Anchor hitch failure kills a newbie

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Originally posted by Eagle1
I use an anchor tied to my rope snap all the time. Sounds like a mis-tied knot failed.
Eye splice would be another method, but in the long run Rocky is correct in saying that you have to know your knots. Anybody can snap on a biner. Trusting your own tied knots is part of the whole tree climbing expierence.

Anyway, sorry to the lost boy and his family.


“A knot is never nearly right; it is either exactly right or it is hopelessly wrong, one or the other; there is nothing in between. This is not the impossibly high standard of the idealist, it is a mere fact for the realist to face. In a knot of eight crossings, which is about the average-size knot, there are 256 "over-and-under" arrangements possible. Make only one change in this "over-and-under" sequence and either an entirely different knot is made or no knot at all may result.” Clifford W. Ashley.
 
I recently bumped into the owner of said company. He brought it up and we talked about it briefly. He said the kid was to be handing out flyers as previosly mentioned. Come lunch time, the crewmembers were sitting at the street eating and the kid helped himselt to the gear that was left in the tree by the climber.

When the crew went back to investigate, there was no anchor knot tied into the rope.

Owner went on to try to demo the knot he has 'taught his climbers to use for yrs' and I couldnt tell you or show you what it was. In other words, it wasnt a bowline or a double overhand/fishrmans (call it what you like). It really didnt look safe to me.

I got the impression the kid saw the 'knot' tied, didnt khow how to tie it, tried something and got the knot wrong, obviously.

He went on to say he has really had to reevaluate his company and isnt nearly as gung-ho as he used to be. Im sure it really opened his eyes.

Ive actually known the owner for several yrs and the stories ive heard dont really make him much of a pro arborist. Spikes trim jobs, tops w/o care, fastest is best regardless of the outcome.

Its too bad for all involved. something like this just goes to show you, if you dont know what your doing, find someone to show you properly.
 
Originally posted by Proarbor
To find good people you have to disgard the trash. No complaints on my crew. Hows yours?

hows mine?anyone who picks up a saw has 10 yrs min climbing exp its easier and more profitable to stick with the old school.one arborist old school climber 27 yrs exp dux of burnley,one labourer who only wants to drag brush,thats fine with me.i know the trash by looking at them,not being rude.i know everyone has to start somewhere but it just wont be with me,i havnt got the time or patience.we are hit and run specialists no hourly rate no questions asked
 
Definately makes things alot easier. I've got one expirenced climber now, but I try to take on trainees as well so that I can give a young guy the chance that I was given. If they dont want to learn or find that arb is'nt for them we go our seperate ways though.
One limiting factor in sa is the lack of training that has been avaliable in the past, if you don't want a gung-ho hacker sometimes you have to go with out. I'm one of the lucky ones in sa who was trained by someone who knew what they were doing.
If you have any big tree expiriances you can share with me (prob's encountered ) please do as tall trees 200" + basicaly dont exist in sa. Tallest i've climbed was a touch over 140"

:)
please ignore any other crap messages that I placed the other night, i thought that I had deleted them all
 
ill give vic that much there is fairly good climbing arb teaching just not alot of rigging,i got my advanced climbing ticket, climbing a 160ft blue gum. first limb was 40ft.doing some big eucs this week but im going to cheat a bit.ive got logger mates who think nothing of pushing over a 150+ft ash etc they do it every day and i take there advice if it can help me.
 

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