Two Rope Tree Work Intro and Basics | Tips and Tricks to get you Started

[@ludwigkranzlein9893]

Thanks Michael for the video. I have climbed on 2 ropes here in Germany for the last 3 years even though it is not mandatory here yet. I have had a lot of opposition from climbers here, mostly because they are afraid of it becoming mandatory here as well. Most of them haven't tried using two climbing lines permanently in a tree and can't see the advantages in safety and work positioning which is sad for them. While I started with a secondary system similar to yours with a friction hitch, I moved to a Petzl ASAP on the second line (both stationary) about a year ago. While it does not have the work positioning advantages, I hardly notice the second line while climbing and still have the additional safety of two anchor points and climbing lines. I think it might be an alternative for some that find it too much operating two hitches. If you are interested I can make a video of the setup.. Cheers, Ludwig

[@mickarblife]

Hey Ludwig, ye I tired that a while ago but as it’s very rare for us to be in a free fall position it’s not approved for use according to manufactures guidance. Also it has to attached to the dorsal or sternum not the bride so that would be also classed as a back up and require you to wear a full body harness. If it was not for all them requirements I would be using the asap 😅

[@james5327]

Learned and worked on the tools on single rope, off the tools now just climbing for inspections, taught myself two rope... use it as a back up, has its benefits, can understand the faff when working on the tree for the boys and girls out there. But its the industry, apply it when necessary and be safe climbing whatever you choose to do ✌️

[@mickarblife]

Thanks for your comment James like you say it has benefits at times. safe climbing

[@alexworks9659]

Well done! I do really like the DRT setup for moving around/second point with SRT ascent/primary work line. Thank you.

[@mickarblife]

No problem glad you got something out of the vid 👍🏻💪🏻

[@KStewArb]

Great Video Mick nice and informative👌 Still don't use this probably never will. Understandably will use if needed on an awkward tree but again this is a law from people sitting in offices who have probably never climbed a tree. My question is if I need 2 anchor points then is 2 rigging points next incase of Failiure. Comes back to the basics of choosing a suitable anchor but that's just my opinion😂 which means nothing in today's health and safety. Keep up the video's love seeing people form Myerscough college still working in arb👍

[@mickarblife]

Ye I think maybe it could of gona about it a different way with maybe education on anchors and maybe having an access line at all times but oh well here we are 😅

[@MattGlynn]

Well put together Mick, lots of great info and tips there. Thanks so much for taking the time to make this video.

[@mickarblife]

Thanks Matt! I made this a while ago and thought why not post it here. Glad the info was informative. Will be a drt vid this week 😁

[@JamesBH]

Cheers Mick, this is better than any official information provided by industry organisations. Have you tried incorporating any of Paul Poytner's ideas into your two rope work? The use of extended tethers, American Clacker anchor device and utilising two shorter work ropes with a small diameter retrieval line (save kitbag weight) are all interesting things that I am wanting to try and utilise in my work.

[@mickarblife]

Hi James, I think I mainly do most do what you have said already or have tried it in the past. I have a short 6mm retrieval rope already. With the extended tether are you talking about for the rope wrench? I have not used the American clacker but had done simaler things but don’t like the idea of having so much pressure on the retrieval balls. But after saying that I do love the idea and how it all works. A mate did tell me about an idea to fix the retrieval ball issue so will try get some pictures from him and see if I can make it work. Thanks for the comment good to make me think about it all

[@Davtr33]

Realistically almost nobody is using two ropes day to day because of the impracticality in most British trees meaning most people don’t bother at all. I think a large part of that is lack of clarification and the assumption that you need two full length ropes at all times. I recently climbed on our Arb Assured assessment where I questioned this. You only need two points of contact whilst moving and working. Your side strop counts as a second point. Now I use a longer length one and keep it mostly on my lower Ds with some slack I ascend and descend on one but generally I’m working in a far more compliant way rather than just ignoring it all together because of the hassle and hugely increased fatigue I was getting from two ropes

[@mickarblife]

That’s awesome tho that’s what I do a lot as well specially with removals when I’m on spikes. Just one rope set ever in the same tree or one next to it and spike up. Your allowed to stay stationery as well while advancing one of your anchors so as long as you don’t move much you can take your lanyard off and advance it round a larger branch if needed. There are ways around it like your doing 👍🏻

[@martindlg4568]

Great video ! Thank you for recording this. I struggle to use two ropes in trees because it got me slower and doesn't give me the same agility as one rope climbing. But in the way you show it, it doesn't seem so "boring" !! In France we have to use two anchor points since 2015 (I think) but it gets quite slow to be use by tree climbers ! Next week it's going to be the time to use two ropes in trees ! :)

[@mickarblife]

That’s awesome glad this is helping have fun at work next week and climb safe 😁👍🏻

[@PoplarMechanic]

Great information! Luckily, we can still climb on 1 rope here in canada. There are times when I have used 2 for sure.

[@mickarblife]

Defo has its place but not in every tree

[@kryton7687]

Hello, from the discussion I understand that main reason for this law is anchor point failure. We dont have such law here, but just to feel safer, would it be OK to use just single rope, but connect it to two different branches ? For example do a standard anchor point, tie a butterfly bellow that and connect that butterfly to second branch by some short piece of rope ?

