Asplundh Auckland aerial arborist Guy Clark is the first competitor to use the Rope Wrench climbing single line in an 'official' New Zealand Tree Climbing Competition. Generally speaking single line work positioning is frowned upon in kiwi TCC events so this is certainly one for the history books!
Guy completed the Aerial Rescue and Work Climb events climbing single line on a Singing Tree Rope Wrench borrowed from DB Tree's Drew Bristow (Drew was unable to attend the Taranaki Open due to prior commitments). Guy is a relative newcomer to the Wrench but he handled both events with ease.
Climb Every Thing Johno Smith was the first to use single line work positioning in a New Zealand tree climbing competition back in 2010 when he won the Aerial Rescue event at the Auckland Regional TCC on a Unicender.
Like the Unicender, the Rope Wrench allows for rapid ascent and descent on a single line. The major difference between the two is the use of a friction hitch with the Rope Wrench for controlling the rate of descent.
Descent control with the Unicender can be a little tricky and is not to everyone's liking but the friction hitch combined with the Rope Wrench is a far more familiar action and this is appealing to tree climbers all over the world.
Like most Rope Wrench converts Guy did not think he would like climbing single line but he stuck with it for a few hours at work and following his success at Taranaki Open there will be no looking back! (Guy finished fourth overall on the day).
Guy Clark completing the Aerial Rescue using the Rope Wrench at the Taranaki Open on Saturday in King Edward Park, Stratford.
