How to be an excellent climber

[Pete Mctree]

A good climber is not lazy. They will climb out that extra couple of yards to set the rigging or get the best tie in point, spend time to put the pull rope in the right place, not badly directed through a maze of branches etc. They will make the exra 2 cuts to make it managable on the ground.

 

Makes all the difference sometimes

[Andy Collins]

A good climber must understands he/she is the most hated person on the team, possibly the planet.. and so has to be nice to all those whingeing moaning hard done by groundies......

 

What???? As a groundie, the one thing I really like is a good climber. He is considerate to those around him, quick yet efficient. He maintains eye contact with at least one of the groundies (and vise versa), he knows where each person is on the ground, (within reason). He communicates clearly and concisely, rather than assumes everybody knows what he's thinking (after all we ARE thick groundies). He throws his hangers down as he is working his way out, unless the groundie can retrieve it with throw-line/polesaw. He sits and enjoys a cuppa/fag/mars bar when he's down, but then willingly mucks in to help if necessary (although most of the clearing should be nearly done already) Of course, if he's a freelancer, and is paid to bash out tree after tree, things will be a little different.

[High Scale]

Good post as usual Andy.

[Rentachimp]

A good climber doesn't consider killing himself in the middle of hedge-trimming the top of a 40ft x 8ft x 200 ft leylandii hedge.

 

I fail on this count...

[MattyF]

lol me to.....back on the feckin leylandii again and said i would mash up the phone if there was any new work queries regarding leylandii when i got home and yep there was! to bloody tired after 60meters of hedge to smash up phone though

[tockmal]

He sits and enjoys a fag

 

Bullman smokes!! Surely not?

[Steve Bullman]

nope certainly dont

[Marc]

In my brief time as a arborist I have seen 2 groundies burnt out in less than 2 years usually from bad back, and tendonitis from stuffing the chipper.

I'm yet to work with any climbers who've burnt themselves out so quickly.

 

This is down to how the work is carried out. For instance the company I work for now has a type of mini-loader which saves the old back and speeds things up.

 

Also I've seen and heard of far more accidents happen on the ground, wether its being struck by something, or painfull encounters with machines.

 

An article I read in an ISA publication put being struck by falling objects as the highest cause of injury and fatalities in arborculture, as high as 40%. Climbing only made for a small percentage.

 

I'm not saying Climbing is easy by any stretch or free of hazards! Just try to appreciate how hard some groundies can have it! They are the unsung hero's at times,,,,, o.k

 

Please enlighten me if you feel my observation are wrong.

 

I've been fortunate to work with some amazing climbers, who have 10 plus years experience at the highest level in the UK and outside, usually even the trickest jobs are performed safley and effciently and in good time. Again equipment and team effort play a big role in this.

[Marc]

This was Mondays job, we work in 2-3 man teams- 2 climbers or 2 climbers plus groundie.

 

On this job we had a 3rd apprentice groundie due to the road, he has no experience and isn't able to use a saw. It was my turn to ground on this one.

We set the work site up. Put in place a work plan, i.e me on the ropes the other on traffic duty and feeding chipper (under supervision from me).

 

The tree had a cavity at the base and an old cable brace wrapped round each stem (reason for fell)

 

Virtually everything was lowered off, as each piece came down it was processed and chipped keeping a clear work area.

 

We started at 9 the crown was stripped chipped and chogged down to a 12ft pole by 1pm, (we even had a tea break at 10:30) 1:30 we started to process the cord some left as firewood the rest loaded, then felled the butt (with 88 and 42" bar!!!) and dealt with that.

 

We cleaned the site and packed up and gone at 3:30 all in all about 5 hours. I hardly broke a sweat and neither did the climber.

[Paul Barton]

Good posts Marc - I agree. I hate it when the work area is just bombarded quicker than it can be cleared - usually either because there aren't enough groundies on site or the climber has no consideration for the groundies.

 

I often work with High Scale who I must say is a great climber - he works at the pace of the ground staff and does everything very methodically - haven't seen him look like he is rushing around a tree ever but the job always gets done fast! It makes working with other climbers who are less considerate to their groundies very frustrating!

 

p.s. there you go Carl, I said it - you owe me a beer.