any suggustions please, 14 more to do

[Derek]

G'day everyone, This is my first post ,I hope i get it right,big on saws and trees but leave the cpu to the wife.
I work on a 500 km 330,000 KV line in Australia. Over here we are not allowed to bulldoze a 60 m wide easement to put power line towers up. (you just cant imagin how much red tape is in the bush). That means a lot of climbing. of all the trees ive encountered,CURVED trees -- I need some help on!!
I started climbing 5 yers ago, taught by a guy who used to take both ends of one rope and a pole strap. I hate the loop (I allways fear he might drop a limb in it), so i use one end and two pole straps. Do I need "tricky" equipment like I see in U.S mags? Or could someone suggest how they would climb a tree (see pic) like this one , Ive seen down the line a bit and I cant believe how many more like this there are. Not allowed to use sling shot. Only one "target" on this tree, it was headind straight toward the line. By the way there is nothing to attch to till about were my foot is.

 

[a_lopa]

youll just have to climb them derek,some of them trees that have already been pruned hard are the hardest to climb.look around here youll find more than enough info,are you saying you dont use a lifeline?it still amazes me how many people in au still just use pole belts

 

[Stumper]

Hi Derek, Welcome to the site. Please post your other pictures on this thread (click "post new reply") and go back to your other tthreads and click "edit" and choose the delete option.-it will help every one figure out what you are doing.:angel:

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Get a picture of your saddle with the lanyard and climing rope attached so we can make fun of...er...I mean, give you some constructive critism.

 

[a_lopa]

come on mike,we all started somewhere dont be to criticle.

 

[Stumper]

Mike, Criticism, has more letters in it than your sawed off version. If you cut it again it will still be too short. Please scab on another ic in the middle using a framing hammer and a couple of the nails holding your empty head together. (Hope you find my criticism constructive.)

 

[Derek]

Thanx for your input, Most defenatly always have a lifeline.
The "one end" I refered to is my life line,decending line,third point of attchment (only for ballance sometimes). I never leave the ground without its prussic loop clipped in and a tied 8 ready to through


Stumper WHAT???. I'll go have shot, but im still tring to figure out what im doing.


By the way, I just couldent seem to go up on my guts, couldent get any grip on my spurs--for one. to hard an angel. Ironbarks are rough as guts with 2 inches of bark which tends to "pop of" if you dont set your spurs well. so Idid take both ends and put one in the lower leader for balance, the other behind me as a life line and went up backwards.

 

[a_lopa]

i know what your saying derek,in those sort of situations just do the SAFEST thing you can to acheive clearance,your worth more than a tree.some very good, hard timber up your way.im in gippsland

 

[Stumper]

Derek, My turn to say "WHAT?" Please explain going up backwards.:angel:

 

[Derek]

Saint Hilda's private girls school.

G'day again.
I thought that my crew (15 of us),all miles away from home,12 hr days 6 days a week,breakfast,smoko,llunch and dinner together,share the same camp, work together could get a little "?????ey" but straight off the batt ,some of you guys are into me.. Some sort of personal best for me..
Now granted were a bit rough in the bush, but fair go..
as for equipment, pretty simple but I hold the record within our team (only 3 of us climb) 21 trees before lunch..Im sure there are many ways to climb a tree,I dont get a chance to see any one eles climb,the guys here, I tought ,after the too "starters" couldent handel the bush, 11 months later on this progect we get a lot done in a day.. Take time to enjoy.. Kind regards Derek

 

[Derek]

backwards

Do you get used to the questions/answers being out of sequence? Or mabey its my slow typing......


G'day again STUMPER.

The hardest part is the turning around.. Had to use the 2nd end of my L/L on that lower leader about 4m from the fork (its all my hook could reach to get the 8 back). the 2nd end is now a big loop around the leader,and fig 8 and prussic cliped in to my left hip. I got the tension right took my left spur out and slowly releasing the prussic-turned enough to reset it while piveting on right spur (set hard on the outer of the tree) Still had my wire cored (rope) flipline attached , tightened up on that so im sucked to the tree and set my right and reset the left- loosend off the prussic & flipline enough to re attach prussic and 8 on my right hip for balance, a little more of the flip line and stand up!
from there its not as hard as you might think. Same action only
your flipping down and under. this is why ive posted this pic there has to be an easier way. Any suggestions????? Derek

 

[a_lopa]

hi derek,i worked on 500kv lines through similar terrain.im just wondering what you really want to know??

 

[Derek]

curved trees

Hi fellow Aussie, (your mail box is full by the way)

What I want to know is other tips on climbing the curved ones.
How would you go about climbing the tree in the pic???
also what is approch limits on 500 kv I think theres only one line like that in oz??stay safe Derek.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Hi Derek. Do you wear hooks when you trim? Or, are the trees residential?

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Can you use a throwline to set a rope? I read that you can't use the Big Shot. That's what I found when I worked in UK. Not around power lines unless the shot was a prescribed distance away from the approach and perpendicular to the lines. That's too bad because I have my pole marked so that I know how high the line will go.

Use the throwline to set up as high as possible. Set the rope and climb the rope not the tree. Either footlock the tail or tie off the rope and climb SRT, single rope technique. If you're not familar with SRT, use Search to find information.

Once you're in the tree, take a look at the next trees that you're going to prune. Can you use the throwline up in the tree to set a rope? Many times it's easier to go down a row, canopy to canopy, instead of going all the way to the ground. There are ways to get both ends of your line back to yourself. The easiest technique is to have a groundie tie off one end and SRT into the next tree.

Using the rope to access the canopy is most times easier and faster than climbing the tree. Getting accurate with a throwline takes a bit of time. You seem to have the right attitude about learning.

Tom

 

[rbtree]

Hi Derek,


Welcome to AS!

Do you have a throw line and shot pouch you could carry aloft to allow easier line setting? Then, perhaps you could ascend the leaners more easily by footlocking the tail of the line. It might be hard with spurs on.

Too bad they won't let you use a slingshot---it's easier to use mechanical ascenders to access the crowns.

Hey, check out our friend Graeme's website. He's based near Victoria and is famous for his work on the big eucs. Be sure to explore every link---some mighty amazing stuff!!

[http://sherbrooketrees.tripod.com/sherbrooketreeservice/

 

[rbtree]

Ha! Tom, ya beat me by three minutes! You and yer nimble fingers.

 

[rbtree]

Here's a shot of Ian way out on a very out of scale elm lateral. We had no good overhead tie in for a lifeline, as well, the branch was moist and very mossy, and would have been hard to walk out due to it's angle, and the angle that the lifeline would have been at. But we did set an overhead line, and tied off the lateral, then put some tension on it with the chipper winch. Then Ian footlocked directly up and did the necessary tip pruning.

 

[Derek]

curved ones

P.S Tom
that tree couldent be acssesed from another, I frequently go from tree to tree in fact ive done 30 - 40 m without touching ground. I use a "soft" grappaling hook through my spare fig 8
into target then get hook to recover 8 up to 5m away.have gotten extreamly good results this way. I;ll often have lunch in the treetops. not comming down till its done. regards Derek

 

[Tom Dunlap]

I know some climbers who have made up grappling hooks. Nice tool.

Can you describe what you mean by a "Soft" grapple? Better yet, post a pic.

Tom