As a climber, managing your rope’s path is a core skill. One method of doing this is by creating a natural redirect. This technique, where you physically disconnect your system and reroute it over a natural limb, can serve a specific purpose: to break your fall in the event of a swing. While this can be an effective way to stay on a predictable line, understanding natural redirects in climbing is also about recognizing the significant risks they introduce. For a climber, using this method safely means carefully weighing the benefits against the serious dangers of friction, slack, and shock loading.
When a climber uses a natural redirect, they will put their weight back on the rope, knowing that the new position will prevent a wide, dangerous swing. But this action is not without its pitfalls. It opens you up to potential issues that a skilled arborist must be acutely aware of. The system’s apparent simplicity hides a number of complex problems that can compromise both your safety and your efficiency aloft.
The Safety-First Protocol
Before you ever consider using a natural redirect, you must have a strict safety protocol in place. Never disconnect your main climbing system without being on at least one lanyard. This is an absolute rule. Ideally, you should have two attachment points. You will have your main lanyard, but you’ll also want another form of a hard connection to the tree. This is because you always want to have two points that would have to fail to cause an issue.
It’s also crucial to consider your body’s position. If you are just using a single lanyard, you must move it down to your center tie-in point. This is because you would not want to be hung from your side D-rings on your harness in the event of a fall. A side-D hang is uncomfortable and can cause injury. By moving your attachment to your center, you ensure that any potential hang is controlled and less stressful on your body. Having these safety systems in place is non-negotiable and provides the necessary foundation to even consider using a natural redirect.
The Hidden Costs of Natural Redirects
While a natural redirect can prevent a swing, it comes with a number of serious hidden costs. The most immediate problem you’ll notice is the immense amount of friction. When you move your climbing system over a natural limb, two ropes will be rubbing against each other. This friction point can cover more than half of the limb, and the amount of friction built up is absolutely immense.
This friction creates a significant problem with inefficiency. As you try to work your way back to your position, the immense drag on the line makes it very difficult to manage slack properly. You will be tempted to go hand-over-hand to pull yourself in, which can cause you to build up a large amount of dangerous slack in your system. This makes the entire maneuver difficult, frustrating, and risky.
The friction also has a destructive effect. It can cause damage to both the tree and your rope. Glazing on the trunk or branches is a clear sign that your rope is rubbing the bark, which can compromise the tree’s health. More importantly, this constant friction can wear down your rope, causing premature damage that could compromise its integrity.
The Danger of Shock Loading
One of the most serious issues with a natural redirect is the potential for shock loading. Because the immense friction makes it hard to manage slack, a climber might end up with a lot of loose rope in their system. If they were to fall in this case, the sudden stop would create a powerful shock load on the entire system. This shock load would be transferred to the redirect limb and to the main anchor at the top of the tree.
This is a grave concern because, as arborists, we have no idea what any of those anchor points are truly rated at. We are always making a professional judgment call on the strength of a limb. Shock loading a branch or anchor with an unrated system is a major risk that a climber should avoid at all costs. While a natural redirect might prevent a big swing, it could create a new and far more dangerous scenario by introducing the risk of a high-impact fall.
This method can also create compression on the tree, which can cause internal damage to the wood fibers. A climber’s work should always prioritize the health of the tree, and any technique that risks its integrity should be carefully considered.
The Verdict on Natural Redirects
In the end, while a natural redirect can be a safe method to keep yourself from taking a big swing, it also opens you up to some major potential issues. The friction, inefficiency, and risk of shock loading can compromise your safety in ways that are not immediately obvious. This technique requires an immense amount of rope management and a constant awareness of the forces at play.
The best practice for modern arborists is to use specialized, low-friction redirects that are designed to avoid these very problems. These systems give you the same benefit of controlling your swing without the dangerous downsides of rope-on-bark friction. While understanding a natural redirect is a valuable skill, it’s also a lesson in the importance of using the right tools for the job.
Peace on your Days
Lance
