Two climbers or one?

T

thetreepeople

Location
Bridgeville DE
We have three crews running two climbing/bucket and one bucket, some of us feel that it is safer to have two climbers on every crew or at least someone that can throw on spikes and run up a tree and tie in just in case an accident would occur. what is your opinion on this?
 
I think 2 climbers are ideal. It can also give you backup if there are days you're down a climber. The only problems I've heard some people have with being climber #2 is that they rarely end up being able to climb.
 
This is a touchy subject.

I have been working the past few years in Germany where 2 climbers is mandatory. It just isn't always practical.

I would argue that if you need a climber to rescue you, you need another work plan. But we live in the real world, and things happen.

Having done rescues at the TCC level and also as part of training for my German certs, I can say it is good to have a trained person to do rescue but even a quick rescue takes awhile. It is good to operate as though rescue is not an option yet have it as a back up.

It you are serious about it, you need to have a rescue bag with a rescue rope and redirects. Getting in the habit of using an entry line and a climbing line is also a good practice (though not always practical).

.02
 
another option is to qualify the need for a rescue climber by height of the job/complexity of the climb. i.e. over 50ft requires rescue climber as groundperson.
 
True, pretend your soloing. You become more aware of your surrondings. A back up plan is always good. Second rope, second person. Practice your improv skills to deal with the situation you have and what youv'e got. Take a second look before you leave the ground and ask yourself if you have your "oh sh!t kit" with you. You should never rely on rescue, only self-rescue. Get your a*s in get your a*s out.
 
Height does not matter. No one can reach you at 20' if they cant climb, 50 is no easier. This would be fooling ourselves. It's about like saying you have a cell phone in your pocket as back up. bad back up plan
 
great thread, I'm one of those climbers that knows there should be two climbers but is forced to work with no climbers other than myself (90 percent of the time). I'm very confident in the fact that I can prevent myself from getting hurt. However, if there is a situation where I feel that something could or might go wrong I tie in off a pulley secured by a lowering device i.e. a port-a-wrap or gri-gri so at least my ground man(who doesn't climb and never will) can lower me in an emergency situation. It is very frustrating to say the least. My daily goal is to make it to work tomorrow. So if that means taking smaller pieces and going a bit slower, that's what I do. I also ignore it when the "salesman" tells me how long the job should take me. Very rarely do I come in under, even when taking extra precautionary steps.
 
My friend Santos died because no one could climb, about 25 to 30' up a palm, no other climber onsite, groundsmen watched and called 911, a pulley and sling and one other climber and he would have been freed,
when i was in humboldt we set an access line in big trees with ascenders sitting on the rope ready to go..
its good to have a floating climber, you know a guy that is very capable of climbing well but doesnt want to be a production climber anymore or an groundsman who is eager to climb and capable but ya keep him on a leash and have him on the ground,
i rotate climbers, 1 up 1 down next 1/2 of day or next day the other 1 is up.
i agree self rescue is great but it dont always happen that way,
i wish you luck in your descision,
better to pay a few bucks more for labor in a day than to have a preventable death.
 
Thanks for all the info and I really already knew the answer but I wanted to get some input before I went to my boss with this. I am a female and in training I am trying to learn everything I can about climbing I can fly the bucket and I have climbed some smaller trees but at my company I am the floater so I think It would be beneficial to me and my boss I think I am the only female in the lower part of DE that does trees but since I have been doing the job it has become kinda like my life there is so much to know about them its amazing to me still after three years!! The company I work for is awesome so I know it will be no problem when I present this idea to him. Thanks again for all the responses!!!
 
Thattreeguy has it covered - wise words indeed. Rotating climbers is a good health and safety plan; no one gets too tired, insufficient experience to progress, or suffers MSDs.

Tree work isn't the game for get rich quick business plans. Tradgedies become likely.

Steady, surely, catchy monkey.

Treework needs more feminine input - help save us from testosterone based decisions....../forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Thanks for the words of confidence guys!!!! The owner of the company has no problem doing whatever I want to advance but I think some of the climbers are a little threatened by a female wanting to climb and fly the bucket its so funny!!!!
 
A great way to get climbing experience away from work while establishing contacts outside of your work area is the Tree climbing Championships (TCC). Penn Del's will be this spring at Ridley Creek State Park. The date has not been finalized. Perhaps we will see you there? /forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Tony
 
[ QUOTE ]
This is a touchy subject.

I have been working the past few years in Germany where 2 climbers is mandatory. It just isn't always practical.

I would argue that if you need a climber to rescue you, you need another work plan. But we live in the real world, and things happen.

Having done rescues at the TCC level and also as part of training for my German certs, I can say it is good to have a trained person to do rescue but even a quick rescue takes awhile. It is good to operate as though rescue is not an option yet have it as a back up.

It you are serious about it, you need to have a rescue bag with a rescue rope and redirects. Getting in the habit of using an entry line and a climbing line is also a good practice (though not always practical).

.02

[/ QUOTE ]

Nathan, I agree, I now have a second set of climbing kit with me and my groundie is qualified in aeriel rescue. I do however rarely put a second line in the tree. I ought to really, since i've swaped to a rope guide and VT i find accessing so much easier i don't bother with the second access line...
 
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