No throwball , can't climb it!

Riggs

Riggs

Participating member
Location
Bryn Mawr , Pa.
No throwball , can\'t climb it!

I've heard alot of crap but if you can't climb a tree unless you have a throwbag , than take a walk . Is climbing without a throwbag , going up a tree limb to limb "old school" . This punk climber wanted me to drive him over five miles back to the shop to get his other throwbag . No doubt a throwbag gets you up a tree , but people have been getting up trees way before these little bags. Is this where we are headed ? The tree Gods are in an uproar. Get up that tree , Please !
 
Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

Punk climbers.....


Hucklebuck up the tree like a man! (or a woman- if Kathy Holzer reads this
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)



SZ
 
Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

I had a similar experience the other day on a job but with throw bags. A co-worker wanted to get the highest tip he could but there was a big hanger in the way, so I suggested to throw a little lower and advance in the most practical way.....I should have been talking to the wall...so he tried and tried and tried again. I ended up throwing to a crotch a little lower than what he wanted and he ended up doing what I suggested in the first place. I am all for getting your climbing line set where you want it in the first place but it doesnt always work out that way. Now, driving back to the shop for a throw bag is just plain crazy....How did your guy end up getting in the tree?
 
Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

I hardly ever, and I mean EVER, use my throwbag. But I'm glad I have it for when I need it.
 
Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

I use a thow bag all the time and always carry three with lines.

But I don't hesitate to get up the tree the old fashion way when the throwbag seems futile.

Riggs glad to hear you put that punk in his place but that's what you get for hiring an ISA Certified Tree Worker!
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Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

[ QUOTE ]
I've heard alot of crap but if you can't climb a tree unless you have a throwbag , than take a walk . Is climbing without a throwbag , going up a tree limb to limb "old school" . This punk climber wanted me to drive him over five miles back to the shop to get his other throwbag . No doubt a throwbag gets you up a tree , but people have been getting up trees way before these little bags. Is this where we are headed ? The tree Gods are in an uproar. Get up that tree , Please !

[/ QUOTE ]

try to transcend your habit of putting old school on a pedestool!

you will assimilate wether you like it or not

ps, he should have been able to GTF up the tree
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Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

[ QUOTE ]
I hardly ever, and I mean EVER, use my throwbag. But I'm glad I have it for when I need it.

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thats cause you use a bucket truck most times, like in THE GREATNESS THAT IS ME. right?
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Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

I hate it when I forget my throwbag. Or i get one stuck and I only have one, or the bag breaks and rains lead.
aside all that, wrestling up the tree is sometimes the best part of climbing. Its true tree climbing.
 
Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

Didn't you guys have a half decent ladder. I rarely use mine but it is always on the truck. As far as huckelbucking goes: its for novices and to hard.I let the ropes and my skill with them do as much work as possible. I haven't huckelbucked anything in decades.
Also keep in mind that a climber( no matter what skill level) has the right to feel comfortable. Not only that ,I have seen climbers who appeared to be stupid but when left to do their thing did a decent job.
I have also seen a guy set a line with a ball, which took him forever and didn't even set it right, then he got the ladder and then his spikes. He used all three main tatics of acsension and got stuck halfway up the ladder.
Besides we don't know the whole story are you talking about one tree or did this guy have plans for many shots? Maybe he sucked, maybe you should have a throwball and a ladder on your site.
I was doing so work for this guy who ran two crews and both of them were worth crap. Not one could use a throwball or had one. We all got sent to look at this cracked leaning tree over a house. This tree was not climbable for a sane man.It was big and heavy and the guy paying me looks at me for an answer that didn't invlove a crane or disaster. I did'nt have my sling-shot back then so I had to throw with both hands. I set 3 ropes in 3 surrounding trees in nice big crotches and tied them off to the top of the cracked tree. Then , of course the whole tree was cut at the bottom. Big stick too, it sounded like a old sailing ship all creaking and groaning as we lowered "like putting a baby in a crib".


My point: love that throwball
 
Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

This wasn't my climber , I just happened to stop by this jobsite. Two hundred dollar saddle and he couldn't climb stairs. The ladder was on top of the chip truck , but I guess he didn't have a throw ball to get on top of the truck . I did one of those don't pick up the hitch hiker tricks , you know when you open the door up and than when he gets close , you pull up some . I didn't offer any suggestions, I just busted his balls and left . I was even in a 75ft. bucket , I could've put him up the tree but he needed a throwbag , he didn't say nothing about a bucket .
 
Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

Hitting throwball shots is a technique that cannot be left behind in this industry.

