How do we get our ropes up a tree?

This is one of the most frequent questions Woodpecker Tree Care staff gets on the job. The process is typically quick, so clients tend to miss the process altogether by the time they check in. We don’t lasso the trunk or bring stilts, but getting ropes up a tree is still pretty fun (and surprisingly simple). With the help of a weight, a throw line, and sometimes a slingshot, we’re able to pull our ropes up into a tree’s canopy.

Watch Woodpecker Tree Care’s Kevin Anderson and Rory Fraser demonstrate the process:

Arborists aren’t the only profession to use this technique. Sailors use a similar method called a heaving line when they need to dock ships, as presented here (semi-successfully, they miss the pier) by the U.S. Coast Guard. They also use a messenger line to transfer cables and other tools from ship to ship.