How do you “ethically” ascend redwoods with weak anchor branches?

We have a redwood on highway 199 just out of crescent city that cal trans has to trim every couple years. Called squewze tree.. And by trim i mean they have cut about 3 to 4 feet into it and about 20 feet up. Tree has been like that for decades with no issues. I climb redwoods and the bark is way thick even way upnit and usually not much falls off. If it does its just dead stuff. I have done it without spikes but its slow and sketchy. And limbs will pop with almost no extea pressure sometimes. I usually spike up and rry to not jam them way in. Then when i have trimmed as high needed i repell out. No damage to the tree. I thinknu would cause more damage trying to use a flipline while you climb the rope. You would have to be against the tree tongetnit to flip good and you would be knocking lits of bark off. I know, my 10 year old is trimming inenof my reds that we r gonna remove for practice and the entire side is now barkless.
 
youtuber "diagentanoen" in Japan has several pruning videos relevant to this discussion where he spurs up beanpoles with absolutely no supportive branches and repels out from retrievable trunk cinches. What is interesting are the type of spurs he wears. Seems the 4 points per foot would grip very securely and leave no detectable trace. Maybe that would be an option?

 
Aloha
Many thanks for all the great ideas. This is something that I have been working on myself. Not redwoods (for now), yet very similar trees with branches that pop off like it is part of the trees design. So far I have been using a big shot and shootings multiple times with several bags. I have been using binoculars to check the crotch. And am now using my drone to take video and inspect.
I am waiting on my air drop release kit for my drone, so that I can get higher.
Other than Big Shot and air cannon, the RL Series Line launcher Kit looks interesting. And considering bringing my Swiss Tree Grippers from Hawaii. Find a skinny enough tree, climb up and then shoot to the taller tree.
Quite amazed how just setting the line in place can burn through bark. Pics are from a SRT climb that was backed up by traditional gaffs and flip line. Definitely going to take time to set anchor around main spar from now on.IMG_5978.JPGIMG_5980.JPG
 
Aloha
Many thanks for all the great ideas. This is something that I have been working on myself. Not redwoods (for now), yet very similar trees with branches that pop off like it is part of the trees design. So far I have been using a big shot and shootings multiple times with several bags. I have been using binoculars to check the crotch. And am now using my drone to take video and inspect.
I am waiting on my air drop release kit for my drone, so that I can get higher.
Other than Big Shot and air cannon, the RL Series Line launcher Kit looks interesting. And considering bringing my Swiss Tree Grippers from Hawaii. Find a skinny enough tree, climb up and then shoot to the taller tree.
Quite amazed how just setting the line in place can burn through bark. Pics are from a SRT climb that was backed up by traditional gaffs and flip line. Definitely going to take time to set anchor around main spar from now on.View attachment 80027View attachment 80028
Great documentation of SRT rope effects.
-AJ
 
@Mr. Burns could you elaborate a bit more on the specifics that created those bark damaged pictures?
Of all the SRT lines I have set, the only ones that showed branch injury were the ones that had a strong dynamic component. Without the movement, nothing.
 
@Mr. Burns could you elaborate a bit more on the specifics that created those bark damaged pictures?
Of all the SRT lines I have set, the only ones that showed branch injury were the ones that had a strong dynamic component. Without the movement, nothing.

I've found that small back and forth rope movements from ascent loading and unloading cycles on a high basal anchored line, no matter how static the line, will cut into the cambium. In the photo it appears that the rope was "polishing" the wood after cutting through the bark.
-AJ
 
@Mr. Burns could you elaborate a bit more on the specifics that created those bark damaged pictures?
Of all the SRT lines I have set, the only ones that showed branch injury were the ones that had a strong dynamic component. Without the movement, nothing.

Climbers with smoother ascent technique do less cambium damage at the TIP from what I've observed.
-AJ
 
Aloha
Many thanks for all the great ideas. This is something that I have been working on myself. Not redwoods (for now), yet very similar trees with branches that pop off like it is part of the trees design. So far I have been using a big shot and shootings multiple times with several bags. I have been using binoculars to check the crotch. And am now using my drone to take video and inspect.
I am waiting on my air drop release kit for my drone, so that I can get higher.
Other than Big Shot and air cannon, the RL Series Line launcher Kit looks interesting. And considering bringing my Swiss Tree Grippers from Hawaii. Find a skinny enough tree, climb up and then shoot to the taller tree.
Quite amazed how just setting the line in place can burn through bark. Pics are from a SRT climb that was backed up by traditional gaffs and flip line. Definitely going to take time to set anchor around main spar from now on.View attachment 80027View attachment 80028

Installing a "pipe" cambium saver will minimize damage that happens during ascent. I suspect it's more the ascent than the rope setting that caused the deep cuts. Tough to observe which did what ;-)
-AJ
 
I've found that small back and forth rope movements from ascent loading and unloading cycles on a high basal anchored line, no matter how static the line, will cut into the cambium. In the photo it appears that the rope was "polishing" the wood after cutting through the bark.
-AJ
Yeah, that was why I questioned the scenario, because I have only seen that much damage with, as I said, a strong dynamic component. Normal SRT ascents do not show that in my climbing experience.

One of the things that I try and avoid is movement when a system is weighted. It defines a potential weakness and is a heads up at the very least.
 
@Mr. Burns could you elaborate a bit more on the specifics that created those bark damaged pictures?
Of all the SRT lines I have set, the only ones that showed branch injury were the ones that had a strong dynamic component. Without the movement, nothing.
Hello
I agree that the bark damage was created by strong dynamics, and not setting the line. Most of it was due to haste and bad ascent technique. Basal anchor up through a lot of branches to 80 feet. Over the 2 small branches and snaking down more branches to me. Due to cutting branches, and pucker factor wind, there was a lot of unloading and loading.
My goals with this tree was practice and toping the tree to instal Starlink dish.
I truly appreciate this forum and the great contributors.
IMG_5212.JPGIMG_6031.JPG
 
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Is it feasible to canopy anchor around the main stem of a Redwood?
A good line launcher (APTA) and rope walking set up is essential, but NEVER trust redwood limbs with your life if there is a shred of uncertainty. Ever! You will die!!!!
Is it feasible to canopy anchor around the main stem of a Redwood?Ge
 
 

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