Marc

They found it different and intresting, like i said before they are mostly self taught or learn from others, which kind of means bad habits and poor technique are passed on. Basic things like kneeling and keeping your back straight they found novel but instantly saw the benefit. Being a tree man walking through the woods i couldn't help but examine every stump i came across and not once did i see a hinge, most cuts just look like step cuts. They know a felling cut consists of a face/wedge cut out for direction then the back cut, only with little idea how to carry it out accuratly. The common technique is to make a deep first cut parrell with the ground at least 50% of the way in then take out a wedge but it does not meet the first cut this is the only form of felling guidance, they then cut in from the back and basically keep cutting till she goes. Its not very pretty, yet it works for them, and injuries are not as common as you'd think. I'll post some more pics when i get back and can sort them out and resizes them as they are all to big.

Hey I had my sunglass's on at least! It was intresting, the village i stayed at was mostly based around forestry, Romania is still a very poor country, the village houses in that part of the country rely heavily on the forest, the house frames are made from wood, the walls are a mix of horse dung based plaster over wood or thin wood tiles as are the roofs. A lot of the young are moving to the cities to get better jobs and more money, yet Catalin wants to follow his fathers footsteps and loves the sorroundings he lives in and working in the woods which are stunning. The day I met him he was felling just 3 trees so he could start building his own house, other days he is felling for profit.

The last few, one with me Catalin and his Dad, I hope he stays safe. I would of liked to see them extract the wood as they still use horse's.

And a few more, i'm in Romania at the moment, and whilst out in the forests of the carpathian mountains i stumble across a father and son loggers selectivly felling timber for building. Being as this is Romania there is no health and safety law so no ppe, and no training. Virtually all the forresters in Romania are self taught, i tried to impart some of my knowledge to Catalin as from my perspective what he was doing was bleedin dangerous, especially walking on the timber your snedding using a blunt saw and forcing it through nearly hitting his trainers every time. But hey he's been at it a few years with only a minor knick to his knee.

A few pics of me trying out some forestry work for a change.

I've notcied a few Limes in my area are showing signs of die back very similar usually just a few stems or half the tree, haven't had a chance to look closely though.

Ditto that of all the ART products the ropeguide is the best, I personally don't like the lockjack i much prefer a hitch as its more tunable to your climbing style.

Thats true, although I have or been involved in heavily pollarding of mature trees. The results are mixed, practically more than half have gone on to die. Its a last chance no other choice approach in my opinion.

The bifurcation point was riddle with inonotus hispidus, plus there is a huge replanting scheme going on at this site.

Yes by the brake to a petzl caritool, it can mess the brake up though eventually.

Old Q-tip is a smooth and quick climber for sure! Having big kit plenty of ground crew and getting the chipper practically under the tree helped to. It was a building site, we had to go through an induction, method statements etc etc, then we forgoten to bring our nptc tickets so we could'nt start till we had them. 11:30 we started and left at 4:30 with an hours lunch in between.

Some more, the hiab was used the day after to collect the wood to big for the chipper

An Ash dismantle from this week, Q was the climber on this one, as there was no way i'd be able to dismantle it in half a day. Everything was lowered to the chipper to make it easier on the ground crew and reduce clean up on the ground.

Some of a wellie we did friday afternoon, a crown clean and tip in heavy lower laterals

Some more random pics, first is our footlock practice tree near the yard. Then a few of fridays work, in the morning a 10% thin/reduce on selcted (braced) limbs of a Horse Chesnut, funny spec as in the end the tree looked only half done, but it was a lovely tree not, very high but very fat and wide. Then a crown clean and reduce heavy lower laterals on a Wellie.

20% reduction of a horse chesnut i did a little while back. It was 3 stemmed, but a branch broke out of one stem leaning over a bike shed of a leisure center, so some decided to remove the stem in its entirity I suppose thats one way of removing the risk.

What is needed is to plant these signs under every mature tree in the country to warn joe public about these dangerous trees.

Nice, this is the third Oak posted on this forum with a similar defect, and in all the split does not look fresh, possibly years old. Amazing things trees, already this year i've worked on 2 massive veteran trees with historic splits they'd had survived years intact without mans help, the works i did was a nice aesthetic reduction and in one tree a brace, just to prove some duty of care. No heavy high pollard. The Oak has been like that for a while? Already survived the heavy winds earlier this year, so why not a gentle reduction and brace, just to prove some duty of care? Or Like Old Monkey says leave it alone. Also out of intrest what is the fungi at the bottom of the tree?

err yes i'm keen to see.

You old dog you!

Exactly. Which is the problem very good groundies are very hard to find. But to say that 1 groundie will work harder because he has no one to talk to and slack off with is wrong, although i do know this is often the case.

See i disagree a 3 man team is 3 times more productive than a 2 man team, and 2 guys on the ground will clear a site 3 times faster than 1. I like to have a laugh and chat and drink plenty of coffee. Most of the places i've worked at if your sat by the chipper not looking at the climber smoking a fag or drinkin a cuppa, you will not be in the next day.

To assume you were lionstailing from a few after shots without seeing before shots is not fair. Neither is it fair to assume that such a heavy reduction is with out justification without the facts.

Tuppy, I reckon a good groundie needs to be reliable and strong, although strong back and muscles are not always needed more endurance to keep going, and be a good problem solver working out the easiest and least strenous way of doing a job. A good groundie is not about being able to drag the biggest branches and lift the heaviest logs. Learn about all the rigging equipment needed to do a job, and how to prep it how the climber wants. Good rope control is a skill, judging branch weights and letting it run to reduce shock loading, also how to swing and drop branches/chunks into tight drop zones, or when to use a pull line. Working with a climber as a unit i'e getting that rope back to him quick, watch him for when he has the branch tied off then set the lowering device up before he ask's will make the job faster and smoother. Watch how the climber does his work, reductions or rigging, after a while you'll be able to know if he has missed something or needs something before he does. Being able to direct the other ground crew to make the job quicker and safer. Preping the tools before going to site, and on site. Learn all the tools/machines the company you work for may have, maintain them, grease them, look after them and use them to make your life easier. A wheelbarrow and sack truck will save your back and make the job quicker. Learn to do the site risk assesments, and be site saftey co-ordinator, your the guy on the ground this is probably the most dangerous place to be in arb work, keep an eye on your climber, crew and joe public. Learn first aid, you'll probably be the first response guy in any injury situation. All these things and more will make a top well paid groundie.

The landlord just needs educating. That looks like a mature gano bracket probably been there 15 plus years if others i've seen are anything to go by, plus the fact the ganoderma was probably at work before the fruiting body, so the decay is probably extensive. I notice some swelling there to i wonder if that is reaction wood due to the ganoderma and the trees fight to balance itself against the fungi? A fight judging by the canopy shot that the Beech has lost. Remedial pruning is just pointless and will deplete any precious energy reserves the tree has left. Also in one of the other pics that shows trunk with the crease running vertical is that possibly ustillina? hard to tell from the pics, but it looks like immature and mature fruiting bodies are present.