DBTree

Nearly a year ago in Samoa! I’ve always wanted a drone to fly around whilst we’re doing decent traverse like this…. Anyway, Captain Hook earning its $$$ all day. @dmm_wales @yalecordage #survivor #samoa #captainhook #climbing #rigging #traverse #yalecordage #dmmwales #instagram #ladbible #storyful @dangerworkplanet @dmm_professional

My buddy James Reynolds just sent me this. It’s a video loop ( well I think that’s what’s happening anyway)that’s playing at the natural history museum, London. It’s me!! Pretty cool way to start the day! @earthuncuttv #volcano #climbing #rigging #vanuatu #ambrym #volcanoclimbing

First vid is the pony tail redirect- Saveanca had descended before lunch on the wrong side of the of the stem but luckily had enough tail to reroute the rope. Moving the rope allowed him to then ascend the adjacent tree using an o rig- lots epicormic pruning as he ascended the stem of the tree. Could we have just pulled the rope out and installed an SRT ascent line?- yes but this about using diff skills and techniques to understand there are many different ways to do treework. And to be fair he had no SRT device with him anyway…. Keep work interesting and climb using different styles:) @dmm_professional @yalecordage @treeessence for the nicest work tops! #treecare #pruning #treeclimbing #trees

Ridiculously OTT balancing for removing limbs over a very fragile roof. Could this be done more simply - yes. Does it need this equipment - no. Was it worthwhile doing this - absolutely! I see nothing wrong with using the gear if it’s with you, especially when you don’t have access to machinery so everyone is always ropes and pulleys. And the more you get used to using the equipment, the less of a headache it is when you NEED to use it. And the RPMs are just sexy af. @dmm_professional @yalecordage #treework #rigging #safety #treecare

8-9(?) weeks ago I had some pretty substantial damage to my l3/L4, the disc in between and my preformis muscle. (Nb. It wasn’t a tree related issue btw!! It was a rogue chiropractor).So it’s been pretty much zero athletic anything and I’ve managed to lose 2.8kgs off a slim 78kgs!! But today I got the go ahead to start doing minimal training ( alongside physio to loosen up what’s gone tight) of 7kgs. Just to start trying to rebuild some muscle. So of course im going to repurpose old climbing gear and use a tree rather than a gym :) @tindequipment @yalecordage @dmm_professional #treework #ithurts #treeclimbing #itwillhurtless

The Blake’s hitch, but make it better. I’m a big fan of knowing the basics, and using the tail of your rope for positioning doesn’t get much more basic than tying a Blake’s hitch. It’s a great technique to aid positioning, if your lanyard isn’t long enough, you drop equipment, you forget equipment and I’m sure I can make up some other non believable scenarios… 16 strand rope loves this techniques, more static and tighter woven ropes don’t like it. Would I want to use this everyday? Hell no, not anymore. Would I want to prune a whole tree on it? Hell no, not anymore. We have better systems. But knowing how to do it if I need to, love it. EDIT- if I was to climb on a Blake’s more, I would use a split tail system, not the end of my rope ( just in case that was confusing). And adding an xsre and impel to make it self tend, just because I can:) Yale XTC 16 strand Fire by @yalecordage Ultra O, xsre and impel by @dmm_professional #treeclimbing #yalecordage #dmm_wales #treecare #simple

14 years ago removing dead pines in Auckland somewhere. When I moved to nz it was transformative in my career, climbing with current and future world champions, doing Heli work that no other country was really doing, going on volcano adventures, I was blown away at what happened to my life. Now living in fiji, still going away on climbing adventures( new one coming soon hopefully), climbing sequoias in Yosemite last year, doing safety work on Survivor tv show, just about to start on a different show, it’s an adventure that continues to blow my mind! You never know what’s going to happen, so book that ticket, go on that adventure, say yes. As always, thanks to the continued support from the legends at @dmm_professional and @yalecordage #treework #adventure #safety #climbing

