Female's on the tools?

[will.morris]

Have a girl on my course at college, she's right up there with the fastest climbers in the group.

 

And it genuinely surprises me how many blokes on the course don't understand the concept of starting a saw. By this I mean they'll fire it up and go to use it .... saw dies because its cold.... fire upp ... saw dies ... repeat process several times ... not rocket science is it !

[Edmond Dantes]

 

Oh yeah baby!

 

I have worked with two female climbers, one was our lead climber for a while.

 

Never once did I have reason to consider the fact she was a woman other than thinking to myself 'I'd better pull my finger out, she's showing me up'!

 

Brilliant in every way - if the work was getting too heavy she'd cut smaller lumps and if a very large saw was needed one of the guys took over when she was completely shagged, which would happen anyway if a climber was exhausted and fatigue was taking over.

 

She taught me most of what I know and I thank her for it - she's missed in the company.

Edited June 29, 2011 by Steve Bullman
language

[likeitorlumpit]

 

Oh yeah baby!

 

I have worked with two female climbers, one was our lead climber for a while.

 

Never once did I have reason to consider the fact she was a woman other than thinking to myself 'I'd better pull my finger out, she's showing me up'!

 

Brilliant in every way - if the work was getting too heavy she'd cut smaller lumps and if a very large saw was needed one of the guys took over when she was completely shagged, which would happen anyway if a climber was exhausted and fatigue was taking over.

 

She taught me most of what I know and I thank her for it - she's missed in the company.

 

perchance - is that her??

[Taupotreeman]

Absolutely no problem with having women on the tools. I know, and have worked with some of the best and they have put many a guy to shame. Plus I can actually have a half decent conversation with them compared to the uggs and grunts I get from a lot of the guys.

[easy-lift guy]

My Clients/Customers.

elg

[Ginja]

How a woman could do this job, I'll never know.

 

The main issue for me is genital.

 

How the hell does a woman go pee on site???

 

Its all about storage luv, or a good hedge to hide behind!!

[Ginja]

I haven't read every post on this thread, but I think there are a few things that need clearing up.

With regard to strength and to the size of the saw, I am 9st 8lbs and 5ft 7in, I happily use my 660 with a 25" bar when chogging a whopper. Its not down to strength (though admittedly my strength has got hugely better for my size in the last 4 years!) its down to skill and experience, I couldn't start the thing without ripping my arms off to begin with but now I have knowledge of how she works and can keep her tip top and sharp we have a fantactic felling relationship! I have to use her sparingly, a saw that size would even take it out of a 6ft3 14st bloke(I know, he works with me!).

With regard to speed, I am pretty quick up there, its my business and I'm not paying the grounders to sit about and drink tea. This again has come with experience and training, I listen to those big burly lovely blokes who have taken the time to advise me, I've taken their advice and with reading around the subject I've managed to find a climbing style that works for me. I continue to improve, there is still scope there, I'm not as good as I could be and four years isn't that much experience!

With regard to stamina - this is the sticky one. I can do three days hard section felling, 8am start 6pm finish, and survive. This is down to bloody determination - or bloody mindedness. When I say hard section felling, the last two hours of the day I get on the ground and shift timber, throwing rings on the van and dragging limbs to the chipper and raking up. This is the way of things. If a climber worked for me and thought they were to good to ground I would be livid. They'd get a piece of my mind. No one should be like that. You're part of a TEAM!!! You're grounders help you all day (if they're any good), give them a hand! But day four is my sticking point, even small pruning becomes a bit sad and slow. My limbs get tired and I have to do 'office' stuff. I am knackered. But thats ok coz its my business and I can organise it as so, and work weekends to make up for it.

So speed, stamina and strength are achievable as a female climber. I think its difficult as there are so few of us. I don't know another working female climber. I wish I had someone to give me hope on those days when I felt like giving up to begin with. I have a work experience lass with me at the moment. I tell her she has to find another way if she can't do it the traditional 'Ugg' way. Some IDIOT told her she would be useless and wouldn't give her the experience, what a ****. Without the patience of my male mentor (LEGEND!) and my own business as the environment to learn in I would have really struggled!

If you know any females within the industry - point them towards LANTRA, they're giving us girls another crack at some funding at the moment to continue training (Women and Work its called).

Give us girls a chance - just like you would a lad. Tell them to get down the gym in between climbs, to do yoga (we are more likely to suffer injury and this helps defend against that a little) and have a physio on speed dial.

I will admit, I have had my days when, to be honest, I've just wanted to cry, or the shakes have got that bad because I'm scared of what I'm doing that the tree has been obviously shaking to the naked eye. But then I think all climbers have to beat their natural fears at some point.

Us girlies do have attention to detail, an eye for pruning, we're careful and have a brilliant manner with customers - so while you're waiting for us to get stronger, fitter and quicker we can be an assett to the team! EMPLOY WOMEN!!!! NOW!!!!

 

Do I talk too much? Maybe its just coz I can type fast! hee hee

[arbogrunt]

I've worked with a couple of girls over the years, one did a little bit of climbing in smaller trees, very precise work but she was a bit slow. They both worked like Trojans on the ground, lots of stamina and had no problems lifting logs, dragging brash etc. I've worked with some new lads who couldn't rip a tissue!. The only issue was at tea breaks, the blokes conversations used to dry up without all the usual profanity! . I'd have no problem employing a female as long as she did everything the blokes do...and there are girls out there that can do exactly that...

[Paul Smith]

I've worked with a couple of girls over the years, one did a little bit of climbing in smaller trees, very precise work but she was a bit slow. They ALL MADE GREAT TEA! . I'd have no problem employing a female.

 

Spike, that's a bit harsh!

[David Goss]

Arbogrunt i know a couple of girls that could put a lot of guys off their lunch break with the clatty remarks that come out their mouth, so i dont see that as a problem. The problem i see is that i have never worked in a team with a female in it, in fact i have never even seen a female climber as yet in 20 years. Not entirely true because i did see one once filling up at a petrol station in Dunblane. This shows me that there is for sure a lack of females in the business and i would like to see more, well at least one. Ginja if you ever need an extra climber for a week i would love to come and help, more just to see how you roll than anything else:thumbup: