Branch walking
Rescue climbers may need to perform some branch walking in order to install redirects , or to access casualties who are located at branch ends .
Whenever undertaking branch walking , even on branches which would hold the climber ’ s weight , it is critical to ensure that the ropes above the climber remain taut and at an acceptable rope angle . Allowing slack into the climbing lines ( for example whilst coming back along a branch ) puts additional weight on the branch and increases the risk of a potentially dangerous free fall .
Branch walking is the technique of moving out along a branch whilst allowing slack through the climbing and belay systems so that the ropes are kept taut above the climber .
By keeping as much weight as possible in the climbing system , arborists are able to climb out and perform light pruning at the ends of fine branches .
To progress along a branch , slack is introduced into the climbing rope above the rescue climber by gently opening the prusik or other friction hitch . At the same time , the climber either moves further along the branch , or bends their legs ensuring constant tension remains in the rope above them as they are moving along the branch .
As the rope angle increases , the climber must lean out further , trying to keep weight off the branch by making their body angle more acute so that the net force acts on the branch as compression . A good tree climber can move along a thin branch with the branch hardly moving .
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