Tree Climbing: Ascending with Doubled Rope Technique

[@ashleighkivilaakso5676]

Thank you for the calm laid back instruction and absence of music. Very well done!

[@7Michael.E]

Ashleigh Kivilaakso I agree

[@zeynoleary]

Hi, Thanks for these videos. I am a beginning tree climber and it is really great to see all of these techniques demonstrated. I disagree with some of the other posts in this forum who complain about the demonstration of unsafe/unrecommended techniques. It is important to know the DOS as well as the DO NOTS and I believe doing so actually creates greater safety awareness. Keep up the good work!

[@thekc45]

Kudos for posting this video! I looked, this up because 35 years ago someone had shown me how to make some of these knots for tree climbing , and over the years I have forgotton them. It was a blast from the past to have seen these again! If you look at every tree climber site or mountian climbing site there is always someone who knows how to do it better or safer, and does'nt understand everyone is not using it as a training video. Why don't all of you go make a training video!!!! THANK YOU!!

[@efegomez]

When using a Prusik, second method, the climber should keep the Prusik below the limb at least five times the diameter of the limb in order to avoid the failure of the knot due to the spread of the rope near the limb. Excellent video, thanks a lot CornellTreeClimbing!

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

+diego fernando gómez echeverri Good point, tho we actually never use this method in practice...

[@mio-ww6dw]

Very clear and full of information. Thx for absence of music.

[@jaminagan7434]

thank you for the video, Cornell... for me, as an enthusiast in tree climbing, seem a comprehensive video...

[@awetanoah342]

Great video! And thank you from mother earth for caring about the tree.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

@TheLivingston2 Thanks! The knot that David tied in with on the red rope was a clove hitch. The advantage of the clove hitch is that it is easily adjustable. This is pretty handy as the length of the connection between your harness and the friction knot affects your efficiency. In this mode the clove hitch isn't likely to slip too much, but you could also use a figure eight on a bight if you experienced that problem.

[@Claudiomarsantos]

The best rope ascencion way !!! . Congratulatios !!! .

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

@zeynoleary Thanks for the kind words! I have confidence that our methods are safe. We've had an excellent safety record to this point. No climbing-related injuries at all in countless lessons, both domestically and internationally.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

Yes, we do! I was climbing with a group recently while a conference of city employees was going by. Every fire, rescue, highway guy that went past looked like they would much rather spend the day with us than sitting in their HR seminars...

[@jp2ykz]

Please include links to any gear used. It would be helpful to me and you can make commissions on it too!!

[@TheLivingston2]

The best tree climbing videos out there! Thank you. One question on this video, right before you talk about how to tie the Blake's hitch he ties into his harness with a knot that i would like to use, what is it called and can you talk about how to tie it? thanks again

[@kennethsizer6217]

Really useful stuff. Thanks for posting!

[@Bingham15]

fair enough mate you win. videos are wicked use full and all by the way

[@cmyip11]

Are there any foot devices just like the arm design so than when the foot going up the devices also going up as well?

[@OTEP1234567891011]

Love that girl's facial expression at the beginning demonstrating the 2 to 1 of pulling one rope. She's looking at those ropes like they personally offended her.

[@jimstreeservice]

Nice video. I like the micro pulley on the standing side of the system to auto feed other side. Will help going up and down limb walking. I use a valdotain tresse on the friction hitch side on a split tail side to side instead of my bridge coming back to the center of my harness. Can bend over frontwards through the system for mobility in hand pruning and the tresse doesn't focus all the heat onto the bottom wrap like the Blake's. So you can repel easier without burning the split tail.

[@edwinsnell5078]

I'm surprised you guys don't use any cambium savers, either the ring type or the tube type! great video tho. a lot of very good technique in here. Thanks for sharing.

[@markholton8555]

We do use all sorts of cambium protection..this video was supposed to be the intro to the one where we demonstrated Dan Hose tubes, False crotches, random other protection schemes, but then we never got around to doing it!

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

@Gauge1channel The knot on the left in the orange rope at 6.04 is a Blake's Hitch. You can use any number of friction hitches in place of the Blake's Hitch, although some are better than others. A prussik knot, for example, could be used in place of the orange rope, but it would be slower going up and downright irritating going down.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

@Spartreeman A good point for Arborists, but there aren't any rules for Recreational tree climbing, except possibly the GOTC recommendations to AEE. For arborists, triple lockers are a very good idea, as they are busy with other things. Triple lockers are also nice for recreational purposes, but plain old screw gates are sufficient. Where we cannot keep an eye on the lockers, we use two screw gates. Also, we girth hitch our ascenders so there is no need for a carabiner at that point.

