Had a new experience this weekend. My brother Chris and I took a tree climbing class.
Now we are both in our mid (to late) 50's and just a shade under 300 lbs each. Chris has been wanting to take this class for a while now. I kept telling him "The Harzer family does not climb" Well it wasn't pretty but he proved us wrong.
We went to Druid Hill Part in the center of Baltimore Maryland and met up with a tree climbing expert and he showed us how to tie some knots, throw a line and rig our harnesses. It was a very good day I learned a lot and was absolutely exhausted when I got home!
Here's a couple of pix.
This is Chris showing the double line setup we used. easy to tie and very effective at lifting heavy loads. ;D
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10233/Tree_climbing_1.jpg)
Gary helping me get rigged.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10233/tree_climbing_2.jpg)
We have liftoff!!!!
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10233/tree_climing_3.jpg)
Great experience... do you have a sky hook up there? What harness did you use?
Going to get the equipment and go climbing?
As always, you're adventurous! :)
SUPER WEDGIE! :D
Beenthere, I need to be a little more streamlined if I want to take this more seriously.
also, I am starting work on my own personal retirement home which will take all my time and finances for the next few years.
Quote from: Jeff on December 07, 2015, 12:19:30 PM
SUPER WEDGIE! :D
:D :D :D You beat me to it DanG it!
You are getting up there. ;D
Yup, we always figured that you would get up in the world. 8)
Good for you! Figure 8 on a bite for your saddle, figure 8 also in the bridge and as a stopper knot on the tail but what type of knot are you using for a friction hitch. Looks almost like a Blake's hitch but upside down.
Yes Bill, its a Blake's hitch. But I didn't know It was upside down. It worked very well though.
The USFS sent me to a tree climbing school at Chittinden Nursery here back in 1961, and I was certified in tree climbing for a few years for picking cones from our red pine seed orchards which were popular for seed collection at the time.
With the orchard tree spacing of the red pines, we could swing from crown to crown and tie in without having to leave and climb each single tree. Couldn't do that task these days as i don't think that I could pass the annual physical that was required each year. ;)
Although I rarely use a blakes hitch, I've never used an "8" between my saddle knot and my hitch. I understand it on the tail to prevent roll out, but what is the purpose in between?
A knot in the bridge is for identification. It shows where to cut in an aerial rescue situation.
That's pretty cool week end,, I like it and would do it,,
Quote from: bill m on February 11, 2016, 07:49:02 PM
A knot in the bridge is for identification. It shows where to cut in an aerial rescue situation.
I've never heard that before. It seems anyone trained in aerial rescue should know this, but thank you very much for the info.
Quote from: bill m on February 11, 2016, 07:49:02 PM
A knot in the bridge is for identification. It shows where to cut in an aerial rescue situation.
That is what I was taught also. But it always struck me if a person was smart enough to know that the knot meant cut here, he should be smart enough where to cut anyway. ;D Not to mention if the knot was tied in the wrong area in the first place. ::)
When I had 6 guys working for me we would practice aerial rescue. With an incapacitated climber in a tree it can be very hard to see and isolate the bridge. With a knot in the middle you can find it by feel, pull it away from the climber to verify and cut it.
Do many people still climb with a blakes or taughtline that form this type of bridge? I can tie it and used it as a beginner, but with so many better french prussic variations, I would never use it as my go to hitch. I don't have interaction with many climbers so this is why I ask.
I think it is great to see Weekend-Sawyer and his brother out taking a climbing lesson.I can not say I have ever tied in using that system.I was taught to tie a buntline to my saddle,using the tail for my bridge and then the blakes.I have been using an eye to eye,and using a distel tied to my climb line.The latest generation climbers are using srt and it is a huge step forward. No need to enter the tree for aerial rescue, basically untie the climbers base tie and lower on a figure eight with ears.
I don't know any thing about this stuff. What I would like to know how did you get the rope in the top of the tree stupid_smiley say_what
To set a line in a tree normally a throw bag(small canvas bag filled with shot) is attached to a small diameter line that is designed for this and either thrown over a branch or a large slingshot is used called a bigshot that propels the throw bag up into the tree.Once a proper TIP(tie in point) is isolated the climb line is attached to the smaller throw line and advanced.Usually a cambium saver or friction saver is added at the tie in point to protect the tree from the rope. Hope that helps a little.
Don T now I know thanks
Yep, the first part of the class was throwing the shot bag without a slingshot.
That was fun. Then we spent over an hour trying different riggings to try and lift large Harzers off the ground. That was not the first rig we tried. It was the first rig that worked. ;D