A fun solo Cottonwood climb today...

This morning I went to a park in Belmar to climb a tree. I found the one I wanted, and began setting the line. (You can read more of this climb at the "find something" thread.... New Jersery Climbing thread.... )

So anyway, before I was heading up, a thought crossed my mind. What things should a person have when climbing alone?

I had a cell phone, first aid kit, and helmet and glasses. Is that enough.

Well, it was a good climb. I set my line at about 70' (it was a great toss!). My line was only 160, so I was going to go up the singled line.

I pulled on the throwline and my spliced eye was pulled up into the tree, over the crotch, and about 3/4s of the way back down. With about 20' to go, the tail end of my climbing line was hovering at waist-level. Had I pulled much further, I would not have been able to climb the tree!

I thought I'd try something new. I tied the tail end of my throwline to the tail end of my climbing line, then pulled the spliced eye down to me, which pulled the tail of the rope well up into the air (pulling the throwline behind it). I disconnected the throwline from the spliced eye and clipped a carabiner into the eye. I clipped that carabiner over the throwline that was attached to the tail of my rope.

Now I pulled on this end of the throwline, which pulled the tail end or my climbing line back down to me. Once I had my climbing line in my hand, I kept pulling, which was running the carabiner up my line until the line was choked around the crotch I originally threw in to.

I put the throwline away, then proceeded to footlock up the single line. Usually I would double my line over the tie in point (TIP) and footlock up the doubled line. That wasn't an option here. It was nice footlocking up the single line. You are only lifting half as much weight!

With the line not being doubled over, I could footlock right up to my TIP. (As you may know, when prusiking up a doubled line, you have to maintain some distance from the point where the line is doubled over or else the spread will open the prusik). So I got up there, lanyarded in, tied on my friction hitch, unclipped the climbing line, installed my false crotch/cambium saver, ran the line through it, and off I went!

Usually on the doubled line, the spliced eye would remail on the ground as I went up. I would have to get up, then pull the eye up to me. Today necessity caused me to avoid that hassle. It was sooooo pleasant. I may start using this as my standard ascent technique, even on shorter climbs!

One time I climbed a tree on a hill about 20 miles from downtown chicago. I could see the skyline from the top of that tree. Today was the first time in my life that I could see the ocean from in a tree. I was about a mile away. Nice view!

Climb safe guys (I mean that in the "non gender specific" way). And let me know what you bring to keep you safe when climbing alone.

Climb with a partner!

love
nick

I made a little drawing. It might make a bit more sense this way...

Click here to see the pic!

Nic,

Thanks for the dramatic description and picture. I use to live in that region, so it brought back some memories. The 999 word picture left out the word descent. I'm curious how you managed that? You filed this report; thus I know you came down.

Regards,
Jim

Nick,
does removing the throwline from A mean you are now committed to going up into the tree to fetch your rope? I can't understand why you would unclip it?

If it was still attached to A, wouldn't pulling on B send up the choker (maillon better than biner?) and A would allow you to retrieve it from the ground?

You guys are right, leaving the throwline attached would've allowed easier retrieval. As a matter of fact, when I ran the carabiner up I said to myself, "Well, now it looks like I HAVE to climb this tree."

I climbed up on the single line, then switched to double rope once at top. I did a two pitch descent.

If you leave the throwline attached, doesn't it get in the way?

love
nick

I went back to that same tree last night. The buds were just opening, nice breeze, not too cold. Nice experience.

I brought the treeboat and set it up for an overnight stay! I used the idea (that I think Tom Dunlap gave) of putting a rock climbing harness under my tree saddle. That was GREAT!!!! I barely noticed it while sleeping in the treeboat.

It got down to about 38 last night. I had the treeboat cozy on with a thermarest sleeping pad between the cozy and the treeboat. Down sleeping bag with a homemade polartec fleece liner...I was as snug as a bug in a treeboat!

I woke to a beautiful sunrise over the ocean somewhere around 6am, but easily fell back to sleep and ended up waking at about 930. I got everything taken down and was back to the ground around 10am.

Spent the rest of the day flying the kite at the beach!

Gotta love that treeboat.

love
nick

Sounds great! I'm looking forward to doing something like that one of these days! I need more time under my belt (appropriate figure of speech), though.

Question: I remember reading the earlier suggestion of using a rock climbing harness. Having never used one, what is the advantage--smaller/thinner? And what advice would you give for getting one? Would a cheap/minimal one be okay?

Thanks!

As for what else to carry, how about a whistle--something I think we should always have when in the woods, particularly when alone.

Jim, the whistle is a good one. I have one that stays on my saddle.

About the rock climbing harness- I used it because it is smaller, softer, and more flexible than a tree saddle.

When I started climbing trees, all I had was my rock climbing harness. It worked okay. It was not good. The rock climbing harnesses are designed for rock climbing! You climb the rock (not the rope) if you fall, you sit there for a second then get back on the wall.

You can sit on them for a while .I've used my rock harness to set climbing routes on an artificial climbing wall...a job that requires much hang time in the harness. It just gets uncomfortable. I would put my flip-flops under the leg straps and that helped a lot.

If you don't have a harness yet and are planning on sticking with tree climbing- get the harnesses that were designed for the job.

love
nick

I bought the simplest rock climbing harness I could so that I didn't have to worry about ripping my hammock or laying on gear loops or straps. Worked great! Cost me about $30. It's a Blue Water, I think. My plan was to wear it under my New Tribe saddle, then just slip the NT one off once I was ready to go to bed. Of course, I forgot to put the rock harness on while on the ground, so I had to do it up in the tree.

How the heck did you put on the rock harness while wearing the tree saddle?

Please don't say you were up in the tree not clipped in!

love
nick

Thanks for the info, Nick and Patrick.

Yes, I already have a harness: New Tribe w/ side D-rings and extended leg pads--pretty doggoned comfortable! No doubt, though, that it would *not* be comfortable to sleep in.

I see that REI has some cheap rock climbing saddles--a basic Black Diamond for $30, and an REI "Trilogy" on sale for $24.83 (about half price).

I mention the exact price because sometines at the local store, the $xx.83 stuff is half of that! If that's the case, I'll certainly pay $13 for a saddle!

Now if New Tribe will just put the Tree Boat behind Door Number One . . . .

Thanks again, guys.

You missed your chance, the treeboat was in door 1 back in Dec/Jan.

love
nick

Originally posted by NickfromWI
How the heck did you put on the rock harness while wearing the tree saddle?

Please don't say you were up in the tree not clipped in!

Unfortunately, it did involve me being unclipped for about 1 minute. It's certainly not something I would EVER do in another situation or tree setup, nor would I recommend anyone else do. In this particular case, we were on an 8' X 12' platform. I laid down in the middle on my back, and quickly unclipped, took off the NT, put on the rock saddle, then reclipped. Another climber hung onto me the whole time. Took about a minute, and man, was that a long minute!
The paltform was at 85', and we had about 15 minutes to finish setting up before dark. I didn't feel I would be safe going down to the ground, adding the saddle, then climbing back up in the dark. Oh yeah, this was in Panama, so another reason not to be down there alone in the dark. Couldn't sleep in the NT saddle because the nylon hammock would likely rip.
I'm not excusing my choice, but it seemed like the best/only option at the time. The next morning, I was able to put the NT on over the rock saddle easily (stayed clipped in).
"Do what I say, not what I do"
Patrick