[@galt57]

I just think you should be using them consistently in all videos. Since you are associated with Cornell University I have to hold you to a high standard.

[@Gauge1channel]

@CornellTreeClimbing Thanks I thought it was a blakes hitch but wernt to sure from that angle I tried the set up this year at the APF show in the uk and decided it wernt for me at the time But know ive seen it again im going to give it ago Thanks again and i love all your videos ive been having a good look threw them all and pick up a few things

[@Gauge1channel]

Hi at 6.04 What is that knot on the left hand side the orange one as i would like to try this system Could it always work on a plussiks and a blacks hitch I was to use that insted of the orange knot Thanks

[@blubundlall]

nice climbing techniques. some were new to me

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

@uyuni123 We really don't use the twin ascender method at all. The weakness is as you point out - There is no backup for a single cam failure. You can tie the ends of the rope off, but then you've eliminated the possibility of using the doubled rope mode. Another problem is that the ends of the rope can easily become different lengths, creating the possibility of rappelling off the end of the rope!

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

@danthelambboy Sure. There are many arborist climbing ropes available. There are differences and everyone has their favorite, of course. We use New England Ropes Safety Blue for our climbing lines, and Safety Blue Hi-Vee (the orange and white mix) for the split tails.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

Good question! I'm not sure yet, but Spring 2014 in California is likely.

[@GodzillaGoesGaga]

FYI the loop over the tree branch creates a 1:1 pulley. A 2:1 would require another pulley (2ft pull of rope = 1ft raise). In your example a 1ft pull would raise 1ft. Ie a 1:1 pulley. Also I don't see backups in your video. Typically there are 2 friction hitches (prussik or ascenders count). Sometimes 3 if being super paranoid. I would also suggest you show a non-pulley system that stops the damage to the tree from rope friction burn. Dual ascender jugs + a dualcender device or double prussik. Also show a frog system - it's way more efficient. This non-pulley basically has a stationary loop over the branch.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

I can see how you might misunderstand this. I think you are imagining standing on the ground and pulling down one foot of rope. However, in this case you are rising as you pull. Think of it rather as a loop of rope getting smaller. If you have 30 feet up and 30 feet down, tied in a circle, if you pull out two feet of rope of that total circumference, each side of the loop will get shorter by one foot. I do not recall seeing anyone backing up a Blake's Hitch climbing system with a Prusik hitch (one s) or ascender, though I suppose you could if you were worried about the hitch failing. We have several other videos on SRT, Frog, climbing huge trees, etc.

[@GodzillaGoesGaga]

CornellTreeClimbing Ok, so figure 6 of this website (link below) explains. Doesn't make sense to me but thanks for the info. I don't believe it's a 2:1 pulley. It's a counter-balance which is different. The mechanical advantage comes from the strength of your arms which will offset the mass of your body. dmmprofessional.com/articles/2013/07/26/resistance-is-futile/

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

pentachronic If it doesn't make sense to you, I'd suggest getting a hold of some arborist rope that is suitable for hitch climbing and trying it out. It will be very apparent that this system is indeed a 2:1 pulley when you actually do it. Our beginners notice at once that they are pulling (nominally) half their weight and going up twice as slowly as they do with SRT! A good friction saver at the turn around point helps bucketloads.

[@uyuni123]

assuming you dont have a knot at the top of the climb (ie the rope is just slung over a branch) what safegaurds do you use in case one of the ascender cams fails during the double rope technique? Any way to incorporate the full circle rig or do you have to just tie both ends to the base of the tree I've read of accidents in which twigs jammed up a cam and down they went..

[@ranafoot]

Good job, big thanks for this really learnfull sharing.

[@kamol203]

Hi guy! Have three questions for you .Will be great if U can help. 1.u use micro-pulley to tend to the Blake hitch,don't u? Just wonder if I add Rope-man with short foot loop---will there be any improvisation to spontaneously move the Rope-man with my ascension? 2. Have u ever test the Spider jack? with double -rope technique Is it better than the uni-cender ? 3.How about the Spider jack with SRT? How does it perform?

