Pitching higher in a tree

I have been in some big (tall) trees the past few climbs. I can get a nice pitch and TIP and cen get into the tree pretty easy, then i get stuck.


Your question:

What do you use once in the tree to throw and set up a new TIP.

Throw bag
monkey fist
biner on a rope (sounds like a soap)
other methods?

thanks for sharing

jz

Originally posted by JerseyGirl
What do you use once in the tree to throw and set up a new TIP.

Throw bag
monkey fist
biner on a rope (sounds like a soap)
other methods?

Hi JG, All of the above.

I carry 60 ft. of 2.25mm Zing-it flaked into a small New Tribe line mug with an 8oz bag tied to the end. To throw you flip it in a backwards/reverse motion and up. A little practice and you'll have it.

Monkey fist is great for closer branches. Some people can throw a monkey fist quite far. I don't try for the long shots, throwline is easier. Try tying the fist that falls apart when it goes over the branch (see Jepson's if you don't already know that one). Less chance of hanging up the end of your rope and causing a new problem.

If you carry an adjustable lanyard you can flip the biner over a branch and move up that way. Very good for conifers and useful in deciduous trees as well. The lanyard helps give you more stability when you're throwing a bag or fist in the tree.

Some climbers put a steel biner on their lanyard to make it easier to throw. I have seen a fellow climber take the steel biner in the face after pulling it back over a branch. Very painful. Luckily it hit his cheekbone and didn't break anything. I use an aluminum biner on my lanyard and wrap it in a small monkey fist from the lanyard rope to make it easy to throw. Still want to be very careful when pulling a lanyard attachment (aluminum or steel) back over a branch.

I think you asked in another post "what do you do once you're in the tree?". Setting new TIPs will keep you very busy
-moss

JG- I don't know if you noticed, but I keep a throwbag on my saddle at all times. My preferred method of rope advancement is to lanyard in, unclip the spliced end of my climbing line, clip the throwbag to the 'biner, then use the now weighted climbing line to toss over the next TIP.

If I can't reach it with that, I do have about 60' of throwline on a self winding spool. I can girth hitch the same bag to the throwline instead, and get much further up the tree with that.

When pulling the weighted bag over a limb to make another toss- if it looks at ALL like it might smack me in the face, I will look straight ahead and put my face close to the tree. I'd rather the 'biner/weight hit the top of my helmet!

love
nick

If I for some reason don't have the throwbag, I'll use a monkey fist.

Just as a brief outline on my strategy to advance in the canopy in order tried:
1. Overhand throw the weight.
2. Swing and release the weight.
3. Move to an alternate side of the tree: it's sometimes easier to throw across than up.
4. Ask the person higher than me to set a line.

Hey Nick, what do you use for a "self-winding spool"? I just drag a 45 foot hunk of zing-it behind me in the tree, or keep it wound up in a figure 8 form - works OK most of the time but is nasty on windy days. Sure would be nice to have a quick and tidy way to gather it up.

Auto-winding fly fishing reel does the trick. You can load it up with Zing-it. You can find them on eBay.
-moss

So Nick, what kind of self winding spool do you use. Both of my made in China auto fly reels busted. Am I e-Bay bound?

Treeman, take your pick:
Automatic fly fishing reels on eBay

Even though Sillett's cornered the market and driven up the price, there are still some good ones out there

This one's pretty sweet:
Pflueger Superex
-moss

What is the best brand of reel to buy that is made today? Does anyone make these reels that are not in China? My last 2 reels fell apart.

Throwline--climber's dream, newby's nightmare:>) I spent an hour throwing for a 2nd pitch (same as TIP?) yesterday. What w/ my experience of 3 climbs, I managed to hit myself twice (shoulder and helmet), get tangled around small branches 5 or 6 times, tangled around my climbing rope once and ended by throwing the whole bird's nest mess to the ground below. BUT I came really close to perfection a couple times and am planning another attack. I also plan to cut about 15 of the 75 ft of the throw rope off...that stuff is WORSE than flyfishing line when it gets knotted up. I know I should have quit trying for that one limb but it was just so perfect I couldn't let it go.
HELP!
Randy

burrdoc wrote:

Throwline--climber's dream, newby's nightmare:>) I spent an hour throwing for a 2nd pitch (same as TIP?) yesterday. What w/ my experience of 3 climbs, I managed to hit myself twice (shoulder and helmet), get tangled around small branches 5 or 6 times, tangled around my climbing rope once and ended by throwing the whole bird's nest mess to the ground below. BUT I came really close to perfection a couple times and am planning another attack. I also plan to cut about 15 of the 75 ft of the throw rope off...that stuff is WORSE than flyfishing line when it gets knotted up. I know I should have quit trying for that one limb but it was just so perfect I couldn't let it go.
HELP!
Randy

Welcome to the first major challenge of tree climbing, messing around with throwline. It gets better. New Tribe has these oversize yellow throwline bags on sale, (hopefully still do) they're great for managing throwline. Just flake your line in and throw from the bag, when in the tree or on the ground. Pretty soon you'll be untangling throwline like a champ and also learning how not to tangle it in the first place.
-moss

Again thanks Moss,
I attacked the same tree today and succeeded with my first 2nd pitch...I'm VERY happy with that!
But the dang-it Zing-It is still wearing me out. I watched Treeman's video again and used the throw bag to drop the line down to straighten before trying for the 2nd TIP but the wind was blowing and it stuck the line all over the trunk bark and stubble on the ground. Got it loose with help from my SO on the ground.
I will have to admit that I THOUGHT I was pretty fearless after kayaking class IV rapids but that first swing out on the 2nd pitch had my pucker factor off the scales.
All I got say is that this tree climbing is much more difficult than Peter makes it look in his video. That said, the video is wonderfully instructive.
I think I'm gonna change my tree name to DamnItZingIt:>)
Randy

burrdoc wrote:

Again thanks Moss,
But the dang-it Zing-It is still wearing me out.....
I think I'm gonna change my tree name to DamnItZingIt:>)
Randy

You might try some Slickline, it requires a heavier throwbag but it doesn't tangle easily. Unless you're on a pristine lawn Zing-it needs to be flaked on a cloth, shirt or small tarp or in a throwing container of some sort. Otherwise it snags on every little twig and leaf as you've found out. A line bag in the tree is very helpful too, try throwing with the line in the bag and just enough coming out of the bag to give you something to swing.
-moss

Well, I have a Climbers Throwline Pouch from Sherrill and one of those cube things from the ground. I still seem to get it snarled even w/flaking tech's. Just clumsy I guess.