wet weather climbing

klimbinfool

klimbinfool

Location
magalia california
I guess I'm a fair weather climber compared to alot of folks from the East or even mid West. When it gets to wet or damp ( in my mind) I say "the heck with it, its to dangerous" limbs are to slick for my liking. So away with the climbing gear and ride the tower.Although I do alot of climbing and on those days when the limbs are like a skating rink, I often wonder how you folks who climb in that miserable weather all the time manage.

I guess the biggest problem for me is traction on those slippery days. Do you use felt on the bottom of your shoes , like fishermen do for slippery rocks? I'm sure it would peel off in no time. Or do you just manage your ropes differently and try to decrease angle as much as possible.

I'm curious to hear what some of you folks do to keep from wearing a hole in your britches .

Thanks
Greg
 

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I'm a wimp, Greg. If I'm already in the tree and it starts raining, I will sometimes try to finish it depending on how much work is left, etc. But I usually won't go up a wet tree unless it is something easy and I know I can do it without playing slip-n-slide. Mostly it depends on whether or not my mortgage payment is covered. I'm really nothing more than a high-priced tree prostitute. I'll weigh the discomfort against the financial incentives and decide accordingly.
 
For me it has alot to do with the boots i'm climing with. I keep buying cheap boots that have real hard or even plastic like soles. Their absolutely horrible. Anything under $100 seems to be just crap. But I just refuse to spend $250 on a pair of boots that I will blow through just as quick. I just need to find an all around good boot thats flexible to prune with and will still hold my spikes when doing removals ,(any suggestions)? As far as the wet or iced up trees go I don't think theres anything you can do about climbing soaked White Pines or your iced up Sycamores. Just take your time and pick your best tie in points, even though you might have to tie in multiple times to keep the limb walking to a minimum. Also try wearing those Atlas rubber gloves for some extra grip. I just started wearing them this week cause its been so cold here in Jersey. I usually don't wear any gloves because I feel bare hands give me the best handle in any weather. Some days I hate it but most days I love it ,thats what keeps me coming back. Climb safe .
 
it's hard to make money going home . It's all in your head . I try and set up the right job for the bad weather .I don't want to be pruning a Beech in the rain , but i'll take it down. The only weather I don't think I could work in is that brutal cold where Tom's from , under 0 degrees is a little too much.
 
I have to agree with you Riggs. Thats enough to freeze the brass balls off a monkey.

Tom, do you use ice pics when climbing that cold of weather. or whatever those things are called that they use for climbing frozen water falls ?...ha ha

Greg
 
It's rare that I HAVE to climb slippery trees. Most of the time I can jiggle the schedule to do some ground pruning on drizzle days. If the tree is slippery, I make smaller steps and make sure they "stick". Good boots are the key. I
ve been using Vasque medium wieght hiking boots for years. Good tiff uppers and hard soles for edging. I get them from a shop intown for no more than $125 and they last at least two years.

I have used crampons for climbing ice covered trees. I wrote an article for January TCI mag and I hope they use one of my pics using crampons. If you ever have to climb after or during an ice storm, get some stepin crampons. If you have a stiff boot, get the plate soled crampons. If your boots are flexible get the flex ones. I've been tempted to get apiar of crampons and screwing the front points to a pair of boots to use for removals. A couple of times I used ice axes to climb a take down. It was interesting but I felt really exposed. Just like lead climbing on ice. I kept repeating the mantra "You will not fall..." The exposure was too high and the whole system was more bother than it was worth. I could see it as a substitute for practicing ice climbing but I would need to be top roped.

I was looking through a Runner's World magazine and they had an article on shoe grippers. They had some slip on grippers and also some intriging looking plastic crampons. Another optoin it so screw sheet metal screws into your soles like a set of "caulks". Like Glenn says though, you won't find me in a silver maple on a slippery day.

I've used the Lock Jack with wet rope and it reacts the same as a hitch. It doesn't grab the same as when it's dry but I take that into consideration just like any other variable.

