Rope climbing spikes are overrated, ground based rigging wins every time

Been doing tree work for about 8 years near Portland and I keep seeing guys climb with spikes on removals when they could just rig from below. Last month I watched a crew spend 3 hours spiking up a 60 foot maple and chunking it down piece by piece. Me and my partner did the same size tree the next street over using a block and tackle from the ground, got it done in under 2 hours. Maybe I'm missing something but the spike method leaves scars on the trunk, wastes energy, and takes twice as long. Has anyone else switched to mostly ground rigging and felt like the climbing purists are just stuck in their ways?

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carter.laura19d ago

Depends on the tree though, tight drops change everything.