Climbers Are Not Curious

BEGINNING

Start at the ground with no techniques. Emphasis is to simplify. Less is more.

If I was to explain the motivation for dedicated ‘Two Rope’ use, in professional work, to a total beginner, it begins with the obvious discussion of anchoring safety. While it is feasible to choose and safely work on one anchor, if the same principles are applied, then doubling the anchor allows an overall increase in safety. Easily understood.

Now, if the same principle is laid out to a climber with some experience, the proposal has to be tweaked. Expecting them to increase equipment and techniques, in what can at times be a stressful environment, does not necessarily increase safety or security. And in fact, for those with only some experience and technical proficiency, one imagines that it could quickly diminish it.

Back to the beginner. The difficulty and importance of conveying important information leads me to believe that a reduction in technique allows a faster understanding of information.

Moving toward the goal of good work positioning, we can backwards engineer a system, it may be the most direct and safe way. Starting at the end and working backwards. Understanding goals is key to development.  Find out where you want to go, then learn to navigate yourself there.

Back to the burgeoning climber. Climbing trees can be challenging for those of any skill and experience level. A set of learned techniques, standardized by friends, company, country etc, this can feel enough. Especially as the job in front of them gives challenge after challenge beyond the rope work aspect. Physically tiring, trees with complex and often bizarre morphology, it wears one down. It can be difficult.

What constitutes a climbing set as given? One rope, two prussiks, a short lanyard and a couple of webbing slings for good measure? A ‘rescue set’ that is trundled out from moldy pouches in yearly practice sessions? A LOLER sheet? Which country and period of history should be drawn upon to extract techniques? Yesterday, today, how about tomorrow?

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Rope climbing typically begins in a way that is fatiguing.  And often continues to be so.. ..

Beyond the ergonomic approach to Rope Walking, there seems little taught about micro movement.  Almost zero about gripping patterns of the hand,  and also footwork.  To be blunt, with no guidance a climber is asked to be physical.  It puts one on a treadmill, cycling toward injury and failure.

RIGGING

Moving sections of trees with multiple ropes.  Manipulating heavy loads with calculated ease.

After so many years of study and application I am confident to be able to control and then move trees through the air, to wherever is needed. Gravity is my ally.

Should the 500kg log be moved with hand power alone?  My days in the UK saw many large Beech trees cut into ‘manageable sizes’. Sliced into discs, then quartered at ground level, sawdust, vibration damage, repetitive injuries at wrist, elbow etc, the long dull clean up in the rain.  I was always puzzled why my co-workers would never think to rig a simple Drift System or Slide Line in order to move these things around.

Cranes are great, rope work is unique and quite difficult.  To do it well, walking the edge of simplicity and efficiency, is wonderful.

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Climbers have a third party power source at their disposal, one that some see as a barrier to success; gravity.  This sounds corny, but as water flows downhill so must we.

To fight or to flow, these are two important conceptual distinctions.  Fear leads one toward a fighting stance, muscles engaged, adrenaline, fatigue.

As a rigger works within physical laws, so too does a climber.  Our skeleton should be ‘stacked’, force compressing bones.  A good posture for picking up boxes translates directly to tree climbing, keep your back straight.  Younger and more athletically capable can push the boundaries of skeletal stacking, but I prefer to move slowly and considered.  Wether that is finding a position as I ascend, or preparing to re-enter the tree from work on the outer canopy.  Unhooking and starting my chainsaw.  Sipping a cup of coffee.  With straight back, stacked, attuned to gravities flow.

Slow, considered and well aligned.

Less injury and fatigue.

CLIMBING

A rope under tension wants the climber to form circular motions.  In suspension, moving along the circles edge, we are made to feel lighter.

MRS and SRS, anchor points strong enough and high enough to give safe access to, quite frankly, bizarre areas, where tiny birds and insects exist.  These places are not the normal domain of humans.  The rope is used with a pendulous motion, the climber moves in circles.  Plan routes through complex branch structures.  Study and delve, an abundance of techniques at ones disposal.  Like a rigging system, the climbing system and movement of the load (body) should be safe, smooth, reducing action and frustration whenever possible.  A second rope here, a redirection point there.  The occasional high-line and traverse technique.

One rope was the starting point for tree workers.  Short ones tied around the waist.  Long ones slung over branches.  And up to now, it’s just a combination of those two things.

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Rigging systems are created, set and used to encompass as much of the work as possible.  Redesigning, resetting, is a pain.  Climbing too, create a system that encompasses as much of the work as possible.  Stop chasing positions.

Two anchors span the work, it allows the climber effortless access to micro positions.  Lanyard is deployed less, no longer the crux of safety when cutting.

MAJOR v’s MINOR

Define differences between major and minor techniques.  Safety is laid out as a foundation, skill and technique grow from it.  Technique is born out of circumstance, it may sometimes be used once in a lifetime, important yet minor.  The so called ‘bag-of-tricks’.  Major techniques are constant, they are relied upon and trusted.  They are dogged and resilient, and should function in any circumstance.  Learning how to throw rope is a MAJOR technique.  Differences between friction hitches are MINOR techniques.

Keeping things safe and simple (K.I.S.S.) & organizing techniques and equipment to function efficiently, is tricky and takes time to develop.  The journey to the answer isn’t retrograde, it takes time and work to K.I.S.S. well.

Major techniques tend to have fewer steps and moving parts.  They are unforgettable, like riding a bicycle.

Minor techniques are filled with nuance and forgettable moments.

Use major techniques over minor.

Throwing rope, knot craft, physical mechanics knowledge, anchor techniques, MRS & SRS, pendulum movement, body thrusting .. .. ..

REDIRECTION

I seem to carry less gear these days, and use fewer techniques.  Hoping to hit more major points than minor but this is subjective, and organic.

SRS redirection, using natural points, means pulling up the Standing End, it can be annoying.  It’s balanced out by three good things; not having to carry slings, learning which points in the tree will be strong, and easy retrieve of the system.

I can’t state enough how powerful it is to be in suspension and to quickly come off of one line, while still being suspended on another.  It redefines several complex aspects of tree climbing.  It is a MAJOR technique.  Using two systems makes redirects simple, both setting and returning.  As is passing limbs, or as Eric Whipple describes it, “Ghosting”, through limbs.

OTHER THINGS

Setting a redirect up close to the suspension point, simply pass rope and device over said point.  Descending away as the Standing Part runs over it is called a ‘Pony Tail’ redirect.  Fast to set and retrievable too.  Not MAJOR but damn close.

Why use a tether on the device?  Body can spin beneath device, no need to lift rope ‘up and over’ ones head.  Clip chest tender directly to rope for most upright ascent position.  Gives large amount of slack when climbing in crown.  Use it for Body Thrusting,  Footlocking,  a Hauling Point.  Less clashing of equipment.

Tri-swivels are best.  Or a normal swivel (1) with swivels (2,3) on the device.

Anchoring, choose your favorite and double it.  Piggyback one to another to simplify retrieve.

Knot blocking is preferred as retrieve friction low.  Obvious disadvantage to falling hardware, hangup’s etc.  Use an AMERICAN CLACKER for easy retrieve of two lines, it’s really slick.

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Two Rope, it’s a simple system, theres nothing more to say.