Comparing Rock Climbing and Tree Climbing as it relates to rope handling best practices.

[moss]

Good afternoon, all.

Thank you for your generous responses to my curiosity. (Please know that a question is not a challenge. It is simply an inquiry for education purposes. One can learn through information. Or, one can learn through experience. This is a great space for the former, based on the collective latter.

My take away from the input is that multi-pitch climbing isn't done because the risk can be avoided.

Thank you.

DG

Well… my point is tree climbers do multi-pitch climbing constantly, it’s still multi-pitch when the tail of their rope is touching the ground.

Are you actually asking jf it’s safe to tree climb when your rope tail doesn’t reach the ground?
-AJ

 

[moss]

Probably need a definition of multi-pitch climbing on rope that is agnostic across climbing disciplines.

Apparently people think it’s all about accommodating short ropes. If you advance your TIP from it’s original position when you access a tree, that is multi-pitch climbing whether or not the tail is touching the ground.
-AJ

 

[moss]

Alternating Lanyard Technique aka Alt Lanyard as shown in Jepson’s is multi-pitch climbing. Every time a climber transfers or repositions their life support anchoring it is a “pitch”.
-AJ

 

[ghostice]

In my day a “pitch” was dictated by the length of your rope so 60 meter rope you can do a 50-55 meter pitch (have to have some rope for the belayer and for coupla tie-ins). Sporty type guidebook stuff often has climb descriptions with the distance on a route between fixed pins or belay stations. On alpine faces or waterfall ice though yer on yer own! Belayers usually yell up 30 feet left etc so the lead can look for a place to snooze er belay the second.

 

[Tuebor]

Are you actually asking jf it’s safe to tree climb when your rope tail doesn’t reach the ground?
-AJ

I think people are inferring that based on the first paragraph of his post. I thought he was asking why rock climbers can climb without their tail reaching the ground, while it's frowned upon in tree climbing.

 

[moss]

I think people are inferring that based on the first paragraph of his post. I thought he was asking why rock climbers can climb without their tail reaching the ground, while it's frowned upon in tree climbing.

What I’m thinking. Getting lost here discussing what a multi-pitch climb is in rock climbing.
-AJ

 

[Zebco Kid]

Good afternoon, all.

Thank you for your generous responses to my curiosity. (Please know that a question is not a challenge. It is simply an inquiry for education purposes. One can learn through information. Or, one can learn through experience. This is a great space for the former, based on the collective latter.

My take away from the input is that multi-pitch climbing isn't done because the risk can be avoided.

Thank you.

DG

Well… my point is tree climbers do multi-pitch climbing constantly, it’s still multi-pitch when the tail of their rope is touching the ground.

Are you actually asking jf it’s safe to tree climb when your rope tail doesn’t reach the ground?
-AJ

Hi Moss,

I was inquiring about all of it. Trying to understand the practices and standards associated with tree climbing. I was trying to understand if there is something inherently different, or just a different approach to the activity.

I think I understand the safest approach after reading the comments.

Your input is greatly appreciated. If you have thoughts about the rope tail not touching ground, I’d like to hear/read your thoughts.

 

[Bart_]

My 2 cents. It all boils down to what if you have an emergency. A compromise would be leaving the first pitch system intact with ascent/descent device in place and have the next pitch rope able to descend you right to that spot. Sounds like rock climbing a bit I suppose. Then the only impediment to an emergency is transferring over. If you work your way far up a tree say two or alternating deda lanyard(s) then you've got to descend, pull,, reset etc in small increments which could be critical lost time in an emergency - if you're even able to perform the actions. So in my view you'v got to be pretty reliant on sunny day nothing can go wrong to put your eggs in that basket. That approach "works until it doesn't" as some would say, too. But when it doesn't it could get bad.

Got your pee bottle yet? You wouldn't want a lubricated first pitch rope from on high

 

[moss]

Hi Moss,

I was inquiring about all of it. Trying to understand the practices and standards associated with tree climbing. I was trying to understand if there is something inherently different, or just a different approach to the activity.

I think I understand the safest approach after reading the comments.

Your input is greatly appreciated. If you have thoughts about the rope tail not touching ground, I’d like to hear/read your thoughts.

Yes, for rec climbing not running a saw in a tree etc a skilled tree climber does not need the rope tail on the ground. Climbing that way you’re always considering “How would I get to the ground quickly if I needed to?” Rec climbing is not work climbing. Running saws in trees is a different matter.

These days my maximum length line for a lot of my rec climbing is 85’. I break out a 150’ depending on the tree. For work climbing and cat rescue rope tail will always reach the ground. It may not always be on the ground bit it will reach the ground if I need it to.
-AJ

 

[Matias]

Yes, for rec climbing not running a saw in a tree etc a skilled tree climber does not need the rope tail on the ground. Climbing that way you’re always considering “How would I get to the ground quickly if I needed to?” Rec climbing is not work climbing. Running saws in trees is a different matter.

These days my maximum length line for a lot of my rec climbing is 85’. I break out a 150’ depending on the tree. For work climbing and cat rescue rope tail will always reach the ground. It may not always be on the ground bit it will reach the ground if I need it to.
-AJ

Like, you may work around some stuff MRT, but the rope is long enough to get you to the ground SRT if you just quickly pull a biner clip it around the rope, pull the slack out, throw on a wrench on, and bomb out? I think I could get that done in about 10-20 seconds in an emergency, depending on the nature of it. Sounds like they could be the longest 15 seconds of one's life if they were being stung by hornets or bleeding, but you'd probably survive.