Finally tried speedlining, and now I'm hooked.

[Winchman]

The other day I needed to remove some dead limbs from a tree surrounded with nice plantings. They weren't really heavy, but dropping them straight down wasn't an option. I decided it was the perfect time to try speedlining, so I made several slings, and set up the line running to a convenient tree about sixty feet away.

It was really easy, and it worked really well. The outer end of the limbs would hit the ground first, and the big end would fall over near the base of the tree. With the first two limbs lying on the ground it was easy to reposition the line in the tree for the other two. I was surprised at how little load is put on the line...the knots got no tighter than I had tied them. I realize I need to get some experience with heavier limbs, but I'm encouraged by the good start.

Now I have an easy way to make sure limbs don't drop on the pile of rope that collects from my 3:1 climbing rig. It's always been a concern that something heavy would trap or damage the rope, and I wouldn't be able to come down.

 

[LordFarkwad]

You doing this solo? If so, did you tension from the top?

 

[Winchman]

You doing this solo? If so, did you tension from the top?

Yes, and yes. Two wraps around a good-sized live limb followed by a double half-hitch made with the rope doubled. Easy to tie and untie.

 

[SomethingWitty]

Yes, and yes. Two wraps around a good-sized live limb followed by a double half-hitch made with the rope doubled. Easy to tie and untie.

That's way simpler than setting a hitch with a tending pulley and having to sling it onto the tree. I like it.

 

[evo]

A figure 8 or CRT totem works great for this too

 

[LordFarkwad]

A figure 8 or CRT totem works great for this too

So do you have the figure 8 on a sling, and then just lock off the speedline to it? I'm pretty bad at visualization...

 

[Fivepoints]

I like using my mini portawrap for the top anchor when setting the speedline myself. Super easy to adjust tension and you can use a pulley and prusik to help tension the line almost like a 3 to 1.

 

[LordFarkwad]

Yes, and yes. Two wraps around a good-sized live limb followed by a double half-hitch made with the rope doubled. Easy to tie and untie.

It sounds like you can set it midline because of tying it off with the bight.

Other question is, did you just carry slings/biners and send em down, or did you do something with natural crotching to avoid having to go get the slings/biners?

I have a similar scenario possibly coming up (tallish pine with a few bushes and a wooden fence to avoid directly below, but otherwise pretty open) and I've wanted to mess around with VSL and speedlining for some time, but I always chicken out and go cut and chuck, or just don't want to spend the time in the moment setting it up.

I like using my mini portawrap for the top anchor when setting the speedline myself. Super easy to adjust tension and you can use a pulley and prusik to help tension the line almost like a 3 to 1.

So you sling the PAW, and use the tail of the rigging line itself in the MA system? I'm trying to visualize still ...

 

[Winchman]

It sounds like you can set it midline because of tying it off with the bight.

Other question is, did you just carry slings/biners and send em down, or did you do something with natural crotching to avoid having to go get the slings/biners?

I have a similar scenario possibly coming up (tallish pine with a few bushes and a wooden fence to avoid directly below, but otherwise pretty open) and I've wanted to mess around with VSL and speedlining for some time, but I always chicken out and go cut and chuck, or just don't want to spend the time in the moment setting it up.

With the lower end of the speedline secured, I ran it through a carabiner clipped to my harness. Up in the tree, I doubled the rope, pulled it tight, wrapped it around the limb, and tied it off. I made sure the excess rope wasn't where it could snag my climbing gear if anything went wrong.

I carried all the slings up with me. Since the limbs weren't really heavy, I used cheap rope and some rope snaps/screw links to make the slings. I'll make better slings as the need arises. One tip is to make the slings a little longer than you first think they need to be. You can always make an extra wrap around the limb if it's too long. I don't think you want the limb to drop much before the speedline guides it away from the tree.

Overall it was easier and faster to get set up for speedlining than I thought it would be, and well worth the time and effort. After the good first try, I'm willing to put more into it.

 

[LordFarkwad]

With the lower end of the speedline secured, I ran it through a carabiner clipped to my harness. Up in the tree, I doubled the rope, pulled it tight, wrapped it around the limb, and tied it off. I made sure the excess rope wasn't where it could snag my climbing gear if anything went wrong.

I carried all the slings up with me. Since the limbs weren't really heavy, I used cheap rope and some rope snaps/screw links to make the slings. I'll make better slings as the need arises. One tip is to make the slings a little longer than you first think they need to be. You can always make an extra wrap around the limb if it's too long. I don't think you want the limb to drop much before the speedline guides it away from the tree.

Overall it was easier and faster to get set up for speedlining than I thought it would be, and well worth the time and effort. After the good first try, I'm willing to put more into it.

Cool, thanks for the tips. Another question...

The end you took with you, did you anchor it locally just above (maybe 5' or so?) a group of limbs you could sling up so that the vertical drop into the line was minimal? I'm trying to imagine how this should be set up to minimize the number of times the climber's end has to be moved.

 

[Winchman]

Both times it was about 4-5 feet above the limbs to be cut. If it's much higher you might need to put the sling way out, depending on the distance to the other tree. If it's lower, the speedline and sling might get in the way of making the cut.

 

[Fivepoints]

It sounds like you can set it midline because of tying it off with the bight.

Other question is, did you just carry slings/biners and send em down, or did you do something with natural crotching to avoid having to go get the slings/biners?

I have a similar scenario possibly coming up (tallish pine with a few bushes and a wooden fence to avoid directly below, but otherwise pretty open) and I've wanted to mess around with VSL and speedlining for some time, but I always chicken out and go cut and chuck, or just don't want to spend the time in the moment setting it up.



So you sling the PAW, and use the tail of the rigging line itself in the MA system? I'm trying to visualize still ...

Yes. Put the prusik and pulley 2 or so feet down the rope once you pass the bite through the loop on the porty. Take the tail coming out of the porty and feed it through the pulley. You'll now be able to pull the line tight easier. You then wrap off the tail around the barrel and lock it off. Works great and you can get the line nice and tight. You can have 50 ft of tail and it doesn't bother you because this is easy to move and setup mid line.

I'll try to remember to take a picture next time I do this.

 

[LordFarkwad]

I'll try to remember to take a picture next time I do this.

Please do.

It actually sounds like since the line coming directly from the load and going through the prusik is then going through the portawrap then back up to the pulley, that you have something much closer to a 2:1 (IF I'm visualizing what you're describing correctly). Is this correct?

The lower purple circle is just a representation of the bollard on a portawrap. If this is what you're describing, I guess after you apply the tension you want, you then remove the tail of the rigging line from the pulley/prusik and complete the wrapping the portawrap?