Well that sucked

[TimBr]

@Alejandro Concolor; You stud, you! Posting on the Buzz right after getting out of surgery! Now that is hard-core!

Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Tim

 

[rope-a-dope]

I sport two plates in the arm, welcome to the legion of reinforced cyborgs. Long distance recovery is a mental game, and people like us must fortify against the drepression of inactivity. Hobbies are your friends.

 

[Alejandro Concolor]

I sport two plates in the arm, welcome to the legion of reinforced cyborgs. Long distance recovery is a mental game, and people like us must fortify against the drepression of inactivity. Hobbies are your friends.

Words of wisdom.

 

[Jem4417]

Immediate assumptions that a canopy anchor is the answer may not be the answer. Rudimentary understanding of the multiplier when base tying is a must but if over multiple crotches and not isolated you have a chance to land on another branch, especially in a pine. My question is when you tested the TIP was it threaded through branches creating friction which reduced the force at your primary suspension point. Then when the branches threaded on your climbing line were removed and your weight hung more directly on the psp did your ascent motion cause the failure.

 

[96coal449]

I hope you heal well but maybe not so fast. I think in some instances a slow recovery is a deeper through heal, so to speak. Don't rush back to work and please take the time you need. My old injuries are starting to haunt me. When you do head back up, be safe brother.

 

[Alejandro Concolor]

Immediate assumptions that a canopy anchor is the answer may not be the answer. Rudimentary understanding of the multiplier when base tying is a must but if over multiple crotches and not isolated you have a chance to land on another branch, especially in a pine. My question is when you tested the TIP was it threaded through branches creating friction which reduced the force at your primary suspension point. Then when the branches threaded on your climbing line were removed and your weight hung more directly on the psp did your ascent motion cause the failure.

There was only 2 large limbs being removed and and nothing else below that. So I don't think there was much added friction which was removed. But just like our gear, I am sure the limb had its own cycles to failur. It had enough to support me on the way down, but obviously not enough for the journey back.

 

[Alejandro Concolor]

Had I done the back up tie that Brocky had illustrated earlier, I may have not hit the earth.

 

[treehumper]

Glad to hear there was no serious injury, Raven. Alejandro, sorry to hear about the metal. I've got a plate and some screws in my ankle from my incident. I'll reinforce what Craig said, take it slow, don't rush back. The injury can be deceiving and likely to lead to future issues.

What are the lessons learned, the take aways? Nothing we do, no tree we climb, prune or remove is worth our life or wellbeing. I learned that the hard way. Some good ideas have been put forth, like the backed up canopy anchor, the chest harness instead of the lanyard, etc... But, at the end of the day what is going on in our heads, the rationalizing of shortcuts, keeping costs down, and the like can cost us, and more so, our loved ones, dearly.

 

[Alejandro Concolor]

Glad to hear there was no serious injury, Raven. Alejandro, sorry to hear about the metal. I've got a plate and some screws in my ankle from my incident. I'll reinforce what Craig said, take it slow, don't rush back. The injury can be deceiving and likely to lead to future issues.

What are the lessons learned, the take aways? Nothing we do, no tree we climb, prune or remove is worth our life or wellbeing. I learned that the hard way. Some good ideas have been put forth, like the backed up canopy anchor, the chest harness instead of the lanyard, etc... But, at the end of the day what is going on in our heads, the rationalizing of shortcuts, keeping costs down, and the like can cost us, and more so, our loved ones, dearly.

Well put, my friend. I really liked the pick point of that tie-in, so may have still went with it even if my gut said other wise. That ties in with what you said about no tree being worth the cost of our lives.

 

[Jem4417]

There was only 2 large limbs being removed and and nothing else below that. So I don't think there was much added friction which was removed. But just like our gear, I am sure the limb had its own cycles to failur. It had enough to support me on the way down, but obviously not enough for the journey back.

So were there lots of limbs previously removed underneath your tie in point?

 

[Alejandro Concolor]

So were there lots of limbs previously removed underneath your tie in point?

