Treestyle
If you do decide to rope the trunk down then try to make sure you have a dry day for it. Thick, wet ropes can be far more difficult to work with. Also, right after you take each section off, try to get into the habit if placing your saw on top of the trunk while you're undoing the rigging ect rather than having that weight contantly hanging on your belt. Over time this will come as a welcome relief to your feet. Take your time and keep cool.
Oh, and here's a handy tool for blocking-down big stems. Although we were just horsing around on the floor in this particular video, you should still get the jist of its potential usefulness on a job like the one you've described.
BLOCKDRIVER: A quick demo.
Good luck with which ever strategy you decide upon and make sure you get some pictures for us!
Reg