[@mickarblife]

That’s good thinking that and wish we could do it that way as would be much easier. They also went to see 2 ropes attached to the climber at all times. This all came to light when the HSE asked for a demo of SRT (single rope technique ) as it was called back when it all first happening and when the HSE came to watch the demo of srt they was just shocked everyone was climbing with 1 rope not 2 as they beloved drt was 2 ropes. Hope this helps clear it up. Might have to do a vid trying to explain all this

[@jamienicholson9015]

Great video thanks, when coming down a featureless tree on a drt, do you need to have two choking retrievable anchor points or just the one?

[@mickarblife]

If your in spikes and your coming down a stem you could just have 1 chocked and have your lanyard round and that would be classed as 2 👍🏻

[@jamienicholson9015]

Makes sense thanks for the reply. Thanks again for putting this vid out there.

[@63sfletcher]

Great info , thanks for taking the time. What boots are you wearing in the vid and are they suitable for a work situation , I’m looking for a lighter pair for climbing rather than the Haix I’m wearing at the moment.

[@mickarblife]

I’m wearing scarpa pro ascent I believe they are called. They are great for climbing but not chainsaw boots and don’t have steel toe can ever do only really good for rec climbs or you prob could use them for light handsaw pruning. Hope that helps

[@63sfletcher]

@@mickarblife thanks for getting back to me.

[@ArcaneArborWolfe]

Hey Mick, Great video! Has it been a positive change for you? If they removed the double life line system would you go back to pre 2019 climbing standards?

[@mickarblife]

Hey, 2 ropes has its place for sure specially when it comes to teaching the next generation as they won’t no anything different. I would prob still go back to 1 rope to tell the truth as it’s just less work for me personally and I like simple things 😅

[@ArcaneArborWolfe]

Thanks for the reply. I love the Unicender! Australia standards are different for tree surgery and the tree climbing competitions follow the northern hemisphere rule book. Very true regarding the new generation. Are you contract climbing or running a business?

[@ArcaneArborWolfe]

The Unicender would be great.

[@mickarblife]

Only problem would be it’s not CE but I agree I think it could work well 👌🏻

[@richkellett2418]

Well, I’m not doing it. 😂

[@mickarblife]

Haha that’s all good. just do you! 👍🏻

[@ItreboR63I]

May I ask what length and width e2e's your running?

[@mickarblife]

I’m using liros 75cm 9.1mm seems to work well on most ropes I find 👍🏻

[@ItreboR63I]

Ha just by chance the size I was looking at! 9.1 seems a nice compromise.

[@Toyotaamazon80series]

​@@mickarblifeLiros 9mm e2e didn't work out for me on my Yale Imori. I went back to an 8mm e2e on it. A four wrap Michoacan.

[@mickarblife]

@@Toyotaamazon80series I’m using it on courant kalimba with a vt and it’s perfect 👌🏻 but ye everyone is different sometimes it’s good to stick with what works for you 👍🏻

[@Toyotaamazon80series]

@@mickarblife Trial and error, 👍 I used to climb on a V.T but left it behind. I prefer the Michoacan as it's much more compact. I recently bought 30m of Kalimba, i have yet to try it out. It hands like an 11.5 but it's marketed as 11.9. Yale blue tongue has been my preferred rope over the last few years.

[@danwillis7997]

Im exploring tree climbing and once i can afford to i want to do a tree surgeon course. Why make a second rope mandatory? And do you have a source for the guidelines so i can see exactly what likely poorly thought out rules our 'sensible' government has come up? I mean obviously i dont know my ass from my elbow currently but surely a second rope is overkill safety wise. Clearly it has its place but why make it mandatory?

[@mickarblife]

If you Google TG1 tree climbing click on the AA website and they will have a link to the technical guide 👍🏻

[@groundpounder24365]

Why run dual ropes like that??

[@mickarblife]

It’s just law now in the UK to climb like this. Mainly due to anchor point failure so having 2 anchors is what is required now

[@jonkeith2624]

How does this make you safer only time I use two ropes is when there no hood tie in point over then that to me it a waste of time to do chainsaw cut though both ropes fast to me it a false sense of security that sucks they make you climb like that here in the USA there are no regulations Just suggestions companies will have rules like don’t one hand the saw which you just say ok boss and do it anyway don’t like it I just find somewhere else to work my thought is am the professional not you and it my life not yours and there nothing safe about what were doing so am doing it my way

[@Toyotaamazon80series]

I've used two ropes in a tree and will continue to do so but only if i believe i need two systems. For example last week i had to remove a thirty foot long storm compromised limb from a big doug fir. There weren't any redirect or lanyard tie in options above me. I needed to get right out to the tips because they were hung up in a big grisilini. So i decided two ropes were the way to go. Both M.R.S systems, one on a Z.Z and another on a hitch. It worked like a dream and all went well. Basically i made the call and had the freedom to make that call. That's as it should be, stay strong and stay free, 👍💪🪓🌲🇮🇪🇮🇪

[@mickarblife]

That’s a great comment! Sometimes is practical to use two ropes and some times it’s not using your own judgement is key climb safe 💪🏻👍🏻

[@Toyotaamazon80series]

@@mickarblife Good man, 👍 There were some excellent tips and tricks in that video. Keep the content coming, 👍😁💪🪓🌲🇮🇪