Negative

 

[Jem4417]

Not by you but by someone else who had climbed the tree before? Was it really cleaned out of branches?

 

[Alejandro Concolor]

I do recall seeing 1 old wound.

 

[treebing]

I'm just a dumb-ass old schooler still climbing DdRT, and after hearing all these horror stories, I myself have no desire to switch to SRT. I've been in this game a long time, and the number of climbers falling out of trees using SRT is shocking. Definitely wasn't like this in the old days! It appears that there are some very serious flaws in SRT, and that the risks just might outweigh the benefits. Get well Alejandro!

you just didn't hear about it in the old days!

 

[Raven27]

I'm still reluctant to even do white pines now, it's more than just this incident, but they've always sketched me out. I still do them, but I do as little rigging off them as possible, do as much cut and chuck as possible. When I do have to rig, I keep it on the small side, proportionality.

 

[TimBr]

Being this late in the year, these oaks can get sketchy when they haven't had enough water. I've seen them rip out plenty of times before in this fall season. Should have known.

Thanks for sharing this bit of information, and your story generally. I was just going back & rereading this thread a bit. Surviving a fall from thirty feet is pretty amazing. I hope your recovery is progressing well. Best wishes.

Tim

 

[Fairfield]

I'm just a dumb-ass old schooler still climbing DdRT, and after hearing all these horror stories, I myself have no desire to switch to SRT. I've been in this game a long time, and the number of climbers falling out of trees using SRT is shocking. Definitely wasn't like this in the old days! It appears that there are some very serious flaws in SRT, and that the risks just might outweigh the benefits. Get well Alejandro!

Most likely due to in the “old days” you didn’t have something called the internet where information is passed so fast and easy. The other interesting thing about this is that SRT is and older form of climbing then Dbrt...... so with that said climb how you like but the record speaks for its self with more people climbing SRT each year the Dbrt and the majority having no accidents. Really it all comes down to the climber. The big picture problem is the fact that our industry cries when anyone steps up and says regulations need to be enforced. But what do I know ? One person a day dying in the field is no big deal right??

 

[Alejandro Concolor]

Thanks for sharing this bit of information, and your story generally. I was just going back & rereading this thread a bit. Surviving a fall from thirty feet is pretty amazing. I hope your recovery is progressing well. Best wishes.

Tim

Thanks for the kind words. Recovery is going alright. Should be able to stand on my right leg the beginning of January. Then retraining the muscles and flexibility. Hopefully by the time the mountain thaws I will be ready to go again.
It’s painful going from climbing 6 days a week to all the sudden being restricted from walking on two feet.

 

[treehumper]

Thanks for the kind words. Recovery is going alright. Should be able to stand on my right leg the beginning of January. Then retraining the muscles and flexibility. Hopefully by the time the mountain thaws I will be ready to go again.
It’s painful going from climbing 6 days a week to all the sudden being restricted from walking on two feet.

That's only the beginning. Patience and keep your mind occupied. Do the exercises to maintain the rest of your body so you're less likely to injure something else trying to jump back in when you get the go ahead.

Be prepared for the ongoing pain that comes and goes. Strangely enough it's not as bad when I'm in the tree as it is on the ground or in the bucket. Oh and weather..... You are know a barometer graduated in increments of pain and swelling.

 

[Frax]

I'm glad both of you are here to talk about it, and on the way to recovery.
Tie in failure is apparently more common with SRT. That's because people are throwing very high and can't necessarily see the condition of their tie-in and accepting smaller unions. I think Dr. Ball confirms that.
There's no shame in tying a back up lower in the tree if you aren't going all the way up. Any time you do a load test, it means you're not 100% sure, right? That's not great thing to have in the back of your mind while you're working
I girth a loop runner (or better, a chain reactor) at some convenient spot on the main stem that leaves me with a good good working angle and tie a butterfly in the line. Then I clip in a carabiner. I've lost the advantage of the higher tie in, but I don't have to wonder about it any more. This is also a good back up if you're working from a base tie and don't want to switch to a canopy anchor.

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