Glad to hear you worked it out... My stasnd has the bar across the front which allows me to "set it" upon reaching the desired height. With your begining the open front I'm thinking it is lighter and more difficult to set. If you were to place a bungee cord once in place around the tree attached to the climber I'm thinking it would help? I know We used to do that with some other stands years ago. Keep practicing and don't forget to wear your harness. Good Luck