With that said, "old school" methods of advancing up a tree cannot be left behind either.

Each has a time and place for it.

The techniques we choose to use can depend on the types of trees we are climbing. I ask this; are you climbing excurrent or decurrent trees? And would the method of entering up a tree reflect the type of tree you are climbing?

Butch said he hardly uses a throw line. Well, that is understandable, he is climbing conifers the majority of the time. (Right Butch?)
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I climb decurrent decidious trees 99% of the time, so I find it fastest to hit a shot and install a line from the ground. Then, it is a whole different subject as to choice of ascent....
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Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

this thread about throw balls makes me laugh. We just had an accident at work where one of our climbers fell about 10-15 feet when his TIP broke out (it was a small 2" branch with the rope about 8-10" away from the collar due to a sucker). he broke his angle and just had 2 screws put in today. Needless to say we had a safety meeting the following day (yesterday) in which i went over everything that deals with a branch and how we climb. The topic of throwlines was a hot debate with my manager. He claimed that because we use throwlines to set our lines very high, we lose the ability to know for certain that the crotch we are around is safe and defect free. Fine, I agree, but his solution to prevent climbers from falling in the future was to stop using throwlines all together. I laughed at him. Then he started telling me about how "back in the day" they didn't have throwlines and they were able to climb trees. (Yeah, they used spikes and scary tall ladders) So when i asked him how we were to get up these trees with the lowest brach 40' off the ground he said ladders or monkey fist your rope and throw that. I have a few problems with this... 1. Ladders are far more dangerous than throwlines imo ...i hate them with a passion. 2. climbing rope is heavy as hell. How high can you guys/gals throw a monkey fist with any accuracy? 3. I run my crew with one of those bucket trucks with a chip box on it meaning there is no room or place to attatch a ladder of any decent size.

the trowline is a tool and is not needed for every job. theres more than one way to skin a cat and more than a few ways to gain access to a tree.


as far as our climber goes... he will be fine..i saw him today and he was cracked out on drugs. but the accident is not the topic here so if that derails the thread i apologize


Long live the Throwline
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Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

How high can you guys/gals throw a monkey fist with any accuracy?

Higher than you might think!
 
Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

[ QUOTE ]
one of our climbers fell about 10-15 feet when his TIP broke out (it was a small 2" branch with the rope about 8-10" away from the collar due to a sucker).

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Your boss should know from that situation, the climber made a poor choice. It wasn't the fault of a throwball/throwline technique.
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Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

that was exactly what i told him...it was a bad decision that led to the fall, not the use of a throwline. my boss is kind of a wannabe hippie spaz....he comes up with some interesting solutions to some of our problems...and by interesting i mean completly ridiculous and worthy of a punch to the throat
 
Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

I love my throw bag and take great pride in how well i do with it.

I some times go out after a bad day and chuck the line in a tree, sure helps me.

then, when climbing, monkey fist or a screw link on the eye.

no ladders, they frighten me and no free climb, tough as said above then the first limb is 10's of feet above you.

I have used a monkey fist for short throws but on the ground versus in a tree, that is harder for me.

enjoy the trees you climb

jz
 
Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

[ QUOTE ]
The tree Gods are in an uproar. Get up that tree , Please !

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I think the <font color="green">Euc</font> tree gods are in an uproar
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jp
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Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

If you quickly anchor 1 end of the climbing line to trunk; and impact hard on the other to test support; you have about 2x impact test force on the support. You can also have a heavier person, or more people jump on the line to further test.
 
Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

that is a really good idea to add weight to the jump test via anchoring the line...i will use that in the future i am sure.
 
Re: No throwball , can\'t climb it!

[ QUOTE ]
This wasn't my climber , I just happened to stop by this jobsite. Two hundred dollar saddle and he couldn't climb stairs. The ladder was on top of the chip truck , but I guess he didn't have a throw ball to get on top of the truck . I did one of those don't pick up the hitch hiker tricks , you know when you open the door up and than when he gets close , you pull up some . I didn't offer any suggestions, I just busted his balls and left . I was even in a 75ft. bucket , I could've put him up the tree but he needed a throwbag , he didn't say nothing about a bucket .

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The guy is suffering from Progressive Climber Myopia or P.C.M. as its sometimes known, he just can't see past his new progressive techniques and tools.

Its a condition that is becoming more common these days, especially amongst young climbers who have never worked with old school treeworkers.

Fortunately its just a phase he's going through, like you said, you have to let them figure these things out for themselves.

The best climbers/treeworkers find the optimum by combining old school with progressive.
 
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