[@rawnut77]

It's very interesting. The first was very dangerous if you have arms muscles enough. The next techniques are very secure but not very fast and exhausting. Video show us with one Prusik hitch only but it's not very efficient. Arborist technique simple and fast climbing with doubled rope is two Prusik and footlock. In first, the rope don't cut the tree and second you climb with your legs. Your two hands push up two Prusik hitches in the same time. You must fasten harness and Prusik hitches with carabiners. Several meters to climb it's better to use legs only. It's safety. You keep your hands strengh for an emergency. But anyway, helmet and gloves and good shoes are very important for your safety. Better climbing devices, two Prusik, Knut, Blakes hitches can be safety if you know how to tie it. The best is to use hitches with climbing devices. The risk is none together.

[@wileydickerson2511]

You can also tie two Blake’s hitch’s one above the other and cut out the upward hip thrusting

[@aboveallholidaylighting9305]

Is that an Outward Bound compass rose on your helmet?

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

We generally don't use a single prussik secured foot locking method - demo. I don't think we would call grabbing the prussik a "big no-no". Anytime one down-ascends with a prussik it will be necessary to grab it, for example. We generally use a tube style descending device in preference to a figure eight, as that style is less prone to inverting into a girth hitch. We did damage the sycamore - disappointing, but we felt like we needed to show how easy it is to cause that damage.

[@loki1066]

Tried this the other day using a footloop and a loop connected to my harness and the following happened.. I spun round and round and the blakes hitch jammed solid every time. Admittedly I was using some horrible climbing rope that I got from a climbing wall in the '70's .... And some new rope from a hardware store (not proper climbing rope) . Could these factors have caused my abject failure and woul it be a good idea to buy some climbing rope? Thanks in anticipation for your advice.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

We had planned to do another separate video on all the low-impact practices, ground to crown. Of course in practice we use tube style or false crotch style protection on all points at which the rope runs over the bark. I think the raw footage is around somewhere...maybe I can get one of the staff to put it together.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

@wollmamaguckn Good observation. We use a total of four branch protection methods: the conduit style friction saver, the leather style friction saver, false crotches or various types and cloth padding. We intended to do another video series on Minimum Impact, but haven't gotten around to it yet. It is very very important, especially on thin barked trees. That was the point we were making at the end of this video.

[@johnnicholson8442]

Your new ascender / descender gadget looks fantastic! Are these for sale? I am a caver / potholer rather than a tree climber, but I do like some of the things you guys do with two ropes when we make do with one.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

Yes, you can purchase the Unicender at www.treestuff.com It's made by Rock Exotica.

[@Powershowerable12324]

i use the one foot locking method with a figure 8 decsender but i use a noose to lock on the tree and go up with the rope not doubled over :)

[@AizkoLaritza1]

@trepaarboles I'd go a bit farther and say that the single prussik method with footlocking although very fast, is not one we recommend for recreational tree climbing. We always climb with more than one connection to the rope. In that case, where you put your hands is irrelevant. Even with one prussik, our 5mm cord on a static line is very difficult to knock down.

[@ajriveraruiz]

@2:00-2:30 You SOUND like Nick Swardson from Pretend Time in an episode about a sexy voice radio man talking about a disaster that was happening on a highway HAHA good job mate

[@babyangel3468]

Great video.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

@totaratree99 Actually, we just presented unsecured footlocking as a curiosity piece. We don't teach that in our courses. We also don't teach secured foot locking, although with this type of static rope and prussik it is very hard to knock it down. I think I should have said that more explicitly in the video - I think I might have said something like "not very safe".

[@hjdt1]

will the double asender technique work good with a false crotch friction reducer?

[@chasegibboney6969]

never mind i found them thanks for your help

[@you2tooyou2too]

I always tie a longer tail from that hitch on the down-line, to the up-line, so I don't have to keep shoving it up. It gets pulled up automatically.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

@Zombiemage2 We hold classes locally in Ithaca on our land, the University's land, and some city properties every so often. We hold expedition courses in Costa Rica and in California. We also travel to offer lessons to groups in their own groves.

[@snwman91]

a friction saver would help by eliminating the bark damage.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

Yes, we've been meaning to do a comprehensive "low impact" techniques video for a long time, but haven't gotten around to it. The last bit of this one was supposed to be the motivator for that one.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

We do use cambuim savers. Though we did not feature them in this video, we have several mechanisms for limiting tree impact. Perhaps we will compile them all under the title of "minimum impact."

[@woodchuck9344]

what knot did you tie in to your harness with

[@flaviohenriquebezerradasil4037]

Adorei, suas técnicas de acessão em arvores.

[@chasegibboney6969]

were could i get a uni sender or r they not for sale

[@loki1066]

Oh and the '70's climbing wall rope is sort of spiral wound and has no sheath..... It's very hard on the hands. But my placement line ,made from a Duracell battery with a loop on it worked a treat!

