spikes kicked out yesterday

[murphy4trees]

First time in 26 years of climbing that I had my spikes kick out yesterday... Good news is that the worst thing that got hurt was my pride.... Slid down the trunk about 6-8 feet before the lanyard caught. This was my first day back after taking almost all of february off. Small Norway maple near a house..
Working down the spar. I instinctively went to bear hug the tree and felt like I was getting a decent grip before the lanyard caught. My co-worker said he thought I should have pushed away from the trunk and reset my spikes like they do coming down the poles on in logger's competitions.
I guess I should sharpen the spikes which I rarely do. In retrospect, I did have a rope guide with me but wasn't using it, because I was throwing 4-6' pieces, and thought I would save some time, until I got down to where I was going to block down a piece. Probably should have just taken the extra time to set the rope guide. Also not a bad idea to leave well placed short, 2-3" stubs to catch the lanyard in such cases. Short enough to catch the lanyard, but not long enough to casue the brush to hang up.
In the end I think it was a good wake up call to keep from getting complacent. A good reminder of my mortality and therefore a reminder to focus on safety.
Your feedback and suggestions are appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[lawson's tree s]

glad to hear you didn't get hurt. ive had my spikes kick out before to was in a hurry last tree of the day. i got a couple of nice scapes out the deal. i started to leace little nubs on the tree same thing you were talking about doing. hopefully it will stop me if it happens again. hopefully it wont..

 

[rb_in_va]

Good to hear from you Murph. Glad you weren't injured.

 

[jmack]

First time in 26 years of climbing that I had my spikes kick out yesterday... Good news is that the worst thing that got hurt was my pride.... Slid down the trunk about 6-8 feet before the lanyard caught. This was my first day back after taking almost all of february off. Small Norway maple near a house..
Working down the spar. I instinctively went to bear hug the tree and felt like I was getting a decent grip before the lanyard caught. My co-worker said he thought I should have pushed away from the trunk and reset my spikes like they do coming down the poles on in logger's competitions.
I guess I should sharpen the spikes which I rarely do. In retrospect, I did have a rope guide with me but wasn't using it, because I was throwing 4-6' pieces, and thought I would save some time, until I got down to where I was going to block down a piece. Probably should have just taken the extra time to set the rope guide. Also not a bad idea to leave well placed short, 2-3" stubs to catch the lanyard in such cases. Short enough to catch the lanyard, but not long enough to casue the brush to hang up.
In the end I think it was a good wake up call to keep from getting complacent. A good reminder of my mortality and therefore a reminder to focus on safety.
Your feedback and suggestions are appreciated.
Thank you.

glad yer alright

 

[diltree]

happens to evreyone

 

[Dadatwins]

Glad to hear you are OK, lucky it was winter and you probably had on long sleeves or you would have had a nice tree rash on the forearms. I slid down 15' in a hickory many years ago, burned my arms and chest trying to grab on. It was no fun. Now on a straight spar like you descibe I will cross the right side of my laynard over the left side in front of me. If I were to kick out I can't go anywhere since the laynard will cinch the tree. To move down I lean toward the tree and it will slack enough to move down. This works best with a hip adjuster on the laynard, I use a distal. Just let the line out as the trunk diameter grows. I keep the climbing line around the tree also as a backup. Be careful.

 

[Timberhauler]

First time in 26 years of climbing that I had my spikes kick out yesterday... Good news is that the worst thing that got hurt was my pride.... Slid down the trunk about 6-8 feet before the lanyard caught. This was my first day back after taking almost all of february off. Small Norway maple near a house..
Working down the spar. I instinctively went to bear hug the tree and felt like I was getting a decent grip before the lanyard caught. My co-worker said he thought I should have pushed away from the trunk and reset my spikes like they do coming down the poles on in logger's competitions.
I guess I should sharpen the spikes which I rarely do. In retrospect, I did have a rope guide with me but wasn't using it, because I was throwing 4-6' pieces, and thought I would save some time, until I got down to where I was going to block down a piece. Probably should have just taken the extra time to set the rope guide. Also not a bad idea to leave well placed short, 2-3" stubs to catch the lanyard in such cases. Short enough to catch the lanyard, but not long enough to casue the brush to hang up.
In the end I think it was a good wake up call to keep from getting complacent. A good reminder of my mortality and therefore a reminder to focus on safety.
Your feedback and suggestions are appreciated.
Thank you.

Man...Keep those spikes sharp,leaving stubs isn't a bad idea,I do it alot myself...One thing I was always taught was to keep your weight back on your lanyard,this forces your spikes into the tree...The biggest thing I would suggest is to keep those spikes sharp.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Hey Murph..........how ya been???

I've had my spikes kick out on me several times............the first is always the toughest. When it happened a few more times I instinctively learned to catch myself!!!

 

[treevet]

Peeling out and getting scared and even worse taking one of those stubs you strategically left in the nuts just makes you remember to set them good or pull it out and reset it.

 

[BostonBull]

I had 2 instances when I was a linesman that I burned a pole. The first was BAD!! I burned a pole from about 25' up and bear hugged it the whole way down. I was picking slivers out of my chin and chest for almost 2 years, yes YEARS. Some of the creosote laced ones swelled up and got infected pretty bad.
The second time I cut-out on my way down free climbing like all Linesman do, and dropped ten feet. I pushed off the pole this time, and landed on a CATV power supply box and pt two gaff holes int he top.

I then went to a great co. They had a Boston Edison training group come in and freshen everyone up on their gaff climbing skills. Boston Edison is widely regarded as the best in the business back then for safety training. They would actually sell their videos to other utilities for help in training. I had been "climbing" for two years prior to this course. After this course I came to the conclusion that everything I knew about climbing was completly wrong.

