limb Walking ?????

[rahtreelimbs]

Ok guys, need some personal tricks of the trade, I'm trying to learn all the different methods for working your way up a limb that is on a 45 degree angle or better. No suckers or good footholds. This is when you are tied in at point that is high but you can't body thrust up. ( You know, working a tree for a full maintenance prune ). No hooks. I have used the tail of my climbing line for double crotching, works good. But what happens when you can't get your line to a point for a double crotch? I've also used slings as foot holds. I know that you can alternate between your climbing line and your safety lanyard, but that takes alot of energy. This is something I could use some good advice on. I am largely self-taught and I can get thru a tree OK, but efficiency is what I am after. Thanx.

 

[treeclimber165]

Dontcha just LOVE working a tree that has been completely stripped out by a previous climber? Sometimes I get into situations where I have to climb out a 20' lead with no limbs, it can be tough. Many times I can redirect my lifeline to get a better angle, or toss a rope up to the next fork I'm trying to reach. Sometimes I cheat, depending on how badly the tree was butchered the last time. But don't tell anyone! It's a 'last resort' type thing. I cheated twice the first few weeks starting back climbing a few months ago, not since.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Here's a tip that works sometimes. Put a little slack in your climbing line and flip one side over a stub on a branch above. It looks like this:

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Then sometimes, at band camp, when I get out with no way to balence, I sit down on the branch and kinda scoot out a little bit at a time. I figure sitting with a lanyard on the branch, I can't wipe out too bad.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

If you have a high tie in toy can have the rope take up a lot of your wieght. Then monkey climb the side or back of the stem, having a slack tender is real healpful hear, keep the flipline arounf the stem too.

Some times this is where a big swing comes in.

I will frequently double crotch transfer in these situations, if I'm close enough toget a line in but cant stem or swin across. then you keep adjusting your knots so that you work across the gap to the next lead. Another way I've done thisn is to put a micro pulley on the center D, run the line through both crotches and each end to side d's. your working end on one side going up into your FC/TIP, down to the pulley on your center d, up to the second TIP (FC is your real good) then back to your belt. Now your on a loop you can do a transfer on.

 

[DDM]

Originally posted by Mike Maas
Then sometimes, at band camp,

LMAO

 

[DDM]

Mike? isnt the stub illustration a little risky? Seems like there is a potential to get a lot of slack in the line. Should it slip off/over the stub.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

No, I never had a problem. I supose if you took it to an extreme level, and had your line on a little dead stub, spreading your line apart at a huge angle...remember, it's just a redirect, you haven't changed your original tie in.

It's not an every day tool, just one that works really good sometimes, mostly for it's simplicity. I often have a pole saw hanging around when I'm pruning, and this makes cutting a stub and hooking the rope real easy.

 

[coydog]

if you carry two 12' fliplines with Gibbs ascenders you can tie in with flipline A, cinch yourself up and set flipline B a few feet ahead, let the slack out of flipline A, cinch up flipline B, repeat, repeat. with practice you can get a monkey swing rythym going on the underside of the branch. If the branch is at a more acute angle as you say and if there are no natural tie in points you can use slings for false crotches as tie in points for your fliplines and use the same technique, undoing the slings and resetting as you advance, with a little practice you can get a preaty steady tree sloth rythym going,slow but sure.

 

[geofore]

limb walking

A guy stopped by today and asked me to trim his walnut tree back. He is ok with the hieght but the spread is now over the neighbors deck. He has the largest walnut for miles around,it is a beauty. Wants it done this week. Bad timming, last week the frost burned most of the leaves off. He doesn't want to wait two or three weeks for the tree to recover. He was out there today sweeping the neighbors deck clean of leaves.
I cut the biggest walnut tree in this town (over 100' tall) three years ago after it was hit with lightning which took off 23' of the top and left seven huge limbs hanging dangerously. That guy wanted his down and the stump removed so he could put up a garage.
I have watched this tree for over 40 years and it never gets more than 6 or 7 walnuts on it every year and they are lousy at that. The tree is about 4' ABH and hangs over the neighbors lots on either side. He says if I don't get it this week he'll get someone else to do it. There is no talking him into waiting. He wants it brought in about 20' on each side this week. I'm not thrilled about the hurry up part. Is this the right time to cut or walk away??? I'll inspect it tomorrow and ask him to wait a few more weeks to let the new growth recover from the frost but it may not help, he is in a hurry.
My thought is that this tree will try to send out lots of new branches with the spurt to recover from the frost damage and this cutting will be a stress if he doesn't wait.
Can you cut it Yesterday????? I'm in a hurry to get it done.