So I just had this comment on a post, “ What does “not approved” here mean? Disallowed by the manual? Arguments about legitimate safety concerns I get, but we’re tree climbers! Our aluminum and steel rings aren’t even typically certified by any standard.” I think it’s important to understand the standards our equipment is tested to, and there is a lot and it would be a very deep dive to go over all of them! But here’s the basic( this is en, not ansi). The rings I am using in this photo for example are DMM anchor rings certified to - EN 795(b):1996 or EN 795:2012 (Transportable temporary anchor devices) and CE certified. They are designed with a minimum breaking strength (MBS) of 30kN. En1891 - low stretch ropes EN 358: Work positioning systems (belts and lanyards) EN 362: Connectors (carabiners) EN 397: Protective helmets (for work at height). EN 12841:2006 Type C: This standard covers personal adjustment devices for work positioning. EN 12278:2007 standard for climbing and mountaineering pulleys And there is probably a hundred more!!!! If you look at the equipment you purchase to trust your life to, it will have a lot of marking and standards ( or it should do). It’s your life support, so look up what those standards actually mean. It might have an en standard that has nothing to do with how you are using it, that is up to the user once it has been bought. Stay safe, it’s a job after all:) Avoid temu, aibaba etc buy from legitimate arb retailers, use from respected manufacturers. There’s a reason I’ve been using @dmm_professional and @yalecordage for so long, I trust my life to what they make. #safety #treework #safety #dmm_wales #yalecordage

My preferred canopy anchor. Not an exhaustive list by any means, and they are items out there on the market and some not yet* but these are the simple go to’s using equipment that most climbers will/should have. The simple running bowline with a stopper knot. As basic as it comes. Good for a very clean rope installation and a descent in exactly the same position- it will damage the rope and cause a heap of friction if the rope is pulled out over a redirect. Adding an anchor ring into the running bowline- virtually eliminates rope on rope contact and this friction, makes pulling the rope out easier but will still suck if you’ve got more than one redirect. The Texas tug. Same as above but just add a pinto below, this cuts down on even more friction and you can have quite a few redirects before it’s a struggle- and I would question your work if you are descending with multiple natural redirects. This doesn’t cover using friction savers, soft 8’s, canon bases etc, it’s purely for simple canopy anchors. As always let me know your thoughts, be it first time caller or long time listener. Ropes by…………………… @yalecordage Carabiners and pulley ………. @dmm_professional #rigging #srt #canopyanchor #staysafe #climbtrees

So Dan posted a great post the other day about the pinto cinch canopy anchor. It’s not new, it’s been around for excess of 12+ yrs and is used regularly. But it’s not approved. And a lot of people ask why? “It’s all bomber rated gear”, “I’ve used it for years and no issue”. “Prove it’s unsafe”, “no one has ever died or been injured using it”. Are the common throwbacks. So here’s my personal take. It’s all rated gear but being used in a way it wasn’t designed to be used, using it for years has never been an excuse to say something is safe, it’s not designed to be used like this as it can easily be set up wrong and the dynamic of climbing can misconfigure it, does an injury need to happen before you stop using it? That to me is the silliest reason. I’ve added some pics of how it can easily get misconfigured during climbing ( weight going on and off the rope)and this why it would be virtually impossible to certify- the gate is set up next to the stem so the gate can get rubbed open by the bark, the carabiner moves and the pulley is now weighted on the weakest part of the carabiner, on retrieval the ropes can rub and burn the rope(yes, I’ve seen it happen). I used to use this a lot, I loved it. But there are better ways and I’ll post what I think are simple better options next. If you disagree with my opinion, that’s fine as well, comment why and change my mind and I’ll hopefully have an educated and witty comeback… Climb safe, it’s a job to enjoy. And surprisingly a selection of ropes by @yalecordage And surprisingly a selection of metal by @dmm_professional #rigging #canopyanchor #pintocinch #srt #treework

A yearly throwback to a place I always dreamed of going to, Rapa Nui ( Easter Island). To work on a rope project identifying specimens that live on the cliffs and caves, and finding brand new species, wouldn’t have been possible without being asked by @jutwynne . To spend time on rope with my buddy @beejaycuzzzin , legendary times. Looking back at expeditions like this make so thankful for the life I’ve been able lead. Huge thankyous to @yalecordage , @dmm_professional , @rockexotica.usa ,@actsafeascenders . One life, live it. #boyhooddream #yalecordage #rapanui #lifeonrope #safety

This is video is from last year. The tree was fairy rotten and hollow and leaning over the ( very angsty) neighbours property. So we placed a high anchor in a coconut and then remotely installed another retrievable anchor in an adjacent tree- span rigging allowed us to then lower all the tree onto the driveway of our client. Span line was pretensioned with a 4:1 RPM kit and then lowered on a portawrap. Span pulley was a xs impact block running on 14mm double esterlon rigging rope. 20 mins of setup made it a very easy job to complete. As always thanks to @dmm_professional and @yalecordage #treework #nocranesbaby #dmm_wales #yalecordage #rigging