A tree makes a good immovable object to use as an anchor because many trees have rough bark. This means that the rope will not easily slip on the bark and removes the need for skillfully made knots. A simple reef knot, perhaps with a loop so that it is easily undone, will be sufficient. If either object is slippery, the knots used should be designed to be easy to undo and be placed so that they do not slip up or down either one of the objects. As you make the loop, it is a good idea to wrap it more than once around the object to be moved, overlapping the rope on itself as you do so. This grips the object firmly. When removing shrubs, start low on the plant but not right at the base. This will give some leverage to stress the roots. If you go too high, the plant will give as you tighten and you will not exert maximum force on the roots.
If you need a rest, the stick can be set at right angles to the rope and positioned against the ground. A slippery ‘stick’ such as the steel pole shown in the pictures is convenient. As you start twisting, it is easy to slide it through and position it to rest securely. When the lift is under tension, it can spin the stick hard and fast. Be careful to make sure that the stick is secure before releasing hold of it. Twisting in this way can generate large forces between the object and anchor allowing quite heavy objects to be moved. If your rope is weak it may break. Stop if the fibres of the rope start to creak heavily or to break. A double rope helps to provide you with more warning of possible trouble. One strand of the rope is likely to be under more stress than the other and will creak or fray before the other. Quite large roots and other objects can be removed by this method but it will need to be set up repeatedly if the root is too large to move by hand.
