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Advanced Tree Climbing and Rigging for Trail Workers

Climbing Labs

Rigging sets can be erected in a variety of ways, and the corresponding climbing methods may be selected by personal preference, impacts on the tree species, or the equipment that is available. The week of field training includes labs focused on three climbing methods: climbing with ropes, climbing with spurs or gaffs, and climbing with Swedish ladders (figure 3).

Figure 3—Increasing ladder heights by sections. The climber
is secured to the tree by a climbing rope and the
ladder is secured to the tree with a safety chain.

Rope Climbing

This method is common in urban forestry and also works well in backcountry settings, where it has less impact on trees than the other two techniques. It is a safe, effective way to haul and set rigging at any height. With the other methods, the climbers depend on a lanyard wrapped around the tree and need to use their legs at all times. With ropes, a climber is able to move up or down the rope (figure 4) with ease, independently of the tree. However, it is more difficult to move around the tree's bole to set rigging straps and blocks while suspended by a rope than with other climbing techniques. Equipment layout with this technique is slightly slower than when spurs or ladders are used.

Figure 4—Climbing and descending trees by ropes
is covered extensively in class.

Spurs or Gaffs

This technique may damage thin-barked trees, but is the fastest way to climb and to set rigging. With spurs and lanyards, an experienced climber can eliminate the time an arborist climber spends in setting up throw lines and rope sets. A great deal of proficiency is needed to throw a lanyard to scale large-diameter trees, such as redwoods, old-growth fir, and cedar. Both the rope-climbing method and spurs or gaffs have advantages for backcountry or wilderness projects because the equipment is lightweight and easy to pack.

Swedish Ladders

Swedish ladders provide another way to scale a tree with minimal impact. The ladders are light, come in 10-foot sections, and have a secure locking mechanism. These ladders are ideal for short-term hikes in and out of project sites. They are useful when climbing the same spars repeatedly during large projects, such as bridge construction. However, they may be a cumbersome addition to a packstring's load in wilderness or backcountry settings. The ladder sections are expensive, costing $300 apiece, but may be a practical purchase for highly accessible project sites. Many forests already use Swedish ladders.

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