I climb with and without spikes I got to tell ya for the time sake I would much rather climb with spikes. instead of getting all that crap out and packing it back up. takes time to get all riged up. I dont use spikes on thin barked trees but got to tell you your not going to hert a live oak with spikes you dont even get a 1/4in through the bark they have some thik bark. Just my beliefs dont kill me for it.

My guess is the moisture in the tree repels most of the oil, and if it does clog the pores, that would prevent entry of other pathogens.

A spike wither it goes thru the cambium or just to it leaves an open place for entry.
the structure of most live oaks makes for easy climbing without spikes.
"getting all that crap out and packing it back up" is just a part of the Job.

 

[lego1970]

I've poked myself a couple times but nothing major. It seems easier to do as you spike up skinny trunks. As others mentioned they are the last and first thing I take off before and after climbing.

I started climbing without gaffs and it actually took me a long time to feel comfortable with them on. I especially hated limb walking with gaffs on. A year after I first started climbing the company I worked for allowed me to use them. Since then I use spikes about 80% of the time, however aside from the company above, most of my jobs are removals, or limb removals on trees that the customers don't really even like, yet don't want to spend the money to have it removed. I have never read any articles on the subject of gaffs versus no gaffs, and my view point is open to change, however this is my observation. I have spiked hundreds of trees along with hundreds of other tree workers that have spiked hundreds of trees and a lot of trees have been spiked several times thruout their lives. I have not noticed any trees that I've spiked or other trees that I know others have spiked show any noticeable deteriotion in health. Having said it's possible that I may have killed dozens of trees or severely stressed them since I can't remeber where all the trees that I've climbed are at, however the trees that I can remember and happen to drive by every once in awhile, are still there and appear healthy.

So in closing what I'm saying is that I try not spike up every tree but, from just from my observation I'm not convinced that it's that hard on a tree assuming that the gaffs are clean and no outbreak of diseases or pest are present in the area. If any of you have any links to articles with proven studies that totally disagree with my observation I would like to read about it and yes my view point is subject to change if I came across good studies that proved otherwise.

 

[Behemoth Jim]

My boss spikes all takedowns, and goes spikeless on trims, for the most part.

 

[rarefish383]

I'm retired, all the big equipment is gone. Pick up and dump trailer is all I have left. A relative has a wooded lot with 24 big Oaks. The house is a rental. Each tree had one or two big dead limbs he wanted out for the safety of the renter. He said he planned to take them all down for timber in the near future. I got one of my cousins climbers to help me and told him all the trees were coming down soon and the job was priced to just run up the trees and knock the dead wood out and come down. He flat out refused to hook the live trees. There is right and wrong and I've got to pat him on the back for knowing the difference. I would have hoooked them,my bad, Joe.

 

[mattfr12]

a guy i use to work with spiked his foot. when he was coming out of a maple tree he had like 2 feet left to the bottom he unhooked his lanyard and jumped and stabed his foot pretty bad.

 

[SINGLE-JACK]

...
not so bad of an injury i guess, i consider myself lucky still, i dont know how it missed my tendon.
...

...
My spikes are the last thing I put on before beginning a removal, and the first thing I take off when I hit the ground. I only want to take a couple steps to the tree, and climb. Ropes already set, everything thats going up with you already in reach, then put the spikes on.
...
Also, wearing your spikes while still on the ground leaves them susceptible to being dulled, which presents it's own set of dangers.
...

NeoTree, sorry to read about your injury - glad it wasn't worse. There's another risk in the heel area. The Achilles Tendon got it's name from the oral mythology that Achilles died by a spear injury to the heel ... specifically to the artery that runs by the tendon - he bled out, or so some believe.

Also, you might consider checking that your tetanis shots are up-to-date.

Gotta agree with ddhlakebound and canopyboy about spikes being "the last thing I put on". But, I'm used to working in extremely rocky ground. So, I take it a step further (pun intended) - I made a cheap set of gaff guards (pic below). After the climbers are on and the lanyard is around the tree, I pull off one gaff guard and the gaff goes in the tree - then the other. They go back on before I step down. So, the gaffs never touch the ground. That way there's no danger of ruining a gaff on a rock, or tripping, etc., etc.

Be safe, be lucky, Happy New Year
- Jack

GAFF GUARD MADE FROM SCAP HEATER HOSE

 

[rarefish383]

Like others have said, last thing on and first thing off is, the only way to go with your hooks. For safety and to keep them sharp. I always walked so bow legged to keep one foot away from the other it was uncomfortable. Thinking about walking around bow legged reminded me of some knuckle head we used to see at eating places in the Wash D.C. area. All of the working class guys used to eat at the same places. One of our favorites were Peoples Drug Stores. We used to see this knuckle head get out of their truck and strap on hooks and saddle and head into the store for lunch. My Dad asked one of the climbers he knew for that company what was up with this guy? He said the guy wasn't a climber but he thought all of the girls would think he was hot because he was a tree climber, and all of the guys would think he was bad because he was a tree climber. All the practice he got walking around with hooks he probaly never stuck himself, but he probably never climed a tree either, Joe.