 

[Stumper]

If the first leaves got zapped and you aren't stubbing anything back(heaven forfend) then I would expect immediate pruning to cause less stress on the tree. If you wait until it releafs and then prune it will have wasted resources in producing the leaves you just cut off. Best times IMHO are NOW or later in the season after the new growth has hardened off and the tree has had time to reestablish some reserves. Three weeks from now or a month before fall frost would be about the worst (though not likely to seriously harm the tree)

 

[Stumper]

Treeclimber165, In my area it is the guy with a bucket truck who lion's tails everything. -Job security for him - since there isn't anything to climb on he'll probably get the bid to come back and do it wrong again. Actually he does't lionstail EVERYTHING--He tops a lot of 'em.

 

[geofore]

limb walking

I've got to get my digital camera out and show you a pic of the way some trees on my street were done by others. They look like Mike's pics of how to do a tree. Then to add insult to injury the guy shot the tree with hormone to stunt growth. It is dying back and won't make it much longer. I do not want him to do this walnut. He works cheap.
Want to bet the homeowner calls this guy back for tree removal after a few more limb parts die?

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Geo, Am I reading this right, you're going to do a lateral crown reduction of 40 ft on this tree?

Sounds like bad news to me, but then I'm not looking at it. I would get a disclaimer in the job that your not responsible for any problems.....

 

[Kevin]

Here`s my take on what Rich is asking ...
If you use a loop runner or a couple of loop runners you can tie off to the limb you are walking and in the event of a spill you aren`t going too far.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Kevin

What I am talking about is working your way up a limb that is almost like walking uphill. You don't have anything other than the bark to grab on to. You need to use your feet against the limb and alternate between your climbing line and your safety lanyard to work your way up. I have yet to master this method. Sometimes double crotching works, but sometimes you can't get your climbing around anything to use this method. Any insight would be helpful. Thanx, Rich.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Sometimes I will use a speedline strap, and wrap it around the branch and stick my foot into it, so it acts like a step.

The other little tip is to take both leads of your lanyard and pull them tight around the limb with your hand. This way it won't move on the branch until you release your grip, and acts as a handle.

Your discribing one of the harder parts of climbing. As I plan my climb, I try to avoid the need to do this fooling around by setting my tie in point or redirects such that I can be supported from above.

 

[Kevin]

Rich,
That`s what I meant by the drawing.
Use a rope or strap on the limb you are walking in conjunction with your climbing rope.
Keep advancing the straps as you progress.
You could even use a pruning pole with a modified hook to grasp the limb for support while you pulled yourself along it.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

You could also have groundies throw a line through target and help belay U2 there in conjuction with other methods. Also, i like dead manning the lanyard by giving it a round turn before connecting to D-ring. i use the loop runners as MM says, they also make nice sliding handles for hand grip as i go!

Also, on inclines if you have your lifeline super tight, you can push horizontally (easier), the line will limit your movement and lift you in arc, instead of letting you go further out horizontally as you are pushing, i'll do this on the side of the limb. i think it is a more efficient use of power, but requires just the right conditions.

 

[geofore]

limb climb

Kevin your pic is nice a nice way to discribe it. About three years ago I removed a large pine tree about 100' in front of this walnut which blocked the morning sun from getting to the walnut, now the walnut has a little tuft of growth every 1'-3' on most of the limbs where the sun hits them in the morning.I talked to the owner yesterday and he wants it taken in at least 20' all the way around, leave the top alone. If I have to come in 30' or more get a leader that will take over he is ok with that. Lots of dead stuff (small) will have to go to get the ropes in the right places to double crotch. The spread of the tree will be reduced by about 50' to make the tree look right.
I told him that some branches may die back and he said cut it back if it hangs over the line and in 2-3 years if they die back come back and take them out. If this tree had been 50' futher down the hill from the house he would have had me remove the tree but it shades his house and deck all afternoon that has to be worth a ton or two of air condish on sunny days.