level of skill in our own trade.

[Ian Flatters]

I was a great tree climber when I was the only experienced climber in the company I worked for at the time! Then I went to a climbing comp and got my a$$ kicked!

 

Then I worked freelance for a few years, that made me realise how average I really was. You need to work/climb with lots of other poeple to get a grip of what you are like. Its easy to be the best climber around when there is no one else around.

 

Me too, I went to another company where instead of doing rigging they just got platforms and cranes in. Then i realised that i was better at rigging a tree than most there (only because were i used to work we didn't really use platforms and cranes) but very average at everything else. Also way below par on crane dismatles.

[Dean Lofthouse]

I like to think I have a bit more knowledge about how a branch will behave with certain cuts and how to get a branch or tree to do what you want it to do or predict what it is going to do than your average tree cutter.

 

But there are certainly many many people out there that can rig and climb much better than I

 

I also probably take more calculated risks than many others or carry out unorthadox method shall we say, last week I looked at a monster Ash and thought yeh, that'll come over ok, bit balanced but a wedge will off balance it over.

 

It ended up with a slight breeze holding the thing up, so I put a throw line in high up and pulled it over with the throw line, whilst everyone was shaking their heads at me in shame

[Mozza]

Im alot like you Dean, Regarding giving things a go (fells)

 

I like to think ive got a very good idea of what the tree will do and/or what i can make it do, All threw practice of course and the odd one going wrong when i was younger

 

 

 

As for dismantles/rigging and reduction, Im pants compared to most on here, I dont climb too much and if its over 40 foot i get someone else to do it for me

 

 

Im a decent groundie tho, Honest

[Stephen Blair]

Did i call it the waffle waffle thread? NO!!i want numbers guys, come on, take he plunge.

 

I gave myself a 5 for climbing, 1 for reductions(because i can at least get up the tree), and a 1 for ident because i know what a sycamore looks like. so thats 7 divided by 3, roughly a 2. I have never had a go at crane dismantling or with a hobbs and havent done many reductions, i reckon with enough practice and a bit of teaching from the pro's i could get up to speed pretty quick, but that will probably never happen tbh as i just do small scale work locally, i think to get a true feel for this job and a varied work practice you need to work for a large established company or be a subby climber.

[Andy Collins]

I remember a young climber years ago wondering about self-employment and whether he was good enough to make it as a free-lancer, and I told him he was as good as the better ones i'd ever seen, and if he was to go for it, he'd make the grade. Cant remember his name now, but he is a very competent climber in all aspects and some say he went on to start up some arb-related forum or something like that. Sure his name will come back to me later. Think he did ok in a comp or 2 as well.

[Mozza]

I remember a young climber years ago wondering about self-employment and whether he was good enough to make it as a free-lancer, and I told him he was as good as the better ones i'd ever seen, and if he was to go for it, he'd make the grade. Cant remember his name now, but he is a very competent climber in all aspects and some say he went on to start up some arb-related forum or something like that. Sure his name will come back to me later. Think he did ok in a comp or 2 as well.

 

 

Master Blaster???

[MattyF]

As the beastie boys said "I got the skills to pay the bills"to me thats all that matters.. Wish i had the throwing and footlocking skills of peter though!

[Andy Collins]

Master Blaster???

 

Hell, dont think even I would be able remember when he was a young climber:lol:

[Stephen Blair]

he he

[Ben Ballard]

if it was all about climbing i would give my self a 2 as my heart has always been on the ground wear i work my best always wished i was a good climber but never made it and due to health reasons best i dont, did tree surgery for a for 6 years mainly as a groundy to get in to forestry that i love and the climbing skilsl i did learn has helped me, here is a big reduction i did once sorry for the rubbish photo but onlyone i have did it as wanted the experiance of doing it so i expect some abuse:001_smile: