moss
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Carlisle, Massachusetts, U.S.
I recently facilitated a woods climb for a three folks, a mother and her two teenage sons. I scouted a location the afternoon/evening before the climb and set a cinched 150' rope at the top of a super gnarly multi-leader white pine. Next morning I brought the climbers to the tree and climbed up and cinched two 120' ropes at the top and then set a DdRT system mid-crown with a 150' rope. After demonstrating a RADS and Blakes Hitch/DdRT system I put the teenagers on the single ropes and got their mother going on the DdRT system. The teens worked up to the top and I stayed with the DdRT climber until she was moving well and showed capability and confidence in her climbing ability. Then I climbed my rope and joined the teens at the top to enjoy the view and share the unique experience of perching high in an emergent conifer. Meanwhile the DRT climber set her goal as reaching an old Great-horned Owl nest, she did it, a great achievement for her. I was climbing on my ZK-2 Rope Wrench which gave me the flexibility to move quickly back and forth between the SRT climbers at the top and the DdRT climber below. When the teens were ready to come down I coached them individually on Grigri (Grigri original) descent and accompanied them one at a time to the mid crown where they waited. Once they'd showed strong proficiency with the Grigri I allowed them to continue to the ground.
So it was a a bit of an experiment to take first time climbers to a challenging woods conifer and mix up the climbing techniques to fit the capabilities of the climbers. It worked out very well. It helped that the whole family were very woods/nature saavy, they took to it easily and showed tremendous appreciation for the activity and simply being in the woods. For example while I was setting ropes I asked the teens to go check a couple of other big white pine for owl signs (pellets, white wash). They hopped to the task with enthusiasm and located evidence of owl presence. They also found frog egg masses in a nearby vernal pool. While we were climbing a Barred Owl called a few times, I was able to locate it after the climb.
Finishing up the climb prep the evening before
Two teens working on a 90' SRT ascent
At the top
Awesome DdRT climber exceeding her expectations
Down pitching DdRT out the crown after the de-rig
All the photos
-AJ
So it was a a bit of an experiment to take first time climbers to a challenging woods conifer and mix up the climbing techniques to fit the capabilities of the climbers. It worked out very well. It helped that the whole family were very woods/nature saavy, they took to it easily and showed tremendous appreciation for the activity and simply being in the woods. For example while I was setting ropes I asked the teens to go check a couple of other big white pine for owl signs (pellets, white wash). They hopped to the task with enthusiasm and located evidence of owl presence. They also found frog egg masses in a nearby vernal pool. While we were climbing a Barred Owl called a few times, I was able to locate it after the climb.
Finishing up the climb prep the evening before
Two teens working on a 90' SRT ascent
At the top
Awesome DdRT climber exceeding her expectations
Down pitching DdRT out the crown after the de-rig
All the photos
-AJ
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