That moment a dead branch dropped on my rigging line in Portland

I was up in a big red oak near Sellwood last Thursday, and a dead hanger got snagged on my rope. Before I could cut it free, it dropped and slammed into my ground line, damn near pulled me out of the tree. My partner yelled 'heads up!' just in time. Anyone else ever get blindsided by a hidden hanger during a takedown?

2 comments

2 Comments

xena_jackson25d ago

Yeah, that part about the hanger getting snagged on your rope is a little off. In a red oak, a hanger usually means a limb that's broken but still hanging in the tree, not something that's caught on your gear. The real problem is when a dead branch gets hung up on your climbing line and then drops like a guillotine. I've had a similar thing happen with a big silver maple limb that slid right down my rope and nearly knocked me off my saddle.

roberts.troy24d ago

You're right about hanger meaning a broken limb, not gear snag. @xena_jackson, that silver maple story is sketchy though - a limb sliding down your line like that is basically a death wish.