Tree Care

Spurless Climbing (refer to growtreecare.com) for complete article

When faced with the task of hiring a tree service, clients often assume the tree climber will be using spurs. Spurs have been used for many years in the forestry industry. Because the arboriculture industry is newer to the West Coast than the forestry industry and many former foresters have begun working in the urban environment, this is a common misunderstanding.

However, spurs damage trees by leaving wounds open to decay, pests and disease. Spurs should only be used on trees slated for removal. Within the arboriculture industry, the accepted industry standard for climbing and moving around a tree is a method called spurless climbing.

Spurless climbing involves two dynamic rope systems that allow a person to move around a tree’s canopy and to access any part of the tree including the very tips of its branches. Using this system, it is possible to properly prune trees no matter their size or location. Spurless climbing allows the climber to get in position to make those proper cuts without having to stretch, reach or use clumsy gear like pole–pruners and pole–saws.

Spurless climbing is fast, effective, safe, and does not interfere with the tree’s health.