Spur and flipline climbing

[Terry Smith]

Hello all, just had a few questions regarding spurs and fliplines. I have many trees in my yard, many cedar trees around 80 - 100 ft tall, and a few doug firs going as tall as 150'. My main question and concern is how high can I climb before worrying about the trunk getting too thin? They are healthy trees with good roots, I am a new but fast learning climber, I trust my equipment, I trust my skills, the problem I keep facing is trusting the tree, lol, I worry I'm going to flip my line and snap the top of the tree off. Any pointers or suggestions? Thanks

 

[Del_]

Even large limbs can have weak attachment points.

Are you removing these trees?

Arborist usually only use spikes on removals with rare exceptions.

 

[Terry Smith]

Yes removal is the end game here. I understand there are no guaranteed stress and breaking loads for trees, I am just looking at a general rule of thumb, what is the thinnest trunk you would spur on?

 

[jefflovstrom]

Yes removal is the end game here. I understand there are no guaranteed stress and breaking loads for trees, I am just looking at a general rule of thumb, what is the thinnest trunk you would spur on?

Just climb until you are scared and then come back and expand on your question,,
Jeff

 

[Terry Smith]

Well, I have climbed, about 100' up, trunk was about 8 to 9 inches in diameter still. I am sure this type of concern goes away with experience and time, but I am just trying to learn and get educated from every outlet I can. I am still learning and it's the swaying of the tree that gets my nerves, I have no problem with heights, just curious as to what more experienced people have to say to give me some pointers.

 

[Pelorus]

As you are (somewhat) new to this game, a word of caution to beware of inadvertently impaling yourself with a gaff on a skinny pole.
How the tree feels (not it's feelings, but how it moves and wobbles) is more important to me than diameter considerations. Esp. when climbing dead or otherwise sketchy trees.
edit. It's a good thing you are conscious of your mortality...many you-tube fools aren't.

 

[Terry Smith]

True, and I think because I am a bit newer I am still feeling out my comfort zone of movement and wobbles. I have not done it enough to know a safe swaying vs. unsafe swaying. and I can tell you, I haven't climbed up anything that skinny where I was even close to impaling myself, but that is a good thing to becareful of, I have never even considered that, thank you.

 

[chipper1]

Well, I have climbed, about 100' up, trunk was about 8 to 9 inches in diameter still. I am sure this type of concern goes away with experience and time, but I am just trying to learn and get educated from every outlet I can. I am still learning and it's the swaying of the tree that gets my nerves, I have no problem with heights, just curious as to what more experienced people have to say to give me some pointers.

Hey terry, I'm not a climber, although I have.
I thought it interesting the comment that "it's the swaying of the tree that gets my nerves", not the height.
We to be honest I find that a bit funny, but I really appreciate your honesty as humility in these situations is a must, and also helps in most situations in life.
I would like to start climbing myself and I think from hearing what you said, I should climb some larger trees, but also some that are smaller so I can get used to the sway and such closer to the ground. Somehow it seems to me even though you are not afraid of the heights that practicing on shorter trees will help overcome the fear of the sway up high.

 

[Terry Smith]

Well put Chipper1, I definitely have learned humility in my life. And believe me if I had shorter trees available I would definitely climb them to learn the sway, but I do not intend on spurring a tree I do not intend to cut down.

 

[chipper1]

Well put Chipper1, I definitely have learned humility in my life. And believe me if I had shorter trees available I would definitely climb them to learn the sway, but I do not intend on spurring a tree I do not intend to cut down.

Humility certainly sucks to get.
Anyplace you could go where a logging operation is, I'm sure there would be plenty of damaged trees that you could climb and not have to worry about damaging them. I know by me my buddies 50 acres was just logged off and there are plenty there I could practice on with sprurs.

 

[BC WetCoast]

I have been in Douglas firs and cedars to a diameter of 4-5", not that tall, but the wood has the strength to support you at that diameter. You'll probably want to blow a top before you get to that size.

What's really cool on those tall conifers, after you get them stripped out, if you wiggle at the top, you can watch the vibration wave run all the way down the stem. Those trees are quite flexible, as it is the flex that helps them absorb and dissipate the energy and forces exerted by wind on the canopy. The other being the movement of branches. If you watch one of these trees in the wind, it doesn't sway back and forth, rather it's more of an ellipical pattern.

 

[chipper1]

I have been in Douglas firs and cedars to a diameter of 4-5", not that tall, but the wood has the strength to support you at that diameter. You'll probably want to blow a top before you get to that size.