A bigger issue on rain days is keeping the eye glasses claer. But that's a subject for a seperate thread.

Tom
 
Sorry I have to have a laugh about some of you guys.
Last Wedsdays job was a 28 meter Populas alba to Treecare it was -22 C before the sun got up high enough to get any warmth from it.The thick cloud had dumped 30cm of snow the day before,Then clear skies and serious temperature drop.
If I said I wasn't cold I would be telling porkies.

As the old saying goes If it don't kill you it makes you tougher.
I climb with the same gear in the winter as summer just more clothes and thermals

Cheers Didj
 
DIDJ,
you must have reptile blood!mind you the weather forcast for the next week in england don't sound much better.
 
Was it that big f###er out at Biggda.Glad to hear that you are still having fun John.We had some monsters to do last week. 2 oaks (046/088) and a Elm (088).It wasn`t to bad with the weather only -15/18 and a little snow.

So as you know not cold enough to put on clothes yet, still in a buff ;-)

Keeping it cool

Doug
 
No it was that Big Beasty down in Karl Berners Plass.
Over hanging the road.Got a nice line in the top third throw pulled my access line in doubled up was hanging 3 meteres off the ground.Had to do the Bygdøy trick set another line and footlock up to the footlock line then change over(I got to get myself a longer static 10mm)either that or start Using SrT,But then I'm not a mole and don't live in a hole....

All the best mate

Didj

P.S Get a bigger bar on the 066
 
Joey, Have you looked at LaSportiva. I used to go through boots every 6 months. Redwings, Asolo, Vasque and many other cheaper boots. I did have a pair of Asolo that lasted 1 year, thats it though. Now I use the 'sportiva.
Great boot. It's been a little over a year and only 1 thing broke for the laces and 1 ready to go. So I bought another pair to have the first ones fixed. Again, very minor. The boots do run $350.00. After the break in they feel nice. Good for spikes, cant even feel them on your feet. Enough endorsement, just try them. I've blown through alot of boots, these are it for me.

Later
 
We've had a pretty wet season here this year. And like Riggs said, you don't get paid to go home. So, we got wet a lot. Some of the guys went home every chance they were given. Others needed money or just wanted to work. With three kids, I worked.

When I did some company training for a group in Portland, OR, I saw a different perspective. When it rained, evreyone went to the truck (real casual like) and grab their full rain gear. No big deal. They never once complained or mentioned an early day. I put on my Gortex and went back to work.

I guess it depends on what you're used to and what responsibilities you may have to help motivate you. Check out the attachment. It shows the green "life" on the tree trunks in Portland. This Red oak looks like it was growing under water!
 

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I was goin through 2 pair a year at a min. of 180.00/pair.
I'm already ahead of the game. 325.00+S/H (350.00)
Plus I SHOULD get another year.

I like them for everything. During pruning, you can find tiny nubs to catch the edge with kinda like rock climbing.
First couple days footlocking is a little slippery, after that I dont need to step on rope as hard or worry about getting it in the right spot. I like edges, I get lots of guys saying soft sole is better for grip, haven't had that experience, preference I guess. Try the EIGER or the newer MAKALU. They have waterproof options too.

Later
 
There are 2 big factors that play in to the decision of weather (pun intended) or not to work when Mother Nature is having fun with you. The first and most important is attitude.

The other is preparation. If you think you can spend 8 hours in the rain with a t-shirt and sweatshirt on, you're asking for an early day (which, depending on your attitude, may be part of the plan!). Put on the right clothing for the right weather, and you can spend hours outside working, then come home, take off the jacket and pants, and still be reasonably dry underneath.

love
nick
 
climbing and working in the rain'aint no fun but i've learnt to accept you cant'do much about it but put some water-proofs on and get on with it.i've found the thing to do is just put a bit more thought into your body position.i just use my grillon alot moe to hold me in place to make my cuts,jobs can take a little longer but boss man is fairly understanding when it comes to bad weather(que wurzel)
 
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