Climbers attack trees

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 8, Issue 371, 29 January 1991, Page 2

Climbers attack trees

From page 1 Tom Mannering, who is also working for the Department of Conservation on their contorta programme, said the trees were growing in surprising places. "You've got to give the little buggers points for persistence," he said. "That one (refeiring to a tree he spent 30 minutes getting to) was growing out of a crack that big (he indicated a 1cm gap) "but the trunk spread to about as thick as my arm. Some of the cliff-face trees have had to be attacked with a chainsaw, adding a new dimension to the climbing the patrollers are used to. Hefting a chainsaw around while dangling from 70 metres of rope is awkward, not to mention starting the machine and then actually cutting through a tree trunk while suspended by a harness in mid-air. Most trees on the climbing faces don't need a chainsaw but can be cut with a handsaw plus a fair amount-of patieqce. Ms Murphy said the Contorta was a big problem for the army, because it has infested large areas which are useless for training purposes as the trees grow so densely. Within sight of the cliffs is a large area of trees which are now red-brown, having been sprayed from the air. The area is to be burned later this summer. Spraying and burning is a method usually

avoided but in this case the area is full of unexploded bombs which

would make it too dangerous for ground working contractors to clcar.