Rec climbing with spurs?

M

mpriley02

A quote from the Moonlight Majesty article ("There's no harm to the trees," said Jenkins. "Using climbers-spurs like telephone climbers — no-no. That's a no-no.") reminded me of the picture on the cover of the Bailey's catalog. There's a climber using spurs to climb a tree. Inside the cover it says that it's Jerry Beranek on a recreational and training climb. No rec climb I've ever been on required spurs. Am I wrong?
Mike
 
I hope that Jerry will be able to chime in here. I've talked with him about some of his pics. If I remember right, that pic was taken many years ago before the ascent tools and techniques had been developed that we use now.
 
I'd like to hear the reasoning on that one. It makes my stomach sick to look at what appears to be a magnificient tree with a climber wearing spurs in it. In my opinion if it takes that for a rec climb it shouldn't be done at all.

Brian
 
Turbobinder. ...I do know the reason behind it, because I just talked to Jerry and i will let him write and tell you why in his own terms when he reads this thread.

However, have you ever climbed a tree where the primaries are over two hundred feet ? a hundred foot for that matter. BAck in the days when he started climbing and rec climbing 70s setting a line that high was pretty much well, none existant unless you used a gun. Throw lines where to heavy, and a big shot wasnt quite around yet.So put on the spurrs , hoof it on up there and set some lines.

Greg
 
There probably are rec climbers who use spikes and pro climbers who use spikes for pruning. With up to date tools climbers don't need to use spikes as much as in the olden days.

Tom
 
Yeah, I knew this would come up. That pic in the Bailey's catalog was taken in 83. And the "About the cover" is not totally accurate. The purpose was neither for rec nor training. I just wanted a picture in those big limbs of advancing the rope overhead to use in my book. Turned out to make the cover. Can't change my past mistakes, but, certainly have learned from them.

I didn't become a devout rope climber until the 90s. Though I did start using SRT in the early 80s, but didn't have the means to set lines very high back then. So I still spiked on a lot of rec climbs. At least to get a line set and there after use the ascenders for the follow-ups. Developing my first line gun to enter the Standish tree, (15'X 250' and first limb 160') opened the world of setting lines really high and avoiding having to resort to using the spurs.

During the mid 80s I had ropes set in 6 trees just so spikes wouldn't have to be used to enter them ever again. That was a lot of rope to leave hanging out. And over the years I've gone back to those trees and replaced the rope with new. Greg has helped pull a couple of lines out of those trees.

Really no need to use the spikes anymore, And I'm really glad of it, believe me. When young and full of testosterone I took pride to be able to take on those trees with the flip line and spurs. Not Anymore. It would kill me.

True confessions, by Jerry B

Read all of them in the Tree Story CD.
 
Gerald,
Glad to hear that's not a current practice. I was hoping that wasn't a current picture. I wish everyone would learn from the past as well as from the new tech. The trees would benefit for sure.
 
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