A "blind cut" as you're calling it. reached around the trunk for a stub I think and cut his own rope. To be honest, that guy deserves to fall out of a couple of trees, but a valuable lesson nonetheless.
The arguement of "training" people how to use questionable techniques is a red herring. Like...
Its not a question of rope management. Its all about hazard mitigation. Lowerable base anchors are generally a waste. The only instance I know of where one was used in an emergency, the "rescuer" dropped my friend as she was self extricating.
Agreed. I start all new climbers with a closed...
When problems arrise, it's always the fool, and not the tool, that's at fault.
From Limbwalker's perspective, basal anchors are riskier than canopy anchors, because the climber's life support system takes up that much more space on the jobsite. Now it's easier for a ground worker to cut the...
I never said it has no potential benefit. Careful putting words in my mouth. We allow for basal anchorage for access into the tree, but once there the climber must establish a canopy anchor before anyone on the crew cuts on the tree in question.
I'm rarely worried about applied forces from a...
In general, I think a basal anchor isn't a great option. I've had no cause to rely on a basally anchored rope for my primary life support since 2012. If that one technique is what reliant on, then I'd say its a crutch.
If you limit your exposure, you limit your risk.
I know one climber personally that cut his own basally anchored line, so its not just the idiots on the ground. There is potentially an idiot in the tree.
Any climbing line means a trailing rope...
"ANSI Z133 7.1.4 Workers shall maintain a safe working distance from other workers when using...
Matt's only problem with TCCs (whether he realizes it or not) is that ITCC doesn't allow for individual equipment inspectors to to make their own objective evaluation. The Charlotte TCC used to be the one where something like this would be allowed. Thats where the F8 Revolver was first...
I've been a friend of Matt's for a long time and I love where the seed of his idea has germinated!
I LOVE renaming it the Valiant! Matt is not sort of person to name something after himself.
I know that having the harness approved for TCCs has been a huge PITA for Matt, and I have personally...
Masters winners:
Lily Soderlund WINNER!!
Jess Engle 2nd Place (First TCC!!)
Cory Petry Winner
David George 2nd Place (first TCC!)
Ian Martin 3rd Place
Big thanks to all the volunteers that make comps possible!
I don't advocate for "traditional" SRT ascent systems like the Frog Walker, etc because they are one way only. There is a significant changeover required before the climber can descend/escape. More modern rope walker setups are built around a two-way system (Rope Wrench, Runner, etc) and allow...
I think if anything, governing bodies should FIRST mandate TWO-WAY systems! Trees are a foreign environment for humans, and sometimes there are animals or circumstances up there that we don't want to be around. There are too many safety benefits to tools like the Singing Tree Rope Wrench, etc...
It sounds like they are making this decision based on making the parameters of an arb climbing system match the parameters of an industrial access climbing system. They are not concerned with functionality.
I think it is interesting that they do NOT seen to be making this decision because it is...
I suggest moving to Kentucky. It will take at LEAST 20 years for enforcement to catch up...
"I want to be in Kentucky when the end of the world comes, because it's always 20 years behind." -Mark Twain.
The Tennessee TCC is slated for Nov 1-2 (setup OCT 31... Halloween... Who the hell is planning these things?). I'm not sure of the location yet, but will let you know when I find out.