Have you ever bottled it?

[scottythepinetree]

great and intresting thread.

much better to read a thread where a skilled and experienced climber used his knowledge and intuition than one where he pushed too far and hit the deck.

ive very much still got the L plates on with climbing, mainly due to just not getting to do many large trees, so enjoy watching vids photos of people like gibbon, reg etc working ..inspiring.

carl.

p.s i think the comment about s blairs posts mainly being stupid is far from the truth!!! each to their own opinnion tho.

 

Agree on all points. Something you can't really talk about in any honest way in a crew or at least any crew I've been in. Face to face it's hard to find climbers who'll admit their fears. Seen a couple of guys pushed into doing things that I've flat out refused to do and watched them with my heart in my mouth the whole time.

 

Agree also about Steve Blair. I read a lot of threads on here, and fair enough he is on most of them. Annoying how he finds the time. I do well to find time to comment occasionally. Whether or not I agree with him on everything, he has a lot of experience, both in running a business, and in doing tree work, machines etc. so I will at least give serious consideration to the advice he gives. Have yet to see him give a less than honest answer.

[Mesterh]

The problem with a thread like this is, if you say "yes" every one says well done and pats you are back and says "well done for being being so honest".

 

If your honest and say "no" every one thinks your a lier.

 

I dont mean your lying about it, I was trying to explain why I think theres a difference with height etc.

 

Maybe it came across wrong.

[alex_m]

So far I heven't frozen up a tree though. I turn my music up louder and squeeze the butt cheeks a little tighter.

 

quote of the thread

[skyhuck]

My friend had a Ash tree fail on him, it was on Duchey land and the consultant had marked the tree down for a heavy reduction, the three people on site all thought that the tree should not be climbed, my friend however did climb the tree, put in the front cut and as soon as the saw touched the tree for the back cut the whole top, about sixty five feet of it, failed and dropped vertically straight down inches from him, the only thing that saved him was the fact that he wasn't stropped around the trunk but around a small protruding stob.

 

Felling a 65' piece out of a sketchy tree, that some thought unsafe to climb doesn't sound like a great idea, "gently does it" would me my plan on a tree like that.

[butler]

I have had branches tear out on me numerous times and for the record I'm 11stone. Mostly during branch walks but I've lost my anchor piont before. Once my anchor snapped out it was the same situation but at 15 feet. Yeah the branch took my weight, but when I snapped a step to chuck the branch out the extra weight of the branch snapped my anchor. The height isn't just something to mess with your mind. At 10,15 even 25feet you might think " OK chances are this will be ok, but the worse that will happen is that I'll take a tumble and be sore for a bit. Taking that chance at 100feet is different.

 

I'd also like to ask the guys who say they'd do it, how may Northofagus have you climbed? are you even familiar with the species? Brittle trees full of included unions and prone to branch failures. Yeah this limb has taken some winds but I climbed past tons of old wounds on the way up so plenty of others hadn't coped.

 

Its true that the vast majority of tree surgeons are macho nutters high on testosterone with egos as big as they think their balls are. But infact the best climbers I know have been quiet, modest guys not the chainsaw heros. I've climbed for 11 years but I can bet that I have more experience with large tricky jobs than many guys who've been at it twice as long. I've also never met anyone who has climbed larger trees than I've been lucky enough too. Up untill this job I'd re-thunk a few but never bailed, on this occaison I'd say the risk to the climber was far from acceptable so why do it?

 

Some comments on here have beed daft and some food for thought. Saying some one is a great climber and quanitying it by saying they cut themselve twice is daft. How does chopping yourself up make you good? Skyhuck says he almost never riggs to reduce risk. We almost always rigg for the same reason. I think rigging involves less cuts often means better positioning and gets the job done safer. Not saying he's wrong at all. Maybe for us with the gear and staff I have rigging is safer. Maybe others with a slightly different set up chose a different approach.

 

I believe some people have never bottled it, it must be true because plenty have died trying. I don't feel like I've anything to prove, but perhaps this thread might be a good place to post some pictures of you not bottling it and show us what you can do.

 

 

youve kind of misunderstood theres a diffrance between being techinacly good and having the balls to do anythink.....take for example Troy Balyiss...techihinacly not a greay bike rider always falling off....but gets back on drives like a nut case and wins......3 times world champion....to be honest i respect you a have a feeling your a great climber...but I COULD NEVER TELL A CLIENT SORRY I CANT FINNISH THIS TREE.....

[butler]

stephen is a good bloke mate take the time to get to know his way of thinking and get to know him as a person and you will understand him:001_smile:

 

He wouldn't be having a go there just so many people talk the talk but don't show any pics of anything substantial. He'll be the first to give encouragement or give positive comments:thumbup:

 

appoligies and point taken....just saying wot i see...

[Brushcutter]

I've never seen a NF that big. All the ones i've seen have been wind thrown. They grow dam fast though. Did some thinnings of a NF EL plantation before christmas and the Beechs had out grown the larch.

 

As for climbing i have bottled it, got it to a standing stem and took a bit that was a bit too big. Didn't like the rocking. Looking back it seems silly that i got someone else to finish it. But i didn't feel i could finish it. I then realised i was more of a forestry type. I very rarely climb now. Only for fun or to fell a big limb off the back so the tree can be felled more easly.

[Pat Ferrett]

The trouble with this topic is the wording of the title, I dont think the use of the word "Bottled" is appropriate. I have done alot of climbing and never started a job and not finished it.

I ve had to change the plan of attack on many occasions and dont see this as bottling it, more listening to your gut instinct. Its then that I use my brain experience and the advice of others to overcome or get round the problem.

I dont mind if anybody wants me to explain further but please dont jump down my throat, im not out to start a slanging match only a laugh and maybe learn a thing or 2 on the way

[Lorry thompson]

appoligies and point taken....just saying wot i see...

 

I'm wasn't having a go though mate:001_smile: it's easy to take things and people the wrong way on forums because text doesn't come across well. I'm guilty of it myself and people have taken me the wrong way too.

[gibbon]

to be honest i respect you a have a feeling your a great climber...but I COULD NEVER TELL A CLIENT SORRY I CANT FINNISH THIS TREE.....

 

I have never claimed to anyone that I'm a great climber thanks. I've no idea who you are and you don't know me, so don't tell me what I think about myself. I can tell you that I have some experience and I haven't been shy to post my recent work and even mistakes on here, wheres yours?

 

As for not finishing, I bottled the climb, yeah so what, I'm neither a fool or a magician. Its not that it can't be done, I've just made the decision that its not worth the risk of climbing.