Who's a self taught climber?

[southsoundtree01]

You've probably already learned this elsewhere, but make sure that you have at least one additional attachment to the tree before making any cuts, be it with a hand saw or a chainsaw.

When a climbing rope is loaded with a climber's weight, just barely touching the climbing rope with a hand saw can cause it to pop and be severed almost instantly. This is one of the reasons I like to climb with two ropes. If you're using only one rope and your second means of attachment is a short lanyard, and you do manage to cut your one and only climbing line, you won't be killed in a fall, but you won't have a way back down, either. So that's one more advantage of climbing with two ropes, and two systems.

I'm sure a lot of pro arbs, which I am not, think of two ropes and two systems as overkill, and maybe that it takes too long to set up. It works for me, though, and I like the safety it provides and as well as the advantages in work positioning.

Sean, aka southsoundtree, recommends capturing your climbing line with a carabiner and pinning it to your saddle away from the cut, if the rope is anywhere near the area you're trying to cut.

Thanks for your time.

Tim

IF you cut your rope, you now have two ropes, not none. One side will still be attached.

If you damage a rope, isolate the damage with an alpine butterfly or figure 8 on a bight, with the damage in the knot's loop.

 

[southsoundtree01]

I'm self-taught, with a lot of internet help!!!

Strong background in rec rock climbing, and lesser program risk- management background for rock climbing/ rappelling/ high ropes courses.


The more time you spend dangling in your harness, swinging around, in control, the more comfy you will feel letting go of a sold tree and trusting your gear... Knowledge versus experience that gear holds.

 

[gmcttr]

IF you cut your rope, you now have two ropes, not none. One side will still be attached....

Not necessarily. Cut a basal anchored SRT setup and the weight of the anchored side could pull the rope above you to the ground while the weight of the rop below you pulls it down through your ascending device to ground.

 

[southsoundtree01]

Yes, maybe if you sever your rope.

Step one. No cutting without knowing where your life support systems, rigging systems, and ground people and obstacles are.

Step two, continue to work safely.


Having to wait for a rope to somehow get back up to me pales in comparison to typical dangers sockets with aerial cutting and rigging.