anyone got any spur tips?

[ZinTrees]

ive been practicing spur climbing for a while now, im doing pretty good, normally never get scared

I had a nice gaffout a few days ago, and an 8-10ft slide, went for a climb yesterday and couldnt get over the feeling like im going to gaff out, any tips?

 

[mikewhite85]

Go low and slow. Also your gaffs may need sharpening. Use two flip lines.

When the tree gets skinny do a full wrap with the flip line so it "chokes" the tree.

 

[Mr. K]

What kind of tree were you climbing? That matters for next time.

Don't leave any partially cut branches as you go up that you could catch on the way down with your chin or any other part of you. Wear your helmet so you don't get knocked out when you slide. Take small steps and don't try to go to fast like Mike said, that is super important and I second what he said: keep them sharp. If you are using a ton of energy you are doing something wrong. I take really big 'steps' because I am tall and it is better for me, but I definitely didn't start out like that. You will gaffout again and you'll be alright, it happens.

 

[Mr. K]

and check out everything on the Arborist 101 forum, that'll help

 

[ZinTrees]

I did sharpen my gaffs yesterday morning, havent had a chance to try en out since

the tree I gaffed out it, I have no idea what it is, im thinking white oak but I never got high enough to take a look at the leaves (crowded forest, quite hard to ID leaves)

 

[sean donato]

Can't say I've had many issues spiking out in a wile, prolly will the next tree I'm in now I've said that. I wad taught to give a little test before putting full weight in a spike. Idk if that makes sense, kinda put your weight on it before pulling your other spike out. I normally do that before I get up too far to get a feel for how I'll hold in the tree. Sop is get up and get a safety line set and go from there. Then you don't have to worry so much about falling if you spike out.

 

[ZinTrees]

Can't say I've had many issues spiking out in a wile, prolly will the next tree I'm in now I've said that. I wad taught to give a little test before putting full weight in a spike. Idk if that makes sense, kinda put your weight on it before pulling your other spike out. I normally do that before I get up too far to get a feel for how I'll hold in the tree. Sop is get up and get a safety line set and go from there. Then you don't have to worry so much about falling if you spike out.

thats what I do if im in a new tree
normally I can tell if its gonna be bad just by the feel/sound when I step into the tree, if Im in something like tulip then its never an issue, ive had a few trees with bark that my spurs just couldnt stick in, at all

 

[sean donato]

thats what I do if im in a new tree
normally I can tell if its gonna be bad just by the feel/sound when I step into the tree, if Im in something like tulip then its never an issue, ive had a few trees with bark that my spurs just couldnt stick in, at all

Time to sharpen them lol. But yes, some trees can be a bugger.

 

[ZinTrees]

Time to sharpen them lol. But yes, some trees can be a bugger.

I sharpened them yesterday morning, id still consider them "dull" but MUCH better than they were, havent had a chance to use them since tho

 

[3ating b3av3r]

I sharpened them yesterday morning, id still consider them "dull" but MUCH better than they were, havent had a chance to use them since tho

What up zintrees..you sound like a kid I talked to a bit on ******** this is Chris I just found this site. You get kicked off ********?

 

[ZinTrees]

What up zintrees..you sound like a kid I talked to a bit on ******** this is Chris I just found this site. You get kicked off ********?

Christrees?

 

[Cromwell]

I learned to put my hands on the tree instead of my flip line. I get bad cramps in my forearms, so the less time I spend gripping rope, the better.
But, as long as the tree isn't really fat and you have decent reflexes, you can bear hug the tree in the event of a gaff out.

I also use some kind of choking system on any spar, even on the ascent. I made a diy "tree squeeze" out of an old cable core flip line that I had, and a hip prussic. I used a Petzl gated ring on one of the termination eyes. A much cheaper alternative to the Buckingham Tree Squeeze.

 

[Haplo]

the tree I gaffed out it, I have no idea what it is, im thinking white oak but I never got high enough to take a look at the leaves (crowded forest, quite hard to ID leaves)

Learn your ID from bark and form its much more reliable and use it year round

 

[gumneck]

Are you using pole gaffs or tree gaffs?

I had a Beech tree to do last spring, swapped my tree spurs over to shorter pole gaffs thinking I'd be more comfortable in a thin bark tree with them but nope....didn't like it one bit. Swapped back to the tree spurs and went back up to finish.

Also, sliding 8-10 ft is along way to slide. A top rope for a safety is the way to go to eliminate that altogether especially when learning on spurs.

 

[KarlD]

Lean away from the tree a bit

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

i think best advice is to evolve to not needing spurs damaging tree.
This will mean L-earning to use rope and strategies, throw line etc. more fully, that will pay off in many more innate understandings in rigging etc. besides climbing. Ladder in to first 20' a fair start, many times fair Natural scaffolding ladder or close enough from there.

 

[pdqdl]

Lean away from the tree a bit

What he said. ↑

I've seen a lot of new climbers have kick-out problems. Dull spurs are a big contributor, but I think it is usually caused more by your leg positioning and the direction of force on the spur.

It's all about posture. If you are not in the habit of standing on spurs, you are more likely to be clenching the tree with your hands and knees, keeping your waist close to the tree. This puts the direction of force on the spur parallel to the trunk instead of IN to the trunk. Then you kick out and ski for a ride. Fearing more kick-outs, you clench even closer to the tree and kick out more often. No matter how bow-legged you are and try to point the spur into the tree, if your knees come in towards the trunk, that spur point will be going out more than it was.

Learn to lean back on your lanyard and trust the equipment. If possible, set a line overhead, so that if you slip, it won't be far.

When I started climbing, I thought I needed to really gig that tree and I would stick the spur in real hard. Then each step became a chore to yank upwards back out of the tree. Nowadays, I just lean back, take small careful steps, and pretty casually go up the tree. My bad knees don't allow big steps anyway.

 

[ZinTrees]

upgraded my spus and quit being a *****

new ones are working great (buckingham 2 3/4" steel)
feel much more comfortable on em, and no gaffing out, stick great in everything I have climbed so far (pine, cottonwood, maple, and one of two others)

 

[ZinTrees]