Marc

I can guarantee I will be more expensive than you:001_tongue: You could of just said your rates are very competitive?

I've heard its a sunlight and water issue? The normal green leafed Robinia are doing o.k its the garden varieties that are suffering.

Ditto, srt is something well worth getting into its simple and effective, it also makes throwlining a little easier as you don't have to isolate a branch.

You have to be sensible about planting large trees in the urban enviroment, there is no doubt though that our industry has had a big impact on the urban landscape. I'm all for guerilla planting to bring back big trees in the urban landscape not just to maintain it but to produce work for our future:001_tongue: we should all be planting wellies, dougies, leylands and lombardies as close as possible to buildings

Its only a young un, unless there is something serious amiss that the picture doesn't show, other than what looks like a lean towards the building. Not all Lombardies are ticking timebombs, that ones probably got a few more years safe usefull life in it, admittedly though its not an ideal position for such a species. I've certainly dismantled a few twice as big as that one that hadn't fallen apart. I actually quite like take them down if there is a semi decent drop zone. Here is the most recent, Qtip cimbed it as part of our AA assesment using rigging, it was topped out LOW with probably over 50ft of regen, and the picus results showed a large amount of internal decay, still it had grown for many more years than the one in your pic with no problems even though it was topped.

I'd sleep quite soundly, who says big tree can't exist in an urban area? At least it would be an easy fell when the time comes.

It was the opposite in my experience they didn't seem to worried about the trucks or how clean the saws were, as long as they were safe to use. The 2 assesors who came out were very friendly and intrested in how we did our tree work, can't remember if they wore other ppe, but they had helmets and hi-viz, they are coming to audit a company! not work. They were very professional, listened and were helpfull if a little ott on some aspects but that is there job i wouldn't expect anything else, like the loler wanting to know why a harness hadn't got its id number listed - minor details which can be corrected. As for the paperwork side of things well thats down to the company owner, although i'm only a subbie and not employed i do feel all who work at a company make that company.

Not having a dig at Arb Assesments, just h&s in general, i got the coshh sheets for all the stuff we have at Heritage unfortunatly i didn't put them in the truck, now not a big deal you would of thought, BUT would you know what to do if someone drank the 2 stroke on site? Even in my last job as a gardener i wasn't allowed to keep my sqaush or water in the shed as I may drink the weedkiller by mistake, but everything would be fine as i had the coshh sheet for it. Health and safety is a very good thing,,,, so is common sense.

I just wish i gad a crystal ball. I've tried hard to be the best and most professional, i still have a lot to learn, i'm only a subbie I don't run a buisness, but if i'm to earn good money then i need the companies who use me to make a good profit so they can afford my ever increasing rates and carry on using me. I also want to see them succed so they keep getting better kit.

There is a flipside, i had to start out self-employed as no one would employ me, no experience to old and all that crp, being self-employed made me low risk and increased my chances of getting work. I worked my nuts of to prove myself, dragging brush and jumping on any oppertunity i could get, i would say i'm 110% driven to succed and become a good climber, i started out dragging brush at 27 i'm now 30 and can climb pretty much anything there hasn't been a job i can't do, albeit a little slower than others because i need to think about it a bit and sometimes do things the wrong way round but i'll get better/faster with time. I feel there is nothing i can not achieve. I did not go to college, and only did my nptc units once i had a lot of experience under my belt. Made me laugh when i did my aerrial rescue ticket half the guys i did it with couldn't even get to the top of the tree. I hope it will be survival of the fittest/best, and in the years to come a new boom will arise. I doubt it though.

Well put together video Gord, intresting top down perspective. Out of intrest what was it you installed at the 1m:30s point? looked like a rigging pulley? Welcome to the forum as well.

The only criticitism i'd make (given the spec) is with the Crimson King it would of been a good idea to reduce the side laterals you left as these could be a bastard to reduce in the future with the leader gone. Not in the spec i know but for little extra work would of been good.

I'd use a chainsaw. But would love to see te tree kept, its a beut.

I'd dead wood it just for the shear hell of it, looks a good climb.

Here is a big ol tree, yours i believe cts

Thats a novel soloution that could work, i like the thinking outside of the box:001_cool:. Only i don't think it'll work as the tail of your line will get longer as you ascend so you'll have to constantly keep adjusting the weight, you could try using a pantin on your foot to pull the rope through plus use your leg muscles to help you ascend. Generally though this is why i have an srt system in the tree so if i do come down i can use that to go back up on, if there is any distance to reach the canopy. Or just go arm over arm.

It won't self tend itself from the ground, try not to worry to much about that, climbing arm over arm is easier than thrusting with a blakes/prussik, you could get the groundy to belay you? You just got to perservere, and it will all fall into place. To stop burning your fingers just hold the coils to descend not the top of the coils!

Life expectancy of your cord (depending what cord it is and how you've set it) with a vt and ropeguide can be as little as 1-4 climbs if you fly about. As for the hockling like Steve said you may need to milk the rope, and after a while it will settle down and not be so bad. Try a knute? it doesn't hockle so bad and grips more reliably.

Yeah but your probably a lot more hardier than a southerner like me, more hair on your chest and thicker skin.

Its all cool, looks like there was 2 climbers probably overwhelmed the groundy. We tend to climb 2 up 1 down, crack the job out, whilst the groundy tends to our needs and trys to clear as much as possible, then we'll get down and all clear up mob handed seems to make things go very quickly and not so soul destroying for the groundy or lone climber.

I hate the stretch air tops been wearing mine today, scratchy material the seams are not flat to expensive for such poor qaulity,only good thing about them is the long cut which is good when you got the harness on. I have several tops, my favourite is the berghaus t's availible from go outdoors for around £16, nice soft material, tough, well made and a good price. Or the Hellys. If your going to buy this sort of clothing better off buying it from well known outdoor brands. Although i do have some mountain hardwear tops that are good just expensive and not tough enough for this work day in day out.

Intresting to know, it was always a bit of a grey area to me when i started out, some said you could work as a subbie of other companies insurance etc. For me I just got my own insurance then there is no grey i just have it, plus as you said it looks good to the tax man.

Sycamore can be a pain in the ass to reduce, it often looks harsh, and it will probably now put out a vigorous amount of regrowth, the shape isn't bad, some of the cuts are not ideal probably due to the spec? There is a reason for every job, maybe not the best reasons its easy to be critical. good job wiz

Nice job dave, whats the drug testing device for? To check the climber isn't higgh before he goes high or pregnant?

This is just my opinion and deffinetly the whole picture, but as a rule the best climbers are self employed, for this reason, they are more motivated to have the best kit, be the best, you are investing in yourself and your abilities this motivates you to be better to get the best rates of pay and work. Its not a golden rule just a generalisation.