The Importance of a Redirect

We often find ourselves working in complex tree structures and at quite a distance from our primary anchor point. This is where redirecting plays a critical role. A redirect allows us, the climber, to adjust rope angles and manage forces in a way that makes movement more secure, efficient, and ergonomic. 

What Is Redirecting?

A redirect is the act of altering the rope’s path by passing it through another “anchor point” within the crown of the tree. Think of lead climbers in the rock industry, as they ascend the rock face, they attach their rope to a nearby anchor (redirect) to capture their progress and avoid a lengthy fall. 

Rather than our tree climbing rope running directly from the climbing saddle to the primary tie-in-point (TIP), it is routed through other anchor point(s) in the tree. Redirects can be either retrievable or non-retrievable and used with or without specialized tree climbing hardware.

Why Redirect?

1. Improved Rope Angles and Force Distribution
   Without a redirect, the rope may begin to pull the climber away from the intended work area, creating an unfavorable work position and placing excess strain on the body. Installing a redirect changes what direction the climber will be pulled towards and keeps their body aligned and reduces the swing potential. Changing the angle may also help how forces are spread through anchors and therefore reduce stress on a single anchor.

3. Increased Safety
   Progressing further onto a limb increases exposure to swing potential. Improper management of rope angles may result in uncontrolled pendulum swings should the climber slip. Installing a redirect minimizes swing distance and enhances climber safety.
   
   Many professionals have encountered challenging work positioning at one point or another. Continuing to operate under such conditions is inadvisable. Flat rope angles often contribute to imbalanced limb walks and awkward positioning. Furthermore, returning from the end of the limb with a flat rope angle can be particularly unstable and unsteady. The solution, if no redirect location is available, is to set up a midline mechanical advantage system above the climbing system. However, a friend once said, “A good SRT climber will find a redirect, rather than create an MA system to haul back”, and that stuck with me.

4. Better Work Positioning
   Whenever cutting aloft, stabilization is important, BUT we often find ourselves perched up on unfavorable work positions. It is in these situations where precise positioning matters most. A lanyard will only do so much to hold us, while our climb line may pull us in the opposite direction; at times, it may not be necessary to find the highest redirect. A redirect at arm’s reach can also produce a drastic change in positioning!

Types of Redirects

• Non-retrievable
  Carabiner and sling redirects enable users to configure either static or dynamic redirects. A static SRS redirect transfers the load from the TIP to the redirect location; this requires awareness of the load shift to prevent possible failure. In contrast, a dynamic SRS redirect distributes the load between anchor points.
  If you are strapped for fancy equipment, a very simple way to create a non-retrievable utilizes a single carabiner: once at the desired redirect point, take a bight of rope from above the climbing system and pass that through the branch union. Next, capture the bight of rope with a carabiner and orient it so the gate is facing away from the tree. Finally, we’ll take the leg of rope above the climbing system once again and wrap it around the spine of the carabiner a minimum of three times. With this redirect, the climber can adjust how low the redirect will sit by shortening or lengthening the bight of rope.
  
   
  For both static and dynamic setups, it is recommended that the carabiner gate face away from the trunk to reduce contact with the tree. Non-retrievable SRT redirects are typically employed when a climbing arborist needs an assist with work positioning or whenever the climber intends to return to the redirect point after making a cut.

• Natural redirect
  A simplistic approach is used, favoring natural methods, while also carrying an extra sling and carabiner if required by circumstances. This allows for greater focus on planning the route for the task and encourages consideration of how to work with the entire tree. Essentially, the climbing arborist can either pre-direct from the ground or decide to route preset Pony-Tail redirect(s) while aloft, facilitating an efficient climbing experience.
  

  

• Retrievable
  Many tools are available to help climbing arborists set a retrievable redirect. For example, a Teufelberger MultiSling and two carabiners, or two quickies. 

• • Sling at the redirect point

  • Quickie at the termination – in line with the main TIP – will have the climbing rope captured

  • The opposite end of the sling will also have a quickie, and with the leg of rope that was captured through the first quickie, create a bight and pass it through the second quickie.
    

    

  • Lastly, capture the newly formed bight with a carabiner and attach it to a suspension point on the harness.
    
    This retrievable redirect is dynamic.

Another retrievable redirect, the Beast Horn! It looks a bit “weird” to some, but it works really well when executed correctly.

• • Take a bight of rope from above the system (again), and pass it through the branch union

  • Now, slack out the system yet again and capture the bight of rope with three half hitches. Having a longer bight of rope through the branch union is ideal

  • Bring up the bitter end and attach it anywhere onto the leg of rope that travels back to the TIP.

    • This leg of rope must be close to retrieve the system

    • Caution: Do not pull this leg of rope until ready

  • The user must be aware of the shift in loads from anchors.

  • Retrieval is simple. Lanyard into position and pull on the bitter end of the rope; this will pull the original bight of rope from the half hitches and release the redirect.
    
    

Conclusion

For too long, I have heard the common phrase of “just get out there and cut it,” and at the time, I would listen, just riding the struggle bus. Eventually, I ignored it and began redirecting; admittedly, some additional time is spent reaching the redirect, but the payoff for an optimal work positioning makes it worth every second.  Redirects can reduce our swing potential and provide us with optimal work positioning. How do you redirect!?