[@efegomez]

I have an arborist rope, but sometimes my Blake's hitch does not grab the rope after I have descended for a while; I have always handled it but I want to know if I am missing something about the Blake's knot. Could you help me with this? Great job, tanks!

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

+diego fernando gómez echeverri Interesting...usually ours bind up tighter. Do you notice any slippage against the stopper knot?

[@efegomez]

I have never noticed it, but I am used to make the stopper knot about two inches away from the blake's hitch. Maybe that is the problem. Thanks a lot!

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

Interesting...I have been climbing this way for a long time...no slices yet.

[@Zombiemage2]

@CornellTreeClimbing where do you hold classes at?

[@fabershaun]

great vid! helps me alot!!! thx!!

[@67_PowerStroke]

I've always seen the blakes hitch done in the opposite direction.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

Hmmm...I'm not sure what you mean by opposite direction. It can certainly be tied left handed or right handed, but the mirror image would operate in the same way.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

Rock Exotica makes them now. You can get one at Sherrilltree.

[@thorsmitersaw1051]

how do you get the rope up over the branch to begin with?

[@markholton8555]

There are lots of details, but in essence we use a small weighted bag to throw a light cord over the branch, then untie the weight, tie on the climbing rope and pull it into place. There is another video in our series called something like "getting the rope in the tree" that illustrates the point.

[@timetoglitter]

could u do this without a harniss?

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

What about this gear?

[@igvandeventer]

Are there any techniques that keep the rope stationary? It seems like running the rope over the branch could cause harm to the tree, or worse wear the hell out of your rope!

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

We probably should have included that part in this video, but at the time we were intending to do an entire other video on the topic of minimum impact on trees. In practice we use either a remotely placed anchor or a tube style cambium protector on all the rope/tree contact points. Try looking up "cambium saver". They protect both the rope and the tree.

[@galt57]

I really must criticize you for not using cambium savers. These are standard equipment for arborists and rec climbers and are available in a variety of types. See the offerings from Sherrill and New Tribe.

[@daveyhaskins9630]

Foot locking is incompatible with 'Never Stand on a Rope.' from Tony Lourens "Guide to Climbing" because grit, or sharp stones could be forced between the fibers that damage the rope.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

You really don't have to worry about stepping on the rope. That was decades old dogma that I was taught, too, but our testing shows that it is completely irrelevant.

[@DNOYPIANGLER]

so this double rope technique, the rope is grinding on the branch of the tree?

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

When using DRT on any tree that you are about you will use some sort of cambium protection on the limb. We didn't show that in this video. It was supposed to go into the next installment, but we got busy with other things. In any case, the easiest thing to do is use a protective tube around the rope that sits on the limb - a cambium saver. You could also install a device called a false crotch to protect the tree.

[@DNOYPIANGLER]

Ah ok, coz I use double rope to descend from aluminum truss.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

Yes, the correct rope is critical. Arborist's ropes are made with a specific "hand" that allows these friction knots to function. There are other concerns, too. Hardware store rope may not be strength rated for life support. It may be made of the wrong material - with a low melting point. And any rope you acquired in the 70's should probably be chopped up into dog leashes!

[@hjdt1]

thanks dude is the petzl treesbee ok

[@LCHLLO2008]

very helpful ,thanks :)

[@MINDFREAK-vy7rj]

How do I secure the line at the top for the double rope technique

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

Search for Cornell Tree Climbing on the web. We'd be happy to host you for a lesson.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

We do use cambium saving devices - see our other videos. Part of the point of this video was to show how easy it is to damage a tree. We'll post another video on minimum impact. As for the hand above the prussik issue, our 5 or 6mm prussiks lock up so? hard on the climbing rope that if would be very difficult to knock it down accidentally. In any case, we don't use the single prussik or doubled ascenders method in class because, as you point out, there is only one connection to the rope.

[@motoadvpr]

Never put a hand above the friction hitch. In competitions you'll get DQ and in a panic situtation you can grapbon to the hitch from above and make it release and go DOWN.

[@fourfortyroadrunner]

"This configuration is called a split-tail" LMFAO!!!!

[@luissilveira5530]

Thanks

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

@basejump911 Wow - That's quite an indictment. As I've said many times before, we are not Arborists. We don't cut / trim / anything or climb trees with obvious hazards. In years of climbing we have had no foot related incidents or injuries. If you would like to discuss our methods further, I suggest you contact us directly.

