Relatively small but dumb mistake(s)

39Buick said:
Wow, thats an eye opener! Glad you are still with us to share this and not too proud to! What caused the ascender to slip? Any ideas?
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It slipped because the Blake's Hitch on the QAS was not tight enough. It is always a bit of a chore to get it set just right so that it will hold but is also easy to adjust for length on the QAS. Obviously I did not have it set tight enough. Another stupid mistake. A cascade of errors that should not have happened. But the main take home is that the lowly stopper knot can be a life saver, especially on things like lanyards and QAS's. That is why I posted this in the first place. It is really embarrassing to admit that I could screw up that bad, but I wanted people to know how important it is to never forget your stopper knots.
 
The was just a couple days ago? 180ft? Holy cow.. that's pretty scary as at that height you probably actually have time to think about whats happening.
Scary story there my friend.. honestly, i don't even like talking/posting about this stuff.

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Jimmycrackcorn said:
The was just a couple days ago? 180ft? Holy cow.. that's pretty scary as at that height you probably actually have time to think about whats happening.
Scary story there my friend.. honestly, i don't even like talking/posting about this stuff.

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Last Saturday. I didn't want to talk about it either, but I felt I had to. I hoped it would make my fellow climbers safer. Stopper knots rule.
 
ARLO said:
Last Saturday. I didn't want to talk about it either, but I felt I had to. I hoped it would make my fellow climbers safer. Stopper knots rule.
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It happens, that is why we build in redundancy. Don’t be embarrassed.

I’ve been stressed out as fuck lately, and distracted. Made a 70’ ascent rope walker style, got to my tip. I then started taking all the crap off, foot ascender, HASS, chest harness tending point, petzl basic (used as just to save my hands), climb line.. WAIT!?!?! climb line! Got through the first stage and a half of my trilock oval before the alarm bells started ringing in the back of my head. Not lanyarded in, WTF was I thinking? I even second guessed my alarm bells thinking I was just off that day..
finished the tree, and it was the slowest most methodical climb but my feet hit the ground softly
 
evo said:
It happens, that is why we build in redundancy. Don’t be embarrassed.

I’ve been stressed out as fuck lately, and distracted. Made a 70’ ascent rope walker style, got to my tip. I then started taking all the crap off, foot ascender, HASS, chest harness tending point, petzl basic (used as just to save my hands), climb line.. WAIT!?!?! climb line! Got through the first stage and a half of my trilock oval before the alarm bells started ringing in the back of my head. Not lanyarded in, WTF was I thinking? I even second guessed my alarm bells thinking I was just off that day..
finished the tree, and it was the slowest most methodical climb but my feet hit the ground softly
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It's crazy how stress/drama/pressure can jam you up doing the simplest, most methodical, most routine stuff.. even things you've done a 1000 times were you have muscle memory built in.. You'll be stressing over some BS & next thing you know your looking at what you just did like "how the *uck did that just happen"..

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It generally works best if the hitch cord is smaller than the climbing line. But in the traditional MRS system without a split-tail the Blake's Hitch is tied with the end of the rope, which is obviously the same diameter as the rest of the rope. The same is true of the QAS. So, you just have to be very careful to make sure that the knot is set tight so it will hold. One option for increasing the grip of the Blake's hitch is to add an extra wrap (5 instead of 4). That is probably what I should have done with my QAS.
 
Jimmycrackcorn said:
It's crazy how stress/drama/pressure can jam you up doing the simplest, most methodical, most routine stuff.. even things you've done a 1000 times were you have muscle memory built in.. You'll be stressing over some BS & next thing you know your looking at what you just did like "how the *uck did that just happen"..

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
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I have noticed that I make mistakes after I tie a bowline wrong. Now if I do that, no matter the situation or orientation of the knot, I sit down and really assess my immediate plan with the goal of getting to a stopping point ASAP.
I have to be absolutely exhausted to mess up a bowline, and I think I've made a poor call afterwards the last three times it has happened.
 
That's good, but too late.

Using mistakes as a gauge, is not as good as staying eyes wide open and situationally aware. How is your "fuel tank" as well as the machines' fuel tanks.

Are things focused and proactive, or just going by on muscle-memory with a mistake as your warning?
 
Eh. Most days have some serious focus when we come up with a plan, but then I just stop thinking and do the work. Kind of like driving. Something has to ring the alarm bells to kick me into actually thinking.
I know it's not quite how I should strive to be, but my autopilot is pretty good.
 
southsoundtree said:
That's good, but too late.

Using mistakes as a gauge, is not as good as staying eyes wide open and situationally aware. How is your "fuel tank" as well as the machines' fuel tanks.

Are things focused and proactive, or just going by on muscle-memory with a mistake as your warning?
Click to expand...

It sounds like you would make a good martial artist, with that level of constant focus on what is happening all around you. Thanks for the insight.

Tim
 
After employees have done enough stupid stuff over the years, and I've cut enough big, dicey trees, I'm hyper-vigilant.

When I'm doing 'easy' work, without coordinating with employees for the task, there is just flow, usually. Ingrained safe-work practices are a bit autopilot-y. Have to go with the flow, And watch out for complacency or the human-nature to take "short-cuts"/ "cutting corners".
 
Got complacent when job looked too easy - Moreton Bay fig last branch (final cut?).

Removed nearly all of tree and had last branch with union starting half a foot above ground and limb stretching up 30 degrees from ground 28" diameter and 20ft long till the point where it had been cut previously - easy right?

Checked landing zone and seemed to be all dirt and clear of obstructions.

Bit tight for a humboldt, so used standard small scarf and plunge cut to start the back cut and cut to back of branch.

Branch fell end down and found rock 2in below ground and sprang like an arrow back over the stump. Had time to turn my head, but not even mouth any swear words, before being punched on the chin with a 800lb? branch end on(conservative estimate).

I at least had taken hand out of trigger guard before I tumbled and rolled about 12
feet backwards (as I was kneeling as I was cutting).

That certainly woke me up before completing the job...
 
Chaplain242 said:
Got complacent when job looked too easy - Moreton Bay fig last branch (final cut?).

Removed nearly all of tree and had last branch with union starting half a foot above ground and limb stretching up 30 degrees from ground 28" diameter and 20ft long till the point where it had been cut previously - easy right?

Checked landing zone and seemed to be all dirt and clear of obstructions.

Bit tight for a humboldt, so used standard small scarf and plunge cut to start the back cut and cut to back of branch.

Branch fell end down and found rock 2in below ground and sprang like an arrow back over the stump. Had time to turn my head, but not even mouth any swear words, before being punched on the chin with a 800lb? branch end on(conservative estimate).

I at least had taken hand out of trigger guard before I tumbled and rolled about 12
feet backwards (as I was kneeling as I was cutting).

That certainly woke me up before completing the job...
Click to expand...
Glad you're still around.
 
Yes, the big low limbs that spring back if you dont drop them flat. I had one bounce back off the tips and flipped me off my spikes once. I was lucky it hit me just below the knee.
A coworker of mine has cut through his hinge twice this week, taking tops out. Almost crushed a fence and dented an ac unit.
 
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