I finally saw a crew use a throw line in a way that blew my mind

I was watching a job in Springfield yesterday and the lead climber said 'watch this' before launching a bag over a branch 60 feet up. He used it to pull a second, heavier line through without ever leaving the ground, saving a ton of time on a tricky back yard oak. Has anyone else picked up a throw line trick that changed your whole setup routine?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_oscar11d ago

The real game changer for me was learning to use a throw line to set a high point for rigging. You can get a block up in a tight spot before you even climb, which lets you control the fall of heavy limbs right from the start. It turns a sketchy drop zone into a simple pull. Saves hours of fussing around once you're in the tree.

the_john11d ago

I get the idea, but I've seen that go wrong. If you're not already up there to check the anchor, you're trusting a guess. I had a buddy put a block on a limb that looked solid from the ground, but it had hidden rot. When he pulled the rigging line, the whole anchor point failed. Sometimes the extra time to climb and set things by hand is the safer bet.

andrewr654d ago

I used to think it was a gimmick, but seeing it work changed my whole mind...