A question about maneuvering into a tree...

I've found that pushing away from the limb will get me swinging, and I can advance while moving sideways. I only use one leg (in a footloop attached to my hand ascender) for climbing, so I can push away with my other knee and foot when I'm part way past the limb. The further the TIP is above the limb, the more time I'll have to advance with each swing.

Sometimes I'll use one hand to push away from the limb while using the other on the ascender along with my leg to advance.

For me, the only set rule for getting past a limb is that it's going to look and feel awkward.
 
Passing a hard contact point is pretty much a mandatory skill for vertical caving. It's not uncommon to have no rigging choice other than a near 90 degree breakover at the lip of a pit. With deep pits (300 ft+), we often climb tandem to reduce the time required for the group to exit the pit. When you're the top climber, passing a hard contact point can be challenging, with the weight of another person on the rope below you and no handy limbs nearby. In those cases, it's usually easier to rig a short pigtail at the top that the top climber can transfer onto, to eliminate dealing with the weight of the lower climber. Trees seem easy by comparison.
 
I think I know what you’re describing here. The reality is regardless of how many years of experience you have there can still be those “headache” or frustrating moments that might cause you to have to do some problem solving and consider work arounds.

I’ve been in this situation a few times and even where my rope may be at an angle so my weight actually pulls it harder against a big limb, etc.

Sometimes what I’ll do is basically use my foot ascender to help push me past it if it’s hard to work with with my hands because of rubbing against the limb.

You could also manually climb over the limb monkey style, as in physically pull yourself up and over if you can’t get past it nice and fluidly and smooth as you’d like with your climbing system. A combination of good upper body and core strength as well as leg strength helps.

Every situation is different but just keep at it.
 
Climbingmonkey24,

Thank you for your thoughts. The responses to my inquiry have been great - ranging from technique to recognition that this happens, and we simply adapt and innovate.

Yesterday I returned to the tree that spawned the question. I setup as before, but this time moved past “the crux” with little mental fanfare. On to the next tree, challenge, and question for this esteemed group! Stay tuned. Thank you.
 
Last edited:
climbingmonkey24 said:
. . . You could also manually climb over the limb monkey style, as in physically pull yourself up and over if you can’t get past it nice and fluidly and smooth as you’d like with your climbing system. . .
Click to expand...
I just had a rotten experience last week doing this harbour-seal/monkey thing over and past a big fir limb almost the size of my waist. Chilly day and I was in a long sleeved shirt. So, it turned out that the top side of this limb was covered with fresh sap that had dripped from somewhere above, and I ended up with it all over my wrists, gloves, and the shirt sleeves. Must have been a cupful or more of the bloody stuff.
 
Burrapeg said:
I just had a rotten experience last week doing this harbour-seal/monkey thing over and past a big fir limb almost the size of my waist. Chilly day and I was in a long sleeved shirt. So, it turned out that the top side of this limb was covered with fresh sap that had dripped from somewhere above, and I ended up with it all over my wrists, gloves, and the shirt sleeves. Must have been a cupful or more of the bloody stuff.
Click to expand...
I always wear my old shirts or ones I don't like for doing pines and firs, that stuff doesn't come off very well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom