Rant: That time my climbing line got stuck 60 feet up in a red oak

I was out in a backyard in Portland last Tuesday, trimming a big red oak near a fence line. I made my first cut, and somehow my climbing line got pinched between a branch and the trunk - completely jammed. I tried pulling it free for about 15 minutes, but it was wedged tight with no give. Ended up having to tie off a second line and climb back up to wiggle it loose, which added an extra 30 minutes to the job. My forearms were burning by the time I got it sorted. Has anyone else dealt with a line getting stuck like that, or was I just unlucky with the branch angle?

2 comments

2 Comments

joseph_coleman1mo ago

Yeah tell me about it. That exact thing happened to me last month on a doug fir. Branch pinch is a real pain in the ass. I spent 45 minutes cussing and sweating before I got it free. Now I always double check my line placement before I make the cut. That extra minute saves you a world of headache. Your forearms burning sounds about right, mine were shot for the rest of the day too.

spencer_moore391mo agoTop Commenter

Learned that lesson the hard way myself a few years back. What finally helped me was carrying a small block and a carabiner in my belt loop. If the branch pinches and you can get a wrap around it, you can use the block to create a mechanical advantage and pull it free without killing your arms. Takes maybe ten minutes instead of forty five. Also started wedging my cuts more, especially on anything with side lean. Saves a lot of grief.