RC0

I lived near a town called Macclesfield for 10 years prior to moving. so, Id work mainly around Cheshire and Greater Manchester. I think the sheer intensity is what done me in last week....just so many people and cars. And nomatter how fast I drove, it was never enough for the 5 cars directly behind me. I read too the posts about the ever changing and increasing red tape that the lads here have to budget for just to work lawfully....and its mental, absolutely. I think you have to be away from it to see how ridiculous its become. Sorry to sound negative, but from an outside perspective nowdays.

I left the uk for Canada, with my wife and daughter over 5 years ago now. Id lived and worked in other countries previously, but only ever on a temporary basis. None of it is easy....the preparation, the move and re-settlement thereafter. I carried a lot of guilt with me thereafter, for separating people and leaving others behind. Then theres all the practical things like re-integrating, getting established and keeping your head above water. The move also put an enormous strain on the marriage.... somehow, we stuck with it though. I think throughout it all, a big part of what kept me focused has been the welfare and future of my daughter, who was two and a bit at the time. I knew deep down shes better off here. I came back for a brief visit 2 years ago, and, it felt good. I realised a lot of stuff Id missed. I just got back a couple days ago from another visit. But it was a completely different experience. Whilst in England more recently, I felt absolutely nothing for the place....no connection at all. I had a good time, don't get me wrong....but at the same time I couldn't wait to leave. I was surprised. Ill always be British, but I hope I never have to move back there. I'm not saying my life is any better than a single person here....but I was thinking about this while I was over there, and, if I had to name my price for giving up what I have here in BC and moving back, honestly....I wouldn't do it for any less than Ten Million pounds. Seriously. I don't care if I have to work on trees out here until the day I die....rather that than be a millionaire back in England. Every bodies different I know....and it often depends on your circumstances and where your priorities lie. I suppose what I m saying is that if you've got the incline and the means to do it, then you should. Because it might turn out to be the best thing you ever did. I also think its better to try and fail, than not try at all. You may never get another chance.

You are right. That dip (slack) you get in the rope each time the log starts to fold is caused by the face cut closing. The deeper the face cut, the bigger the dip. I was cutting them deep to make it easier for me to push over against the lean. So offsetting the block from the face reduced the slack a little to compensate. The block and the bollard should always be offset from each other so the log doesn't slam the rope against the trunk, like Joe said. Thanks.

They probably ran about 20 ft, although it's hard to see from the camera right underneath. I think there's a couple missing too, where he forgot to hit record. I always anticipate the first few being less than perfect though. That pole was probably 85ft or more, so yeah he had plenty more room. He pulled most of them up quicker than need be....not that it mattered so much, apart from scuffing the rope here and there. A good thing with rigging tall conifers is that you get to use up lots of rope. That and the fact that they bend and Sway about so much, a shock load feels much less....shocking, if you know what I mean.

You miserable bastard, Bolam !

Worked with enough miserable, or uptight workers in the past mate. Never again

Thanks I have Jared with me a couple days a week of late. The customers like him, they like his BS. It's a big part of why I get him in.

Some footage from yesterday. Beautiful weather all week. Use HD setting.

Afew from today

Nothing to forgive Jon. Say what you feel, I wouldn't expect anything less. The video was about my injuries, and what caused them. It wasn't an SRT tutorial, by any means. But that info is easy enough to find, if you look for it. Yes base ties can become a force multiplyer, reletive to the amount of friction of course....but in the same sense it can also give you a bigger margin of safety, in the fact that your line may pass over multiple limbs before being tied off back at the base. That's what most users aim for. I read not just a couple of weeks ago that a lad fell out of a tree during a climbing competition in the US. I believe it was an isolated limb, but not SRT. Running your line over multiple limbs is not so much an option Ddrt. So, there's an argument for both sides if you think abut it....but really it's a common sense issue, a big part of tree work.

You might care when you get older mate. That was the original point really. I was getting bolloxed, but now ok. The threads just been derailed a little, that's all.

