Traversing from tree-tree...

[Redbull]

or limb to limb, that are quite a distance apart. Say you use a throw weight and line to set your line where you want to go. How do you retrieve the end of your line and bring it back to yourself? I'm talking about moving horizontally through a tree/trees from one point to another.
P.S. Good idea on this forum.

 

[tnttreeman]

How far is far? When working, I usually use my fiberglass poles. With a wire raiser hook on the end, I can handle 3 or 4 six foot poles clipped together. With my reach that gives me somewhere in the 22-27' range of reach. Usually, too, I will set the rope bundle with the poles.
Otherwise, have a ground guy tie the second line on to your first climb line and pull it up.

 

[Redbull]

While working, I would do the same, but while rec climbing, I don't carry a pruner or a groundman. Working with 4-six foot poles on a horizontal plane tough on your arms. I hate dealing that many poles if I can avoid it. Reminds me to much of my line clearance days

 

[tnttreeman]

That's why my arms are rock solid!

 

[Redbull]

Maybe I should start using extensions then "I'm going to pump...you up!" (that was my Arnold impression)

 

[Redbull]

By all means, no, it's not just for rec climbing. I do the same while working, but it involves a pruner or a groundman. It didn't get moved. I started it here because when rec climbing you don't always have the same tools or a groundman to help out. So......what techniques do you use?I'm asking cause I'm always trying to find new ways to do things. Thanks.

 

[Redbull]

What if I just put a search in at that site. Would it come up?

 

[old dude]

traversing limb to limb

well--having wrestled with this problem many years I began asending with the sidekick available at arborexotica.com and have found it to be indispensable. Check it out.
Old Dude

 

[Redbull]

Thanks Old Dude! That looks like a pretty nifty tool. Sure beats setting lines with a pruner. I just don't like having to move a pruner around a tree if I don't have to.

 

[Tom D. Wilson]

hmm may have to invest. looks a bit like and oversized extendable cosh.

 

[old dude]

extendable cosh?

hmm may have to invest. looks a bit like and oversized extendable cosh.

What on earth is a cosh? Sounds scotish to me.

old dude

 

[old dude]

cosh?

What is a cosh?
Old Dude

 

[Stumper]

A cosh is a head knocker. Aka sap.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

I sometimes carry a throwball and just attach it to my climbing line, throw it past a limb I wanna snag and yank on the line as it goes past which generally get the ball and line heading back at me. Sometimes need a silky for extra reach in the catch.

 

[Burnham]

What follows is a description of grapnel use that I posted a while back somewhere else. I just pasted the same text in here. Maybe this will be of help.

... probably the best way to use the little grapnel to set a line in an adjacent tree is in conjunction with a throwbag and line. First tie up a Prusik loop from about 40 inches of throwline or other small cordage. Girth hitch the grapnel on this loop, which will be 16 or 18 inches long. No other line is attached to the grapnel. Now, from in the first tree, throw your bag and line into the adjacent tree, over a tie in point. Lower the bag below that tie in point a few feet. Take out your grapnel on the Prusik loop and Prusik knot it onto the throwline in hand. Let the bag down, carrying the grapnel over as the line moves toward the branch it is running over. When the hanging grapnel gets close to the branch, pull the throwline back and forth a bit to get the grapnel swinging. It will snag the throwline below and on the other side of the branch. Now pull the throwline back to you and the hook will retrieve the end of the throwline with the bag to you, completing a loop around the tie in branch in the adjacent tree. Use the throwline to pull your second climbing line (or the tail of the one you are already on) over and back...tie up your hitch and transfer tree to tree. Clear as mud?

This works better than you can imagine, and allows unassisted transfers of quite some distance, much farther than you can swing the grapnel on its own line to capture a line. Of course, pay attention to the high levels of force involved on both tie in points if you don't keep the rope angles fairly low while traverseing.

 

[Redbull]

Burnham, WOW!! Thanks!!! That's exactly what I was looking for. I appreciate the detailed description. The grapnel sounds like a very versatile tool. I might just order me one!

 

[Burnham]

You're welcome Redbull. Let us know if you give it a try. Here's a picture of a time I used that trick for a tree to tree transfer at about 120 feet off the ground. It's quite a rush to be that far out from both tie in points, nothin' but air below.

 

[Burnham]

Oops, forgot to cut the size down on that one...sorry.

 

[glens]

Just because it's so cool...

 

[Old Monkey]

There is a way to retrieve the tail end of your rope without using any extra tools. Throw your line over a limb in another tree, flip it until the amount of line hanging down slightly exceeds the distance from you to the branch. Now feed out you line you are holding until it sags down toward the hanging tail end. You can swing the "u" shaped trough of rope until it hits the hanging tail and starts it swinging. Then you use your "u" of rope to capture the swinging tail end and start it twisting around your line. Now if you understand my explanation, you can pull your rope toward you and gather up the tail end. I use this trick quite often and can retrieve the tail end of my line as far as I can throw my rope. For longer distances I'm sure you can do this trick with a throwball. The trick is learning how to swing the trough or valley of your rope out toward the tail of your rope with circling pattern that captures, then twists around the tail of your line.