What's really cool on those tall conifers, after you get them stripped out, if you wiggle at the top, you can watch the vibration wave run all the way down the stem. Those trees are quite flexible, as it is the flex that helps them absorb and dissipate the energy and forces exerted by wind on the canopy. The other being the movement of branches. If you watch one of these trees in the wind, it doesn't sway back and forth, rather it's more of an ellipical pattern.

I don't think I started at a young enough age to be at 100+ ft in a stripped out Douglas fir in the first place let alone be wiggling around anything more than it would take to get my butt down.
All I got to say is that's some awesome work you guys do. I would love to get some real training, but even so I believe being 46 would put me way behind. You can teach an old dog new tricks, but it doesn't mean he can perform them as well as a young one can .

 

[Jeffsaw]

I don't think I started at a young enough age to be at 100+ ft in a stripped out Douglas fir in the first place let alone be wiggling around anything more than it would take to get my butt down.
All I got to say is that's some awesome work you guys do. I would love to get some real training, but even so I believe being 46 would put me way behind. You can teach an old dog new tricks, but it doesn't mean he can perform them as well as a young one can .

Hey, I can do more tree work at 59 than I could at 50. Age is just a number. More experience helps too.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Well, I have climbed, about 100' up, trunk was about 8 to 9 inches in diameter still. I am sure this type of concern goes away with experience and time, but I am just trying to learn and get educated from every outlet I can. I am still learning and it's the swaying of the tree that gets my nerves, I have no problem with heights, just curious as to what more experienced people have to say to give me some pointers.

I have been many times well over 110' and on 5-6" eucalyptus swaying,,,
calmly ride the sway,,unless the tree was previously topped,,,
I think you will be a fast learner,,, maybe a natural,
Jeff

 

[chipper1]

Hey, I can do more tree work at 59 than I could at 50. Age is just a number. More experience helps too.

Thanks for the encouragement Jeff.
I certainly don't doubt I could do more later in life if I did something now.
My point was that since i didn't learn when I was younger I will only be able to go so far with it. When i learned to snow ski I was a little older and I was well aware of the same applying to it. I skied very hard trying to learn as much as I could so that by the time I was skiing with my kids I'd be able to still keep up(at least for a while).
I know age is a #, and I feel that # more and more everyday.
Thanks again.

 

[ropensaddle]

I have been many times well over 110' and on 5-6" eucalyptus swaying,,,
calmly ride the sway,,unless the tree was previously topped,,,
I think you will be a fast learner,,, maybe a natural,
Jeff

I went up many 100 plus foot bean poles here, gentile wind sways them 20 feet lol. One was a tree no one else on crew wanted to climb as it had a crook at 30 feet and 6 inch diameter to a hundred feet. I was foreman so that meant it was mine and it did get done. To the op never quite get used to the idea all is well and your likely going to be ok. In my example we shot a crotch at the top then put two groundies weight on it no cracks so i felt confident to climb it! Being a 100 ft up looking at 6 inch diameter to near the ground still makes you wonder though.

 

[treebilly]

If you must go all the way to the top you can tie in at a larger diameter and climb above your tie in point. Maybe not the best example but I'll choke off srt at around 6" diameter and as I go up I'll choke loop runners the the stem and slip the rope through a caribiner just in case. Unless you're harvesting cones though it's rarely necessary to get up to the tippy top on conifers.

 

[jefflovstrom]

I went up many 100 plus foot bean poles here, gentile wind sways them 20 feet lol. One was a tree no one else on crew wanted to climb as it had a crook at 30 feet and 6 inch diameter to a hundred feet. I was foreman so that meant it was mine and it did get done. To the op never quite get used to the idea all is well and your likely going to be ok. In my example we shot a crotch at the top then put two groundies weight on it no cracks so i felt confident to climb it! Being a 100 ft up looking at 6 inch diameter to near the ground still makes you wonder though.

And have a "Plan B",,,,,lol,,
Jeff

 

[IyaMan]

I have many trees in my yard, many cedar trees around 80 - 100 ft tall, and a few doug firs going as tall as 150'. My main question and concern is how high can I climb before worrying about the trunk getting too thin?

Since this is in your yard and you aren't working with a crew, don't attempt to do anything alone. Even if the person with you on the ground isn't there to do any work, just be sure to have someone else there. This is good not just for the obvious safety issue and/or accident, but also if you drop or need something from below they can pass it up to you via rope (and save you the trouble of climbing all the way down).

 

[ropensaddle]

And have a "Plan B",,,,,lol,,
Jeff

Haha yeah but I have seen these bean pole pines in 70 mph winds bending so far that my 200 lbs cannot put anything near that stress on them. Then I wonder, hmm; I hope that last storm didn't crack them, so i bounce check them well if a remote tip isn't available.