[@ulysesdiesta2772]

the first demonstration much better instead of foot lock connect bowline and blakes hitch.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

Search for "Unicender"

[@m4rr1y]

One thing that gets me in this video is the guy that keeps wrapping the rope around his hands, to me that's a no no as slicing your hand is painful

[@def7301]

c'est la technique de chez Hévéa France cela fait presque 10 ans que cela existe mais en France ils mettent fausse-fourche du sol (abime pas l'arbre) et la main au dessu du noeud (malade même si le noeud bloque bien ) de plus un noeud sur deux brins sans contre assurer faudrait pas dans la montée se tromper et ne prendre qu'un brin !! descendrais bien vite. ce n'est pas une critique mais un constat entre grimpeur tu sais bien la communication est indispensable à bientôt.

[@nilsonsouza3370]

este é o cara

[@naomistar4u0113]

make a rappell harness/swiss seat, make sure it is large rope and you do it RIGHT

[@YotaLizard]

That's really cool that Cornell teaches tree climbing. I am surprised however that a kid smart enough to get into Cornell would want to spend his/her life in a tree with a chainsaw!

[@12Flyboy12]

basejump I hate to break the news to you, but the majority of trees in this world are climbed by folks in flip flops. I use to think I could climb a tree fairly well... then I paid a kid ($0.10) to get me a coconut and marveled at his unaided technique at literally running up the tree.

[@henryalvares7672]

i like the ascending with a motor

[@rasloeks]

Non of the methods you showed had redundancy?! Unless you use the second positioning rope from the ground up

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

That is an excellent observation. Having a second separate and redundant rope is the norm for industrial rope access. However, in the recreational setting it is common to climb with one rope, as one might in recreational rock climbing.

[@loganrash6764]

You guys must catch some interesting looks when you do this.

[@Dstrukt2k2]

No cambium saver on that limb? Sycamores don't have very thick bark on the limbs and younger wood, it's more of a paper, you can do some serious damage to the cambium layer doing what you're doing. For teaching tree climbing practices you should also teach tree protection practices.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

It must have gotten lost in translation here a bit, but that was what we were trying to show. It was supposed to be a prelude to the video on minimum impact - tube style cambium savers, false crotches, home made paddling solutions, and various other topics like root compaction and so on.

[@Dstrukt2k2]

CornellTreeClimbing I see how you could have used this as a precursor to minimum impact anchor systems, but you didn't touch on impact at all in this video, and in demonstrating these climbing techniques you no doubt damaged this otherwise healthy sycamore tree. Before climbing a tree, first and foremost you should have a safe and acceptable anchor point. Natural crotch anchors should only be used for removals. With the simplicity of installing a friction saver no other type of anchoring system should be demonstrated for recreational tree climbing.

[@Dstrukt2k2]

Dstrukt2k2 My apologies, you did touch on impact at the very end of the video. Nevertheless I think you could have done better to drive that point home throughout the video, and not have your climbers ascending on doubled ropes, like at 3:04, without a cambium saver.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

Dstrukt2k2 Yes, indeed. In retrospect we should have either made the reference to the next video more explicit, or just included that in this video. we've had that comment enough times to warrant redoing this video. In any case, we chose a Sycamore intentionally to show how easy it was to damage the tree.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

Dstrukt2k2 We almost never climb trees without some sort of cambium protection. Possible exception - Giant Sequoia, as we climb by flip flopping running eights there is never a weighted rope running over a branch. The bark itself is strangely friable.

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

Yep. Ours are Buckingham, but they're the same...

[@Powershowerable12324]

so i lock myself on with the figure 8 and its quite safe

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

German 'u' is not pronounced like the English 'u', but more like the 'oo' in 'loose' (or the occasional long 'u,' as in 'dude'). This knot is commonly pronounced "PrUHsik" in English, but "Proosik" is how it would be pronounced in German.

[@markhamze154]

I would not like to use this method. I would prefer buying a couple of metres of 8mm rope and making it into a prusic. That way i don't put ware on my main climbing rope.

[@TheParsi1]

good lad

[@jeoffreyreig464]

Nice1

[@CornellTreeClimbing]

Sure - it would work well enough that way.

[@garrydramos]

were can i learn this? give me your business number. I would like to learn rope climbing.

[@Bingham15]

mate its a prusik not proosik

[@seamorelilfoot]

Your climber is putting his hand about the prussick that is a BIG NO NO - also to desend - You use a figure eight. Where is the climbers helmet? where is your friction save on that Sycamore - that POOR tree did you burn it? Why are you all body thusting? I love the UNI - thanks morgan also nice keens