- Location
- Gibsons BC
I was rigging down an old previously topped Douglas-fir, very few lower limbs mostly just a bunch of tops sprouting out from the old topping cut at about 70' up. The only landing zone was about 50' feet away so I was using a speedline on everything.
I had just rigged up a 14" stem with both speedline and rigging line (speed line slacked off still) and hollered at the ground crew instructions (the man on the rigging line couldn't see me at all.)
It was a very awkward tree to work in so I was positioned in a less than optimal position when I began to make my cuts. The new tops/limbs had grown out almost sideways from the old topping site so my climbing line was almost flat for most of the work. As I finished my undercut on the low side of the limb I saw a bit of fluff fly off my chain. Shoot! I've cut the rope! I glanced under the limb and saw the speedline with a big nick in it, but thought, no problem, it'll hold, there wasn't a lot of tension needed on it because of the height of the tree and the obstacle being low to the ground.
So I begin my top cut and glance out towards the end of the limb as we all do and that's when I see the rigging line just hanging there and I hear my rope man yelling something.
So I'd cut through my rigging line and nicked my speedline, mostly because I was trying to go too fast but entirely because I hadn't bothered to check the position of the ropes before starting my cuts.
So I had to get my rope man to tie back on the rigging line, pull it up the 80' or so, rethread it though the block and tie on the limb again, all the while praying that the limb didn't decide to pop off (it was likely a 250lb piece, over a carport and lines). Douglas-fir limbs can be really brittle. I could have cut the limb right off in two strokes with my handsaw, I had it that far cut up.
So check your ropes! I got lucky (and hopped up on adrenalin).
I had just rigged up a 14" stem with both speedline and rigging line (speed line slacked off still) and hollered at the ground crew instructions (the man on the rigging line couldn't see me at all.)
It was a very awkward tree to work in so I was positioned in a less than optimal position when I began to make my cuts. The new tops/limbs had grown out almost sideways from the old topping site so my climbing line was almost flat for most of the work. As I finished my undercut on the low side of the limb I saw a bit of fluff fly off my chain. Shoot! I've cut the rope! I glanced under the limb and saw the speedline with a big nick in it, but thought, no problem, it'll hold, there wasn't a lot of tension needed on it because of the height of the tree and the obstacle being low to the ground.
So I begin my top cut and glance out towards the end of the limb as we all do and that's when I see the rigging line just hanging there and I hear my rope man yelling something.
So I'd cut through my rigging line and nicked my speedline, mostly because I was trying to go too fast but entirely because I hadn't bothered to check the position of the ropes before starting my cuts.
So I had to get my rope man to tie back on the rigging line, pull it up the 80' or so, rethread it though the block and tie on the limb again, all the while praying that the limb didn't decide to pop off (it was likely a 250lb piece, over a carport and lines). Douglas-fir limbs can be really brittle. I could have cut the limb right off in two strokes with my handsaw, I had it that far cut up.
So check your ropes! I got lucky (and hopped up on adrenalin).