In reply to devontwig and Tim. I do lots of pruning, as well as removals.... tall conifers to spreading hardwoods. The maple in the vid actually had about a 90ft spread, for example. So, lets use a pruning situation as an example, starting with access. No need to isolate a limb, just put the line straight through a high point in the canopy and base tie it. Away you go, work that side of the tree on the way up using your 1:1 ascent if it suits, bottom up. If you’re not comfortable with a base tie then you can easily use a sling and carabiner to girth-hitch your rope in the canopy at any given point. Base ties do add some extra risk into any climb, so has to be thought about beforehand and remembered throughout. Its as well that they’re somewhat of a taboo subject, because they seem to getting a healthy respect as a result thus far.... nobodies cutting themselves out of trees yet it seems. The possible force multiplying effect from a base tie to the high point/redirect in the tree needs to be factored in also....but, its really not difficult thing to plan for and mitigate. Once in the tree, its all about navigating the canopy, whether up, down, in, or out. There’s not much else to it. Whether base tied, or using a canopy anchor of some, you have the option of setting the exact amount of line that you require to work the tree. No excess might allow for easy movement or less to no chance of the tail being snagged, damaged or even just getting in the way of the ground workers. With DdRT, there is usually always the climbers rope on the ground in something’s or somebody’s way. Having a chipper anywhere near a climbers excess line is always a major concern too. Canopy anchors/redirects also can also be placed anywhere, without the need for a crotch. 2 or 3 redirects for example can be used to add strength to the working anchor, which would otherwise require additional support lines via DdRT. When using DdRT, the climbers chosen route around the canopy is largely dictated by the need to keep his line free running, free from obstructing branches or redirects in that sense. Friction savers are all the range these days, but at some point, perhaps after your line is rubbing on 3 separate limbs on route to your target, it starts getting like hard work. SRT, on the contrary, can be routed through or around an unlimited amount of limbs and have zero effect on your mobility, because its only you hitch that moves, not the rope. And whats more, at any such redirect, a sling/carabineer combo can be positioned whether to provide a better line angle for work positioning, or lessen a swing in the event of a fall/arrest scenario. The point is being able to access more of the tree without having to re-route. DdRT has some advantage in returning from limb walks as its easier to keep you’re weight in the rope using the 2:1 advantage already in place. You can set up a similar system but 3:1 at any point of an SRT line in seconds, if you so wish. I’ve personally never felt the need for this, but I know some people do. If the limb is descending too steep for me to pull my own weight back up it, I simply click on the foot ascender. Where the 2:1 system fall short is that you’re moving half the speed for the amount of rope that moves through the system. Lots of wasteful arm over arm movement but actually going nowhere fast, an illusion of sorts. The 1:1 ratio of SRT whether inward or upward is obviously more efficient by its very nature. The option of Spur/spike ascenders, chest harnesses and other such SRT specific add ons also offer many advantages....but I just wanted to stick with the basics of climbing for now. Thats all I have to say really.

Here's a working video. Pruning a multi stemmed big leaf maple. I say 'working' video....not a 10 minute bell ringing climb around a pre-thineed tree. So, it's a bit stop start. But the good use of redirects, constant friction and 1:1 ratio with the foot ascender is apparent. Speaking of ascending....many of the trees we work in this particular area are well over a hundred feet, often 90 to the first limb. So, Ddrt would be painfully inefficient in this environment, to either watch or partake. Also, I have no hand in design, manufacturer or retail in any such SRT equipment:

Nope. Carry on mate, cheers. I just talked none stop for 16 mins in the vid, that's enough.

Just my story. Feel free to add your own experiences. Thanks

Nice pics Adam. Get that car looked at.

A rare Euc removal today. A big one for these parts. Not any more.

Thanks. Adam, Thursday night I can be around for a beer. Text me 250 661 3183 We just had to chip everything on that job Josh. The wood stayed....it usually does.

I used trunk wraps on some trees further up the hill. Each log was about 35 ft long.

A few from the phone today

This fir take down was part of a recent job of about 12-14 trees. Approximately 165 ft tall, but easy work. The log was the hard part....at least, safely getting the bottom part down the hill on my own today. Lots of pics.

That's no stunt mate....just good work

Hard to argue. Falling a Lombardy in the wind with such a big sail....pretty wreckless stuff considering the location.

They're just going to stay like that, holding the bank together, unless he decides to pull them out. Even the skinny one was 130 ft and back leaning....so safer for me to cut them high also. They're not mill logs either.

Some falling pics from today. I have about 3 more days at this site.