Keep your hooks sharp, your toes pointed up and your knee at a 10-15* to the pole/tree when going up. Also remmeber to keep your knee locked while going up each step of the way. With your knees locked you can bring your hips as close to the pole/tree as youd like without cutting out. When coming down unlock your knee and 'drop' 2-3 feet and let your hooks do the work.

At the end of my Linesman career I was a safety officer for 3500 guys in my union, I ran a climbing "camp" and the CDL training program. Not bad for a young lad!

Stay Safe!!!

 

[beowulf343]

Peeling out and getting scared and even worse taking one of those stubs you strategically left in the nuts just makes you remember to set them good or pull it out and reset it.

Ha, ha-i hate leaving stubs myself for that very reason-painful lesson learned many years ago. Keep your spikes sharp and use proper technique. And keep a spare pair of shorts handy in case it happens.

How often do you sharpen your spikes, murphy? I'm on mine every day, so they usually get touched up twice a week.

 

[DonnyO]

got me thinkin'

I rarely wear my spikes anymore and last time I did they seemed kinda dull. How do you guys sharpen yo gaffs? (I was taught to only sharpen the outsides)

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Peeling out and getting scared and even worse taking one of those stubs you strategically left in the nuts just makes you remember to set them good or pull it out and reset it.

I got some cracked ribs a few yeas ago on a nub, dead hickory on a cold day, working my way down on the reverse lean to get a good face cut... My unsharpened gaffs shaved out and ...oof!.

If you do not sharpen regularly, then use a guage, set the wrong angle ant they are as bad as dull pionts.

 

[treevet]

I got some cracked ribs a few yeas ago on a nub, dead hickory on a cold day, working my way down on the reverse lean to get a good face cut... My unsharpened gaffs shaved out and ...oof!.

If you do not sharpen regularly, then use a guage, set the wrong angle ant they are as bad as dull pionts.

Probably good enough reason to keep 2 pairs of spikes. One pole length and real sharp and one store bought sharp and long. Don t want day to day users too sharp as they get stuck and hard to pull out and cause fatigue. I keep 2 pairs w one having Sherril foot plates welded on bottom for 8 hour in the tree tk downs. Not much worse than dead hickory esp if bark still hanging on and you can t see spikes burry. Vines no fun either. I need a pair of sharper ones too , I get arch pain at times. I need 3 pairs. Thosegeckos look nice for sharp ones for dead hick etc.

 

[BostonBull]

I rarely wear my spikes anymore and last time I did they seemed kinda dull. How do you guys sharpen yo gaffs? (I was taught to only sharpen the outsides)

You should NEVERsharpen the outside of a gaff!!!!! Only shapren the inside between the gaff and the climber. Bring them to the rec climb and ill show you. Bring a ????? and a bastard file with you from a hardware store, OR call and order a gaff sharpening kit from one of the local Arborist supply houses.

 

[J.Walker]

Gaffs

Good to be able to talk about tho. Glad your ok.
Is your lanyard wire core?
Working down chunks big lanyards are a must.

 

[jomoco]

Kicking out

You should NEVERsharpen the outside of a gaff!!!!! Only shapren the inside between the gaff and the climber. Bring them to the rec climb and ill show you. Bring a ????? and a bastard file with you from a hardware store, OR call and order a gaff sharpening kit from one of the local Arborist supply houses.

Very good advice Boston Bull,

In my opinion every climber should have two sets of gaffs, one set with replaceable pole gaffs, and one set with replaceable tree gaffs.

I go one step further and keep a new set of replacement gaffs for each set in my toolbox.

I inspect my gaffs each workday and keep them razor sharp with my raker files as needed.

After you become familiar with how thick the cambium phloem bark layer is on each species of tree is, selecting which set of gaffs to wear to achieve xylem penetration and some degree of safety becomes a matter of habit.

I myself prefer the new Buckingham Titanium Climbers with the Steel insert Bashlin spur stays along with custom 19 inch tall Wesco High Climber lace to toe boots, this makes for pretty comfy climbing all day long, and very few kick outs.

Good thread!

Work Safe

jomoco

 

[BostonBull]

Very good advice Boston Bull,

In my opinion every climber should have two sets of gaffs, one set with replaceable pole gaffs, and one set with replaceable tree gaffs.

I go one step further and keep a new set of replacement gaffs for each set in my toolbox.

I inspect my gaffs each workday and keep them razor sharp with my raker files as needed.

After you become familiar with how thick the cambium phloem bark layer is on each species of tree is, selecting which set of gaffs to wear to achieve xylem penetration and some degree of safety becomes a matter of habit.

I myself prefer the new Buckingham Titanium Climbers with the Steel insert Bashlin spur stays along with custom 19 inch tall Wesco High Climber lace to toe boots, this makes for pretty comfy climbing all day long, and very few kick outs.

Good thread!

Work Safe

jomoco

Thanks! I have and will always climb on Bashlin aluminums. Although IF I ever switch it will be to Geckos....I treid a air during a removal a few months back and they are unbelievably comfy!

19" Wesco's!!!!!!!!! Holy Sh*t batman ho tall are you? I am 5'10" and I wear a 16" Highliner. Although 95% of my climbing is done from my daily boots...10" Highliners with kevlar lining. Great boots!

 

[Industry]

I love my Geckos. Very comfortable. The only "complaint" I have is it took a while to get used to the shape of the gaffs after learning on some older Buckingham steel shanks. Good to hear you are OK. Happens to everyone.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

Murphy...

You may give someone the idea to design a gadget for climbers that is activated like of like an air bag in a car.

When the unit detects too fast of an elevation drop, it opens and air canister and fills a partial Pillsbury doughboy outfit.

At least around the privates